122 THE SPANIARDS ON THEIR RETURN. [1775. 



the water taken away by them ; and the cross, and other marks 

 which they planted on the shore, were torn up immediately on their 

 departure, and treated with every indignity by the savages. 



The voyage was resumed on the 20th of August, and was con- 

 tinued along the coast, to the 5Sth degree of latitude, beyond which 

 it was found impossible to proceed, as nearly all on board were, from 

 fatigue and sickness, incapable of performing duty, whilst the winds 

 were daily increasing in violence, and rendering greater exertions 

 necessary. They accordingly, on the 22d, turned towards the south ; 

 and, having passed Mount San Jacinto, they approached the coast, 

 in order to seek for the Rio de Reyes, the great river through which 

 Admiral Fonte was said to have penetrated far into the interior 

 of the American continent, in 1640. " With this intent," writes 

 Maurelle, in his journal, " we examined every bay and recess of the 

 coast, and sailed around every head-land, lying to, during the night, 

 in order that we might not miss this entrance ; after which exer- 

 tions, we may safely pronounce that no such passage is to be 

 found." This conclusion was certainly correct, but it was as 

 certainly not established by the exertions of the Spaniards on this 

 occasion : for, in the first place, they confined their search to the 

 part of the coast north of the 54th parallel, whereas, in the 

 account of Fonte's voyage, the Rio de Reyes is made to enter the 

 Pacific under the 53d ; and, had their observations been as minute 

 as Maurelle represents them, several passages would have been 

 found, leading from the ocean towards the north and east, for the 

 complete examination of any one of which, more time would have 

 been required than was spent by the Spaniards in their whole 

 search. Of the many openings in that part of the coast, the only 

 one penetrated by these navigators was the extensive bay, named, 

 by them, Port Bucareli, in the latitude of 55J degrees, on the 

 west side of the largest island of the group called, on English 

 maps, the Prince of Wales's Archipelago, where they landed, and 

 took possession, on the 24th of August. Thence proceeding south- 

 ward, they made the north-east extremity of Queen Charlotte's 

 Island, which had received, from Perez, in the preceding year, the 

 name of Cape Santa Margarita ; and they observed, immediately 

 north of that point, the wide passage which they called Enirada de 

 Perez — the Dixon's Entrance of the English maps, separating 

 Queen Charlotte's from the Prince of Wales's Islands. 



From Cape Santa Margarita, the Spaniards sailed slowly towards 

 the south, frequently seeing the land, though always at too great a 



