We Allude To The Voyages Of La Perouse,
And Of Vancouver:
The former sailed with two frigates from Brest on the 1st
of August, 1785:
The object of this voyage was very comprehensive and
important, being no less than to fill up whatever had been left deficient
or obscure by former navigators, and to determine whatever was doubtful, so
as to render the geography of the globe as complete and minute as possible:
he was directed to supply the island in the South Seas with useful European
vegetables. At present we shall confine our notice of this voyage to what
relates to the more immediate object of this part of our work, the coast of
North-west America.
The north-west coast of America was made by La Perouse, in latitude sixty
degrees north: from this latitude he carefully traced and examined it to
the Spanish settlement of Monterey. - an extent of coast of which Cook had
had only a transient and imperfect view. Of this he constructed a chart,
which at the time was justly regarded as extremely accurate and complete,
but was subsequently rendered much more so by the survey of particular
points and bays made by the vessels engaged in the fur trade, and
especially by that which was constructed by Vancouver, from a close and
careful examination of the numerous channels with which this coast abounds,
principally performed in boats, and therefore descending into very minute
details.
The accessions made by him to geography in other parts of the globe, as
well as his unfortunate fate, will be afterwards related.
In the year 1790, a dispute arose between Britain and Spain, respecting
Nootka Sound: on the adjustment of this dispute, the British government
determined to send out an officer to secure possession of the settlement,
and also to determine the question respecting the existence of a navigable
passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Captain Vancouver was
selected for these purposes: his instructions were, after accomplishing his
mission at Nootka Sound, to examine that part of the coast occupied by the
chain of islands, discovered by the vessels in the fur trade, "and to
ascertain, with the greatest exactitude, the nature and extent of every
communication by water which might seem to tend to facilitate commercial
relations between the north-west coast and the countries on the east of the
continent, inhabited by British subjects or claimed by Great Britain;" and
in particular to search for the strait of John de Fuca, and to examine if
Cook's River had not its source in some of the lakes frequented by the
Canadian traders, or by the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company.
He sailed from England with a sloop and brig on the 1st of April, 1791. He
began his examination of the west coast of America, in latitude 39 deg. 27'
north, and continued it as far as Nootka: finding that the Spaniards raised
difficulties to the restoration of this settlement, he proceeded to carry
into execution the other objects of this voyage. During three summers, he
surveyed the north-west coast of America as far as Cook's River, with a
diligence, attention, and accuracy which could not have been surpassed.
Every opening which presented itself was explored, and never left till its
termination was determined; so that on a very careful and minute inspection
of every creek and inlet of a coast consisting almost entirely of creeks
and channels, formed by an innumerable multitude of islands, he thought
himself justified in pronouncing, that there is no navigable passage
between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, unless there may be a possibility
of sailing through the strait between Asia and America, and navigating the
Frozen Ocean. The surveys which were made during this voyage, may justly be
said to have rendered perfect the geography of that part of the north-west
coast of America to which it extended, and indeed to have completed the
whole geography of this coast, which, from the multitude of its creeks,
inlets, islands, &c., presents formidable as well as petty and troublesome
difficulties in the way of its accurate and complete survey. Captain
Vancouver, however, was extremely fortunate in the weather which attended
him during the whole of the three summers which he spent on this coast.
Upwards of twenty years elapsed after the voyage of Vancouver, before
another attempt was made to find out a passage from the north Pacific into
the Atlantic Ocean. This attempt proceeded from Russia: not however from
the government, but an individual. Count Romanzoff, a Russian nobleman, is
well known for his liberal and judicious encouragement of every thing which
can promote useful knowledge, especially in what relates to the improvement
and benefit of his country. His first design was to fit out an expedition
to explore the north-west passage by Hudson's Bay or Davis' Straits; but
learning that the British government were making preparations to attempt it
by that route, he changed his plan, and resolved to fit out an expedition
to attempt the discovery of a passage from the eastward.
A ship was accordingly built and equipped, and the command given to
Lieutenant Kotzebue. He sailed from Russia in the autumn of 1815, and on
the 19th of June in the following year he reached Kamschatka. This he left
on the 15th of July and on the 20th of that month, Behring's Islands were
seen to the northward of Cape Prince of Wales. A tract of low land was
ascertained to be an island about seven miles long, and a mile across, in
the widest part: beyond it was a deep inlet running eastward into the
continent. Lieutenant Kotzebue, animated and encouraged by this appearance,
proceeded in a northerly direction, and found that the land continued low,
and tended more to the eastwards. On the 1st of August the entrance into a
broad inlet was discovered, into which the current ran very rapidly. The
opening of this inlet was known before, and is indeed laid down in the
charts attached to Marchand's Voyage round the World; but Kotzebue is
certainly the first person who explained it.
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