Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/57

 gellan; and attempted it at New Year's Harbour, Staten Land. At that place I left a factory in my firt voyage, in 1786; but the hip which was ent to carry them upplies being cat away, they quitted it in boats. Another body of Englih merchants, engaged in a imilar etablihment, and was there, when the Spaniards arrived, which induced the latter to abandon their deign, and, by a violent gale from the Eatward on the night after their arrival, their hip was either wrecked or driven to ea between the New Year's Iles.

This was not the only political manœuvre of the Spaniards; for they intimated to Lord Saint Helens, as his Lordhip informed me, that their ettlements in the Californias, extended a long way to the North of Port St. Francico. This circumtance, I repreented to his Lordhip to be altogether untrue, as my long-boat had coated from Saint Francico to Nootka, and aw no ettlements. I have no doubt, nevertheles, of its being their deign to ettle the intermediate pace, as well as the Sandwich Iles, for which they had made every preparation, at the time I was releaed from their naval port of Saint Blas, in the Gulf of California. Indeed, while I was on my preent voyage, they ettled the Port of Sir Francis Drake, where I wooded and watered, in my preceding voyage. But it is probable that Captain Vancouver, whoe voyages are now preparing for publication, will give a more particular account of this ettlement.