The Tres Marias, or the iſlands, ſo named by the Spaniards, off which we had been cruizing, are four in number, if the Iſle Saint John is included, which is not
two Spaniſh men of war. The Spaniard obſerving my unwillingneſs to comply with his requeſt, aſſured me, on his word and honor, in the name of the King of Spain, whoſe ſervant he was, and of the Viceroy of Mexico, whoſe nephew he declared himſelf to be, that, if I would go into port and relieve his wants, I ſhould be at liberty to ſail whenever I pleaſed. He alſo added, that his buſineſs at Nootka was for no other purpoſe, than merely to prevent the Ruſſians from ſettling on that part of the coaſt, and that it joined a leading principle of his inſtructions, as it was his private inclination, to pay all becoming reſpect and attention to every other nation. I am ready to acknowledge that the ſtory of his diſtreſſes, and the letter of Mr. Hudſon, which appeared to be deſerving of credit, had very conſiderable weight with me: beſides, I was an officer in his Britannic Majeſty's ſervice; and might be, in ſome degree, influenced by a profeſſional ſympathy. I therefore ſuffered myſelf to be perſuaded to enter the harbour; and, as it was a calm, to let the Spaniſh boats aſſiſt in towing the Argonaut into Friendly Cove; where we arrived by twelve at night, and found an American ſhip called the Columbia, riding at anchor, commanded by Mr. Kendric, and a ſloop of the ſame nation, called the Waſhington, commanded by Mr. Gray; with two Spaniſh ſhips of war, called the Princeſſa, and Don Carlos. The next morning, after I had ordered ſome proviſions and ſtores for the relief of Don Martinez to be got ready, I went to breakfaſt with him, in conſequence of his invitation. After breakfaſt he accompanied me on board my ſhip, the Argonaut; I gave him a liſt of the articles I intended to ſend him, with which he appeared highly pleaſed. I then informed him it was my intention to go to ſea in the courſe of the day: he replied, he would ſend his launch to aſſiſt me out of the harbour,
