The former sailed with two frigates from Brest on the 1st
of August, 1785: the object of this voyage was very comprehensive and
important, being no less than to fill up whatever had been left deficient
or obscure by former navigators, and to determine whatever was doubtful, so
as to render the geography of the globe as complete and minute as possible:
he was directed to supply the island in the South Seas with useful European
vegetables. At present we shall confine our notice of this voyage to what
relates to the more immediate object of this part of our work, the coast of
North-west America.
The north-west coast of America was made by La Perouse, in latitude sixty
degrees north: from this latitude he carefully traced and examined it to
the Spanish settlement of Monterey. - an extent of coast of which Cook had
had only a transient and imperfect view. Of this he constructed a chart,
which at the time was justly regarded as extremely accurate and complete,
but was subsequently rendered much more so by the survey of particular
points and bays made by the vessels engaged in the fur trade, and
especially by that which was constructed by Vancouver, from a close and
careful examination of the numerous channels with which this coast abounds,
principally performed in boats, and therefore descending into very minute
details.
The accessions made by him to geography in other parts of the globe, as
well as his unfortunate fate, will be afterwards related.
In the year 1790, a dispute arose between Britain and Spain, respecting
Nootka Sound: on the adjustment of this dispute, the British government
determined to send out an officer to secure possession of the settlement,
and also to determine the question respecting the existence of a navigable
passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Captain Vancouver was
selected for these purposes: his instructions were, after accomplishing his
mission at Nootka Sound, to examine that part of the coast occupied by the
chain of islands, discovered by the vessels in the fur trade, "and to
ascertain, with the greatest exactitude, the nature and extent of every
communication by water which might seem to tend to facilitate commercial
relations between the north-west coast and the countries on the east of the
continent, inhabited by British subjects or claimed by Great Britain;" and
in particular to search for the strait of John de Fuca, and to examine if
Cook's River had not its source in some of the lakes frequented by the
Canadian traders, or by the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company.
He sailed from England with a sloop and brig on the 1st of April, 1791. He
began his examination of the west coast of America, in latitude 39 deg.
