Copyright 2000 - 2003 - Janine M. Bork
This page is part of the
Union County, OR AGHP
Chapter V.
(1774 - 1779.)
Renewal of Spanish Exploration on the North Pacific
- Voyages of Perez, Heceta,
Bodega and Arteaga
IT HAD ever been the policy of the Spanish government
to prevent the territories in America adjacent to Spanish dominions, or
such as had been discovered by Spanish navigators, from being occupied
by subjects of other European powers. In maintaining that policy, difficulties
had been engendered between Spain and Great Britain, growing out of the
expulsion of British colonists from the Falkland Islands by the Spanish
Governor of Buenos Ayres. Spain, under the "family compact,"
appealed to France to join her in resisting the encroachments of Great
Britain. France declined to engage in the controversy, but tendered her
good offices as mediator. This offer was accepted, and war averted. But
Spain had learned that the necessity existed for the actual dominion of
the vacant coasts of North America, or the occupancy at least, in such
a manner or to such an extent as to justify the assertion of her right
to exclusive possession.
Following the occupancy and settlement by Spain of the
Californias, Spanish voyages of exploration to the northern coasts were
vigorously renewed. On the 25th of January, 1774, the sloop of war Santiago
sailed from San Blas, under command of Lieutenant Juan Perez, with Estevan
José Martinez as pilot. The orders of the Viceroy of Mexico to Perez
were: to sail northward to sixty degrees north; from there to survey the
coast southward to Monterey; to land at convenient places, and take possession
in the name of the King of Spain. Perez went to Monterey from San Blas,
from which port he sailed for the north on the 16th of June. On the 18th
of July he made the land in fifty-four degrees north (Queen Charlotte's
Island), and named the point Cape Santa Margarita. It is the Cape North
of modern geography. He rounded the cape and entered the channel now called
Dixon's Channel. Scurvy having appeared among the crew, his vessel small
and ill provided, Perez turned southward, coasting along the shore for
about one hundred miles, landing and trading with the natives, until driven
to sea by a storm. On the 9th of August he again made land, discovered
and entered a bay forty-nine degrees, thirty minutes north, which Perez
called Port Lorenzo. Its present name is Nootka Sound the name of the native
tribes inhabiting its shores. From Port Lorenzo, Perez sailed south, Martinez
the pilot claiming that he saw, between forty-eight degrees and forty-nine
degrees north, a wide opening in the land, and that he gave to the point
on its south side the name Martinez. In latitude forty-seven degrees, forty-seven
minutes north, they beheld a snowcapped peak, to which Perez gave the name
of Sierra de
Santa Rosalia, the Mount Olympus of our present nomenclature.
He passed Cape Mendocino on the 21st of August, determined its true latitude,
and on the 27th of August arrived at Monterey. On the strength of this
voyage, the Spanish claimed the discovery of the Strait, now called De
Fuca; and their charts named as Martinez the Cape Flattery of modern maps.
Through some unaccountable oversight, the Spanish authorities for
(31)
many years concealed the results of this and the succeeding voyages; as a consequence, navigators of other nations who made voyages subsequent in date to that of Perez have receive the honors justly earned by the expedition of Perez.
Upon the return of Perez, Bucarelli,
Viceroy of Mexico, ordered another expedition to examine the coasts to
sixty-five degrees north. Captain Bruno Heceta was assigned to the Santiago.
Perez accompanied as ensign. The schooner Sonora was to accompany, with
Ayala as commander and Maurelle as pilot. The schooner San Carlos was to
proceed as far as Monterey. The master of the latter having become incapacitated
by
illness, Ayala took command of the San Carlos, and Lieutenant
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was transferred to the Sonora. Leaving
the San Carlos at San Blas, the Santiago and Sonora sailed north, and on
the 10th of June, in latitude forty-one degrees, ten minutes north, anchored
in a roadstead, to which they gave the name Port Trinidad. Here they went
ashore, took possession in the name of the Spanish Crown, and spent nine
days in repairing their vessels. They planted a cross, which was respected
by the natives, and still remained when Vancouver visited the coast
in 1793. Leaving Trinidad they next made the land in forty-eight degrees,
twenty-six minutes north. They then cruised southward in search of the
entrance of the straits, looking for it between forty-seven degrees and
forty-eight degrees north, as laid down on Bellin's charts. These
examinations proved abortive. On the 14th of July, in latitude forty-seven
degrees, twenty minutes north, seven of the crew of the Sonora, in her
only boat, were sent ashore for fresh water. The men were well armed, but
they were outnumbered by the natives
and all murdered. The Sonora herself was in imminent
danger, having been completely surrounded by the savages in their canoes,
who made numerous unsuccessful attempts to board her. To this place was
given the name Punta de Martires (1); to the island near
Isla de Dolores. This sad occurrence, the unseaworthy
condition of the Sonora, and the breaking out of scurvy among both
crews, induced Heceta to desire to return to Monterey. Perez, Bodega and
Maurelle overruled him, and the vessels on July 20th again headed northward.
Shortly afterward a storm separated the little fleet. Heceta then turned
southward for Monterey, Bodega continuing the voyage northward.
Heceta first made the land August 10th, in latitude forty-nine degrees thirty minutes north. He passed without examination the land visited the year previous by Perez. On the 17th, being near the coast between forty-six degrees, ten minutes and forty-six degrees, nine minutes north, he discovered a great bay, the head of which he could nowhere recognize. From the currents and eddies setting him seaward he could not enter it. He believed it the "mouth of some great river, or a passage to another sea." At night the force of the current set him far out to sea, and defeated his further examination. To the northern headland he gave the name Cape San Roque; to the southern, Cape Frondosa; to the bay, Ensenada de San Roque; the supposed river he nominated Rio de San Roque. In compliment to Heceta, the bay is named by Spaniards Heceta's Inlet. Heceta reached Monterey August 30th, with two-thirds of his crew disabled by scurvy.
Bodega and Maurelle, after parting from Heceta, pushed out to sea, first reaching the land August 16th, in latitude fifty-six degrees north. By Bellin's chart they had supposed themselves to be about one hundred and thirty-five leagues off the American coast. Heading east, they discovered a mountain in fifty-seven degrees, two minutes north, which they named San Jacinto (the Mount Edgecombe of Cook). The projecting land which it
(1) Captain Berkley twelve years later, in the Imperial Eagle, met with similar treatment of a boat's crew, and bestowed upon the island close at hand the name of Destruction Island. The Point of Martyrs is known as Point Grenville.
occupied they named Cape Engano. The bay which flanked this cape on its north side was called Port Remedios (Captain Cook named it the Bay of Islands). The south bay was named Port Guadalupe. It is now known as Norfolk Sound. They anchored in Port Remedios, landed, and in the name of his Spanish Majesty took possession of all those northern seas and territories. On the 20th, the voyage was resumed; and, coasting north until the 22d, they had reached fifty-eight degrees north. They then headed southward, and on the 24th discovered an extensive bay on the west side of the largest island of the Prince of Wales Archipelago, in latitude fifty-five degrees, thirty minutes north. This they named Port Bucarelli, in honor of the Viceroy of Mexico. At Cape Santa Margarita, they observed the channel to the north, to which they gave the name of Perez Inlet, in honor of its discoverer the previous year. On the 3d of October, they discovered a bay in latitude thirty-eight degrees north, on which Bodega bestowed his own name. Having surveyed this bay, they sailed to Monterey, and thence to San Blas, where they arrived November 20th, after a cruise of over eight months.
Upon the results of this voyage becoming known in Madrid, they were regarded as of the greatest importance. Orders were sent to the Viceroy of New Spain to have the survey of the American coasts completed by the same officers. Viceroy Bucarelli at once ordered a large ship to be built at San Blas, named Princesa, and another called Favorita to be built at Guayaquil. The time consumed in building delayed the departure of the expedition until the first of the year 1779. Heceta being occupied with other duties, the command of the Princesa was given to Captain Ignacio Arteaga. Bodega, with Maurelle as pilot, commanded the Favorita. On the 7th of February, the expedition sailed from San Blas directly for Port Bucarelli, where they arrived early in May. The surveying of the bay, refitting the vessels and trading with the natives occupied nearly two months, during which the adjacent shores were surveyed with great care. On the 1st of July they proceeded northward. Approaching near the land in a few days, Mount St. Elias became visible. Then commenced a search westward for the northern passage into the Arctic ocean. Early in July, they entered an archipelago sixty degrees north, the largest island of which was named Magdalena (1). The bay itself was named Ensenada de Regla (2). On its western side was a good harbor, in which the ships anchored on the 25th; and possession of the adjacent seas and lands was taken in the name of the Spanish King. The harbor itself was called Port Santiago. From here boats were dispatched to explore the surrounding islands and shores. Scurvy now made its appearance; provisions were becoming short, and no success attended their search for a passage to the north. Arteaga determined on returning to Mexico. On the 7th of August, the expedition left Santiago, entered San Francisco October 15th, and arrived at San Blas November 21st. Fleurien observes as to the results of this expedition: "They might have remained at San Blas without knowledge in geography having sustained any loss by their inaction." The voyage is notable as the last made for several years by the Spanish from Mexico to the northern coasts of America. War having been declared between Spain and Great Britain, in 1779, for the time suspended exploration.
(1) This
Island was named by Captain Cook Montague's Island.
(2) Prince William's Sound,
as nominated by the English.