page_title: John Kendrick (American sea captain)
section_title: Northwest Coast 1791
hierarchical_section_title: John Kendrick (American sea captain) / Northwest Coast 1791
caption_attribution_description: English: A painting showing the 1791-92 winter quarters established in Captain Robert Gray and the crew of the Columbia Rediviva. The location was Adventure Cove in Clayoquot Sound. The main building was dubbed Fort Defiance. During the winter Captain Gray's crew built the Adventure, visible in front of the main building. The Columbia is at anchor, topmasts removed. The painting appears to include a self-portrait of George Davidson showing his painting to Captain Gray.
context_page_description: John Kendrick was an American sea captain during the American Revolutionary War, and was involved in the exploration and maritime fur trading of the Pacific Northwest alongside his subordinate Robert Gray. He was the leader of the first US expedition to the Pacific Northwest. He is known for his role in the 1789 Nootka Crisis, having been present at Nootka Sound when the Spanish naval officer José Esteban Martínez seized several British ships belonging to a commercial enterprise owned by a partnership of companies under John Meares and Richard Cadman Etches. This incident nearly led to war between Britain and Spain and became the subject of lengthy investigations and diplomatic inquiries.
  Kendrick was the first American to try to open trade with Japan. He began the Hawaiian sandalwood trade. He was killed by his enemy, Captain William Brown, during a ship cannon salute when one of cannons was loaded, purportedly by accident.
context_section_description: In early June, 1791, Kendrick arrived at Bucareli Bay. He spent about a week trading in Tsimshian and Haida territory. He visited several villages in Haida Gwaii before arriving at the southern end of the islands.
  On June 13 he visited the Haida village X̱yuu Daw Llnagaay, also spelled Ce-uda’o Inagai. The village is located on a point north-east of Saawdaan G̱awG̱a, or Keeweenah Bay, near Ninstints in the territory of Koyah, with whom Kendrick had had trouble in 1789. Sources differ over exactly how events unfolded. Sources that depend on Gray and Haswell's accounts are problematic due to their desire to smear Kendrick. Whatever the details, trading proceeded in a friendly manner for a couple of days and many Haida from the region came. A festive mood developed and Kendrick relaxed his security. Kendrick was told that Koyah was no longer a chief, and when Koyah came he appeared to hold no ill feelings.
  Kendrick allowed about 50 Haida, men and women, aboard his ship. Koyah joined the Haida trading on board, having brought his own furs to trade. By some accounts Kendrick traded a blue nankeen coat to Koyah.
  During the trading on board one of the Haida chiefs, perhaps Koyah according to some versions of the story, went to the quarterdeck and gained control of one of the weapon chests. At this point Haida warriors, in what seems to have been an unplanned attack, drew knives and menaced the crew, who retreated to the middle deck and then below deck. The Haida gained control of the ship's deck. Haida canoes had crowded alongside Washington and more warriors boarded. According to some accounts Koyah began taunting Kendrick, now alone on the quarterdeck. There was little Kendrick could do. He tried to bargain with Koyah, offering to pay the Haida to leave the ship, to no avail. While the men below were arming themselves with weapon stores in the hold, and preparing to blow up the ship if necessary, Kendrick and Koyah fought near the companionway. Koyah wounded Kendrick with his knife twice in the abdomen. Crewmembers began to fire at the Haida warriors. Kendrick retrieved a pistol from his cabin and led the crew back on deck. A hand-to-hand battle ensued. About 15 Haida, men and women, were killed in the struggle. One Haida woman had climbed up the chains supporting the mainmast and had been shouting encouragement to the Haida, urging them to fight. Although badly wounded she remained aloft until all the other Haida had fled the ship, at which point she jumped into the sea and attempted to swim despite having lost an arm in the battle. She was shot as she struggled in the water. The crew fired upon the retreating Haida with muskets and cannon, and pursued them in boats. Many Haida died in the battle. Koyah was shot but survived. His wife and child were killed according to some accounts.
  The battle became a famous and oft-told story, and accounts portrayed Kendrick in differing ways. One second-hand account claimed that Kendrick had been drinking. Others blamed for letting the Haida gain control of the ship as well as allowing the brutal retaliation following the regaining of control. Still others found the slaughter hard to believe and supported Kendrick's actions.
  Having been treated as 'ahliko', or a lower class person, Koyah had lost face according to Haida law. His family and allies went on to capture two vessels to restore the honour of his matrilineage according to Haida law.
  Kendrick left immediately and went to Bucareli Bay where he and his crew spent a few weeks recuperating before sailing to Nootka Sound. He did not know what the current situation would be at Nootka Sound. He had not yet that the Nootka Convention had been signed in late 1790, preventing war. For all he knew a global war might have begun. Therefore Kendrick entered Nootka Sound in a dramatic fashion, with cannons loaded and matches lit, and the crew all armed and ready to fire. The Spanish officer Francisco de Eliza had re-established the fort at Friendly Cove but was away exploring the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Strait of Georgia. The acting commanda
caption: Launch of Adventure with Columbia and Robert Gray's Fort Defiance in background. Painting by George Davidson, who served as an artist on Columbia.
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