September faturd'ay morning a young lad, who for about two days had been
'---- -----' miffing from Serf- Quadra’s velfel, was found in a cove not far from the
Saturday 1 j . f]rfpSj moft inhumanly murdered. The calves of his legs were cut out,
his head nearly fevered from his body, and he had received feveral barbarous
wounds in other parts. Doubts arofe whether this horrid aft
had been perpetrated by the natives, or by a black man of mod infamous
character, who had deferted from the Spaniffi veffei about the
time.the boy was,firft miffed. The prevailing opinion feemed to criminate
the former, and on Senr- Quadra demanding of Maquinna that the
murderer ffiould inftantly be given up, the immediate - departure of all
the inhabitants of the found from our neighbourhood became a ftrong
prefumptive proof of their delinquency.
Sen1- Quadra gave an immediate anfwer to my letter of the lgth, but
as he therein did not depart from the terms, o f his late offer of leaving me
infiojfejjion only, notformally rejloring the territory o f Nootka to the king
of Great Britain ; it became neceffary on my part to demand a categorical
and definitive anfwer from Sen'- Quadra, whether he would or
would not reftore to me for His Britannic Majefty the territories in quef-
tion, of which the fubjefts of that realm had been difpoffeffed in april,
1789. Thefe were Nootka and Çlayoquot, or port Cox ; the former is
the place which was then occupied by the Britilh fubjefts, from thence
their veffels were fent as prizes, and themfelves as prifoners to New
Spain'; this is the place that was forcibly wrefted from them, and fortified
and occupied by the officers of the Spaniffi crown ; this place therefore,
with Clayoquot, or port Cox, were comprehended under the firft
article of the convention, and were by that treaty to be reftored without
any refervation whatfoever : on thefe terms, and on thefe only, could I
- receive the reftitution o f them. Sen'- Quadra having alfo laid fome ftrefs
upon Mr. Meares’s veffels being under Portuguefe colours, I took this
opportunity of fignifying, that I confidered that circumftance equally
foreign and unimportant, it having been fet forth in Mr. Meares’s original
petition to the Parliament o f Great Britain; and of courfe mull
have come under the confideration o f the Spaniffi and Engliffi minifters.
Unleis our négociation could be brought to a conclufion on the terms
pointed.
pointed out in this as well as in: my former letters, I begged leave to g >79^
acquaint Serf- Quadra, that I mull pofitively decline any further corre- ■ /
fpondence on the fubjeft.
It was a-matter of no fmall fatisfaftion, that although on this fubjeft
fuch manifeft difference arofe in our opinions, it had not the leaft effeft on
our perfonal intercourfe with each other, or on the advantages we derived
from our mutual good offices ; we continued to vifit as ufual, and this
day Sen”- Quadra and Caamano, with moft of the Spaniffi officers, honored
me with their company at dinner.
On monday morning a Portuguefe brig arrived here called the Fenis Monday 15.
and St. Jofeph, commanded by John de Barros Andrede, on board of
which was a Mr. Duffin as fuper-cargo. In the evening I had Sen"
Quadra’s final determination ; which refting on the fame point where it
had originated, I confidered any further correfporidence totally unne-
ceffary ; and inftead of writing, I requeftéd in converfation the next day to
be informed) if he was pofitively refolved to adhere, in the reftitution of
this country, to the principles contained in his laft letter ? and on receiving
from him an anfwer in the affirmative, I acquainted him that I ffiould
confider Nootka as a Spani/h port, and requefted his permijjion to carry
on our neceffary employments on ffiore, which he very politely gave,
with the moft friendly affurance of every fervice and kind office in his
power to grant.
Our négociation being brought by thefe means to a conclufion, Sen"
Quadra informed me, that Sen" Caamano would-be left in charge of the Tutfday 18.
port, until the arrival of the Princiffa, commanded by Sen" Fidalgo : with
whom the government of the port of Nootka would be left, and from
whom the Engliffi might be certain of receiving every accommodation.
Sen" Quadra was now making arrangements on board the Aftive for
his departure, which he intended ffiould take place in the s courfe o f a
day or two. Agreeably to a former promife I had made him, he re;
quelled a copy of my charts for the fervice of His Catholic Majefty ; but
as our longitude of the feveral parts of the coaft . differed in many in*
ftances from that laid down by Captain Cook, I wiffied to embrace
every future opportunity of making further obfervations whilft we might
g F 2 remain
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