December. Having at Iength reached the 30th degree of north latitude, which was.
1— i r—> the fouthern limit o f our intended furvey o f the weftern coaft o f North
America, and having now accomplilhed the laborious talk o f its examination
from hence northward to the 56th degree o f north latitude, it becomes
requifite to ftate fome o f my obfervations made on the Spanilh charts of
that coaft, to which I have latterly had frequent occafion to refer.
On comparing them with the fhores, efpecially to the fouthward o f
Todos Santos, little refemblance can be found; whilft the fituation o f the
feveral prominent parts and important ftations are rendered doubtful, by
the very great difagreement in point o f latitude. Between Todos Santos,
and the bay off which we anchored the preceding evening, (which
bay according to Sen'- Quadra’s chart is the bay o f St. Francifco) there are
in thofe charts two fpacious bays, whereas we found only one, in which
we fuppofed the miffion o f El Rofario to be fituated; this I confidered as
the bay de las Virgenes. We did not fee the ifle de Su Marios, nor the ifles
, St- Geronimo, nor the lhoal that is laid down in the printed chart to
the weftward of the ifland o f Cenizas. Hence it might appear, on reference
to Sen'- Quadra s chart, that we had been miftaken in refpefl to
the identical part o f the coaft we were now abreaft of; that the land we
had taken for the ifland o f Cenizas, was the ifland of Marios, and
that what we fuppofed to have been the bay o f St. Francifco, was
that of de las Virgenes, But in this cafe the ifles of St. Geronimo, the
ifland o f Cenizas, and the bay o f St. Francifco, would ftill be fomewhere
to the fouthward, and confequently their latitude would be yet more ir-
reconcileable; for in Sen' Quadra’s chart the ifland o f Cenizas is placed
40', and in the printed charts 52' further north than its real fituation was
found to.be; and it is alfo reprelented to be o f much greater extent than
we found it to occupy. The weft point o f the bay o f St. Francifco,
(that is, point Five Hummocks) which was found by us to be in latitude
30° 23, longitude 244“ 20’, is placed by Sen'-Quadra’s chart in latitude
3 ^ 6 ', and in the other in 31« 22'. Should thefe places therefore be
really fo much further to the fouth, they are neceffarily beyond the limit
of our furvey, and the error in latitude muft have iqcreafed beyond all
calculation or probability.
For thefe reafons I have adopted my firft ideas as to the names o f the
places in queftion, on a prefumption that the apparent difference between ■
ours and the Spanilh furveys, muft wholly be attributed to the inaccuracy
o f their charts; an opinion I feel myfelf authorized to entertain,
fince Sen'- Quadra warned me again!! the incorreftnefs of the manufcript
chart, as he did not know on what authority the coaft fouthward of Monterrey
had been laid down; and confequently, could not be anfwerable
for its accuracy, further than of its being a true copy from one which
was regarded by the Spaniards as the beft chart o f thofe regions.
As we drew near the fouthern limits of our refearches along this coaft,
I was in anxious expectation o f feeing the miffion o f St. Domingo, which
had been ftated to be fituated in this neighbourhood, and which is the
fouthernmoft Spanilh fettlement, on, what I have confidered as, the coaft
o f New Albion, as difcovered and named by Sir Francis Drake; or, as
the Spaniards frequently call the fame country, New California.
The exterior lhores o f that part o f the continent to the fouth o f the
limits before mentioned, being thofe o f the peninfula bearing that name,
I would gladly have undertaken the talk of examining further, for the
purpofe of correfting any other fuch geographical errors, notwithftand-
ing the very extraordinary flow and tedious progrefc that had attended
our late endeavours; had we not been lb much preffed for time, in con-
fequence of the very importunate manner in which Major Grofe had
requefted the return of the Daedalus to New South Wales.
Exploring thefe lhores any further, would however have exceeded the
ftrifl letter o f my inftrufkions, and might poflibly have excited additional
jealoufy in the breaft o f the Spanilh a fling governor. Under*
thefe confiderations I was compelled, though with infinite reluftance,
to abandon this interefting purfuit, and to determine on making the beft
of our way to the Sandwich iftands, where I could firmly rely on the
fincerity of Tamaahmaah, and the profeffions of the reft of our rude uncivilized,
friends in thofe iflands, for a hearty welcome, a kind reception,
and every fervice and accommodation in their humble power to afford;
without any o f the inhofpitable reftriflions we muft have been under-
from the then civilized governor at Monterrey.