336 WILLIAM H. GALVANI
one of his parents at least must have been completely white." 9 A similar incident is recorded by Franchere under date of May 8th, 1812, when in the vicinity of Point Vancouver the party met a kindly old blind man and they were told by their guide that "he was a white man and that his name was Soto . . . . he was the son of a Spaniard who had been wrecked at the mouth of the river ; that a part of the crew on this occa- sion got safe ashore, but were all massacred by the Clatsops, with the exception of four who were spared and who married native women ; these four Spaniards, disgusted with the savage life, attempted to reach a settlement of their own nation toward the South, but had never been heard of since; and that when his father and his companions had left the country he himself was yet quite young." 10
Such in brief is the interesting story of the early efforts of the Spaniards to explore the Western slope of the New World, to establish permanent settlements on the 'Pacific Coast, and to insure the sovereignty of His Catholic Majesty the King of Spain all of which, like her whole world empire, vanished from the face of the earth and apparently forever. Sic transit gloria mundi.
II. ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF OREGON
The beginning of things or the rise of symbols for things has always been an item of great interest to the mind of man. Hence, it is that history, dealing in matters pertaining to this world, and also theology, dealing with speculations relating to all other worlds, are so prolific. And, indeed, it is but quite natural that it should be so for it is only in the light of the past of the race that the mind of man can suggest an explana- tion for the present state of things ; and, again, from the union of the two, the past and the present, we may have a glimpse into "the never ending flight of future days."
That is why history and theology are so prolific; it is our deep concern in the future for in life, as Byron so well
9 This is corroborated by the late John Minto (b. Oct 10, 1822, d. Feb. 25, 1915, a pioneer of 1844, who in. 1846 met at Morrison's (now Columbia beach about 8 miles South of Astoria), the Indian Cullaby whom he found to be a son of the red haired and freckled faced Indian mentioned in the Journal of Lewis and Clark under date of Jan. 1, 1806.
10 Franchere, Gabriel, Narrative of the Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the years 1811-1814, page 113.
