Fraser and others believed that this was, in fact, the Columbia River, the mouth of which had been explored in 1792 by Robert Gray.
Bol to Fraserov nápad, aby zmapovali rieku (rieku Fraser), o ktorej sa on a jeho druhovia domnievali že je riekou Kolumbia, ktorej ústie bolo v roku 1792 preskúmané Robertom Grayom.