Although the Spaniards seemed to be most interested in whatever concerned the west coast of America, yet they made no attempt to explore it from the commencement of the seventeenth century till the year 1774.  In 1769, indeed, being alarmed at the evident design of the Russians to settle in the north-west coast, they formed establishments at St. Diego and Montory.  In 1774 they traced the American coast from latitude 53 deg. 53’ to latitude 55 deg., and it is said discovered Nootka Sound.  In the following year an expedition was sent from St. Blas, which proceeded along the north-west coast, and reached to latitude 57 deg. 58’.

The voyage of Cook roused the Russian government to further exertions; and they accordingly fitted out an expedition to explore the sea between Asia and America:  the command of it was given to an Englishman of the name of Billings, who had served as a petty officer under Captain Cook.  He was, however, by no means qualified for his situation, and abandoned the enterprise in the latter end of July, having proceeded only a few leagues beyond Cape Barrenoi:  the whole amount of the information procured during this voyage being confined to a few of the Aleutian Islands, and some points in the coast of America and Asia.

A few years afterwards the Empress Catherine sent out a secret expedition; the principal object of which was to ascertain the situation of the islands between the two continents.  Little is known respecting this expedition, except that some observations were made on Behring’s Straits, which, however, were not passed.  The distance between the continents was estimated at forty-eight miles.

About the same time, the great profits which it was expected would be derived from the fur trade on the north-west coast of America, induced several commercial vessels to visit it; and during their voyages, nearly all the parts of it which had not been visited by Cook, were examined as far as the inlet which was named after him, in latitude 61 deg. 15’.  This extent of coast was found to consist of a vast chain of islands; and the appearance and nature of it revived the hope which Cook’s last voyage had extinguished, that in this part of the coast there might be a practicable passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean.

This hope was again extinguished in the opinion of most people, by the result of two of the most celebrated voyages which have been performed since the death of Captain Cook:  we allude to the voyages of La Perouse, and of Vancouver:  the former sailed with two frigates from Brest on the 1st of August, 1785:  the object of this voyage was very comprehensive and important, being no less than to fill up whatever had been left deficient or obscure by former navigators, and to determine whatever was doubtful, so as to render the geography of the globe as complete and minute as possible:  he was directed to supply the island in the South Seas with useful European vegetables.  At present we shall confine our notice of this voyage to what relates to the more immediate object of this part of our work, the coast of North-west America.