1793* After this, having no further occafion for our January. 0 ellablilhment onlhore,
i... — ) the tents, obfervatory, inftruments,' and every other article were refhipped,
it being my full determination to fail with the land wind the
Monday 7. following evening: in the interval I was, honored on board with the
company of Sen” ' Quadra, Caamano, the commandant of the prelidio
with his lady, and molt o f our Spanifh friends.,
In the coürfe of the afternoon a very material alteration took place in
the weather, for the firlt-time firice’ our arrival in this Bay. The wind
blew a hard-gale from the s. e . attended with heavy fqualls andltor-
rerits of Tain. In addition to this another circumftance concurred to
detain us fome time longer. The armourer of the. Chatham, a molt in-
duftrious and excellent workman, found an opportunity in the courfe
o f the- day, with one of the Chatham’s bell marines, to abfent thetn-
felves. The abilities and generally good conduft o f the armourer, made-
, his lofs a matter of no finall confequence, efpecially as there was' no
other perfon in our little community that was competent to fill his poll.
The only mode to be purfued for their recovery, was to make a proper
and formal application to Sen'-Quadra, and to Sen” Arguello, the
commandant o f the prelidio. In confequence of this, thele gentlemen took
limilar lleps to thole which on a former occafion had recovered a feaman
belonging to the Difcovery, who had attempted to make. his efcape..
The better to infure fuccefs in this inllance, a reward o f twenty-live dollars
for each of the defertefs was offered to the loldiers, who were dif-
patched in every diredlion in fearch o f them. The like fum was offered
by Senr' Quadra, by the commandant, and by myfelf, to any perfon
who would deliver them up, or who lhould be the caufe o f their being
taken. The lofs we had thus fuftained, and the adlive exertions making
to repair it, would' at any rate have induced mé to wait a few days for
the event o f our refearches. The s.w. and foutherly winds with fuc-
Sunday 13. ceeding calms continued, However, to prevent our failing until the. 13th,
when in the morning the regular fea-breeze from the n .w . prevailed..
During this interval no tidings.had been gained of the abfentees, and
the foldiers who had been fent in quell of them returned unfuccefsfuï.
.„ ' Seri”
Sen” Quadra evidently felt much diltreffed that fo unfortunate an occur- >793-
rence lhould take place juffc on the eve of our reparation, and ilfued t 1 — — '.
orders, that on their being apprehended they lhould1 be imprifoned ; that
they might be forwarded to me- at Nootka, during any period of our
remaining in ‘thefe feas. And as a proof that thefe people had abfcond-
ed without the knowledge, privity, or encouragement o f any of the
Spanifh officers, he very obligingly offered to replace the armourer by
fubllituting the only fmith in this ellablilhment; who, being reported to
be a very good workman, was an artificer o f too much importance, to
perfons in our lituation, to be haftily declined; With great felu&ance,
and though contrary to my wilhes, I was induced-to-accept the advantage
of fo friendly, an offer, to which the urgency of the cafe alone could
have obliged me to affent.- He was accordingly received on board the
Chatham, and Sen” Quadra’s veffels as Well as our own being in readi-
nefs to depart, it Was agreed we lhould fail together, fo long as our fouth-
ern courfe anfwered the purpofe o f our refpedlive routes,. that we might
continue as long as poffible to-benefit by each other’s fociety.
We now waited only for the favorable land breeze, to take our departure.
I conligned to the charge of,Mr. Broughton the difpatchés I
had prepared, with Orders, as far as at might depend upon himfelf not
to admit a moment’s lofs of time in repairing.to England ; and I diredled
my lirll lieutenant, Mr. Puget, to take upon him the command of the
Chatham, during the abfencc of Mr. Broughton.
- The night was perfefilly calm; about nine o’clock on monday morn- Monday 14.
ing a light breeze fprung up from the ealtward, with.which the Difcovery
weighed; but, as neither the-Chatham nor any of the Spanifh veffels
were able to move, we waited, for them off point Pinos, this we palled
at the diflance of 2 or g miles, and had foundings from 38 to 55 fathoms',
black fand and muddy bottom.
The next morning we found ourfelves more to the fouthward, and Tucfday 15.
further from, the Ihore than -we.expefted ;.. the wind:- blew a frelh breeze
from the land, and .we Hood to the’ northward in . quell of our friends.
The Chatham joined us about nine o’clock, when our lituation afforded
a good