242 LETTER OF GRAY AND INGRAHAM. [1792. 



islands in the centre of the Pacific, north of the Marquesas, which 

 had been discovered, by Ingraham in April of the preceding year. 

 Sailing thence, she reached Woahoo, one of the Sandwich Islands, 

 where Lieutenant Hergest and Mr. Gooch, the astronomer, were 

 murdered by the natives, on the 11th of May; after which she 

 came to Nootka Sound, under the command of Lieutenant New. 

 Vancouver gave the name of Hergesfs Islands to the group visited 

 by the Daedalus, as above mentioned ; and so they are called in his 

 chart, although, as he says in his journal, he had been informed 

 that they had been previously discovered and landed on by some of the 

 American traders. 



For his conduct as commissioner, Vancouver was referred by his 

 instructions to the convention of October, 1790, and to a letter 

 brought by the Daedalus from count de Florida Blanca, the Spanish 

 minister of state, addressed to the commandant of the port of San 

 Lorenzo of Nootka, ordering that officer, in conformity with the 

 first article of the convention, to put his Britannic majesty's com- 

 missioner in possession of the buildings and districts, or parcels of 

 land, which were occupied by his subjects in April, 1789, as well 

 in the port of Nootka as in the other, said to be called Port Cox, 

 and to be situated about sixteen leagues farther southward. A copy 

 of this order had been given to Quadra, on his departure from 

 Mexico ; but it does not appear that either of the commissioners 

 was furnished by his government with any evidence to assist him in 

 ascertaining precisely what lands were to be restored, or for what 

 buildings indemnification was to be made by the Spaniards. 



In order to supply this want of information, Quadra had, imme- 

 diately on arriving at Nootka, made inquiries on the subject of 

 Maquinna and other chiefs of the surrounding tribes ; all of whom, 

 without hesitation, denied that any lands had been purchased, or 

 any houses had been built there, by the English at any time. As 

 the testimony of the savage chiefs could not, however, be of much 

 value alone, he had next addressed his inquiries to Captains Gray 

 and Ingraham, who arrived at Nootka in July, as already stated, 

 and who had witnessed the proceedings at that place in 1789, when 

 the former commanded the Washington, and the latter was first 

 mate of the Columbia ; and they, in answer, sent a letter, dated 

 August 2d, containing a clear and particular statement of all the 

 circumstances connected with the occupation of Nootka, and the 

 seizure of the vessels by Martinez. With regard to the particular 

 points in question, they declare unequivocally that, although they 



