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BALL 



indemnity was due the parties. He was also instructed 

 to survey the coast from the 35th to the 6oth parallel of 

 north latitude so as to set at rest finally the theories which 

 claimed, somewhere in this region, the existence of a 

 1 northeast passage ' a waterway leading eastward to 

 Hudson Bay. On his way north he missed the mouth of 

 the Columbia River, of whose existence he was later in- 

 formed by Gray. This omission may have served to put 

 him on his mettle ; at all events the surveys which he 

 conducted during 1792-4, were worthy of the best ex- 

 plorer of his time. No other man has given to the world 

 a detailed survey of equal excellence of so many miles of 

 intricate coast, and under analogous conditions. Van- 

 couver died, worn out by his exposure and heroic exer- 

 tions, just as his report was coming from the press. His 

 last days were saddened by the insults of a ruffian of the 

 nobility, Lord Camelford, who had been discharged from 

 the expedition for bad conduct before the Pacific was 

 reached. The only memorial in England dedicated to 

 Vancouver is a tablet erected by the Hudson Bay Com- 

 pany in the little parish church of Ham, near Richmond, 

 where he lies buried. 



During these years Shelikoff and Baranoff had received 

 from the empire exclusive trading privileges in the Rus- 

 sian possessions. Several Russian expeditions had visited 

 the coast under SarychefF, Billings, and Hall. By 1794 the 

 cries of the unfortunate Aleut reached even to St. Peters- 

 burg and the Emperor Paul contemplated withdrawing 

 the corporate franchises which had been so fearfully 

 abused. Some Russian missionaries had been sent out, 

 but the natives, except when terrorized, did not receive 

 them very cordially, naturally fearing ' the Greeks bear- 

 ing gifts.' 



In 1799 the Emperor Paul granted a charter for the 

 term of twenty years to a new company which was to 



