Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/103

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Sebastian Viscaino in 1603 reached and named Cape Sebastian in latitude 42° north. A branch of his expedition reached a point perhaps as far north as 43°. Juan Perez in 1774 saw land at about 54° N. L., arid shortly after landed at a bay in 50° 30′ called by him Port San Lorenzo, the same indentation being called Nootka Sound by the English a short time later. Bruno Heceta, with Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra and Juan de Ayala in command of two vessels, started from Mexico in 1775. By Heceta and Bodega y Quadra Port Trinidad (41° 10′) was taken in the name of the Spanish sovereign. Land was next seen at 48 27′ N. L. A portion of the expedition had trouble with the Indians at 47 20', and the painful experience caused a cape and an island to receive the names of Punta de Martires and Isla de Dolores. The expedition separated, and Heceta went as far north as about 50° N. L.; returning south he had a landfall at 48°, although he did not perceive the entrance to the strait of Juan de Fuca. Off the coast at 46° 17′ there was a current strong enough to prevent his entering the inlet which he called Assumption Inlet (Enseñada de Asuncion). From this point he proceeded south to Monterey. Bodega y Quadra proceeded northward until land was seen at a point beyond 56° N. L., and a tall mountain seen there was called San Jacinto. Although this portion of the expedition did not reach 65°, which was the goal, it did get; as far as 58°. In 1779 an expedition under Ignacio Artega and Bodega went over much the same course as that followed by Cook in the following year, searching especially for a northwest passage through the Arctic Ocean. In 1788 owing to the activities of mariners of many lands the viceroy of Mexico sent out Martinez and Haro, who spent some three months in northern waters.

Vitus Behring, a Dane in the employ of the Russian government, sailed along the coast of Asia as far as 67° 18′ N. L. in 1728, passing through the strait which separates the Asiatic