The Imperial Eagle, Captain Berkley, left Ofiend the
latter end of November, 1786, aiid arrived at Nootka
the beginning o f June, 1787. Some account of his expedition
will be met with in the prefent Voyage-
Having given a brief abflraaof the diffèrent Voyages,
which have hitherto been made to the North Weft Coaft
o f America, I cannot help noticing- an expedition that
was planned prior to any o f them, and which, had it
been carried intQ execution, muft have proved exceed-
ingly advantageous to the Proprietors, and very probably
would have entirely engrafted. this lucrative branch,
o f commerce;
So early as 1781, William Bolts, E % fitted out the
Cobenzell, an armed Ihip o f 700 tons, for the North-
Weft Coaft of America. She was to have failed from:
Triefte (accompanied by a tender o f forty-five tons) under
Imperial colours, and was equally fitted out for trade
or difcovery : men o f eminence in every department o f
fcience were engaged on board ; all the maritime Courts-
o f Europe were written to, in order to fecure a good reception
for thefe veftels, at their refpeâive ports, and
favourable anfwers were returned ; yet, after all, this
expeditipn, fo exceedingly promifing in every point of.
view,.
view, was overturned by a fet o f interefted men, then in
power at Vienna.
This fhort fketch o f what has yet been done in the fur
trade, will ferve to fhew that the attention of every trader
for fkins on the American Coaft has been fixed on Cook’s
River, Nootka, and Prince William’s Sound ; but the
Reader will find, on perufing this Voyage, that a greater
quantity of furs may reafonably be expected in many
parts of the coaft, than at the harbours juft mentioned,
and will not, I hope, accufe me of vanity in afferting,
that a more fpirited undertaking was never fet on foot by
Individuals, on true commercial principles
What additions we have made to the difooveries of
Captain Cook, may eafily be feen, by calling an eye on
the annexed general chart. However, as the whole of
it is not laid down from my own furvey, it will be but juf-
tice for me to mention the different authorities from which
I have taken the remainder.
From theKodiac of Captain Cook, (which is the Wef-
termoft part of the chart) to Whitfunday Bay, is the fame
as publiftied from Captain Cook’s furvey ; from thence
to Cape Douglas I have taken from the track of the fnow
Nootka,