Over the winter, they began work on a small sloop, the Adventure, making it the first American-built vessel to be built and launched in the Pacific Northwest. The warm current, similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, begins off the east coast of Taiwan and flows northeastward past Japan, where it merges with the easterly drift of the North Pacific Current. Although legends and logs suggest that the Pacific Northwest was first explored by European ships, and privateers in the 16th century, the region was little explored and generally left unsettled by Europeans before the mid-18th century. What is certain is that his failure to spot the Columbia had great implications for the future political development of the Pacific Northwest....". The fleet consisted of the Pelican, one hundred tons, 16 guns, commanded by Francis Drake; the Elizabeth, eighty tons, 16 guns, commanded by John Wynter; the Marigold, thirty tons, commanded by Thomas Doughty; the Swan, fifty tons, 5 guns, commanded by John Chester; and the Christopher, a pinnace of fifteen tons, 1 gun, commanded by Tom Moone. From the beginning, European discovery and exploration of the Pacific coast has been shrouded with a cloak of secrecy. Disappointed again and disgusted with the Spanish, the aging Greek determined to retire to his home in Kefallonia but was in 1596 convinced by an Englishman, Michael Lok (also spelled as Locke in English and French documents from the period), to offer his services to Spain's archenemy, Queen Elizabeth. According to Fuca's account, he undertook two voyages of exploration on the orders of the Viceroy of New Spain, Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas, both intended to find the fabled Strait of Anián, believed to be a Northwest Passage, a sea route linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Afterward, Gray carried on south to what was, he rightly suspected, the mouth of a great river, and looked further for a way into this river. During one stop in the Pacific, the French-born naturalist Louis Neé concluded, "[T]he constant vapours arising from the earth, here rich in minerals and full of moisture, made it much more unhealthy." Trees here can often live more than 1,000 years, reaching hundreds of feet into the air, with diameters exceeding 9.4m (31 ft). In the early evening, after disguising theGolden Hind as a merchantman, Drake finally came alongside his target and, when the Spanish captain San Juan de Antón refused to surrender, opened fire. They met Vancouver himself on June 21, near present-day Vancouver, British Columbia. Meares decided to circumvent the need for a license and the taxes, and thus engage in illegal trade on the Northwest coast by using the Bengal Fur Trading Company. What they didn't know is that Drake planned on obtaining his provisions, resupplying his fleet and paying off the crew by plundering Spanish ships, and possibly sacking Spanish colonies along the way. He sailed around the latter island, as well as circumnavigating Revillagigedo Island and charting parts of the coasts of Mitkof, Zarembo, Etolin, Wrangell, Kuiu and Kupreanof Islands. The landscape is anchored by a … Russia, Britain, and Spain all made moves to occupy it for good. Statistics from Noonsite, a cruisers' information website, also show that piracy, suspicious incidents, robbery and burglary are on the rise in the Caribbean. He then gave his support to the Spanish colonies in South America in their fight for independence from Spain. Maldonado urged in strong terms the necessity of Spain’s fortifying the Strait of Anian before the English reached it, and he dwelt glowingly upon economic and other advantages to the nation of controlling this short trade route to the Far East. A year or two (dates regarding l'Ollonais are at best sketchy) into his piratical career, l'Ollonais was shipwrecked near Campeche, in Mexico. Also he said, that he went on Land in divers places, and that he saw some people on Land, clad in Beasts skins: and that the Land is very fruitfull, and rich of gold, Silver, Pearle, and other things like Nova Spania (The Spanish Main). Five years later Bolognini Zaltieri issued a map showing a narrow and crooked Strait of Anian separating Asia from America. Drake and the pinnace were quick to chase after the second vessel, and was within hailing distance of their prey when an explosion shuddered out across the water. Only narrowly escaping with his life, l'Ollonais captured two Spaniards. When Cook's men returned to England, talking of fortunes to be made in the fur trade between the Northwest coast and China, Meares listened. The Golden Hind caught up with Cagafuego on March 1, 1579, in the vicinity of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Samuel Purchas in Hakluyt Posthums, or Purchas His Pilgrimes (1906), vol. Which today, encompasses the largest remaining intact temperate rainforest in the world. In eyewitness accounts, and charts made from his logs it is suggested he reached at least as far north as the 48th parallel. Galiano had received letters of suggestion and order from both Malaspina and Viceroy Revillagigedo. Knowing that Cook had previously surveyed the coast west of Prince William Sound and found no passage, Malaspina ceased his search at that point and sailed to the Spanish outpost at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. L'Ollonais himself survived by covering himself in the blood of others and hiding amongst the dead. His charts were so extremely accurate that they served as the key reference for coastal navigation for generations. In September of 1578, the fleet, now three ships, sailed through the deadly Strait of Magellan with speed and ease, only to emerge into terrific Pacific storms. Juan Fernandez was a Spanish port under the control of Don Blas Gonzalez commandant of the garrison.There the Columbia Rediviva was repaired before sailing for the northwest coast. Ferrer Maldonado Lorenzo's Circumstantial Voyage Into The Strait Of Anian. Drake's own family eventually perpetuated the rumor that Doughty had been intimate with Drake's wife, Mary. Fuca was a Greek-born maritime pilot in the service of the king of Spain, Philip II. In 1771 John Meares entered the Royal Navy as “Captain’s servant” in HMS Cruizer and, after serving in several small vessels, passed his lieutenant’s examination on 17 Sept. 1778, at which time he was said to be more than 22. The shot fell well short of the pinnace, but a second shot convinced Drake that he could not secure the second prize wihtout running a great risk, he hove away to rejoin the fleet and gave orders to sail to the south-west. After weeks of negotiations the principal Nootka chief, Maquinna, agreed that the Spanish would always remain owners of the land they then occupied, and that they had acquired it with all due properness. The north-west Pacific coastline of North America can be described as a double-edged sword of wild rugged desolate coastline that contrasts the serene security of blissful bays and protected island hideaways. Part I of the blog series 225 Years Ago: Spanish Explorations of the Pacific Northwest and the First Spanish Settlement in Washington State, Núñez Gaona (Neah Bay), 1792 Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The farthest point Gray explored upriver is now known as Grays Bay, and the river that flows into it Grays River. Sir Francis Drakes Exploration And Plundering Of The Pacific. Their decision not to publish maps, charts, or expedition accounts ensured Spanish knowledge of the Pacific Northwest would not fall into enemy hands. Malaspina’s professional mentor was no other then Captain James Cook. During his 1792 journey aboard the Columbia Rediviva, Gray noticed muddy waters flowing from shore and decided to investigate whether he might have encountered the "Great River of the West." Bulfinch’s learning of Cook's pelt-trading solved this problem, so that New England sea merchants could trade with China profitably. That's unusual for a map from that early a time. Caribbean Pirates of the Northwest c/o Ken Boisse, PO Box 33786, Seattle, WA 98133-0786 Community service organization available to personal appearances, parades and special events throughout the world. He is best known for his claim to have explored the Strait of Anián, now known as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, between Vancouver Island, now part of British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Washington State, United States. As early as 1763, shortly after the acquisition of the Canadas by Great Britain, Captain Jonathan Carver, who had been in the British provincial army, projected a journey across the continent between the forty-third and forty-sixth degrees of northern latitude to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. In 1795 Malaspina was imprisoned for plotting against the state. He got to 56°30'N, having explored north from Point Menzies in Burke Channel to the northwest coast of Prince of Wales Island. In 1788 Gray had attempted to enter a large river, but was unable to due to the tides, this river being the Columbia River. They muttered angrily amongst themselves and decided that something had to be done about Doughty. Jean-David Nau (c. 1635 - c.1668), better known as François l'Ollonais, was a French pirate active in the Caribbean during the 1660s. The expedition left Acapulco on March 8, 1792. Columbia District eventually lent itself to the name of the mid-19th century colony of British Columbia. In April 1813 he sailed from North Carolina on his own privateer ship with Venezuelan letters-of-marque to attack Spanish ships. Malaspina and his crew were able to greatly improve the relationship, which was one of their objectives and reasons for stopping in the first place. Plus 100,000 AM/FM radio stations featuring music, news, and local sports talk. Food is aplenty at The Galley, and you can drink rum & grog at The Crow’s Nest Inn. The maps were also linked to the baseline established by Captain Cook, allowing calibration between Spanish and British charts. Explorers and Pirates Of The Pacific Northwest: Chapter Two, Explorers and Pirates Of The Pacific Northwest: Chapter Two ›. In fact, this was an insult to Drake himself. Meares, become a partner in a foreign company, known as the Bengal Fur Company. However he did fix the location and determine that is was a river and not a strait. The governor of Havana sent a ship to kill l'Ollonais' party, but l'Ollonais captured and beheaded the entire crew save one, whom he spared so that a message could be delivered to Havana. Captain Chester refused to get involved with Doughty, even though Doughty offered to 'put the sword into his hands and give him the government.' Hover over each to see a description. Internet Radio for music lovers, bikers, gamers, renegades, rebels, rogues & those that love them! Ioánnis Fokás (Juan De Fuca) Discovery Of Juan De Fuca Strait. The group's current membership is approximately 20 pirates and wenches. The kind manner in which these were treated, and the presents given them, gradually lured back the others, and a friendly intercourse took place. When the first European explorers discovered the Pacific coast, they described it as "a new vision of Eden". Pirates of the Pacific Festival is a yearly event started in 2010, it takes place at the Port of Brookings Harbor, Oregon during the second weekend in August. In 1579, Britain's pirate Francis Drake sailed off the Oregon coast; during the early 1740s, Vitus Bering opened the North Pacific to Imperial Russia; during the late 1700s, English captains James Cook and George Vancouver charted the Pacific including the bays and inlets of Puget Sound (Vancouver); and in 1786, Comte de La Perouse, representing France, sailed to the Queen Charlotte … The two main pieces of evidence against Doughty were the testimony of the ship's carpenter, Edward Bright, and also that Doughty admitted to telling Lord William Burghley, an English statesman, and the Queen's chief advisor of the true secret nature of the voyage. This expedition failed when, allegedly due to the captain's malfeasance, the soldiers mutinied and returned home to California. With the below deck ports fully open, Malaspina observed, "we saw the whole crew in such a fine state of health and strength that the eudiometers showed, on the morning of the 15th, no difference at all between the air below decks and that of the atmosphere." Were personal motives involved? The Columbia, however, is believed to be the first ship that made a regular discovery and anchored within its waters, and it has since generally borne the name of that vessel. Stream live CNN, FOX News Radio, and MSNBC. These are some of their ensigns. On December 1577, Frances Drake, Thomas Doughty and a third man, John Wynter left Plymouth England with five ships, on what was reported to be a simple trip trading expedition to Alexandria. He was an instrument of destiny. By 1660, his indenture was complete and he began to wander the various islands, before finally arriving in Saint-Domingue and becoming a buccaneer, preying on Spanish shipping in the region. In September 17, 1788 the Lady Washington with Gray in command reached Nootka Sound. Donald C. Cutter writes, Cook's voages "were the yardstick against which Malaspina measured his own." Their enterprise was projected on a broad and bold plan. 46 19' north. The Pacific Northwest Pirate Radio. The north-west Pacific coastline of North America can be described as a double-edged sword of wild rugged desolate coastline that contrasts the serene security of blissful bays and protected island hideaways. Word of his attack on Maracaibo and Gibraltar reached Tortuga, and l'Ollonais earned a reputation for his ferocity and cruelty and he was given the nickname "Flail of the Spaniards" (French: Fléau des Espagnois). A giant hollow tree situated in Stanley Park , c.1890 was once part of the massive coastal rainforest stretching from the Olympic Mountains in Puget Sound, through the Vancouver Island range for the Strait of Georgia, and culimnating in the bulky islands of the southern Alaskan shore. One hundred and fifty men and fourteen boys manned the crafts which were well ammunitioned with bullets, wildfire, chainshot, muskets, pistols, pikes, cutlasses, and bows and arrows. At the time, the entrance to Lake Maracaibo (and thus the city itself) was defended by a fort of sixteen guns that was thought to be impregnable. On the NORTHWEST COMPANY: Wallace, W.S., Documents Relating to the Northwest Company, 1934, Champlain Society, Toronto; John C. Jackson's Children of the Fur Trade (Mountain Press Publishing Company, Montana, 1995) analyzes a huge number of primary sources (such as Hudson Bay Company archives and Harriet C. Duncan's 6-volume Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest) to trace …