The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1840-11-21
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1910.

III many places, where they lett monuments
in token of their visits. The Spanish
Government cndeavored likewise to sup
press all accounts of this expedition
fortunately, however, Mr.. Darlington, an
English gentleman, obtained from Madrid
a copy of the journal kept by MaureIe,
the pilot of Bodcga's vessel, which he
translated into English, and published in
London in 1871, among his .Niscellanies.
In 1919, another expedition along these
coasts was made by the Spaniards in two
vessels, commanded by Captain Arteaga
and Bodcga, who visited several places
situated near the Goth degree but those
parts of the coast had, in the preceding
year, been minuteIy explored by the
British, under Capt. Cook.
Cook arrived on the American coast,
near the Add degree of latitude, in IT'S.
He examined the shores of the continent
between that degree and the 10th, with
care, and he entered the bay called by
him Nootka Sound. where he refttcd his
ships. He then saw many points on the
west coast of the westernmost islands,
which line the shore of the continent be-
tween the 1Sth and the 5Sth parallels ;
and explored infinitely the remainder of
the west coast of the continent beyond
those islands, as far as the Arctic sea.
The British, in this expedition, were
ignorant of the discoveries made by the
Spaniards in MA and l115; and, in
fact had not Barrington's translation of
Maurcll's Journey appeared in print be-
fore the termination of the British cxpc-
dition, it would have been impossible to
deprive Cook of the merit of having dis
covered the whole west coast of America
north of the 10th degree as no sufficient
evidence could have been adduced in
proof of prior discoveries, from the man
uscripts OF the Spaniards, which might
fairly have been assumed to be forgcrics,
made up from Cooks journals. The
British, to the present day, give no credit
to the discoveries of Perez, which were
not communicated to the world until after
the publication Of Cooks journals, and
their writers studiously omit all mention
Of the expedition of Bodcga and Heccta.
Between 1855 and 1875 the northwest
coasts of America were fregucntcd and
examined by the fur traders of Great
Britain, France, Russia, Austria, and the
United States, and they were carefully
surveyed by the national ships of Great
Britain, Spain, Russia and France. The
Russians had established colonies and
trading posts on the northcrnmost parts
of the coast and one attempt had been
made by the Spaniards to found set
tlcmcnt farther south, which occcasioncd
a dispute between their government and
that of Great Britain. A Spanish force
sent from Mexico, in 1889, took posses
sion of Nootka Sound, which had been
one of the princi pal places of resort
for the fur traders of all nations The
Spanish commandment, Martinez, also seiz-
ed two British vessels, which arrived there
while he was in possession, bringing men
and materials for the establishment of a
trading factory. The owners of these
vessels complained to the British govern
ment; and their agent, MIR. Mearcs,
moreover represented, falsely, as can be
proved, that he had already, in the year
before the occupation of the NoOtka by