134
For clearness of understanding-, we will state, that on the 25th of January, 1774, about two and a half years before the American Declaration of Independ- ence, the Spanish sloop of war Santiago, sailed from San Bias, Mexico, under comrnand of Lieut. Juan Perez. The Spanish viceroy in Mexico directed Perez to sail northward along the Oregon coast up to sixty degrees of north latitude; which would be a few miles above the extreme southern limit of the present United States territory of Alaska. And from that point survey the coast south- ward to Monterey, (now in California), and landing at convenient places and taking possession of the same in the name of the King of Spain. Under these orders Perez sailed with the king's ship, and the king's men on June i6th, 1774. On the 13th of July, he made the land in fifty-four degrees north (now known as Queen Charlotte's Island), and named the point, Cape Santa Margarita — the Cape North of our geography — then rounded the north point of the island and sailed into Dixon's Channel. From this point Perez turned south, coasting along the shore and trading with the natives. On the 9th of August, he made the land on the west coast of Vancouver Island at the point known as Nootka Sound. From Nootka again coasting- southward, the pilot claimed to have seen what is recognized now as the opening- to the Straits of Fuca ; and still further south made out, and named Moimt Olympus, passed Cape Mendocino and the Oregon coast August 2 1 St, and reached Monterey on August 27, 1774.
On the return of Perez, the Mexican viceroy decided to send another expedi- tion to the north, and made preparations to send the schooner Senora, along with the Santiago, giving- to Captain Bruno Heceta, the command of the Santiago, and to Angala, the command of the little schooner. This expedition sailed from San Bias for the north, and on June 10, 1775, made a landing on the coast in an open roadstead at forty-one degrees, ten minutes north, a little below the present south boundary of Oregon. Here they spent nine days and claimed the country for Spain. Again sailing north, the expedition made land the second time at forty- eight degrees, twenty-six minutes north, which is a little south of the entrance to the Straits of Fuca. From this point they cruised southward looking for the Straits. On the 14th of July, in latitude forty-seven degrees, twenty minutes north, which is a little north of Grays Harbor in the state of Washington, seven men of the crew of the Senora in their only boat, landed on the mainland to get fresh water and were overpowered by the natives, and all killed ; and the schooner itself was surrounded by hundreds of Indians in canoes who made unsuccessful attempts to board her. Here Heceta desired to return to California, but was over- ruled by Perez, Bodega, and Maurelle, and the expedition again sailed north- ward, making their next landing at forty-nine degrees, and thirty minutes north, which is thirty miles north of the present north boundary of the United States ; but being on the west coast of Vancouver Island, is still on British territory. From this point Heceta turned southward, and at about forty-six degrees, and ten minutes, discovered a great bay, July 17th, 1775. On account of the currents and eddies, setting out seaward, he could not enter it with his ship, but recorded the event in his log book, as, "The mouth of some great river, or a passage to another sea." This was the mouth of the Columbia river, and we see hpw close the Spaniard came to making the discovery, which has made Robert Gray famous. The Spaniard kept on south and made Monterey on August 30th, 1775, a few days after the never to be forgotton battle of Bunker Hill.
We have been thus particular to set out the facts constituting the rights of Spain to claim the Old Oregon country from the California line clear up to Alaska. According to the theories of the European nations in vogue one hundred and fifty years ago, the King of Spain had done everything necessary to give his nation a good title to the Oregon country ; for according to this historical record, the Spanish naval officer and ships, flying the flag of Spain, in lawful exploration of the high seas, were the first discoverers of the Oregon country.
It was doubtless the fact that Captain Francis Drake had been on the Oregon coast before the Spaniard. But he was here, as has been before stated,
