Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 21.djvu/35

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THE LOG OF THE PRINCESA 25

and Funter were written at dates much later than the log, hence ought to be of less credibility.

With respect to the arrival of the Princess Royal, Capt. Hudson, at Nootka June 15, the log adds to Dr. Manning's account the fact that Martinez remained aboard of her out- side the Sound on the night of her arrival for the definite purpose of preventing her departure before he could learn particulars of her voyage and purpose his act thus being in keeping with the sense of his instructions to prevent trade with the natives, or surprise to himself. Manning's criticism that Martinez was inconsistent in releasing Hudson may be explained by the belief of Martinez that Hudson was warned that if he was found trading with the natives he would be taken prisoner as transpired upon the reappearance of the Princess Royal at a later date. Hudson stated that "he had acted in the belief that this port as well as the coast belonged to the English crown, as discoveries made by Captain James Cook. However, I convinced him . . . that I had an- ticipated Cook by three years and eight months; ... he could confirm this by ... Joseph Ingraham, who had noted it in his log from the knowledge which he had gained from the Indians of the region."

In the matter of the seizure of the Argonaut and the arrest of Capt. Colnett and his crew, it is to be observed that Manning used the report of Martinez to Florez, as well as the accounts by Colnett, Gray, Ingraham, and Duf fin ; of these latter, only the last named was a contemporary account. I shall set forth briefly how the log agrees in general with the letter to Florez, and what it adds, as well as how the spirit of the Dttffin account substantiates in many ways the Martinez point of view.

The log is, as was the letter to Florez, quite silent as to any pretense of distress on the Spanish vessels as a reason why Colnett should enter the port to succor them, tho' it does say that it was Martinez who ordered the Argonaut towed