and a half times as great as that contained tn the channel sdyvoenuted in the British contention. According to the stutement of Vancouver, mide when he entered the larger channel, ‘its entrance is not more than two miles and a half across”; and later on be says “tno bottom was however wained after passing that point (speaking of Point Maskelyne), with sixty and seventy fathoms of line.” [t appears not only from hix narrative but from the charts of Vancouver that he navigated with his ships the larger channel, wp to the junetion with Observatory Tnlet, both in and out.
The reason is thus stated hy Vancouver himself; The route by which the vessels had advanced to Salmon Cove. being infinitely better for them to pursne towards Cape Caammuno, than the fatrieate chanwel through whieh f had passed iu the houts, we weighed with the Intention of directing our course thas about six in the morning of Saturday the 17th; but having a strony wale from the southward. we made little progress windward.” And yet despite the natural and covent presumption that a trained navigator and cartographer would have given the name of the channel to the real and navigable one, in preference to an almost nnoavignble ove. which he deseribed as “of no great yaltio or vonsideration,” the British Case assimes the burden of proving the contrary by means of the Narrative and maps of Vancouver himself.
EVIDENCE OF THE CARTOGRATIERS,
During the progress of the neyotiations specific references were made to the following maps and charts, Sir Charles Bawot in hix letter of August 1! (31), 1528, to Mr. G, Canning sid:
Tam not, howerer, quite sure that 1 ani right in this Inst assertion, as the Rns- sian Settlement of Sitka, te whieh 1 am told that the Russian Government pre- temls te attach great importance, is not laid down very precisely in the Map Published in 1802 in the Quartermaster-General's Department bere, or laid down at all in that of Arrowsmith, which bas been furnished to me from the Foreign Ottiew.
siy Charles Bagot in his letter of October 17 (2), 1823, to Mr,
G. Canning, said:
T then gave how to anderstam! that the British Government wonkl, D thonght, be satietied to take Cross Sound, lying about the latitude of 571° as the boundary between the tw@ Powers on the cout, aud a meridian tine drawn from the head
- Vaneonvers Nurrative, vol. TV, p. 202.
