The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1846-01-14

1t is unnecessary 10 enumerate the different
places on the coast examined by those navigaiors,
either in company or separately. Suffice it to
say, that they landed at many places on the coast
from the 4lst to The 57lh degree of latitude, on
all Of which occasions they took possession of
the country in the name of their sovereign, uc-
Icordng to a prescribed regulation, celebrating
mass, reading declatatons asserting the rights oi
Spain TO the territory, aud erecting crosses with
inscriptions, to commemorate the event. Some
of those ciusses were afterwards found standing
by British pavigaturs. In relation TO these voy-
lagos, Baron Humboldt says: "Iu the following
tyear, (l775, alter that of Perez,) a second expe-
dtion set out from San Bias, under the command
| of Heceta Ayala, and Qaadra. Heceta discov-
cred the mouth of the Rio Columbia, called ii
the Enirada de Heceta, the peak Of Jacioio
! (Monnt Edgecomb,) near Norfolk bay, and the
fine port of Bucareli. | possess two very curl
Gus small maps, engraved in 1888, in the city OF
! Mexico, which give the bearings of the coast
from the 9Th TO the 5Sth degree Of latitude, as
lihey were discovered in the expedition of Qua
Idra.n
In the face Of these incontesable facts, the Brl-
Itsh penipotcntiary says "that Captain Cook
must also be considered the discover of NOolka
Sound, in consequence Of the want Of aulhentl-
city in the alleged previous discovery Of that port
by Perez" And yet Cook did not even sail
fIfrom England until the l2th July, l776--nearly
Two years after Perez had made this discovery.
;IThe chief object of Cooks voyage was the dis
icovery of North west passage, and he never
landed al any point of The continent South ot
Il Nolka Sound. 1t is true that in coasting along
the continent before he reached this place he had
/. ( n. I,,t bo i,Y
norant that this was the Southern enhance Of the
: straits OF Fuca. In his Journal he adm is that he
uad heard some account Of the Spanish voyages
I of MA and IT'S, before he left England, and II
is beyond question that. before his departure, ac-
. counts of the voyage Of Quadra had been pub
/ shed, both in Madrid and London. Fom Moot
:. ka Sound, Cook did not again see land until he
$ reached the 57th degree of North latitude.
L In 1897, it is alleged by the British plenipo-
i Tertiary thai Captain Berkeley, British snhjecl
i discovered the straits Of Fuca; but these straits
n had been discovered by Juan de Fuca nearly two
e centuries before. Besides, if there had been any
merit in this discovery of Captain Berkeiy, il
d would have belonged to Austra, in whose SER
: vice he was, and under whose coors he sailed
0 and cannot be appropriated by Great Britain
And here it is worthy IF remark, that these dis
/, covcrics of Cook and Berkeley, in l777, anC
i l77S, are all those on which the British penipo
n Tertiary reIjcs previous to the date of the Moot
: ka Sound convention, in October, 1890, to de-
l. feat the ancient Spanish title to the Northwest
coast of America.
= The undersigned will now take position
IT which canno, in his opinion, be successfully as
c sliled; and this is, thai on discovery, exploration
n or settlement, made by Great Britain on the
y Northwest coast of America, after the date o
'l the Nootka Sound convention, and before il was
II terminated by the war of 1876, can be invoked
e by that power in favor other own title, or agains
/ the title of Spain. Even according 10 the Bri
tish construction of that convention, the soVer
VI eighty over the territory was to remain in abey
e ancc, during its continuance, as we'll in regart
o to Great Britain as to Spain. 1t would, therefore
y have been IN open violation of faith on the par
e of Great Britain, after having secured the priviIe
ID ges conferred upon her by The convention, to turn
), round against her partner and perform any act
ID calculated TO dvest Spain Of her ultimate sover
!, eighty over any portion of that country Ih'
e IpaIpAbe meaning OF the convention was, that dG
ring its continuance, the rights Of the respective
ID parties, whatever they may have bcens shou
n remain Just as they had existed at its commence
l. ment
at The government Of Great Britain is not iustl
c. chargcabIe with any such breach Of faiihaCap
c. Vancouver acted without instructions in attemp
10 ing to take possession of the whole Northwestern
u coast of America in the name Of his sovereign
is This officer, sent out from England 10 execut
th the convention, did not carry with him any autht
tn rity TO violate ii in this outrageous manner.
IS Without this treaty, he would have been
c. mere intruder, under it, Great Btain had
n right to make discoveries and surveys, not there
W by to acquire title, but merely 10 enable her sui
jecls to select spots the most advantageous,
o. use the language of the convention, ''ior the pu
It pose of carrying on their commerce with the NJ
ng tives of the country, or of making ssrlemen
IS; there"
n, If this construction OF the Nooka Sound col
e. vention be correct-and the undersigned doe
as not perceive how it can be qaestioned-the
m Vancouvers passage through the straits of Fuc
in 1892, and Alexander Mackenze's Journey
10 cross the continent, in 1893, can never be tran
IN formed into elements Of title in favor Of Gre;
rt Britain
gs Bnt even if the undersigned could be msi'
re ken in these positions, ii would be easy 10 prov
Ter that Captain John Kendrck, in the America
sloop Washington, passed through the straits
oi Fuca in 1889, three years before Captain Va
nc couvor performed the same voyage The veT
rn instruction to the latter before he left Eqglan
" in January, 1871, refers to this fact which hi
Ia been communicated TO the British governneI
OF by Lieutenant Meares, who has rerdercd
to name so notorious by its conncxion with Il
la' transactions preceding the Nootka Sound conve
ne tion. 1t is moreover well known that tue who
"A. ISouthern division of the straits had been cxpI
Id red by ibt Spanish navgators, Elisa and Quimp
ar the first in 1890, and the latter in 1871.
~ - After what has been said, it will be perceiv,
~ how little reason the British plenpoenliary hi
for stating that his government has, Gas far as