September ffru&i°ns I had received, in oppofition to the judgment and opinion
'— -v— i of Seri’ Quadra, and the evidences which he had propofed ; I could not
but confider the unexpefted arrival of a gentlemen, who had perfonally
attended Mr. Meares on his forming the eftablifhment at Nootka, and
who it feems had been prefent on moll occafions when differences had
arifen between Seri- Martinez and Captain Colnett, as a very fortunate
circumltance, lince his report and affidavit cleared up every point of which,
from other teflimonies, I could entertain any doubt, and confirmed me
in the opinion, that the conduft I had purfued had not been incompatible
with the trull committed to my charge and execution. On
comparing his reprefentation with that which had been communicated
to me on the fame fubjeft by Sen'’ Quadra, a very material difference
appeared, which, moll probably, operated to direft Seri Quadra's conduft,
in refilling me poffeffion of the country agreeably to the terms
o f my inftruftions.
The veffels employed in commercial purfuits this feafon on the north-
well coall o f America, have I believe found their adventures to an-
lwer their expectations: many were contented with the cargo o f furs
they had Collefted in the courfe of the fummer; whilll others who had
prolonged their voyage, either paffed the winter at the Sandwich iflands,
or on the coall, where they completed fmall veffels which thdy brought
out in frame. An Englilh and an American lhallop were at this time
on the Hocks in the cove, and when finilhed were to be employed in
the inland navigation, in collecting the Ikins of the fea-otter and other
furs; befidethefe, a French Ihip was then engaged in the lame purfuit, and
the following veffels in the fervice of His Catholic Majelty; the Gertrudes
and Conception of thirty-fix guns each, the Aftive brig of twelve
guns, Princiffa, Aranfafu, and St. Carlos, armed Chips, with the veffels
of Sen”- Galiano and Valdes. Both thefe gentlemen had been, and
were Hill, employed, not only in geographical relearches, but in acquiring
every poffible information refpefting the commerce of the
country ; this circumftance, together with the guarded conduft obferved
by Sen'- Quadra, in his endeavours to retain the whole, or at any event
to preferve a right in Nootka, evidently manifelled the degree of jea-
Ioufy,
loufy, with which the court of Spain regards the commercial intercourfe g
that is likely to be ellablilhed on this fide of the world. ■ /
Confidering it an indifpenfable duty, that the Lords o f the Admiralty
Ihould, from under my own hand, become acquainted with the
whole of my négociation at this port by the fafell and moll expeditious
conveyance, a paffage was procured for my firll lieutenant Mr. Mudge
on board the Fenis and St. Jofeph, bound to China, from whence he
was to proceed with all difpatch to England. T o this gentleman I in-
trulled extrafts from the moll important parts o f my journal, with a
copy of our fùrvey of this coall ; and I had every' reafon to indulge
the hopes o f his fpeedy return, with further inltruftions for the government
o f my conduft in thefe regions.
On this oe’eafion, I appointed Lieutenants Puget and Baker to be
firll and fécond lieutenants, as alfo Mr. Spelman Swaine to be third
lieutenant o f the Difcovery ; and Mr. Thomas Manby to be mailer of
the Chatham.
Seri- Quadra having ufed no rigorous meafures to deteft and bring
to jullice the murderer o f the young Spaniard, the alarm of the natives
foon fubfided, and in a day or two they vifited us as ufual. Maquin-
na and the other chiefs were not, however, fo cordially received at the
Spanilh habitations, as they had been in Seri' Quadra’s time ; at which
they expreffed much diflike to all the Spaniards excepting Seri’ Quadra,
and particularly to Martinez ; who, Maquinna aliened, went on Ihore
with a number of armed people, and obliged him by threats to make
ceffion of Nootka to the king of Spain. He lamented alfo the prof-
peft of our fpeedy departure, faying, that his people would always
be harraffed and ill-treated by new-comers, and intreated that I would
leave fome perfons behind for their proteftion, :Very little dependence
however is to be placed in the truth or fincerity of fuch declarations ;
fince thefe people, unlettered as they are, poffefs no fmall lhare o f policy
and addrefs, and fpare no pains to; ingratiate themfelves, by the help of
a little flattery (a commodity with whofe value they Teemed perfeftly
acquainted) with llrangers, to whom they reprefent their aftions as
V o l . I . 3 G r e fu l t in g