1788. 1789. Year. 1786. Voyage of the French, under La Pérouse, from Mount Saint Elias to Monterey 1787. Berkely discovers the Strai of Fuca Voyages of Portlock and Dixon Sept. 30. The ship Columbia, Capt. Kendrick, and sloop Washington, Captain Formation of the Northwest Fur trading Company of Montreal United States The Spaniards occupy Nootka, and seize vessels which are said to be the prop- Captain Gray first sails around Queen Charlotte's Island, to which he gives the Captains Kendrick and Gray arrive at Nootka, where they spend the following 100 Meares attempts to find the River San Roque, and pronounces that none such Voyage of the Spaniards, under Martinez and Haro, to observe the progress of Attempt of Ledyard to pass, through Russia and America, from Paris to the 94 97 97 104, 212 92 The Spaniards quit Nootka; which they, however, reoccupy in the following 117 1790.. The owners of the vessels seized at Nootka complain to the British Government, 111 The King of Spain asks aid from Louis XVI. of France to resist the demand, 113 1791. Spain promises satisfaction to Great Britain Oct. 28. A convention is signed between those Powers, respecting the naviga. The Spaniards from Nootka endeavor to explore the northwest coasts Voyage of the Russians, under Billings, from Kamchatka Observations on the nature and duration of the engagements entered into be- Seven vessels arrive from the United States in the north Pacific, to be employed Captain Ingraham, in the Hope, from Boston, discovers the Washington Islands 119 Captain Kendrick, in the Washington, irom Boston, discovers a new passage from Nootka Sound to the sea, and purchases lands near Nootka from the savages 121 He commences the trade in sandal-wood 122 Unsuccessful voyage of the Russians from Kamschatka, under Hall and Sarets- 122 1792. Voyages of the Spaniards under Caamano, and Galiano and Valdes Queen Charlotte's, or Washington Island, explored and frequented by the 92, 123 Captain Quadra arrives at Nootka as commissioner on the part of Spain to execute the convention of 1790 Vancouver arrives on the American coast, near Cape Mendocino 123 Hle examines the coast northward to the Strait of Fuca, and pronounces that there is no large river or inlet there Gray, in the Columbia, on his way to examine the river which he had found in the preceding year, meets Vancouver near the Strait of Fuca, and informs him of the discovery, which Vancouver doubts 125 Gray discovers Bulfinch's Harbor, and enters the great river, (May 11,) which he Year. 1792. 1793. 1794. Observations on this discovery Vancouver surveys the Strait of Fuca, partly in company with the Spanish ves- Negotiations between Vancouver and Quadra, as related by Howel Vancouver winters at the Sandwich Islands; his proceedings there Vancouver surveys the northwest Archipelago He winters at the Sandwich Islands, the sovereignty of one of which is ceded to Death of Quadra Alava appointed Spanish commissioner in place of Quadra Expeditions of Mackenzie across the continent to the Pacific, which he reaches Vancouver completes his surveys of the northwest coast, and sails for England 141 Broughton arrives as British commissioner at Nootka, which he finds occupied Whole of the direct trade in furs from the northwest coast to China carried on 143 Formation of the Russian-American Company, which receives a charter (1799) 145 1800. 1803. 1804. 1805. 1806. Foundation of Sitca, or New Archangel, by the Russians, under Baranof Voyage of Krusenstern and Lisiansky from St. Petersburgh to the north Pacific And return to the United States Frazer, and others in the employ of the Northwest Trading Company, cross the Krusenstern and Lisiansky complete their voyage of circumnavigation Russian Government complains to that of the United States of the misconduct of arms 147 Negotiations on that subject' ineffectual 148 1810. Formation of the Pacific Fur Company at New York, by J. J. Astor 156 157 Adventurous journey of the land party under Hunt Destruction of the ship Tonquin, which had carried out the other party, and her War declared by the United States against Great Britain 158 158 158 1813. 1814. The Russians establish themselves in California near Port San Francisco Agreeably to which, (1815,) the Americans demand the restitution of Astoria The Russians attempt unsuccessfully to take possession of one of the Sandwich Messrs. Prevost and Biddle sent in the ship Ontario to take possession of Astoria, 164 Discussions on the subject between the British and American Governments Astoria restored formally by the British authorities to those of the United States 165 Negotiation between Great Britain and the United States Negotiation ended by the convention of October, 1818 Negotiation between the United States and Spain, terminated by the Florida Treaty, (February, 1819,) in which the 42d parallel of latitude is made the boundary between the territories of the two Powers west of the Rocky Moun- Charter of the Russian-American Company renewed for twenty years Act of British Parliament for regulating the fur trade, and establishing a crimi- nal and civil jurisdiction in the Indian territories, which are granted to the Ukase of the Russian Emperor, claiming all the west coasts of America north of Discussions between the Russian and the American Governments on this subject 176 Propositions made on the part of the United States for a joint convention respect- ing Northwest America, between the United States, Great Britain, and Russia 177 Propositions for a joint convention declined by the other Powers Proceedings in the Congress of the United States - Negotiation between the United States and Great Britain broken off ments Convention prolonging for an indefinite period the third article of the convention Observations on the pretensions advanced by the parties in this negotiation First trading expedition from Missouri to the Rocky Mountains in which wag- Debates in Congress with respect to the occupation of Oregon 1834-38. Negotiations between the Governments of the United States and Russia, respect- ing the renewal of the 4th article of the convention of 1825 Hudson's Bay Company's expedition to take possession of the River Stikine ren- dered fruitless by the Russians Particular account of the Hudson's Bay Company's system and establishments Captain Bonneville's trading expedition from Missouri to the Columbia Captain Wyeth's attempts to form American trading establishments beyond the Establishment of American colonies on the river Wallamet Reflections on the fur trade in America, and on the future destinies of the coun- A.-Respecting the part of the northwest coast seen by Drake in 1579 B.-Respecting the pretended northern voyage of Maldonado from the Atlantic to the D.-Correspondence at Nootka in 1792, between the Spanish commissioner Quadra, and E.-Showing that the 49th parallel of latitude was probably not adopted as the line of sep- aration between the British and French territories in America, agreeably to the F.-Containing extracts and copies of treaties between various nations respecting the ERRATA. Since the following pages were printed, the author has discovered two errors, which, though not bearing upon any important question, he regrets, and is anxious to correct; particularly as the misstatements are injurious to the memory of Captain Cook, one of the noblest men whom any age or country has produced. In order to correct these errors, 1. Substitute for the two last sentences of the second paragraph, in page 46, the following: The Cape Blanco, mentioned as the northern limit of Aguilar's progress along the coast, is probably the same on which Vancouver, in 1792, bestowed the name of Cape Orford. 2. Expunge the last sentence but one of the third paragraph in page 79, containing the words-"In this part of his voyage he recognised the Cape Blanco of Aguilar, near the 43d parallel, but he thought proper to bestow on it the name of Cape Gregory." GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN SECTION OF NORTH AMERICA. INTRODUCTION. I. THE northwest coast is the expression usually employed in the United States, at the present time, to distinguish the vast portion of the American continent, which extends north of the 40th parallel of latitude from the Pacific to the great dividing ridge of the Rocky Mountains, together with the contiguous islands in that ocean. The southern part of this territory, which is drained almost entirely by the River Columbia, is commonly called Oregon, from the supposition (no doubt erroneous) that such was the name applied to its principal stream by the aborigines. To the more northern parts of the continent many appellations, which will hereafter be mentioned, have been assigned by navigators and furtraders of various nations. The territory bordering upon the Pacific southward, from the 40th parallel to the extremity of the peninsula which stretches in that direction as far as the Tropic of Cancer, is called California; a name of uncertain derivation, formerly applied by the Spaniards to the whole western section of North America, as that of Florida was employed by them to designate the regions bordering upon the Atlantic. The northwest coast and the west coast of California, together, form the west coast of North America; as it has been found impossible to separate the history of these two portions, so it will be necessary to include them both in this geographical view.* In order to show that the fortieth parallel of latitude is not assumed arbitrarily, and without adequate grounds, as the southern limit of the northwest coast, it would be sufficient to cite the fact, that this line crosses the American continent exactly midway between its most northern and its most southern points; but there are physical reasons for the assumption, no less strong than those based on such geometrical considerations. Almost immediately under the said parallel the coast makes an In the following pages, the term coast will be used, sometimes as signifying only the seashore, and sometimes as embracing the whole territory, extending therefrom to the sources of the river; care has been, however, taken to prevent misapprehension, where the context does not sufficiently indicate the true sense. In order to avoid repetitions, the northwest coast will be understood to be the northwest coast of North America; all latitudes will be taken as north latitudes, and all longitudes as west from Greenwich, unless otherwise expressed. |