1775.] VOYAGE OF HECETA AND BODEGA. 119 



at a distance from the coast for three weeks, at the end of which 

 time they again came in sight of it, in the latitude of 48 degrees 

 27 minutes. From that parallel they examined the shore towards 

 the south, in search of the strait said to have been discovered by 

 Juan de Fuca in 1592, the entrance of which was placed, in Bellin's 

 chart, between the 47th and the 48th degrees of latitude ; and, having 

 satisfied themselves that no such opening existed there, the two 

 vessels cast anchor near the land, though at some distance from 

 each other, in order to obtain water and to trade with the natives. 



Here a severe misfortune befell the schooner on the 14th of July. 

 Seven of her men, who had been sent ashore in her only boat, 

 though well armed, were attacked and murdered, immediately on 

 landing, by the natives ; and the schooner was herself in much 

 danger of being taken by those savages, who surrounded her, during 

 the whole day, in great numbers, in their canoes, and were with 

 difficulty prevented from boarding her. In commemoration of this 

 melancholy event, the place at which it occurred was called Punta 

 de Martires — Martyr's Point ; it is in the latitude of 47 degrees 

 20 minutes, and on English maps is called GrenvilWs Point. A 

 small island, situated a few miles farther north, the only one de- 

 serving that name between Cape Mendocino and the Strait of Fuca, 

 was also named Is la de Dolores — Isle of Sorrows : twelve years 

 afterwards, this same isle received, from the captain of the ship 

 Imperial Eagle, of Ostend, the appellation of Destruction Island, 

 in consequence of a similar massacre of some of his crew by the 

 Indians, on the main land opposite. 



This disaster, together with the wretched condition of the 

 schooner, and the appearance of scurvy in the crews of both ves- 

 sels, occasioned a debate among the officers, as to the propriety of 

 continuing the voyage. The commander, Heceta, was desirous to 

 return to Monterey, in which, however, he was opposed by his own 

 pilot, Juan Perez, and by Bodega, the captain, and Maurelle, the 

 pilot, of the schooner; and, their opinions having been given, as 

 usual in the Spanish service, in writing, the unwilling assent of the 

 commander was obtained, and the voyage towards the north was 

 resumed on the 20th of July. Ere they had proceeded far in that 

 direction, the vessels were separated in a storm ; whereupon Heceta 

 seized the opportunity to go back to Monterey, whilst Bodega per- 

 severed in his determination to accomplish, as far as possible, th'* 

 objects of the expedition. 



Heceta, after parting with the schooner, made the land near th< 



