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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1884)
200 THE WEST SHORE. THE FABULOUS STRAITS OF ANIAN. II. WHERE is still another somewhat mythical voyage JL associated with this search for the Straits of Anian, which has played a most important part in the history of Oregon; and though it comes entirely through English sources, is utterly repudiated by modern English his torians, and even receives but little credence among American writers. This is the celebrated voyage of J uan do Fuca, who is claimed to have discovered the Straits of Fuca, that broad channel separating a portion of Washington Territory from Vancouver Island, in Uritish Columbia. There was published in Loudon, in 1625, a celebrated historical and geographical work, edited by Samuel Pur. chas, which bore the odd title of " The Pilgrims." Among other things, this volume contained "A note by Michael Loek, the elder, touching the Strait of Sea, commonly called r return Anian, in the South Sea, through the Piorthwest Passage of Meta Incognita." The most im portant portion of this alleged document of Mr. Lock is as follows: " When I was in Venice, in April, 1596, haply arrived there an old man, about sixty years of age, called, com monly, Juan de luca, but named properly Anostolas Valorianus, of nation a Greek, born in Cephalonia, of profession a mariner, and an ancient pilot of ships. This man, being come lately out of Spain, arrived first at Leg horn, and wont thence to Florence, where he found one John Douglas, an Englishman, a famous mariner, ready coming for Venice, to be pilot of a Venetian ship for England, in whose company they came both together to Venice. And John Douglas being acquainted with me More, he gave mo knowledge of this Greek pilot, and brought him to my speech; and in long talks and confer once between us, in presence of John Douglas, this Greek pilot declared, in the Italian and Spanish languages this much in effect as followeth: First, he said he had been in the West Indies of Spain forty years, and had sailed to and from many places thereof, in the service of the Spaniards. Also, he said that he was in the Spanish ship which, in returning from the Islands Philippines towards Nova Spania, was robbed and taken at the Cape f Snl7 .Cft,UliHh' EKliH. whereby he Ut GO 0(W ducats of his goods. Also, he said that he was pilot of three small ships which the Viceroy of Mexico sent from Mexico, armed with 100 men, under a captain, Spaniards, to discover the Straits of Anian, along the coast ot the South Sea, and to fortify in that strait, to WBwt the pa-sage and proceedings of the English nation, which wore force, to pass through those straits into th South Sea; and that, by reason of a mutiny which hap! poncd among the soldiers for the misconduct of S captain that voyage was overthrown, and the sl ip Z done .n that voyage; iml t!mt ftor , "8 captain was at Mexico punished bv iKti, ii tn said iwroy of Mcx u iun 4 . "uetl WPuy pnt nun out agam, in 1502, with a small caravel and a pinnace, armed with mariners only, to follow the said voyage for the discnvory of th: Straits of Anian, and the passage thereof into the sea which they call the North Sea, which is our northwest sea; and that he followed his course, in that voyage, west and northwest in the South Sea, all along the coast o! Nova Spania, and California, and the Indies, now called North America (all which voyage he signified to me in 8 great map, and a sea-card of my own, which I laid before him), until he came to the latitude of 47 degrees; and that, there finding that the land trended north and north west, with a broad inlet of sea, between 47 and 48 degrees of latitude, he entered thereinto, sailing therein more than twenty days, and found that land trending still sometime northwest, and northeast, and north, and also east and southeastward, and very much broader sea than was at the said entrance, and that he passed by divers islands in that sailing; and that, at the entrance of this said strait, there is, on the northwest coast thereof, a great headland or island, with an exceeding high .pin nacle, or spired rock, like a pillar, thereupon. Also, he said that lie went on land in divers places, and that he saw some people on land clad in beasts' skins; and that the land is very fruitful, and rich of gold, Bilver, pearls, and other things, like Nova Spania. Also, he said that he being entered thus far into the said strait, and being come into the North Sea already, and finding the sea wide enough everywhere, and to be about thirty or forty leagues wide in the mouth of the straits where he entered, he thought he had now well discharged his office; and that, not being armed to resist the force of the savage people that might happen, he therefore set sail, and re turned homewards again towards Nova Spania, where he arrived at Acapulco, Anno 1592, hoping to be rewarded by the Viceroy for this service done in the said voyage. Here follows an account of his vain endeavors for three years to secure a proper recognition of his ser vices by the Viceroy or the Spanish monarch, and his resolution to return to his native land to die among his countrymen. Also, he said he thought the cause of his ill reward had of the Spaniards, to be for that they did understand very well that the English nation had now given over all their voyages for discovery of the north west passage; wherefore they need not fear them any more to come that way into the South Sea, and therefore they needed not his service therein any more. Also, he said that, understanding the noble mind of the Queen of England, and of her wars against the Spaniards, ami hoping that her majesty would do him justice for hi goods lost by Captain Candish, he would be content to go into England, and serve her majesty in that voyage for the discovery perfectly of the northwest passage into the South Sea. if she would fiimisli him with onlv one ship of forty tons burden, and a pinnace, and that he would perform it in thirty days' time, from one end to the other of the strait, and he willed me bo to write to England. And, from conference had twice with the said Gr pilot, I did write thereof nrrdinr1v. to Enelnnd, unto the right honorable the old Lord Treasurer Cecil, and to