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. 27'
north, and continued it as far as Nootka: finding that the Spaniards raised
difficulties to the restoration of this settlement, he proceeded to carry
into execution the other objects of this voyage.
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