Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-12-20

svey her She did not send out expeditions 70 explore
that coast for the purpose of rendering her title more valid
When suited her convenience, or promoted her own
interest," she fitted such expeditions Of discovery 10 ascer
the character and Of her territory and yet
her discoveries along that coast far earlier than those Of
the British.
That Juan de Fuca Greek, in the service Of Spain, in
1892 discovered and sailed through the strait now bearing
his name from its southern its northern extremity and
thence returned by the passage, longer admits OF rea
sonabe doubt An Of this voyage published in
London in 1925, in work called the Pilgrims, by Samuel
Purchas This received from the lips of Fuca
himself at Venice in April, 1896 by Michael Lock- highly
respectable English merchant
During long period, this voyage deemed fabulous,
because subsequent navgatos had in vain attempted to find
these straits Finally after they had been found it dis
raey with their geography and the facts presented by nature
upon the ground that longer possible to consider his
narration fabulous is that the opening Of the straits
from the south lies between the 18th and 49th parallels OF
latitude and between the 47h and 4sth parallels, he
had supposed but this mistake may be- easily explained by
the naccuacy throughout the sixteenth century
in ascerainng the latitude Of places in newly discovered
counties
II is also that de Fuca, after passing through these
straits supposed he had reached the Atlantic and had disco
vered the passage long and anxousy sought after be-
tween the two but from the total ignorance and mis-
apprehension which prevailed at that early day of the geoga
ply Of this portion Of North America it natural for him
to believe that he had made this important discovery
Justice has at length been done his memory and these
uncovered
Thus the of the discovery Of the Straits Of Flu
belongs to Spain and this nearly two centuries before
they had been entered by Captain Berkeley under the Aus
trian flag.
they regularly advanced the north from their settlements
the western of North America, until reach the
voyage OF Capt Juan Perez in I774 That navigator
commissioned by the Vceroy Of Mexico proceed, in the
corvette Santiago to the Goth degree Of north latitude and
from that point examine the coast down Mexico He
sailed from San Bias the 25th January, l774. In per-
formance of this commission he landed first the Northwest
Coast Of Queen Charoes island, the 54th degree of
north latitude and thence proceeded south, along the shore
of that island and of the great islands of Quada and Van
and them along the Of the continent until he
reached Monterey He went shore and held intercourse
with the natives several places and especially the
Of bay in latitude 49a Degrees which he called Port
San Loenzo-the known by the name of Nootka
Sound In addition to the journals of this voyage, which
render the fact nconestabe, have the high authority Of
Baron Humboldt in its favor That distinguished traveller
who had the manuscript documents in the city of
Mexico, states that
Perez and his pilot Esteyan Martinez left the port Of
anchored 1.-THE first of all European Nooka road
which they called the Port Of San Lorenzo and which the
iustrons Cook, to~ gears aewards called King Georges
In the next year 775 the Vceroy of Mexico again fitted
out the Santiago under the command Of Bruno Heceta with
Perez her former commander ensign and also schooner
called the Sonora commanded by Juan Francisco de Ia Bodga
Quada These vessels commissioned to examine the
Northwest Coast Of America far the 65th degree of a
tude and sailed company from San Bias the 10Th March,
IT'S. @
1t is unnecessary the different places the
coast examined by these navigato either in company
paratey Suffice to say that they landed at many places
the coast from the 4st the 57h degree of latitude
all of which occasions they took possession of the country in
the of their sovereign, according prescribed regua
ton celebrating mass, reading declarations asserting the
right of Spain to the territory and erecting with in
scrpons commemorate the event Some these
afterwards found standing by British navgators In re-
ation TO these voyages, Baron Humboldt says
n the following year, (i775 after that Of Perez second
expedition set out from San Bias under the command of He
Ayaa, and Quaa Hecea discovered the mouth the
Rio Columbia called it the Enrada de Hecet the peak of
San Jacnto Mount Edgecomb Norfolk bay, and the
fine port Of Bacan possess two very curious small maps
engraved 7S8 in the city of Mexico which gives the
ings of the from the eth the 5sh degree aude
as they were discovered in the expedition Of Quadra'
In the face Of these nconestabe facts the British Plenpo
Tertiary hat Captain Cook also be considered the
dscoserer Of Nootka Sound in consequence OF the want of
authenticity in the alleged previous discovery of that port by
Perez" And yet Cook did sail from England until
the 18th july l776neay two years after Perez had made
this discovery The chief object of Cooks voyage the
discovery Of northwest passage and he landed any
point Of the continent south of Nootka Sound II is true
that in coasng along the continent before he reached this
place. he had observed Cape Faftey but he entirely
ignorant that this the southern Of the straits Of
Fuca. In his journal he admits that he had heard some nc
count Of the Spanish voyages Of 1774 and I75 before he
LEFT England and is beyond question that before his de-
patue accounts Of the voyage of Quada had been publish
did not again land until he reached the 57h degree Of
north latitude.
In 1887, il is alleged by the British Penpotentiary that
Captain Berkeley, British subject discovered the straits Of
Fuca but these straits had been discovered by Juan de Flu
nearly two centuries before Besides, if there had been
merit in this discovery of Captain Berkeley would have
belonged to Austria, in whose service he was and under
whose coors he sailed and cannot be appropriated by Great
Britain.
And hereit is worthy of remark that these discoveries Of
Cook and Berkeley, in IT'S and 1887 all those which
the British Plenpotenary relies previous the date of the
Nooka Sound Convention, in October 1890, defeat the
ancient Spanish title to the northwest Of America.
The undersigned will take position which cannot in
his opinion be successfully assaed and this that dis
covcy, exploration, settlement made by Great Britain
the northwest Of America after date of the Nooa
Sound convention and before terminated by the Of
1896, be invoked by that Power Of her title
or against the title of Spain Even according to the British
construction Of that convention the sovereignty the
rtory was to remain allegiance during its continuance,
well IN regard to Great Britain Spain. II would, there
iore have been open violation Of faith the part of Great
Britain after having secured the privileges conferred upon
her by the convention TO turn round against her partner
and perform any acts calculated divest Spain Of her u-
mate sovereignty any portion Of the country The pal
pabe meaning Of the convention that during its con
nuance the rights the respective parties whatever they may
have been should remain just they had existed at its
mencement.
The Government Of Great Britain is not Justly chargeable
with any such breach Of faith Captain Vancouver acted
without Instructions in attempting take possession of the
the whole Northwestern Coast Of America in the Of his
vereign. This officer sentout from England the
convention did not carry with him any authority to violate
in this outrageous manner.
Without this treaty, he would have been mere intruder
under IT. Great Britain had right make discoveries and
thereby acqure title but merely To enable her