Elliott, T.C.
Captain Cook’s approach to Oregon.
Oregon Historical Society.
1974.

Cook first sighted land a little south of Yaquina Bay on the morning of March 7th, 1778. The weather was unpleasant and he could not anchor or heave to safely near the coast. When off Cape Arago on the 1lth his ships were driven out to sea by storms and his next landfall was above latitude 47 on the coast of Washington.

His examination of Oregon, then, was limited to five days during not very clear weather, over a range of about 150 miles of the coastline, but was never nearer than three leagues, or about ten miles, to the shore.

The short introduction by Mr. Elliott is followed by a reproduction of Cook’s journal for that period, a very useful map of what probably took place and some excellent photographs (including the three capes he named).

Ian Boreham

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 347, volume 4, number 4 (1981).