Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/31

 EARLY NAVIGATION OF THE STRAITS OF FUCA 23 In the reply of the United States in the San Juan dispute George Bancroft refers to this alleged voyage of the Wash- ington: "We know", he says, "alike from British and from "Spanish authorities, that an American sloop, fitted out at "Boston in New England, and commanded by Captain Ken- "drick, passed through the straits of Fuca just at the time "when the American Constitution went into operation two "years before Vancouver, and even before Quimper and de "Haro". The only British authority he cites in support is the passage in Meares already quoted, and a portion of Vancouver's in- structions from the Admiralty reciting Meares's statements. The Spanish authority cited by him is weaker than the pro- verbial broken reed. It is an extract from Quimper's jour- nal referring to the circumnavigation of Nootka island by Ken- drick in the brig Washington in 1791, and not to the circum- navigation of Vancouver island by Kendrick in the sloop Washington in 1789. It is not for me to attempt to explain how this mistake occurred. I simply state the fact. In this connection it is a strange circumstance that George Bancroft, who, in the preparation of that case, which bears on every page the marks of close and careful study and re- search, overlooked Ingraham's journal a work in the Library of Congress, and constantly referred to by Greenhow. This journal contains statements which show conclusively that the Washington never made the voyage referred to by Meares. Before I deal with Ingraham's journal, let me point out an- other consideration which is opposed to the probability of such a voyage. Meares says this alleged voyage of the Washington occurred in the autumn of 1789. Now we know that on the 13th July, 1789, the Washington was lying at Nootka; that she sailed thence in company with the Columbia a few days later to Clayoquot sound ; that there all the furs were put on board the Columbia, which then departed for China, arriving there 2nd November, 1789 about three and a half months after leaving this coast. The Columbia and the Washington sailed