Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-01-24
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Fucas Straits is the most important, and deserves
particular consideration.
Ii Fucas voyage in 1892 could be proved TO be
an authentic document this would settle al once the
question in favor of the United States but the
voyage was denied in the introduction TO the voy-
age of the Sutl and Mexcano. This was an Off
cial document, published under the auspices OF the
Spanish Government, and intended TO vindicate
Spain against the charges that she had contributed
nothing to the advancement of geography in those
quarters. This negative evidence confirmed
by Humboldt, who says that no trace Of such voy-
age can be found in the archives of Mexico. I'M
willing to adduce any doubtful fact abstained from
alludng 10 il in the statement of the American in
1895 Later researches show that although recorded
evidences remain Of the voyages of Gall from Macao
Acapulco in l5S4, of the Santa Anna ION board Of
which was, he says, Fuca himsel from Manila to
the coast of California, where she was captured in
1887 by Cavendish, and Of Vizcaino in 1902 l6O3
and even of Maldonados fictitious voyage in 1888,
yet no trace has been found in Spain or Mexico of
Fucas, or any other similar voyage, in 1892, or
thereabout.
On reading with attention the brief account pub
lished by Purchas will say that the voyage itself
has much internal evidence Of its truth but that the
inference or conclusion throws much dscredit on
the whole. The only known account of the voyage
is that given verbally at Venice in 1896, by Fuca,
Greek pilot, to Mr.. Lock, respectable English
merchant, who transmitted it to Purchas.
Fuca says that he had been sent by the Viceroy
of Mexico to discover the straits of Anian and the
passage thereof into the sea, which they called the
North Sea, which is our Northwest Sea; that be-
tween Al and 40 degrees of latitude he entered into
broad inlet, through which he sailed more than
twenty days; and, being then come into the North
Sea already. and not being sufficiently armed, he
returned again to Acapulco. He offered then to Mr..
Lock to go into England and serve her Majesty in
voyage for the discovery perfectly of the Northwest
passage into the South Sea. If it be granted that
the inlet through which he had sailed was really the
same the straits which now bear his name, that
sea into which he emerged and which he says to
be our Northwest Sea- must have been that which
is now called Queen Charlote's Sound, north of
Quadra and Vancouver's Island, in about 81 de-
grees of latitude. Our Northwest Sea was that
which washes the shores of Newfoundland and
Labrador, then universally known as far north as
the vicinity Of the Goth degree of latitude. Hud-
sons Straits had not yet beer. discovered and the
discovery of Daviss Straits might not be known to
Fuca. But no navigator at that time, who like he,
had sailed across both the Atlantic and the Pacific
Oceans, could be ignorant that the northern ex-
tremity Of Newfoundland, which lies nearly in the
same latitude as the northern entrance of Fuca's
Straits, Is situated sixty or seventy degrees Of Ion
gitude west of. that entrance. The only way to
reconcile the account with itself is, to suppose that
Fuca believed that the continent of America did not
on the side of the Atlantic, extend further north than
about the Goth degree, andwa bounded northwardIy
by an open sea, which extended as far west as the
northern extremity of the inlet through which he
had sailed. II is nevertheless that between the
years l774 and 1892, there was prevailing opin-
ion amongst the navigators that Fuca had actually
discovered an inlet leading towards the Atlantic.
Prior to the year 1857 they were engaged in seek
ing for it, and the Spaniards had for that purpose
explored in vain the seacoast lying south Of the
4Sth degree for it is well known that Fuca's en-
trance lies between the 4sth and 49th, and not be-
tween the 47th and 4Sth degrees of latitude as he
had announced.
The modern discovery of that inlet is due to
Captain Barclay, Englishman, commanding the
Imperial Eagle, vessel owned by British mer
chants, but which was equipped at and took its de-
parture from Ostend, and which sailed under the
flag OF the Austrian East India Company. The
British Government, which has objected to the
American claim derived from Captain Gray's dis
covery of the mouth of the river Columbia, on the
ground that he private individual, and that his
vessel was not public ship, cannot certainly claim
any thing in virtue of discovery by private |
Englishman, sailing under Austrian colors In that
case, and rejecting Fucas voyage, neither the United
States nor England lay any claim on account Of
the discovery of the straits.
Subsequently, the Engshman, Meares, sailing |
under the Portuguese flag, penetrated, in l7ss,
about ten miles into the inlet, and the American
Gray, in 1889, about fifty miles. The pretenoed
voyage of the sloop Washington throughout the
straits, under the command of either Gray or Ken
drck, has no other foundation than an assertion of
Meares, on which no reliance can be placed.
In the year 1890 (l79l according to Vancouver) |
the Spaniards Elisa and Quimper explored the
straits more than hundred miles, discovering the
Port Discovery the entrance of Admiralty Inlet the
Deception Passage, and the Canal de Haro. In
1892 Vancouver explored and surveyed the straits
throughout, together with their various bays and
harbors. Even there he had been preceded in part
by the Sutl and Mexicano; and he expresses MS
regret that they had advanced before him as far as
the Canal del Rosario.
Under all the circumstances of the case il cannot
be doubted that the United States must admit that
the discovery of the straits, and the various neren
ces which may be drawn from it, are doubtful and
debatable questions.
That which relates to presumed agreement Of
Commissioners appointed under the treaty of
Utrecht, by which the northern boundary of Cana
da was, from certain point north of Lake Supe-
rior, declared to extend weswardly along the 49th
parallel of atitude does not appear 10 me defnive-
ly settled. As this had been assumed, many years
before, positive fact, and had never been con-
tradicted, also assumed it such, and did NOT
thoroughly investigate the subject. Yet had be-
fore me at least one map, (name of publisher not
IL \ r. n IL