commerce turned its attention to the productive fur-trade of that region; Great Britain and the United States became competitors with Russia for the supply of peltries in the markets of Asia; and a great number of private merchant vessels began to frequent Nootka Sound and the neighbouring seas and islands. Among these commercial navigators, the Englishmen, Meares, Portlocke, and Dixon, and the American, Robert Gray, distinguished themselves by their valuable additions to the geographical knowledge of the coast; especially, by entering and exploring the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and thus proving conclusively, that the story of the old pilot was a true one, and that the credit of the first discovery of that strait is due to Spain.

We shall recur to Gray's voyages in a subsequent paragraph, leaving them at present in order to continue the account of the Spanish ones, to show that Spain did not, by any neglect or abandonment, lose the rights, which she already possessed by prior discovery.

In 1788, two Spanish vessels, commanded by Don Esteban Martinez and Don Gonzalo Lopez de Haro, sailed from San Blas to examine the Russian establishments in America; and, in 1799, Martinez proceeded with the same vessels for the purpose of making a settlement in Nootka Sound, and constructed the fort of San Miguel on one of the islands there. Two months after this, arrived the English ship Argonaut, fitted out by a new trading corporation in England, called "King George's Sound Company," which, in the grasping and rapacious spirit that has actuated the East India Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, pretended to monopolize to itself the trade and territory of Nootka Sound. Martinez demanded by what right England undertook to do this. Colnet, the commander of the Argonaut, referred to Cook's voyage. Martinez very justly replied, that he himself, under Perez, had anticipated Cook, in the discovery of Nootka Sound, by four years; a fact well remembered by the natives, who had a perfect recollection of Martinez personally, and of the expedition of Perez. At length, Martinez put an end to the dispute by arresting Colnet, and sending him to San Blas. At the same time, other vessels, commanded by Don Francisco Elisa and Don Salvador Fidalgo, were sent from Mexico to support Martinez. Fidalgo formed a second Spanish settlement or fort to the

southeast of Quadra's Island, on the main land, at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in latitude 48° 20′ N. This fact is important to be remembered. For we thus see, that Spain was the first European power that doubled Cape Mendocino and Cape Blanco, the first that visited the river of Aguilar, the first that discovered the inlet of Columbia River, the first that visited Nootka Sound, the first that discovered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the first that formed any establishment, on any part of the northwest coast, from California to the forty-ninth degree of north latitude. Hers is the prior title to that of England, both by discovery and by settlement.

Meanwhile, the seizure of Colnet had excited a very lively sensation in Europe, and well-nigh involved Britain and Spain in a new war. This was the celebrated Nootka Sound controversy; a diplomatic question, into which we do not propose to enter at present; which controversy being disposed of by a convention between Great Britain and Spain, the design, previously conceived by the British government, to have a more careful survey of the northwest coast, was resumed, and intrusted to Vancouver. His exertions were meritorious and valuable. Not, however, that he made any new discovery of national consequence, but that he followed up successfully those of others, and accurately reconnoitred an extensive region. This was done during the years 1792, 1793, and 1794.

Of course, the English compilations give to Vancouver all the credit he deserves, and much that he does not deserve, and never claimed. The "History of Discovery," already referred to, assigns to Vancouver, by implication, if not in express terms, the honor of first entering Columbia River.* And yet Vancouver himself, in his own narrative, states truly and candidly, with the frankness natural to a brave sailor, that he derived the knowledge of the existence of Columbia River from Captain Gray, who had previously visited it, and named it; and who spoke Vancouver, and communicated to him the fact! On the 29th of April, 1792, Vancouver says, that he spoke the ship Columbia of Boston, Captain Robert Gray; that Gray gave information of a river in 46° 10'; and he then proceeds to mention a previous voyage, that of the Washington, in which Gray had entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca. † + Voyage, Vol. I.

*

Vol. III. pp. 138, 139.

- No. 102.

18

Afterwards, when Vancouver sent Broughton, one of his officers, to explore the River Columbia, he says, "Broughton had for his guidance thus far up the inlet, a chart by Mr. Gray, who had commanded the American ship Columbia."* In the same place, he uses the name of Point Adams, applied by Gray. Yet not a word of this in the "History of Discovery"!

The exact facts, derived from authentic documents, public and private, in our possession, are as follows:

In the year 1787, Joseph Barrell, a distinguished merchant of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, projected a voyage of commerce and discovery to the northwest coast of America; and Samuel Brown, Charles Bulfinch, John Derby, Crowell Hatch, and John M. Pintard, citizens of the United States, became associated with him in the enterprise. Two vessels, the ship Columbia, commanded by John Kendrick, and the sloop Washington by Robert Gray, were equipped, and provided with suitable cargoes for traffic with the natives, and set sail from Boston in October, 1787. This expedition was regarded with much interest, it being the first attempt from the United States to circumnavigate the globe. The Columbia arrived at Nootka Sound the 16th of September, 1788, and the Washington soon afterwards. Here they proceeded to collect furs. While on the coast, Captain Gray, in the Washington, entered into, and sailed some way up the long-lost Strait of Juan de Fuca, which Martinez, in 1774, had seen, but not entered. Captain Gray was then transferred to the Columbia, and proceeded in her to Canton with the furs collected, and at Canton took in a cargo of teas for Boston, Captain Kendrick remaining on the coast in the Lady Washington. Thus far, the enterprise had not proved a gainful one to the parties, two of whom, Messrs. Derby and Pintard, disposed of their shares to Messrs. Barrell and Brown; who, with their remaining associates, decided, nevertheless, to despatch the Columbia once again, with Captain Gray, to the northwest coast. He accordingly proceeded thither, and, on the 7th of May, 1792, came in sight of land in latitude 46° 58', and anchored in what he named Bulfinch's Harbour. On the 11th of May he entered a large river; and, on the 14th, sailed up the same about fourteen miles, and remained in the river until the 21st of May. To this river he gave the name of his ship, and the

* Vol. II. p. 53.

north side of the entrance he called Cape Hancock, the south side, Point Adams. This is the first entrance and exploration of the River Columbia; the inlet, or bay of which, however, had been seen by Ayala and Heceta, and called by them Entrada de Heceta, as we have before stated; and, so far as the discovery and exploration of this river from the sea can confer any claims of sovereignty, those claims, therefore, belong to the United States, both in her own right and in right of Spain. And, although the voyage was unprofitable to its enterprising projectors, it was highly important to the United States, as well by giving rights of discovery, as because it opened the way to a most valuable and productive commerce, which was afterwards pursued by other citizens of the United States.

Of these peculiar facts, more especially the discovery of the Columbia, we gain no distinct idea from the popular English histories of maritime discovery. We cannot believe, that all their suppressions and amplifications are innocent or simple accidents, or allow, that they should be excused by the plea of national vainglory.

This trait is further evinced, by the manner in which the same work just hints at the fact of the Spanish explorations, simultaneous with those of Vancouver, treating them as of no account, and mentioning no names, and then proceeding to say, after giving the history of Vancouver's voyage; "No further knowledge was obtained of the northwest coast of America until 1816." We do not know whether this mode of treating the subject, by which the honor of the explorations of that period is thus almost exclusively assumed for Great Britain, is to be imputed to gross carelessness or wilful misrepresentation. At any rate, it is the reverse of truth; for the voyage of Malaspina in 1791, and that of Galiano and Valdes in 1792, may well compare in dignity and importance with those of Cook and Vancouver.

Malaspina sailed from Cadiz in 1789, in the corvettes Descubierta and Atrevida, and, having other objects, did not reach Acapulco on his way to the northwest, until February, 1791. He spent a part of that year in surveying the extreme northwest coast in search of the strait supposed to have been discovered by Lorenzo Ferrer Maldonado, and in taking the heights of mountains, and the exact position of great points, as well to the north of and near to Nootka Sound, as on the coast of New Spain.

At the suggestion of Malaspina, the Conde de Revillagigedo, Viceroy of New Spain, despatched on another expedition the schooners Sutil and Mejicana, commanded by Don Dionisio Galiano and Don Cayetano Valdes, to make survey of the coast between Cape Mendocino and Nootka Sound, which, thus far, had been passed by, or only cursorily examined, by other navigators. Galiano and Valdes, like Malaspina, possessed all the qualities of character and science required for this duty. In the course of this voyage, they completed the survey of the strait of Juan de Fuca, sailing all around the island of Quadra and Vancouver, meeting and having the most friendly intercourse with Vancouver on those seas. They also explored the River Columbia. The result of their labors was published in Spain in 1802,* with a learned introduction, ascribed to Navarrete. †

There still remained another tract of coast, between latitudes 51° and 56° N., not satisfactorily explored; and this was done in 1792, by Don Jacinto Caamaño, in the frigate Aranzazu, under the orders of the Viceroy of New Spain. +

In saying, also, that, except what Vancouver did, nothing further was discovered on the northwest coast, until Kotzebue's Russian voyage in 1816, the author of the "History of Discovery" overlooks other Russian voyages, more especially that of Billings, terminated in 1794, § and the progressive settlements of Russia north of 54°, which Great Britain has recognised by treaty, as well as the United States.

Our contemplated task is finished. We have hastily reviewed the history of northwestern discovery, down to the close of the eighteenth century. What has happened subsequently, and since the acquisition of Louisiana by the United States, belongs to another branch of the subject, which we may, perhaps, discuss at some future time. We close with two or three incidental remarks.

In popular language, and also in the proceedings of Congress, the country belonging to the United States, west of the Rocky Mountains, is called OREGON, although the name of Columbia is now very generally applied to the great river by which that country is watered. And it is desirable to con

tinue to call the river by the name of Columbia, which pre

*

Viage de las Goletas Sutil y Mexicana.

+ See Navarrete's Coleccion de Viages, French Trans. Tom I. p. 393. Humboldt, N. Esp. Tom. I. p. 343.

§ Maltebrun.