398
September Per^aPs not yet quite forgotten ; they neverthelefs' made a profitable
«— v— < vifit, as what their modefty precluded their alking of me, I was afterwards
informed Was amply made up by their begging from the officers
and others on board.
The exhibition o f fire works which I had promifed the party, was anxi-
oufly waited for ; towards the evening their impatience was aim oft unre-
ftrainable, as they could not, or would not, underftand that darknefs was
neceflary to their entertainment, and accufed us of a breach of promife
and telling falfities. Sen'- Ouadra however, after much perfuafion, prevailed
upon them to ftay the night, by which they were convinced that
our affurances were not to be difcredited. The night being favorable to
our operations, they fucceeded extremely well. The rockets, balloons,
and other fire-works, were in a high ftate of prefervation, and were regarded
by the Indian fpeftators with wonder and admiration, mixed with
a confiderable fhare of apprehenfion ; for it was not without great difficulty
that I prevailed on Maquinna and his brother to fire a few Iky
rockets, a performance that produced the greateft exultation. The
Europeans prefent were not lefs entertained with the exhibition, than
furprized that the feveral fire works fhould have remained fo long on
board in fuch excellent condition.
Saturday 8. The Aranfafu, a Spanilh armed fhip, commanded by Sen1, Caamano,
arrived from a furveying expeditiomon the exterior coaft to the north of
Nootka, towards Biccareli, of the charts of which I was promifed a
copy, as foon as they fhould be properly arranged.
Mr. Cranftoun, the furgeon o f the Difcovery, having been rendered incapable
of his duty by a general debilitated ftate of health fince our departure
from the cape of Good Hope, requefted permiflion to proceed
to port Jackfon in the Daedalus, from whence he fhould foon procure a
paflage to England ; he was confequently difcharged, and Mr. Archibald
Menzies, a furgeon in the navy, who had embarked in purfuit of botanical
information, having cheerfully rendered his fervices during Mr.
Cranftoun’s indifpofition, and finding that fuch attention had not interfered
with the other objefts of his purfuit, I confidered him the moft
proper perfon to be appointed in the room of Mr. Cranftoun. The
boatfwain
hoatfwain of the Difcovery, Mr. William Houfe, a careful, fober, and ’M®-
attentive officer, having laboured under a violent rheumatic complaint, 1— /——•
fince our departure from New Zealand, which had precluded his attention
to any part of his duty, was on his application in like manner difcharged
; Mr. John Noot, boatfwain of the Chatham, was appointed in
his room, and Mr. George Phillifkirk was appointed boatfwain o f the
Chatham.
I deemed it expedient, that their Lordfhips direftions, prohibiting charts, Monday 10.
journals, drawings, or any other fort of intelligence refpefting our proceedings
being made known or communicated, fhould be publicly read
to the officers and perfons under my command, and to urge every
injunction in my power to enforce a due obedience to thofe orders.
The letter I received the 2d o f this month from Sen'' Ouadra, not
having been tranflated till this day, in confequence o f Mr. Dobfon’s indifpofition,
I was not a little furprized to find it differ fo much from
what I had reafon to expeft.
In this letter Sen'- Quadra informs me, that in conformity to the firft
article of the convention, and the royal order under which he is to aft,
he can only reftore to His Britannic Majefty the edifices, diftrifts, or
portions of land which in april, 1789, were taken from his fubjefts ; that
he was in pofleffion o f full proof that the fmall hut the Englifh had was
not in exiftence on the arrival of Martinez, and that the then eftablifh-
ment of the Spaniards was not in the place where the Britifh fubjefts
had theirs. That if I did not think myfelf authorized to fubfcribe to
the tenor o f his commiffion and inftruftions, he would recommend that
each fhould lay before his refpeftive court all the circumftances of the
pending négociation, and wait for further inftruftions ; in the mean time
Sen'- Quadra offered to leave me in pofleffion o f what Mr. Meares had
occupied, and at my command the houfes, gardens, and offices then occupied
by the Spaniards, whilft he retired until the decifion of the two
courts fhould be known.
To this letter I immediately replied, that as, like his former one, it
contained a retrofpeftive view of matters which I had no authority to
take cognizance of, I fhould accede to his propofal, and make a juft and
fair