10 Voyage iinderiaken ly the Spaniards 



channels. Then doabiing the south-east point of this great 

 island, to which captain \ ancouvcr, out of comphment to 

 his friend the Spanish comior.nder, garo a name composed 

 of both their names nnited, Quadra y Fancouver, they pro- 

 ceeded to several islands of different sizes. They entered a 

 winding channel which extends into the continent, and to 

 wiiich they gave the name of the famous minister Florida 

 Elanca, u ith whose disgrace, however, they were no doubt 

 luiaequainted *". Approaching then to the western coast of 

 the great island, they were exposed to some danger at the 

 entrance of a bay which they named PorUer, from the name 

 of one of the governors of the Spanish Indies. Having 

 escaped this danger, they arrived, after much fatigue, at a 

 creek in long. 118" and lat. 49° 15', which they named 

 Cala del Descanso ; that is to say, the Bay of Rest, where 

 they experienced, indeed, a transient cessation of their anx- 

 iety. Tliey then found themselves entangled in this long 

 channel of unequal breadth, which separates the island at* 

 Ouadra v Vancouv^er from the continent. 



On their approach to the channel of Florida Blanca they 

 fell m with the English brio- Chatham, commanded by cap- 

 tain Erot'giilon, which formed part of the expedition under 

 captain \'ancouvcr, and which was employed in making a 

 survey of the coast. Captain Bruu-ihton offered them his 

 .services, and, in return, the Spaniards informed him that 

 in their preceding navigation thev had explored the interior 

 of the long strait as far as the point where they then were. 

 Reciprocal testimonies of good will passed between both 

 parties. National rivality is forgotten at such a distance 

 from the mother country. They arc no longer Spanish 

 and Lnghsh wlio meet ; they are men united by dangers, by 

 their want«, and by the common interest v.hich they ha\e 

 in the progress of the sciences. 



The Indians whom the Spaniards found at Cala del Des- 

 canso were little drTerent from those of Nootka in regard 

 to their conformation, but thev had no resemblance to them 

 in their manners and language. They appeared to be more 

 suspicious and less hospitable than those of Foriier's Bay, 

 Avbich is at the distance of only ci'iht or ten leagues. On 

 this occasion the Spanish editor recommends to navigators 

 not to judge of other tribes from what thev have seen of 

 one, though at a small distance from each other. T'he 

 opposite coast soon justiiied tiiis salutary advice. From 



■ It took place in the rrorth of Fehru?ry 1792, and the Sp:-iiibh ra« 

 »igjtois wLit i>n liiis coait iii t.'ic mcniu of June ftujOAiujz. 



the 



