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

now NeSteu IN tue Onlteu StdtsS3 Woise thau
would have been had it remained in the hands
Spain.
Briefly TO illustrate and enforce that title, shall
be the remaining task Of the undersigned.
And, in the FIRST place, he cannot but COM
mend The fflnkness and candor Of the British
plenipoientiary in departing from the course OF
his predecessors, aud rejecting all discoveries
previous to those of Captain Cook, in the year
l77S, as foundations of British title. Commenc-
ing with discovery at period so late, the Span
ish title, on the score oS antiquity, presents
strong contrast to that Of Great Britain. The un-
dersigncd had stated as historical and striking
fact, which must have an important bearing a
ganst the claim of Great Britain, that this con-
yention, (ihe Nootka) which was dictated by her
to Spain, contains no provision impairing the ul-
innate sovereignty which that power had asserted
for nearly three centuries over the whole west
en side Of North America as far north as the
6lst degree of latitude, and which had never
been seriously questioned by any European ma
ton This had been maintained by Spain with
the mos, vigilanl jealousy ever since the DISCO
very Of the American continent, and had been
acquesced in by all European governments. 1t
had been admitted even beyond the latitude OF
81 40 north, by Russia, then the only power ha-
wing claims which come in collision with Spain;
and that, too, under a sovereign peculiarly ena.
cious of the territorial rights of her empire.'
These historical facts h d moi been, as they
could not be, conlrove ted by the British plcnl-
potentiary, although they were brought under
his particular observation, and were even quoted
by him with appreciation, COR the purpose ofshow.
ing the inconsistency of the several titles held
bv the United Stat 8. In The language Of Count
Fenan de Nunoz the Spanish ambassador at
Paris to h de Muntmorin, the Secretary OF thu
Foreign Department of France. under date o
June 18th, 1870: "By the treaties, demarkatons
takings of possession, and the most decided act:
of sovereignty exercised by the Spanards il
those stations from the reign of Charles II, ans
authorized by that monarch in 1892, the origina
vouchers for which shall be brought 70 ward il
the course of the negotiation, all the coast to the
North ofthe Western coast Of of America, ON The
side ofthe hSea, Jas far as beyond Wha, callet
Prince WiIIiams's sound, which is in the 6lst dc
gree, is acknowledged to belong exclusively Il
Spain"
Compared with this ancient claim of Spain
acquiesced in by all European nations for cen
turies, the claim Of Great Britain, founded OF
discoveries commenced al so late period as tn
year 1918, must make an unfavorable first i'm
preston.
Spain considered the Northwest coast Of A
merica as exclusively her own. She did no
send out expeditions 10 explore that coast, for th
purpose Of rendering her title more valid. WheI
it suited her own convenience, or promoted he
own intetests, she fitted out such expeditions O
discovery to ascertlin the character and exten
other own territory; and yet her discoveries aloni
that coast are far earlier than those Of the Bri
fish.
That Juan de Fuca, Greek in the service 0
Spain, in 1892, discovered and sailed through th
strait now bearing his name, from its Southern t
its Northern extremity, and thence returned b
the same passage, no longer admits of reasonabI
doubt An account of this voyage was pubIshe
in London in 1925, in work called the Pilgrim:
by Samuel Purchas. This account was receive
from the lips of Fuca himself at Venice, in Epr
1896, by Michael Lock, highly rospcc abI
English Merchant.
Daring long period, this voyage was doeme
fabulous, because subsequent navigators had i
vain attempted to find those straits. Finally, a
ter they had been found, it was discovered TIL
the descriptions of de Fuca corresponded so az
curately with their geography, and the facts pre-
sented by nature upon the ground, that it was n
longer possible to consider his narration as iab'
lous. 1t is true that the opening Of the strait
from the South lies between the 4Sth and 49,
parallels Of latitude, and not between the AT
and 49th parallels, as he had supposed; but th
mistake may easily be explained from the nat
curacy so common throughout the sixteenth Gel
tury in asccrtaining the latitude of places in nov
ly discovered countries.
II is also true that dc Fuca after passing thr
these straits, supposed he had reached the A
Iantic, and had discovered the passage so lor
and anxiousIy sought for between the two ocean
but from the total ignorance and msappreho
sion which prevailed at the early day OF the G
ography of that potion Of North America, it W
natural for him to believe he had made that il
portant discovery.
Justice has at length been done TO his mem
ry, and these straits which he discovered, will,
all future time, bear his name. Thus, the me-
of the discovery of the straits of Fuca, beIon
TO Spain, and this nearly two centuries befo
they had been entered by Captain Bcrkely,und
the Austrian flag
1t is unnecessary to detail the discoveries
the Spaniards, as they regularly advanced to II
North from their settlements OH the Weste
coast of North America, until VIC reach the vO
age of Captain Juan Perez, in l774. That n
yigator was commissioned by the viceroy
Mexico to proceed, in the corvette Santiago,
the so degree Of North latitude; and from III
point to examine theecoast down 10 Mexico
sailed from San Bias on the 25th January, III
In the performance of this commission he Ian
ed first on the Northwest coast of Queen Chi
LOFTS island, near the 54lh degree Of North la
tude; and thence proceeded South, along L
shore Of that island and Of the great islands
Quadra and Vancouver; and then along the cos
of the continent, until he reached Monterey.
He went on shore and held intercourse with &
natives at several places; and especially at t