4 9° A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y .
pofliblè adoration, humility, and gratitude, I offered up my unfeigned
thanks to the G r e a t D isposer of al l human e v en t s , for the pro-
teftion which thus, in his unbounded wifdom and gôôdnefs he had been
pleafed, on all occalions, to vouchfafe unto us, and which had now
happily reftored us to our country, our families, and our friends.
END OF THE-JOURNAL.
NOTES
H 49i j
NOTES AND MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.
S l N C E my return to England I have had feveral converlations with
Captain Colnett, relative to the capture of his veffel at Nootka, and the
treatment that himfelf, officers, and crew, received from the Spaniards
during the time they remained at that place, and afterwards whilft they
were -prifoners at St. Bias ; from the whole of .which it will appear, that
he had been extremely ill ufed, and that no dependence is to be placed
on the accounts given to Senr' Quadra, or myfelf, by the American commanders,
who are ftated to have been eye-witnèffes o f moft of the tranf-
aftions. The documents and papers which Captain Colnett has fince
produced tp me, fully prove that the Americans wilfully mifreprefented
the whole affair, to the prejudice of his charafter, and the intereft of
His Britannic Majefty’s fubjefts, engaged in commercial purfuits on the
coaft of North Weft America.
Having been particularly careful to ftate all the important circum-
ftances that came to my knowledge during my négociation with Sen'-
Quadra, whether they were fuch as tended to eftablilh the claims, or militate
againft the pretenfions, of the Britilh crown to the territories at
Nootka, I have^thought ft proper, in addition to what has been already
related, to give the following brief account o f the capture of the Argonaut,
as reprefented to me by Captain Colnett.
The feulement which Captain Colnett had in contemplation to make
at Nootka, had been concerted at Macao, in november, 178g, at the
time he entered into copartnerlhip with feveral Englilh gentlemen refi-
dent at that place.
On this occafion, Captain Colnett made it his particular bufmefs to
become, informed with refpeft to the property which thpfe. gentlemen
3 R 2 held