The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1840-11-21
/ !. JARVES, Editor.
from the Washington Globe. |

VI
Northwest COAST OF AMERICA.
The northwest coast of America is the
evprcssion usually employed to designate
t,c vast portion of the American continent
north of the fortieth parallel of latitude,
which extends from the great dividing
chain of the Rocky mountains, westward
| 70 the Pacific. together with the adjacent
islands in that ocean. The territory
BORDERING upon the Pacific southwark
from the forticth parallel, to Cape San
Lucas. the extremity of the land in that
direction, situated nearly under the tropic
| of Cancer, is known by the general name
| of California, which the Spaniards appli-
| ed to the whole western section of North
| America. The northwest coast and the
coast Of California together, may be con-
,idcrcd as forming, the UeSt Coast Of
.NOHh-.lmerica.
Before the year INA, the west coast
of North-America had been discovered
| by the Spaniards as far north certainly
as the 43d degree of latitude, and most
probably ten degrees farther. No part
Of the coast within those limits had been
seen by the people Of any civilized nation,
until after its discovery by the Spaniards:
for Drake undoubtedly went no farther
north in 1919, than CabriIlo and Ferrclo
had gone in 1913. Spanish colonies had
also been planted in that coast as far
north as the 3Sth degree and Spain was
then fully and indisputabIy in the posses
sion of the whole territory extending on
the Pacific, south of Cape Mcndocno un-
der the 4Oth parallel.
Within the same period, also, (that is,
prior to I771,) the Russians sailing from
Kamschatka had discovered the Alcutian
Islands, which stretch in chain across
the northwest part of the Pacific, from
America towards Asia, and many points
on the American continent and its adj
pcont islands north of the 53th parallel
and had also made settlements on the
AeutIan islands for the prosecution of
the fur trade.
In ma, Spanish ship sent from
Mexico under Capt. Perez, sailed along
the coast northward to the J1th degree.
discovering the land in many places.
particularly at the entrance of BAY
between the 49th and 5Oth degrees of
latitude, called by the Spaniards Port San
Lorenzo, which appears to be the same
now known as Nootka Sound. The
Spanish Government suppressed all &C
counts of this expedition until 1902, when
short notice of it was published official
y IN the Introduction to the journal of a
voyage made in 1892, by the schooners
Sut and Mcxicana.
In l115, two other Spanish vessels
were sent from Mexico under Captains
lleccta and Bodcga. IIcccta did not
proceed beyond the 5Oth degree. On
MS return, he discovered an inlet or open
ln9 IN the coast, in the latitude of As
degrees l6 minutes, which is noted on
spanish maps, published within ten years
afterwards as the Inlet Of Heceta. Other
spanish maps, published within the same
period, represented this inlet as the mouth
Oh a river called the Rio de San Rogue;
II Is, IN fact, the mouth of the river now
called the Columbia. The other Spanish
vessel, under, Bodcga, went, as far north
as the 57th degree; in the course of which
voyage, the Spaniards certainly saw the