„ *79*- fair reprefentation of all our proceedings to the court of Great Britain,
September. . , 1 0
i---------» and wait for further inftruftions. This letter I concluded by again repeating,
that I was ftill ready to receive from Sen'- Quadra the territories
in queftion, agreeably to the firft article of the convention, and the letter
o f Count Florida Blanca.
In the courfe of the night arrived here the brig Hope, belonging to
Bolton in America, commanded by Mr. Jofeph Ingraham, the perfon
who jointly with Mr. Gray had given Sen'- Quadra a ftatement of the
conduct of Don Martinez, and of the tranfaftions at this port in the
year -1789.
Wednef. 12. About noon the next day I received from Sen'- Quadra a letter dated
the 1 ith of feptember, in anfwer to my lalt, expreffive of his confidence
that I Ihould make a faithful and true reprefentation of the proceedings
that had taken place refpefting the points in queftion; and repeating
the offer contained in his former letter, of relinquilhing the territories on
the terms and conditions therein expreffed. T o this letter I immediately
replied, that I was ready whenever it fuited Sen'- Quadra’s convenience,
to be put into poffeflion of the territories on the N.w . coaft-of America,
or iflands adjacent, agreeably to the firft article of the convention, and
the letter o f the Count Florida Blanca.
Having this day dined with Sen' Quadra, on riling from table he re-
quefted, as no final determination had yet taken place refpefting thé re-
ftitution of thefe territories, to have fome perfonal converfation on the
fubjeft, in hopes by that means of drawing the bufinefs to a more fpeedy
conclufion. Befides ourfelves there were prefent Sen1-Mozino and Mr.
Broughton; fo that with the affiftance o f Mr. Dobfon, and thefe gentlemen
who fpoke French extremely well, we had a profpecl of coming to
fo perfect an explanation as to render any further epiftolary altercation
totally unneceffary. Sen'-Quadra vindicated the conduft of Martinez,
and laid confiderable ftrefs on the conceflion of Maquinna, who had
put them into complete poffeflion of the lands they then occupied ; on
this circumftance, and on the information he had obtained fince his arrival
at Nootka, certain parts of which he had by letter communicated
to me, he feemed principally to eftablilh the claims of the Spanilh
crown.
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 401
crown. The fmall fpot on which Mr. Meares’s houfe had been built, ‘ 792-
which did not then appear to be occupied by the Spaniards, Sen'- Qua- f cpt°mbc,r'
dra faid I was at liberty to take poffeflion of for His Britannic Majefty,
whenever I Ihould think proper. This offer being totally foreign to my
expectations, and a repetition only o f that which had taken place in our
correfpondence, Sen'. Quadra was made acquainted, that under fuch cir-
circumftances I did not feel myfelf juftified in entering into any further
difcuflion. The propriety of this determination being admitted, it was
mutually agreed that we Ihould each reprefent our objections and proceedings
to our refpeCtive courts, and wait their decifion on the important
queflions which had arifen in the négociation. In the mean time
Sen' Quadra propofed to leave me in poffeflion of thefe territories, the
inftant his veffel was fittéd for his reception. On his departure the Spanilh
flag was to be ftruck, and the Britilh flag hoifted in its place, which
Sen'- Quadra confented to falute, on my agreeing to return an equal number
o f guns. Thus did matters appear to be perfectly arranged, agreeably
to the withes of all parties) and the bufinefs brought to an amicable and
pleafant conclufion, when to my great furprize I received the next
morning a letter from Sen'-Quadra, fetting forth that he was ready to Thurfdayij.
deliver up to me, conformably to the firft article o f the convention, the
territory which was occupied by Britilh fubjects in april, 1789, and to
leave the Spanilh fcttlement at Nootka until the decifion o f the courts
of England and Spain were obtained; which was proceeding, he faid, as
far as his powers extended. This very unexpefted letter produced an
immediate reply from me, wherein I ftated, that the territories o f which
the fubjefts of His Britannic Majefty were difpoffeffed in april, 1789, and
which by the firft article of the convention were now to be reftored, I
underftood to be this place (meaning Nootka) in toto, and port Cox.
Thefe I was ftill ready to receive, but could not entertain an idea o f
hoifting the Britilh flag on the fpot of land pointed out by Sen'-Quadra,
not extending more than an hundred yards in any direftion. I concluded
by obferving, that the offer made in Sen1 Quadra’s two -laft letters
differed materially from that contained in his firft letter to me on this
fubjeft.
V ol. I. On