APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 253 



Spanish -navigator Perez in 1774, by Cook in 1778; from 1784 to 1789 it 

 was frequented by Enj-lisli, Portuguese, and American vessels; in 1788 

 Captain Mears built there a vessel, and made the Settlement which, 

 subsequently, came near causing a rupture between Great Britain and 

 Spain; in 1780 a Spanish Settlement was made by Martinez, and con- 

 tinued till 1794. During this period Nootka, Clayoquot, and Clas- 

 32 set were the common rendezvous for the ships and fur-traders of 

 all nations; vessels were built by citizens of the United States 

 both at Nootka and Clayoquot; in 1790 the Settlements at Kootka 

 became the subject of investigation in the British Parliament, and 

 volumes were written on it. Now we ask M. de Poletica, or any nmn 

 of common intelligence, if it is within the bounds of probability — if it 

 is even possible — that eight Russian establishments, containing 462 

 individuals, should have existed in 1789 in the centre of tlie.se opera- 

 tions, on tlie very spot for which two i)oworful nations were contend- 

 ing, and no allusion be made to the circumstances during the whole 

 discussion, no mention be made of them by any of the numerous 

 writers on the subject, and no intimation of the fact in the jourimls of 

 Cook, Mears, Dixon, and Vancouver, who speak of Russian establisli- 

 ments on other parts of the coast, and are altogether silent respecting 

 these, which, had they existed, would have been of more importance 

 than all the other Russian Settlements in that quarter of the globe? 



We have recently conversed with a son of (.'aptain Kendrick, who 

 was with his father in the "Columbia" in 1787, and remained a con- 

 siderable time at Nootka in the Spanish service, and with another 

 iiidi\idual of great respectability, now residing near Boston, who, in 

 1792, built and equipped a small vessel at Nootka for commercial pur 

 poses. Both these individuals were personally intiniate with Ca{)tain 

 Haroat Nootka, but never heard an intimation of his liaving discovered 

 Russian establishments in that vicinity; yet sucli a fact must have 

 been highly interesting to the Spaniards, who intended their Settle- 

 ment to be permanent, and to tlie Americans, who Avere actively 

 engaged in the fur trade; and, thereibre, very likely to become a sub- 

 ject of discussion. 



In 1799 the writer of this article visited the north-west coast on com- 

 mercial pursuits. In the course of that year he entered the several 

 ports situated in the 48th and 49th degrees of latitude; was personally 

 ac(juainted with the Chiefs and many ot the natives; acquired consid- 

 erable knowledge of their language and customs, but saw no vestige of 

 M. de Poletica's Russian establishments, nor i)erceived the slightest 

 indication of Russians having ever set foot in the country or visited its 

 shores. These facts might be deemed sufficient, but we shall offer one 

 still more directly to the point. In the summer of 1799 the writer, then 

 off Behring Bay* in latitude .59° 30', fell in with M. Baranoft", at that 

 time, and for many years before and afterwards. Commander-in-chief 

 of all the Russian establishments in that part of the world. He visited 

 the American ship, and passed a day on board. Through an Knglish- 

 man in his service, who acted as interpreter, a full and free communi- 

 cation took place. M. Baranoff stated that he was from Ounalaska, 

 which he left in company with a galiot and alargetieet of skin canoes, 

 from whom he separated, in a fog, a few days before, and that they 

 were all bound for Norfolk Sound lor the purpose of forming a Settle- 

 ment or hunting-post. Learning that the writer had been at that place 

 a short time previous, he showed great solicitude to obtain information, 

 particularly respecting the native inhabitants, of whom he appeared to 

 be much in dread, declaring his apprehensions that they would destroy 



