Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/46

8 stantially the same point on the Oregon coast; and Viscaino named the point, Cabo Blanco de San Sebastian, which name has remained as the name until this day as our Cape Blanco, about half way between Coos bay and the mouth of the Rogue river.

Thus we see that in 111 years after Columbus discovered land on the east side of the continent, the coast of Oregon on the west side of the continent was clearly made out and designated by names. And these discoveries of Drake, Viscaino and Aguilar, practically closed the era of myths and mysteries so far as the sea coast was considered. For while the belief of a Strait of Anian, or some passage for ships across the continent, was for a period after that believed in or hoped for, there were no further fabricated reports of the discovery of such a passage.

And now we find a long lapse in the spirit of exploration and discovery on the northwest coast of America. Not only Spain, but all other nations practically abandoned the coast of old Oregon for nearly one hundred and seventy years. Every motive which had moved Spain to exploration in the fifteenth century was still unsatisfied. The conversion of the souls of the natives was the great proposition of the church—and the church was Spain—was still beckoning the faithful missionaries to the unpenetrated forests of the far north. The taking possession of any possible inter-oceanic ship passage grew more important as the commerce of Spain on the Pacific increased from year to year. And yet Spain failed to move again until the year 1774, only two years prior to the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia. In that long interval of inertness, which can only be explained by Spain's surfeit of gold and plunder from Mexico and Peru, we find no more of other European powers to take advantage of the opportunity. But in 1773 the Spanish Government, moved by the reports that the Russians were not only making settlements on the east coast of Siberia, but were taking possession of the seal islands on the west coast of America, organized a strong expedition to set sail in 1774, with chaplains, missionaries to the heathen, surgeons to battle with the scurvy, and eighty men to man the ship and fight the enemies if necessary, with a year's supplies, left Monterey, California, to take possession of the whole coast of North America, north of California clear up to the point where the Russians might possibly have made an actual settlement. This expedition was under the command of Juan Perez, who proved himself an able seaman and capable commander. Perez was instructed by his government to go north to the sixtieth degree of north latitude and take possession and explore the whole coast to that extent. It seems certain from his report that he reached 55 degrees north before turning back, and at which point he had friendly intercourse and much trade with the Indians. At one time there were twenty-one canoes with over two hundred Indians around his ship with dried fish and furs to barter for knives, iron, beads and other trinkets. This expedition practically surveyed the whole coast from what is now the southern boundary of Alaska down to the California line; and as far as any rights can attach to the mere finding or discovery of new lands Perez had made good the title of Spain to the whole coast from the California line up to Alaska.

Determined to make strong the claim to the northwest coast, Spain followed up the voyage of Perez with another, the next year under the command of Bruno Heceta, with four vessels, chaplains, missionaries, one hundred and six men and