Preface. xvii. 



In this he was only following the policy, common at that time, 

 and greatly stimulated by the friend and benefactor just mentioned. 

 It will be recalled that David Nelson, who accompanied Cook in his 

 last voyage, had a similar mission in the "Bounty," under " Bread- 

 fruit " Bligh. Turned adrift with his commander by the mutineers, 

 Nelson died at Timor on July 20th, 1789, at the very time when 

 Menzies was landing in England on his return from China. Nelson 

 had been at Nootka and in Alaska with Captain Cook, but his collec- 

 tions seem to have become partially mixed with those of Menzies 

 from the same places. 



Amongst the members of Vancouver's crew of the " Discovery " 

 may be noted the name of Richard Collett, Gunner, who was with 

 Cook in his last voyage (Menz. Jnl, Dec. 31st., 1791), and John 

 Ewins, " Botanist's L't." With Broughton, the " Chatham's " Muster 

 Roll shows James Johnstone as Master. Johnstone had already been 

 on the North-west Coast with Colnett and had proved himself to be 

 an able nautical surveyor. His experience was taken advantage of 

 by Vancouver on repeated occasions, as his narrative shows. 



As one of the older men (set. 36 in 1790) and with many years 

 of active service behind him, Menzies seems to have been treated 

 with respect by his fellow-officers, and owing to his genial nature he 

 managed to escape the difficulties of his somewhat anomalous position 

 as naturalist amongst men whose activities were applied to less 

 sedentary employments. He was ever ready to share the hardships 

 of the boat excursions, and warmly praises the cheerful endurance of 

 his companions without once speaking of his own trials. He made 

 somewhat detailed geographical notes of not only the places visited 

 by himself, but also of those surveyed by the proper officers, who 

 seem to have readily communicated to him the result of their explora- 

 tions. In a region so full of intricate channels the reader will find 

 it difficult to follow these without the use of a modern chart. It is 

 hoped that the marginal notes will help in identifying many of the 

 places not named in Vancouver's maps. 



Professor Meany's " Vancouver's Discovery of Puget Sound " 

 will prove to be of greater value to the reader in this connection than 

 its title would suggest. Although but 10 pages out of 244 are devoted 

 to the Puget Sound of Vancouver, the volume includes Vancouver's 

 journal for nearly the whole period covered by Menzies in the part 

 under consideration. 



It will be found that Lieutenant Puget's account is both confirmed 



and supplemented ; that there are far more details in the account 



of Puget and Whidbey's examination of Desolation Sound and the 

 2 



