▁Dis app oint ment ▁and ▁Point ▁Adams , ▁but ▁ill ness ▁ab o ard ▁ship ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁expl oring ▁further , ▁and ▁his ▁ship ▁was ▁then ▁driven ▁out ▁to ▁sea ▁by ▁curr ents . ▁ ▁H ec eta ▁recorded ▁his ▁opinion ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁river ▁mouth ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity . ▁ ▁British ▁Captain ▁James ▁Cook ▁expl ored ▁the ▁coast line ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁but ▁missed ▁the ▁entrance ▁bay ▁entirely ▁due ▁to ▁bad ▁weather . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 7 9 2 , ▁Captain ▁George ▁V ancouver ▁also ▁sa iled ▁the ▁area , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁see ▁the ▁river ▁mouth . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 7 9 2 , ▁Captain ▁Gray ▁made ▁note ▁of ▁the ▁strong ▁curr ents , ▁but ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁river ▁mouth . ▁ ▁He ▁returned ▁in ▁May , ▁and ▁succeeded ▁in ▁entering ▁the ▁river ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 1 . ▁ ▁This ▁formally ▁established ▁an ▁American ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁region ▁that ▁with stood ▁later ▁challeng es . ▁ ▁Gray ▁made ▁a ▁land fall ▁near ▁Ch ino ok ▁Point ▁to ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁Ch ino ok ▁people , ▁for ▁whom ▁the ▁point ▁is ▁named . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Clark ▁Ex ped ition ▁was ▁organ ised ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁river ▁named ▁Columbia ▁by ▁Gray ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁object ives . ▁ ▁The ▁expedition ▁reached ▁Ch ino ok ▁Point ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 0 5 . ▁ ▁The