Misplaced Pages

#840159

108-548: The inlet is part of the traditional territory of the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth people . They call it Mowichat . John R. Jewitt is an Englishman who describes the area in some detail in a memoir about his years as a captive of chief Maquinna from 1802 to 1805. On August 8, 1774, the Spanish Navy ship Santiago , under Juan Pérez , entered and anchored in the inlet. Although the Spanish did not land, natives paddled to

216-536: A Northwest Passage might exist was taken seriously. Meares hoped to find it. While crossing the South China Sea Iphigenia proved to be a "heavy" sailer and much slower than Felice . Iphigenia sprang her foremast and began to leak, and also suffered an outbreak of scurvy . For these reasons the two ships sailed to the Spanish port at Zamboanga in the Philippines , where Iphigenia

324-672: A bitter international dispute around 1790 known as the Nootka Crisis . It was settled under the Nootka Convention , in which Spain agreed to abandon its exclusive claims to the North Pacific coast. Negotiations to settle the dispute were handled under the aegis and hospitality of Maquinna , a powerful chief of the Mowachaht Nuu-chah-nulth. A few years later, Maquinna and his warriors captured

432-531: A canoe, but the captain decided not to attempt it. Martínez put his men to work building Fort San Miguel at the entrance to Nootka Sound. He ceremonially claimed Nootka Sound for the Spanish Empire while the British and American crews watched. Preparations were made for taking the captive British and Iphigenia to San Blas, Mexico , New Spain's Pacific naval headquarters. Iphigenia was careened and

540-458: A chief of Kauai , who Meares had brought from Hawaii to Macau, and Wynee (or Winee), a Hawaiian girl who Charles William Barkley had brought to Macau in 1787. The ships also carried two natives of Maui , a boy and a man who Douglas referred to as Tawnee. There was also a Nuu-chah-nulth —a native of Vancouver Island —called Comekela . Kaiana, Wynee, and Comekela were aboard Felice . The others were on Iphigenia . Wynee became ill shortly after

648-488: A cruise to the south but returned to Nootka Sound within a few days of Douglas's arrival. Douglas found that over the winter Kendrick had built a trading outpost, which he called Fort Washington. It had a house, a gun battery, a blacksmith forge, and various outbuildings. Douglas also learned that the Americans had already taken the winter's furs, arranged trading commitments from the village of Nootka Sound, gathered furs to

756-623: A fair number of sea otter skins. At the end of the 1791 trading season Douglas returned to China but died during the voyage. R.D. Coolidge replaced him as captain of Grace . Iphigenia Bay, in Alaska, is named for Douglas's ship, as is Iphigenia Point in British Columbia. In Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands), Coneehaw Rock is named for a Haida chief with whom Douglas traded and exchanged names. Douglas Rock

864-558: A few examples. Some of the Nuu-chah-nulth nations also tended the growth of camas root and Crabapple trees in order to maintain them as a source of food. Within Nuu-chah-nulth nations individuals passed down their extensive knowledge of when and where to find these marine and land based foods through the generations from elders to youth. This is done both through comprehensive oral histories and through actively teaching children these important skills and having them participate in

972-544: A letter to Douglas with a Hawaiian of Niihau , who both captains had met before and called Friday (after the character Friday from the novel Robinson Crusoe ). Meares left Hawaii on 27 October 1788 and arrived at Macau on 5 December. North West America was ready for sea a few weeks after Meares had left Nootka Sound. Captain Douglas, in preparing to sail, had all the tools and supplies on shore loaded onto Iphigenia and North West America . He also had his men tear down

1080-570: A profit in China and "my people had been accustomed to short allowances". So he went north to collect more sea otter furs. Douglas hoped he might encounter Funter and North West America , but they missed each other. On June 8 Funter entered Nootka Sound and found it occupied by Martínez. In a series of events similar to what had happened to Douglas and Iphigenia , Funter and his crew were soon arrested and North West America seized. Martínez wanted to hold North West America as security for payments for

1188-543: A ritual house-like structure used in the spiritual preparations for whale hunts. Composed of a series of memorial posts depicting spirit figures and the bones of whaling ancestors, it is stored at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City , having been taken there by European Americans. It was the subject of the film The Washing of Tears , directed by Hugh Brody . It recounts the rediscovery of

SECTION 10

#1732765713841

1296-469: A schooner, both to be built at Nootka Sound . To assist with building and running the posts 50 Chinese men were hired and sailed with the expedition. They became the first Chinese known to have visited the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii . Also sailing with Meares and Douglas were a number of Native Hawaiians and Native Americans , including Tianna ( Kaʻiana – also spelled Tyaana & Tyanna),

1404-687: A settlement and built Fort San Miguel . The ship Iphigenia Nubiana , under Captain William Douglas and owned by John Meares , was impounded and the Spanish navy seized two other British ships, including Princess Royal . Two American ships in the area were allowed to sail as the United States was Spain's ally (Spain had helped the US in its War of Independence ). However, the American ship Fair American , under Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe ,

1512-534: A storm and swept toward the Kii Peninsula by the Kuroshio Current . Seeking shelter they entered the channel between the village of Koza on the mainland and the island Kii Ōshima , then moved into a protected bay behind the island, near the fishing village of Kushimoto . The village headman, Kichigo, sent a message to the daimyō at Wakayama Castle , as did the headman of Koza village. After

1620-544: A student at Glasgow, he had acquired a fluent command of Spanish and he was now able to persuade Tovar to break his regulations regarding the admission of foreigners into Spanish territory. Changing vessels he sailed with Tovar down the Pacific West Coast to the port of Monterey in Spanish Las Californias . The chronicles of Pierre François Péron describe Muir's escape from Australia and

1728-691: A surrounding breastwork and a cannon emplacement. Work was begun on a schooner , which was finished, named North West America , and launched in September. Douglas and Iphigenia had not arrived at Nootka Sound by June and Meares decided to sail south to collect furs, leaving a group of men and officers at Nootka Sound under the command of Robert Funter . Meares left on 11 June 1788 and returned on 26 July. Douglas had still not yet arrived with Iphigenia . In August Meares took Felice on another fur trading cruise, this time to Clayoquot Sound . He returned to Nootka Sound on 24 August. On August 26 Iphigenia

1836-521: A swivel gun mounted on one of Kamehameha's largest canoes. When Meares published an account of his adventures in 1790 he included Douglas's statement about Dixon and Portlock supplying weapons to the Hawaiians. Dixon denied the allegation, along with numerous others in a "pamphleteer war" between Dixon and Meares in London. Douglas returned to Oahu and Kauai near the end of winter. Mutiny broke out among

1944-449: A tract of land to Meares as a site for the construction of a trading post house. Whether Maquinna actually did this became a point of contention between Britain and Spain, and in 1792 Maquinna denied in an affidavit that he had. This was one of the key issues of the Nootka Crisis . Another issue was what kind of "house", if any, Meares built. By Meares' account it was finished on 28 May 1788 and boasted two floors, an attached blacksmith shop,

2052-416: A whale hunting party that was made up of other prominent members of the community. The traditional whaling practices of the fourteen different Nuu-chah-nulth nations vary as each community has their own distinct traditions, ceremonies, and rituals. Some simplified examples of Nuu-chah-nulth whaling traditions include ceremonial bathing, abstinence, prayer, and ceremony which were to be performed before and after

2160-604: Is "to circle around") with his ship to the harbour. Cook interpreted this as the First Nation's name for the inlet, now called Nootka Sound. The term was also applied to the indigenous inhabitants of the area. The Nuu-chah-nulth were among the first Pacific peoples north of California to encounter Europeans, who sailed into their area for trade, particularly the Maritime fur trade . Tensions flared up between Spain and Great Britain over control of Nootka Sound , which led to

2268-685: The Nootka , Nutka , Aht , Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht , are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifteen related tribes whose traditional home is on the west coast of Vancouver Island . In precontact and early post-contact times, the number of tribes was much greater, but the smallpox epidemics and other consequences of contact with Europeans resulted in

SECTION 20

#1732765713841

2376-716: The Pacific Northwest . The British also became increasingly active in the region. The next European to visit Nootka Sound after James Cook was the British trader James Hanna in August 1785. Hanna traded iron bars for furs. He sold the furs in China for a handsome profit, beginning an era of the Maritime Fur Trade . In 1786 another maritime fur trader, James Strange , visited Nootka Sound. One of his crew, John Mackay , volunteered to remain at Nootka and work to establish relationships until Strange returned

2484-676: The Pearl River to Guangzhou (Canton) and sold a rich cargo of furs. Then he sailed back down the river to join up with Kendrick, who had been working on Lady Washington in Dirty Butter Bay near Macau. Kendrick had remade Washington into a heavily armed two-masted brig or brigantine . The work had drained Kendrick's funds. The sandalwood shipment Douglas brought turned out to be a type low in aromatic oils and therefore not worth very much. To help Kendrick with provisioning and buying trade goods Douglas lent him $ 2,320. Kendrick

2592-560: The Royal Navy landed on Bligh Island and named the inlet "King George's Sound". He recorded that the native name was Nutka or Nootka, apparently misunderstanding his conversations at Friendly Cove/Yuquot ; his informant may have been explaining that he was on an island ( itchme nutka , a place you can "go around"). There may also have been confusion with Nuu-chah-nulth , the natives' autonym (name for themselves). It may also have simply been based on Cook’s mis-pronunciation of Yuquot,

2700-504: The redistribution of wealth within their communities. This redistribution of wealth was a key societal factor for the Nuu-chah-nulth nations. A chief's status is realized and maintained by their ability to provide for the members of their nation. By dictating the use of resources, chiefs could maintain social structure, and ensure the continued viability and strength of those resources. The Nuu-chah-nulth and other Pacific Northwest cultures are famous for their potlatch ceremonies, in which

2808-399: The supercargo of Felice . This tactic of sailing under false colors was not uncommon at the time and was used by other British maritime fur traders such as Charles William Barkley . Felice and Iphigenia sailed from Macau on 22 January 1788. Meares intended to establish permanent fur trading posts on the Pacific Northwest coast. Felice carried materials for constructing a house and

2916-431: The "house" that Meares had built, not knowing, or not caring that Meares had promised to give it to the natives. Douglas gave some of the planks to John Kendrick , the American captain of Columbia Rediviva , which had arrived at Nootka Sound shortly after Lady Washington . Douglas traded some cannons to Kendrick in exchange for additional provisions. Kendrick's longboats towed Douglas's ships out of Nootka Sound. After

3024-528: The American trading ship Boston in March 1803. He and his men killed the captain and all the crew but two, whom they kept as slaves. After gaining release, John R. Jewitt wrote a classic captivity narrative about his nearly 3 years with the Nuu-chah-nulth and his reluctant assimilation to their society. This 1815 book is titled Narrative of the Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt;, Only Survivor of

3132-615: The Associated Merchants company. Until they learned about the new situation, Douglas and Funter continued to fly Portuguese flags in Nootka Sound. When North West America was ready for sea again Funter set out on a trading voyage to the north, departing on 28 April 1789. Two days later Gray left with Lady Washington . Thus the only ships in Nootka Sound were Douglas's Iphigenia and Kendrick's Columbia when on May 6

3240-454: The Associated Merchants fur trading ventures. Meares returned to England. Douglas, however, continued to work in the maritime fur trade but with American rather than British partners. In the spring of 1790, in Macau, Douglas left Meares's Associated Merchants company and joined with an American venture. He was given command of Grace , a schooner from New York. The American fur trader John Kendrick

3348-446: The British court launched new efforts toward opening trade with Japan, but not before Kendrick and Douglas made their attempt. Just before Douglas and Kendrick left Macau, in the spring of 1791, China declared a complete embargo on the trade in sea otter furs, due to a war between China and Russia. This further justified the risk of trying to open the sea otter fur trade with Japan. As the two ships approached Japan they were caught in

Nootka Sound - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-484: The British ships left, the local natives who had been very skittish since the Americans arrived, suddenly came in great numbers and soon a friendly trading relationship was established. According to the journals and logs of the Americans, Douglas and his men had treated the local natives very poorly—repeatedly taking food and provisions from them under the threat of force. On 27 October 1788 Iphigenia and North West America , under Douglas and Funter, left Nootka Sound for

3564-772: The Crew of the Ship Boston, during a Captivity of Nearly Three Years among the Savages of Nootka Sound: With an Account of the Manners, Mode of Living, and Religious Opinions of the Natives. In the end, Jewitt escaped with the help of Wickaninnish , a chief from an opposing group. In 1811 the trading ship Tonquin was blown up in Clayoquot Sound . Tla-o-qui-aht warriors had attacked the ship in revenge for an insult by

3672-751: The Government of British Columbia signed an agreement to delegate authority for the delivery of Child Welfare Services to the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, making the Nuu-Chah-Nulth the first delegated aboriginal agency in British Columbia. The Makah of northwest Washington , located on the Olympic Peninsula in their own reservation, are also Nuu-chah-nulth. In the 1980s scientists from outside the community recruited Nuu-chah-nulth people as research participants in genetic studies. Those studies used participant blood and other material for purposes which

3780-553: The Haida and the crew of Iphigenia , Douglas and Cuneah departed on very friendly terms. On June 23 Douglas took Iphigenia to "Tartanee", which Douglas described as a populous Haida village of "great wooden images". For several days the crew traded with the Haida, during which time Douglas noted a garden that had probably been planted by the American Robert Gray. Douglas assisted by planting beans. By late June Iphigenia

3888-679: The Hawaiian Islands for Nootka Sound. Douglas arrived at Nootka Sound on 20 April 1789 and anchored near the Nuu-chah-nulth village of Yuquot. He discovered that the Americans Kendrick and Gray had spent the winter on the coast of Vancouver Island. Captain Kendrick visited Douglas and told him that Columbia Redivivia was anchored a few miles away in what is now called Kendrick Inlet. Captain Gray had taken Lady Washington on

3996-759: The Hawaiian Islands, where they spent the winter. The purpose was to avoid the unpleasant winter storms of the Pacific Northwest coast and for "refreshment". They arrived off the Hawaiian island of Maui on December 6. From there they sailed to the island of Hawaii . News of the return of Kaiana spread and many of his friends and relatives came to the ships to visit with him. Douglas anchored the ships in Kealakekua Bay . Other than Queen Charlotte , under Captain George Dixon , and King George , under Nathaniel Portlock , Iphigenia and North West America were

4104-595: The Japanese had no interest in sea otter fur and regarding the wearing of fur as barbaric. The persistent rumor that there was a rich, untapped fur market in Japan proved false. The villagers dissuaded Kendrick and Douglas from visiting Osaka , saying they would be arrested and their ships confiscated. When the daimyo at Wakayama Castle received the messages about the ships, a few days after they arrived, he mobilized his troops. Kendrick and Douglas, perhaps having heard about

4212-627: The Nootka Sound, Muir learned to his dismay of the presence in neighbouring waters of HMS  Providence , the British sloop-of-war under William Robert Broughton . This vessel had visited Port Jackson in Australia shortly before Muir’s escape and, since Broughton had almost certainly become acquainted with the captain or members of the crew, his life was now in real danger. To be captured while under sentence of transportation meant immediate execution. Once again Muir’s extraordinary luck held out. While

4320-644: The Northwest Coast and take them to Macau for piracy. Douglas responded by saying the papers had been misinterpreted. They were in Portuguese, which neither Douglas nor Martínez could read. But Martínez said his interpreters, Spanish-speaking padres, had translated the papers correctly. Held captive on Princesa , Douglas managed to send a message to the native chief Maquinna, asking that he warn Meares's Felice and Funter's North West America should either appear. Maquinna offered to help Douglas escape in

4428-475: The Nuu-chah-nulth died as a result of infectious disease epidemics , particularly malaria and smallpox . Europeans and Americans were immune to these endemic diseases but the First Nations had no immunity to them (see Native American disease and epidemics ). The high rate of deaths added to the social disruption and cultural turmoil resulting from contact with Westerners. In the early 20th century,

Nootka Sound - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-485: The Nuu-chah-nulth nations would hunt an orca despite the danger and difficulty as a way of showing bravery. Although it was a hazardous undertaking, those that ate “killer whale” regarded both its meat and blubber to be of higher quality than that of the larger whales. While whaling provided the Nuu-chah-nulth nations with an important source of food and blubber - which could be rendered into oil - it also played an important role in social life as well. The chief would lead

4644-435: The Nuu-chah-nulth peoples hunted whales over 4000 years ago for both blubber and meat. The Nuu-chah-nulth peoples hunted whales of different species due to the range of territory that they reside in and the migration pattern of the whales. Those most often caught would be either grey or humpback whales due to their more docile nature and how close they would come to the shore. There is evidence that occasionally members of

4752-693: The Nuu-chah-nulth, are independently referred to. In addition, the Pacheedaht First Nation are not politically affiliated with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. The Nuu-chah-nulth were one of the few Indigenous peoples on the Pacific Coast who hunted whales . Whaling is essential to Nuu-chah-nulth culture and spirituality . It is reflected in stories, songs, names, family lines, and numerous place names throughout their territories. Carbon dating shows that

4860-709: The Pacific Northwest which dated back to the 16th century. During the decade 1785–1795 British merchants, encouraged by Sir Joseph Banks and supported by their government, made a sustained attempt to develop British fur trade in the area, despite Spain's claims and navigation rights. The endeavours of these merchants did not last long in the face of Spain's opposition. The challenge was also opposed by Japan holding obdurately to national seclusion. In 1789 Spain sent Sub-Lieutenant Esteban José Martinez , commanding Princesa and San Carlos , to enforce Spanish sovereignty and defend its claims. He arrived in February 1789 and established

4968-492: The Pacific Ocean—and to evade the high port costs China demanded of foreign ships other than those of Portugal, Meares and his partners had Felice and Iphigenia sail under the Portuguese flag. The ships were registered in Macau under a Portuguese merchant named João Carvalho. They sailed under the titular Portuguese command of Francisco José Viana, who pretended to be the captain of Iphigenia , while Meares pretended to be

5076-530: The Spaniards spent considerable time and effort repairing and refitting the ship in preparation for the voyage to San Blas. Martínez did not have enough men of his own to spare and had planned to have Douglas's crew, under Spanish officers, sail Iphigenia to San Blas. However, Douglas's British and Asian crew refused to cooperate with the Spanish. On May 22, the day when they were supposed to depart, Martínez suddenly changed course, saying his interpreters had read

5184-513: The Spanish warship Princesa , under Esteban José Martínez , entered the harbor. Martínez had been sent by the viceroy of New Spain , Manuel Antonio Flórez , to take control of Nootka Sound and assert Spain's claim to the Northwest Coast. At first Martínez, Douglas, and Kendrick established cordial relations. But with the arrival of the 16 gun San Carlos under Gonzalo López de Haro on May 12 Martínez's attitude changed. He arrested Douglas and his Portuguese "capitan de ruse" Viana. Iphigenia

5292-606: The area he had traded in the year before— Hecate Strait , Dixon Entrance , the Alexander Archipelago , and Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands), trading with the natives for sea otter furs. On the north coast of Graham Island Douglas stopped at Kiusta , the village of the Haida chief Cuneah (or "Blakow-Coneehaw"). Upon arrival the chief, who had met Douglas the year before, came aboard while 200 villagers sang songs. Cuneah honored Douglas by "exchanging names". Despite some tension and dangerous incidents between

5400-447: The art of how to butterfly a salmon and how to can fish, also providing recipes for marinated seaweed, steam pit cooking, and Nuu-chah-nulth upskwee . Čamus illuminates a traditional way of eating while promoting a healthy lifestyle. The First Nations of Vancouver Island's west coast and northern Washington link family and community in their respectful treatment of their territories' freshest ingredients. Nuu-chah-nulth nations also used

5508-463: The beach for repairs while refurbishing of Iphigenia continued on aboard and ashore. Douglas expected Meares to arrive soon in Felice with supplies for establishing a trading post in Nootka Sound and possibly elsewhere. He did not know that events in China, India, and London had caused significant changes in the plan. In Macau Meares's Portuguese partner, the merchant Carvalho, had gone bankrupt, and

SECTION 50

#1732765713841

5616-564: The bones and other artifacts at the museum and the efforts by the Mowachaht First Nation , the shrine's original owners, who have been seeking to regain these sacred artifacts. While the Nuu-chah-nulth nations did rely on whaling as an important food and oil resource, the territories they lived had many other food sources. The Nuu-chah-nulth peoples gathered food from marine environments including fish species such as halibut, herring, rockfish, and salmon which were caught along

5724-531: The clash with the Spaniards in Nootka Sound. It was an incomplete report because Iphigenia had left before the other British ships had arrived and been seized. Nonetheless, Douglas's report helped set Britain on the course toward an international crisis. Not long after Douglas reached Macau the American ship Columbia arrived, under Robert Gray, who brought an account of the later events of the Nootka Crisis. The Nootka Crisis effectively ended Meares's and

5832-459: The coast from Alaska to Nootka Sound, Meares would explore south along today's Washington and Oregon coasts. By this plan the two ships would be able to explore the whole coast from Spanish California to the Bering Sea . At the time the Pacific Northwest coast was still largely unexplored. Only its general shape and a few small harbors such as Nootka Sound had been charted. The possibility that

5940-545: The coast while along the shoreline other sea inhabitant like clams, sea urchins, and mussels were harvested at low tide. Salmon streams were tended to ensure their continued strength and the fish were either cooked in large wooden vessels using water and hot stones or dried to be consumed during the winter. Nuu-chah-nulth nations also gathered resources from the land as food sources. Some of these edible plants include camas root, rhizomes from ferns and many different variety of berries such as blueberry and huckleberry to name

6048-623: The collection of resources at a young age. In an effort to revive traditional diets, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and sixteen tribes have contributed to recipes in a traditional wild food cookbook. The 90-page cookbook focuses on traditional recipes and seasonal ingredients from the west coast of Vancouver Island and Northern Washington. It explores First Nations cuisine and adds cooking tips, cultural observations, and oral history anecdotes. Čamus (chum-us) features traditional and wild ingredients. Čamus explores

6156-659: The command of James Colnett . Argonaut and Princess Royal , under Thomas Hudson, sailed from China to the Pacific Northwest coast—but did not arrive until July 1789. Because the Etches brothers had proper licenses with the East India Company and South Sea Company, so the ships sailed with British instead of Portuguese flags. Captain Colnett was given overall command of both ships as well as Douglas's Iphigenia and Funter's North West America , which were now owned by

6264-571: The community did not approve. In 2013 the community had those materials destroyed. In the 20th century, recognised Nuu-chah-nulth band governments are: Total population for the 13 tribes in the Nuuchahnulth nation is 8,147, according to the Nuuchahnulth Tribal Council Indian Registry of February 2006. The Ditidaht First Nation (population 690), while politically and culturally affiliated with

6372-513: The crew. One sailor, named Jones, attempted to get a loaded blunderbuss from the fore-top. Douglas fired a pistol over his head and threatened to fire again unless he surrendered. Jones was given the choice of punishment or immediate banishment ashore. He chose banishment. Douglas sailed for Niihau while other mutinous plans were made by crew members. On March 15 the quartermaster and two sailors escaped in native canoes. They were apparently planning to set fire to Iphigenia but were stopped by Friday,

6480-407: The crime of sedition in 1793. He managed to escape having only spent 13 months there, on board the American merchant ship Otter . After a highly adventurous voyage across the as yet largely uncharted Pacific Ocean to Vancouver Island, Otter finally dropped anchor in Nootka Sound on 22 June 1796. In conversation with José Tovar, the piloto ( master ) of Sutil , a Spanish vessel at anchor in

6588-682: The disappearance of some groups and the absorption of others into neighbouring groups. The Nuu-chah-nulth are related to the Kwakwaka'wakw , the Haisla , and the Ditidaht First Nation . The Nuu-chah-nulth language belongs to the Wakashan family . The governing body is the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council . When James Cook first encountered the villagers at Yuquot in 1778, they directed him to "come around" (Nuu-chah-nulth nuutkaa

SECTION 60

#1732765713841

6696-529: The expedition, noting in his later account that Douglas "was well acquainted with the coast of America". Felice Adventurer was of 230 tons burthen ( bm ) and Iphigenia Nubiana of 200 tons (bm). Meares described them as having bottoms sheathed with copper. Felice had a crew of 50, Iphigenia 40. In order to avoid the cost of acquiring licenses from the East India Company and South Sea Company —required for British merchant ships trading across

6804-798: The first European ships to visit Kealakekua Bay since James Cook was killed there. Kamehameha I came to Iphigenia on December 10. In 1795 Kamehameha established the Kingdom of Hawaii over most of the islands, but in 1788 was still struggling to gain control over the island of Hawaii. Kamehameha gave Douglas a large fan and two full-length cloaks made from the feathers of mamo and ʻŌʻō birds (both now extinct). Later, Douglas gave these cloaks to Captain Robert Gray, who in turn gave them to Esteban José Martínez . On December 19 Douglas, wanting to find an anchorage more protected from squally weather, ordered Iphigenia's anchor raised only to discover that

6912-715: The first time in over two centuries. The British quickly sponsored the Vancouver Expedition of exploration. Difficulties in implementing the terms led to a second, and then a third Nootka Convention (1794). The Nootka Sound controversy also played a part in the French Revolution . The Spanish Bourbon monarchy asked for French support in the dispute in the event that it led to war between Spain and Great Britain. The French Bourbon king Louis XVI wanted to back Spain against Great Britain, but his right to enter France into an alliance on his own prerogative

7020-545: The friendly native of Niihau. Friday arranged for the two sailors to be returned, but the quartermaster escaped and was left behind. In March Douglas was ready to sail back to the Pacific Northwest coast. The plan had been to sail to Alaska and cruise south, like he had done the year before. But the two ships lacked some necessary supplies and North West America had no anchor. Therefore, Douglas decided to sail directly to Nootka Sound where he hoped to meet Meares and another ship from China. On 17 March 1789 Douglas and Funter left

7128-471: The fur trading season. Douglas sailed Iphigenia from the Philippines north through the Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea , then crossed the Pacific directly to the northwest coast. Felice reached America first, anchoring in Nootka Sound near the native village of Yuquot on 13 May 1788. Comekela returned to his people. A few days later Meares was visited by the chiefs Maquinna and Callicum . According to Meares, on 25 May 1788 Maquinna sold or granted

7236-414: The governor of Macau, who was supportive of Carvalho and Meares, had died. In January 1789 Meares and his remaining partners had decided to merge their business with their former rivals, the King George's Sound Company , owned by the Etches brothers of London. In the new "Associated Merchants" company Meares stayed in Macau. His ship, Felice was sold and a new ship, Argonaut was purchased and placed under

7344-404: The host honours guests with generous gifts. The term 'potlatch' is ultimately a word of Nuu-chah-nulth origin. The purpose of the potlatch is manifold: redistribution of wealth, maintenance and recognition of social status, cementing alliances, the celebration and solemnization of marriage, and commemoration of important events. William Douglas (sea captain) William Douglas (died 1791)

7452-417: The hunt. These rituals were performed by the chief leading the hunt as well as his wife; the ceremonies were seen as a key factor in determining the outcome of the hunt. Social status didn't just affect who was allowed to join the whaling hunt, it also affected the distribution of the whales’ meat and the blubber. Perhaps the most famous Nuu-chah-nulth artifact in modern years is the Yuquot Whalers' Shrine ,

7560-403: The line had been cut. Kamehameha and his chiefs, who were on board, immediately left and paddled quickly to the shore, making it clear they were to blame for the sabotage. Douglas sent Kaiana to tell Kamehameha if the anchor was not returned the Hawaiian village on the bay would be "blown about his ears". Kaiana returned with several swimmers who dived to a depth of 20 fathoms and attached a rope to

7668-471: The loose anchor. Before Douglas set sail the next day Kamehameha and several chiefs came aboard unabashedly to say farewell. Kaiana decided to stay on Hawaii with Kamehameha, who promised him a rich life of honor and security, instead of returning to his native Kauai. Kaiana correctly feared that the political situation on Kauai would make his return dangerous. He became an important lieutenant of Kamehameha, leading troops into battles in support of Kamehameha, but

7776-419: The mainland. Between the two of them Douglas and Meares had collected a valuable cargo of hundreds of furs. Meares decided that as soon as the new schooner, North West America , was launched he would sail Felice to Macau, China, with the combined cargo of furs. Douglas and Iphigenia would remain at Nootka Sound until North West America was ready for sea, then the two vessels would sail to Hawaii and spend

7884-467: The month since he left Nootka Sound two other ships of the Associated Merchants, North West America and Princess Royal , had been detained by Martínez at Nootka Sound, and within a week James Colnett and Argonaut would also be seized, triggering the international incident known as the Nootka Crisis . Iphigenia arrived at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii on July 20, where the Hawaiians attempted to capture

7992-630: The native name of the place. The earlier Spanish and British names for the Sound swiftly went out of use. At the time, the Spanish monopolized the trade between Asia and North America, and had granted limited licenses to the Portuguese . The Russians had established a growing fur trading system in Alaska . The Spanish began to challenge the Russians, with Pérez's voyage being the first of many to

8100-615: The next year. But Strange never returned. When the trader Charles Barkley arrived at Nootka in the summer of 1787, he was surprised to find John Mackay who, over the year, had learned the Nuu-chah-nulth's language and customs, adapted himself to their ways, and married a young native girl. At first Mackay was welcomed and befriended by Maquinna, but after unknowingly breaking a taboo he was exiled from Maquinna's house and forced to survive on his own. Barkley took Mackay on board his ship, Imperial Eagle . Starting in 1774 Spain sent several expeditions to Alaska to assert its long-held claim over

8208-492: The papers again and found them quite acceptable. Martínez dropped the charges against Douglas and released Iphigenia and its crew. He did, however, make Douglas sign a paper stating that the British had been well treated. He also said that if the Viceroy Flores later ruled that it had been valid to seize Iphigenia , then the firm of the Portuguese merchant Carvalho would have to pay a proper forfeit. Although Martínez

8316-409: The population was estimated at 3,500. In 1979, the tribes of western Vancouver Island chose the term Nuu-chah-nulth ( nuučaan̓uł , meaning "all along the mountains and sea"), as a collective term of identification. This was the culmination of the 1958 alliance forged among these tribes in order to present a unified political voice to the levels of government and European-Canadian society. In 1985,

8424-492: The repairs and supplies he had given to Iphigenia . North West America was never returned to the British, it became a Spanish ship, renamed Santa Gertrudis la Magna and, later, Santa Saturnina . The small vessel was used by the Spanish for several exploration voyages, including José María Narváez 's discovery and exploration of the Strait of Georgia in 1791. After changing course on June 2 Douglas took Iphigenia north to

8532-486: The schooner and a crew was selected from Felice and Iphigenia . The combined cargo of 750 furs was loaded into Felice , which left Nootka Sound on 24 September 1788. In October, Meares stopped at a few places in the Hawaiian Islands, communicating and trading with the Hawaiians but not going ashore. He discovered that the political situation on Kauai might prove dangerous for Kaiana, who was to return with Douglas on Iphigenia . Hoping to warn Douglas and Kaiana, Meares left

8640-465: The ship to trade furs for abalone shells from California . Pérez named the entrance to Nootka Sound Surgidero de San Lorenzo . The word surgidero means "source". When Esteban José Martinez arrived in 1789 he gave Nootka Sound the name Puerto de San Lorenzo de Nuca . To the Spanish establishment at Friendly Cove he gave the name Santa Cruz de Nuca . In March 1778, Captain James Cook of

8748-481: The ship's captain. The captain and almost all the crew were killed and the ship abandoned. The next day warriors reboarded the empty ship to salvage it. However, a hiding crew member set fire to the ship's magazine and the resulting explosion killed many First Nation peoples. Only one crew member, a pilot / interpreter hired from the nearby Quinault nation , escaped to tell the tale. From earliest contact with European and American explorers up until 1830, more than 90% of

8856-488: The ship, probably with Kamehameha's approval. By July 28 Iphigenia was anchored at Waikiki on Oahu. Completely out of articles of trade the crew began cutting up rudder chains to exchange for provisions. After cruising to other islands and stocking up on fresh water and yams, Douglas had Iphigenia set sail for China on August 10. The voyage to Macau was uneventful and Iphigenia arrived on 5 October 1789. In Macau Douglas met with Meares and gave him his first report about

8964-475: The ships left Macau. On 5 February 1788, she died. Meares, Douglas, and their partners had planned for Meares to sail Felice to Nootka Sound, on Vancouver Island, while Douglas sailed Iphigenia to the Aleutian Islands and down the coast of North America to Nootka Sound, collecting furs along the way. The ships would rendezvous in Nootka Sound or, failing that, Hawaii. While Douglas was exploring

9072-406: The south, and were about to head north. Douglas knew he had to send North West America trading to the north as soon as possible. On April 21 Douglas recorded the death of Acchon Aching. His body was taken ashore for burial—the first known case of an Asian, probably Chinese, dying and being buried in the Pacific Northwest. Captain Funter arrived on April 24. North West America was hauled up on

9180-502: The storm passed a few villagers approached the ships, despite the law forbidding contact with foreigners. Kendrick invited them on board Washington and a few did. Some of the Chinese crewmen were able to communicate via written notes. They said they had been driven to port by the storm and would not stay more than three to five days, but also that they carried trade goods, especially sea otter furs. Kendrick and Douglas soon discovered that

9288-562: The storyline. The Nootka trading post becomes an issue of contention between the United States , the British Crown , the East India Company and the protagonist James Keziah Delaney , who has inherited the trading post from his father. Nuu-chah-nulth people The Nuu-chah-nulth ( / n uː ˈ tʃ ɑː n ʊ l θ / noo- CHAH -nuulth ; Nuučaan̓uł : [nuːt͡ʃaːnˀuɬʔatħ] ), also formerly referred to as

9396-470: The territories of the Nuu-chah-nulth nations, social life became more structured and a visible hierarchy formed within the communities. These consisted of the commoner class, and the chiefs that controlled the region. While members of the commoner class had autonomy they still required the consent of the chief to fish, hunt, and forage within the communities’ territory. While being in control of ceremonial and territorial rights, chiefs were also responsible for

9504-634: The troops, left on May 17, about ten days after they had arrived. The troops arrived two days later. In the aftermath Japan established a new system of alarms and patrols for coastal villages. A few days after leaving the Kii Peninsula Douglas and Kendrick found a group of islands they named the Water Islands. They decided to separate at that point. Both ships made for the Pacific Northwest Coast. Douglas sailed Grace to Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) and apparently secured

9612-507: The two had a falling out. Kaiana and his warriors eventually changed sides and fought against Kamehameha in the 1795 climactic Battle of Nuʻuanu . Kaiana was killed in that battle. Douglas sailed to Maui, where Hawaiians again tried to cut Iphigenia's cable, then to Oahu , where yet again anchors were cut. They were recovered after Douglas threatened the local chief that "his town should be laid in ashes". Douglas and Funter sailed Iphigenia and North West America from island to island over

9720-491: The voyage across the Pacific to Nootka Sound, and then as far as Monterey, California. Nootka Sound has not been the scene of any major international disagreements in modern history. The climate of the land around the bay is oceanic ( Cfb ), but with a wet fall, winter, and spring season and a strong dry-summer trend. Winters are chilly and summers are short and mild. In 2001, a two-year-old male orca , later named Luna ,

9828-547: The way back to Macau he stopped in Hawaii and picked up Kendrick's cargo of sandalwood and the two men who had been left to collect it. Douglas found that warfare was intensifying in Hawaii and the islands were becoming more dangerous. The maritime fur trader Simon Metcalfe had massacred hundreds of Native Hawaiians at Olowalu . In a separate event his son, Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe had been killed along with all but one of his crew, and his schooner, Fair American , had been captured. When Douglas reached China he took Grace up

9936-415: The winter there. The following spring they would return to the Northwest Coast. On 17 September 1788, before North West America was finished, the American maritime fur trader Robert Gray arrived at Nootka Sound with Lady Washington . The British and American captains were suspicious of each other from the start. North West America was launched on 20 September 1788. Robert Funter was given command of

10044-501: The winter, visiting Kauai and returning to Oahu and Hawaii. In Hawaii they visited Kaiana and Kamehameha who asked to be supplied with firearms. They said that rival chiefs, including the king Kaeo of Kauai, had formed an alliance against Kamehameha and that Kaeo had been given arms and ammunition by George Dixon and Nathaniel Portlock , who were rivals with Meares and Douglas in the maritime fur trade business. Hearing this, Douglas gave Kamehameha and Kaiana firearms and ammunition, and had

10152-415: The wood and bark of red and yellow cedar trees as both a building material and to produce many different objects. Artists and wood workers within a nation would carve full logs into totem poles and ocean going canoes, and the bark would be torn into strips and softened in water until malleable enough to be woven into baskets, clothing, and ceremonial regalia. Due to the abundance of resources throughout

10260-591: Was a Scottish ship captain and an oceanographer maritime fur trader during the late 18th century. He worked with the British trader and Captain John Meares , commanding the ship Iphigenia Nubiana . He was involved in the Nootka Crisis of 1789, which brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war. A few years later he was captain of the American ship Grace . In 1791 he partnered with Captain John Kendrick in an attempt to open trade with Japan. Douglas

10368-489: Was an officer on Nootka during Meares's first fur trading voyage to the Pacific Northwest coast from 1786 to 1787. In 1788, in Macau , China, Meares formed a partnership of several merchants and captains, and purchased two new vessels, the snows Felice Adventurer and Iphigenia Nubiana —generally called Felice and Iphigenia . Meares took command of Felice . He made Douglas captain of Iphigenia and second in command of

10476-453: Was completely out of trade goods and all other items desired by the Haida, such as clothes, pots, kettles, and metal items in general. Most of Douglas's trade goods had been seized by Martínez at Nootka Sound. Nonetheless when Iphigenia reached the open ocean on 28 June 1789 Douglas had 760 prime sea otter skins in the hold—far more than the 60-70 he had when leaving Nootka Sound a month before. Douglas set sail for Hawaii, unaware that during

10584-726: Was disputed by the National Assembly . The Assembly maintained that the King's right to determine foreign policy and declare war was subject to the sovereignty of the people. Eventually the Assembly ruled that a proposal for a declaration of war could be initiated by the king, but had to be ratified by the Assembly; this was a major blow to the monarchy. The Scottish political reformer Thomas Muir had been banished to Port Jackson in Botany Bay in Australia for 14 years for

10692-431: Was having some difficulties in Macau and was unable to leave. He approached Douglas for assistance and the two captains arranged to work with each other. Kendrick's first mate, Davis Coolidge, joined Douglas as first officer of Grace , and Douglas agreed to pick up some men Kendrick had left in Hawaii to gather sandalwood . During the summer of 1790 Douglas took Grace to the Pacific Northwest Coast to trade for furs. On

10800-472: Was killed in an accidental collision with the propeller of the Vancouver -based tugboat, General Jackson , on Mooyah Bay in Nootka Sound. It is mentioned in the former unofficial national anthem of English-speaking Canada, " The Maple Leaf Forever ", to represent the western extent of Canada's "fair dominion". Nootka Sound is referred to in the 2017 FX / BBC One drama Taboo and is a central part of

10908-492: Was planning to return to the Pacific Northwest Coast by way of Japan . At the time Japan's policy of sakoku strictly limited foreign trade. Meares and company had intended to attempt to open British trade with Japan, but the Nootka Crisis had put an end to that. Douglas agreed to join Kendrick in the venture, but he leaked word of the plan to the British. An officer of the Royal Navy who was in Macau sent word to London and

11016-470: Was repaired. Meares did not want to wait for the repairs to be finished. He transferred Kaiana and the other native Hawaiians to Iphigenia , charging Douglas with taking them to their homeland. Comekela remained on Felice , which sailed from Zamboanga soon after arriving. Douglas left with the repaired Iphigenia on 22 February 1788. Because of the delay he decided to sail first to the Pacific Northwest coast, instead of Hawaii, in order to arrive in time for

11124-404: Was sailing southwest from Nootka Sound, as though headed for Hawaii. At midnight, however, Douglas ordered the ship to change course and head north. He knew that Martínez was not ready to send San Carlos north to patrol the coast, and he did not think Kendrick would be allowed to leave until San Carlos was ready. Douglas wrote "the interval was therefore mine". He did not have enough furs to turn

11232-563: Was seen alone in Nootka Sound as far inland as the marina at Gold River, British Columbia . Presumed to be an orphan separated from his pod, Luna became a local and international celebrity as a result of his playful and curious behaviour towards tug boats and recreational watercraft on Nootka Sound, and with people, including young children, on the Gold River dock. The popularity of Luna made Nootka Sound and Gold River an international attraction from early 2002 through March 2006 when Luna

11340-414: Was seized and Spanish colors hoisted. The crew was taken to the two Spanish warships and the ship was emptied of supplies, cannons, trade goods, charts, and essentially all removable objects. Martínez charged that the ship was violating Spanish sovereignty and had illegally entered Spanish territory. He claimed that the ship's papers directed Iphigenia to seize any English, Russian, or Spanish ships found on

11448-476: Was seized and taken to San Blas , before being released. The capture of the British ships led to the Nootka Crisis and near war between Britain and Spain. The British challenged Spanish claims to allegedly "un-colonized" land on the Pacific coasts of North and South America. The first Nootka Convention (1790) gave both countries the right to settle along the Pacific coasts, interrupting the Spanish monopoly for

11556-554: Was spotted. Captain Douglas anchored in Nootka Sound on the 27th. As planned, Douglas had crossed the North Pacific to the Aleutian Islands. He entered Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound in Alaska, then cruised south, trading for furs along the way. Meares wrote that Douglas's voyage had confirmed that there was a "Great Northern Archipelago"—today's Alexander Archipelago and British Columbia Coast —and that earlier voyages had been exploring offshore islands rather than

11664-455: Was suspicious, Douglas convinced him that his only desire was to sail to China. Martínez supplied Douglas with what he thought was a minimal amount of equipment, food, and other supplies for a direct voyage to Macau via Hawaii. Douglas promised both the Spanish and the Americans that he had no intention of remaining on the Northwest Coast to collect furs. On June 1 he was allowed to depart. By the late afternoon Iphigenia , flying Portuguese colors,

#840159