PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. gj 



«ome islands said to have been discovered by an 

 American vessel, and from thence to prosecute the 

 voyage to Canton. 



While we remained in San Francisco refitting the 

 ship, the boats were constantly employed sounding 

 and surveying the harbour, in which duty we received 

 every assistance from Martinez, the governor, vdio 

 allowed us to enter the forts, and to take what angles 

 and measures we pleased, requiring only in return for 

 this indulgence a copy of the plan, when finished, for 

 his own government : his proposal seemed so fair that 

 I immediately acceded to it, and, on my return to the 

 place the following year, fully complied with his re- 

 Cjuest. It is impossible to pass unnoticed the differ- 

 ence between this liberal conduct of Martinez and 

 that of the former Spanish authorities, who watched all 

 Vancouver's actions with the greatest suspicion, and 

 whose jealousy has been the subject of animadversion 

 of almost every voyager who has touched at this port. 



On the 12th of December a salute was fired from 

 the battery ; high mass was said in all the missions, 

 and a grand entertainment, to which all the officers 

 were invited, was given at the pr^isidio, in honour of 

 Santa Seiiora Guadaloupe. There was also to have 

 been a fight between a bear and a bull, but for some 

 reason not known to us — probably the trouble it re- 

 quired to bring the animal so far, as the bears do not 

 come within many miles of the presidio — it did not 

 take place ; and we were all greatly disappointed, as 

 we had offered to reward the soldiers for their trouble, 

 and had heard so much of these exhibitions from every 

 body, that our curiosity had been highly excited. 

 This is a favourite amusement with the Californians, 

 but it is of rare occurrence, as there is much trouble 



