14 Menzies' Journal. 



Washington Coast. 



1792. 

 April 29th. 



to & sent a Boat to the Columbia in which I accompanied 

 L* Puget in order to obtain what information we could, & 

 the reader may easily conceive the eagerness with which 

 we interrogated the Commander when we found him to be 

 the same man which our ideas had suggested, & indeed it 

 may appear no less curious than interesting that here at the 

 entrance of Juan de Fuca's Streights we should meet with 

 the very man whose Voyage up it in the Sloop Washington 

 as delineated by the fertile fancy of Mr Mears gave rise to 

 so much theoretical speculation & chimerical discussion — / 

 I say interesting because it enables us to detect to the World 

 a fallacy in this matter which no excuse can justify. 



Mr Gray informd us that in his former Voyage he had 

 gone up the Streights of Juan de Fuca in the Sloop Wash- 

 ington about ly leagues in an East by South direction & 

 finding he did not meet with encouragement as a Trader to 

 pursue it further he returnd back & came out to Sea again 

 the very same way he had enterd — he was therefore struck 

 with astonishment when we informd him of the sweeping 

 tract of several degrees which Mr Mears had given him 

 credit for in his Chart & publication. 



He further informd us that in his present Voyage he 

 had been 9 months on the Coast & winterd at Cloiquat a 

 district a little to the Eastward of Nootka where he built 

 a small sloop which was at this time employd in collecting 

 Furs to the Northward about Queen Charlotte's Isles — That 

 in the Winter the Natives of Cloiquat calling to their aid 

 3 or 4 other Tribes collected to the number of upwards of 

 three thousand to attack his Vessel, but their premeditated 

 schemes being discoverd to him by a Native of the Sandwich 

 Islands he had on board whom the Chiefs had attempted to 

 sway over to their diabolic plots in solliciting him to wet 

 the locks & priming of the Musquets & Guns before they 

 boarded. By this means he was fortunately enabled by 

 timely precautions to frustrate their horrid stratagems at 

 the very moment they had assembled to execute them. 



/ He likewise told us that last year the Natives to the 

 Northward of Queen Charlotte's Isles had murderd his 

 Chief Mate & two Seamen while they were employd fishing 

 in a small Boat a little distance from the Ship, & that the 

 Natives of Queen Charlotte's Isles had surprizd an Ameri- 

 can Brig the Lady Washington commanded by Mr Kendrick 



