 The Cape Disappointment headland was first charted as "San Roque" by a Spanish explorer named Bruno de Heceta while exploring the Northwest Coast in August 1775.Heceta recognized this was probably the mouth of a large river but was unable to explore the entrance, since his crewmembers were weak, suffering from scurvy.Using Heceta's navigational charts during an expedition along the West Coast of North America in 1788, Lieutenant John Meares of the British Royal Navy attempted to locate "San Roque."