JOHN KENDRICK AND His SONS 301
THE LADY WASHINGTON
It may perhaps be well to conclude this sketch with a word about the brigantine herself. After Captain Kendrick's death she sailed for China. Nothing is known of her movements thereafter until Broughton's arrival at Nootka in March 1796. He records that the Washing- ton was then there; and it seems that she was under- going repairs, as usual. She had left the Hawaiian Islands about the first of March 1796. This leads to the belief that it is possible that she was on the coast in the summer of 1795. If so, great celerity was being shown by her new, commander, whoever he was. Of course this is all surmise, based upon the usual routes of travel and the ordinary lines of conduct in the trade. During April 1796 at Marvinas Bay, Nootka Sound, with the aid of the Washington, Broughton heaved down his ship, the Providence, and effected his repairs. When he departed from Nootka Sound, 21st May 1796, he left the Wash- ington there, her leaks repaired and ready to continue her trading voyage. 51 At this point, so far as present investigation has ascertained, the curtain is rung down the scene is ended.
Since the above was written I have fortunately found in Bishop's Journal of the Ruby, in the Archives of the Province of British Columbia, the following entry which shows that the surmises in the last paragraph are correct, except that, owing to the perils of the sea, the Washing- ton did not actually visit the Northwest Coast in 1795. "The Sandwich Islands," says this journal, "were how- ever safely reached on the 19th (February, 1796) and the ship anchored in Why-tee-tee Bay, Who-hoo Island. Here was found the Snow Washington' formerly the sloop 'Mears' commanded by Captain Robert Simpson, who informed Captain Bishop that he had sailed from
51 Broughton's Voyage (French Ed.), Paris 1807, Vol. 1, pp. 75, 78. Broughton had met the Washington in January 1796 at Karakakooa Bay; see his Voyage, Vol. 1, p. 45.
