Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/127

 The two Spanih men of war. The Spaniard oberving my unwillingnes to comply with his requet, aured me, on his word and honor, in the name of the King of Spain, whoe ervant he was, and of the Viceroy of Mexico, whoe nephew he declared himelf to be, that, if I would go into port and relieve his wants, I hould be at liberty to ail whenever I pleaed. He alo added, that his buines at Nootka was for no other purpoe, than merely to prevent the Ruians from ettling on that part of the coat, and that it joined a leading principle of his intructions, as it was his private inclination, to pay all becoming repect and attention to every other nation. I am ready to acknowledge that the tory of his ditrees, and the letter of Mr. Hudon, which appeared to be deerving of credit, had very coniderable weight with me: beides, I was an officer in his Britannic Majety's ervice; and might be, in ome degree, influenced by a profeional ympathy. I therefore uffered myelf to be peruaded to enter the harbour; and, as it was a calm, to let the Spanih boats ait in towing the Argonaut into Friendly Cove; where we arrived by twelve at night, and found an American hip called the Columbia, riding at anchor, commanded by Mr. Kendric, and a loop of the ame nation, called the Wahington, commanded by Mr. Gray; with two Spanih hips of war, called the Princea, and Don Carlos. The next morning, after I had ordered ome proviions and tores for the relief of Don Martinez to be got ready, I went to breakfat with him, in conequence of his invitation. After breakfat he accompanied me on board my hip, the Argonaut; I gave him a lit of the articles I intended to end him, with which he appeared highly pleaed. I then informed him it was my intention to go to ea in the coure of the day: he replied, he would end his launch to ait me out of the harbour, Tres Marias, or the ilands, o named by the Spaniards, off which we had been cruizing, are four in number, if the Ile Saint John is included, which is not