George Young of the British Navy. To Gray's Bay ho gave the name it bears as a compliment to the discoverer whose ship had lain in it some months before. When Broughton entered the river he found a small English vessel which had been up the coast to the northward on a trading voyage, and on its return southward had turned into the Columbia River. This vessel remained in the river till Broughton was ready to sail with his own brig, the Chatham. It was the bark Jenny, and her commander was Captain Baker. His name is perpetuated in Baker's Bay. The Chatham and the Jenny went to sea together; and Baker, though disappearing then and there from history, has left his name to us forever.
The importance to the United States of obtainment of a footing upon the Pacific was seen even at this early day; but it was appreciated only by a few of our statesmen. To Thomas Jefferson the honor is due to quick and early apprehension of the significance of Gray's discovery. Confirmation of our title to Oregon was associated in his mind with the acquisition of Louisiana. Each was a necessary part of the imperial scheme. Even before the acquisition of Louisiana Jefferson had planned an expedition across the continent to the Oregon country and to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was not organized, however, before the purchase from France was completed; for in fact we had no right to send an exploring party through the country of the Upper Missouri. A few years later the expedition of Zebulon Pike, into Colorado and southward into Spanish territory was arrested by the troops of Spain; but after the members had been held as prisoners for a time they were returned to the United States. France probably would not have been prepared to arrest an expedition from the United States traversing her territory to reach the Pacific Ocean; but with the completion of the Louisiana purchase the danger of such an incident was averted. The Lewis and Clark party was organized quickly after the purchase, and started up the Missouri River in the year 1804. Wintering at Mandan, on the Missouri, it pressed on in 1805, passed over the Rocky Mountains in the summer of that year,
