Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/126

 they had found me there in o capital a hip as the Rattler, and in o defeneles a tate as he then was, armed with only two three-pounders, and half a dozen old muquets As there have been various mirepreentations of the real tate and progres of the tranactions between Don Martinez, commander of certain hips in the ervice of his mot Catholic Majety at Nootka Sound, and everal trading veels belonging to ubjects of Great Britain, which threatened to produce a rupture between the two courts; and, as thoe mirepreentations may be hereafter repeated, I hall beg leave to give a fair and correct tatement of thoe tranactions, o far as I was unfortunately involved in them: the ret of that unpleaant buines is detailed at large, and accompanied by authentic documents, in the Appendix to the voyage of Captain Mears, publihed in London, 1790.

It is unneceary upon this occaion, to have recoure to any circumtances in that unfortunate voyage, prior to the time when I appeared off Nootka, viz. the third day of July, 1789. At nine in the evening, when it was almot dark, we hailed a boat; and the perons in it deiring to come on board, their requet was immediately granted. It proved to be a Spanih launch, with Don Etevan Martinez, commodore of ome Spanih hips of war, then lying in Friendly Cove: we were viited at the ame time by another Spanih launch, and the boat of an American hip. I had no ooner received Don Martinez in my cabin, than he preented me a letter from Mr. Hudon, commander of the Princes Royal Sloop, which was under my orders. The commodore then informed me, that the veels under his command were in great ditres, from the want of proviions and other necearies; and requeted me, in a very urgent manner, to go into port, in order to afford him the neceary upplies. I heitated, however, to comply with this demand, as I entertained very reaonable doubts, of the propriety of putting myelf under the command of.