This letter, penned by explorer, Esteban José Martínez, and addressed to the Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio Flórez, is a personal commentary on an abridged version of Martínez’s diary recounting his voyage to the Pacific Northwest in search of Russian settlements. In 1774, the Spanish established settlements in the Pacific Northwest. They soon expanded up the coast and in 1787, Martínez was commissioned by Viceroy Flórez to establish contact with the Russians in Ounalashka, present day Unalaska Island. Martinez aboard the frigate Princesa along with Gonzalo López de Haro and José María Narváez aboard the San Carlos set sail on the 10th of March of 1787 from the Port of San Blas, which served as the Spanish Naval Base in Mexico. By the 17th of May the expedition had already reached the entry to Prince William Sound. Unable to enter the Sound they headed towards Montague Island, which had been visited by Captain James Cook on his 1778 voyage. In the letter, Martínez remarks on the accuracy of Cook’s maps. After taking possession of Montague Island and unable to find news from the Alaska Natives about the Russians, they proceeded to the Puerto de Flores (Chalmers Port). Following official instructions, they took possession of the port, and soon sighted the Russians off the Island of Floridablanca or Trinidad (Kodiak Island).

On the 19th of July, they finally established contact with the Russians on the Island of Unalaska. There they received a Russian delegation headed by the “Capitan o Comisario”, Potap Kuzmich Zaikov (written as Cusmick or Cusmich in the document). The unsuspecting Russians received the Spaniards with open arms, providing fish daily, caring for their sick, and presenting Martínez with 1500 salmon preserved in barrels. They even insisted that Spain and Russia were one and the same. Kuzmich claimed that there were only 2 Russian settlements (Unalaska and Kodiak Island) and 500 Russians scattered around various locations. According to Kuzmich, their only occupation was fur trading with the Tartars and Chinese. Martínez explains that the Russians have six ‘galeotas’ or small sail or oar propelled galley boats. He also describes the location of various Russian artillery. Kuzmich tells Martínez that the Russians had intended to take possession of Prince Charles Sound but had been repeatedly repelled by the Alaska Natives. As an alternative, the Russians established trading agreements which stated that Alaska Natives were obliged to pay a levy of 10% in furs to the Russian Empress on goods traded. Each Russian had to pay three Rubles a year to the Empress. Kuzmich also explained that they had not explored further south than Saint Elias Mountain, but after the arrival of a British frigate and supply ship they discovered the existence of the Ports of Bucareli and Nootka, where the British traded sea otter furs. Kuzmich further announced that they had informed their Empress of the British presence and she had decided to send four frigates from Siberia to occupy the Port of Nootka. In view of this information, Martínez expressed that it was vital to settle the Port of Nootka in the following year. He asserts that the establishment of the settlement would be feasible and would provide Spain with command of the coast from San Francisco to Nootka, Alaska.

On the 19th of August, Martínez left the Russians setting sail towards Monterey. They faced serious difficulties with the weather and became separated from the supply ship. They finally reached Monterey (California) on the 17th of September. Martínez waited for a month for the arrival of the supply ship. While waiting, Martínez was asked by the Governor of Monterey to transport timber to Santa Barbara for construction. Following his delivery, Martínez headed towards San Blas where he arrived the 5th of December, still waiting for news of his supply ship.

After returning to the Port of San Blas from his first expedition to the Russian settlements in Alaska in 1787-1788, explorer, Esteban José Martínez, penned two letters. The first was addressed to the Viceroy of New Spain, Manuel Antonio Flórez. This letter, the second of the two, is addressed to the Minister of the Navy, Antonio Valdés. The letter recounts Martínez’s journey to Alaska with Gonzalo López de Haro. He first explains his encounter with the Alaska Natives, whom he calls “Americanos” at Prince William Sound. Martínez inquired whether the Alaska Natives had seen the Russians, whom the Spaniards feared had expanded their permanent settlements in Alaska. They replied that they has seen the ships commanded by Captain James Cook in 1778 and the 1786 ships commanded by La Perouse and Langle, but had not seen any Russian troops. With little information to go on, Martínez undertook a short exploration of the Prince William Sound. He was unsuccessful in finding the Russians. The expedition continued to the Island of Floridablanca or Trinidad (Kodiak Island) on the 18th of June. Martínez explains that a Russian settler boarded the ship here but he was not forthcoming about the whereabouts of the Russian settlements. In the meantime, the Captain of Martínez’s accompanying ship that had been separated from them (‘sobre el Cabo de Elizabeth o de Valdés’) had spotted a Russian settlement near the Island of Unalaska. Martínez left the Kodiak Islands, arriving in Unalaska on the 19th of July. They anchored at ‘el puerto de Bodquin’, where they were visited by Captain Jacof Kuzmich. Martínez and Kuzmich were able to communicate with the help of the second pilot, Esteban Mendosia. To obtain the trust of the Russians, Martínez gave Kuzmich all the gifts at his disposal. Cusmisch shows Martínez the scars on the bodies of several Russians, obtained during Captain Ysmyloff’s (Gerasim Izmailov) attempt to capture Prince Charles Island from the Alaska Natives. This letter contains more information than the above letter about the taxes paid to the Empress from Alaska Natives and Russians. Having spent a month on Unalaska, Martínez remarks on the resilience of the Russians. Finally, he also tells the Minister that he has given a dispatch addressed to Valdés to Captain Gabriel Priviloff (Gavriel Pribilof) who offered to take it to Saint Petersburg for forwarding.

In this letter, Viceroy of New Spain, Manuel Antonio Flórez, outlines the strategy to be followed by the Spanish in the Pacific Northwest following the return of Esteban José Martínez expedition to Alaska in 1788. Martínez’s mission had been to gather information about the expansion of the Russians in Alaska. The Viceroy, following Martínez’s reports, states that he is confident that the Russians have only settled in Ounalashka, present day Unalaska Island, and that their knowledge of the coast is limited to the area between Unalaska and ‘cerro de San Elias’, the present day Saint Elias Mountains. Flórez’s chief concern is the information Esteban José Martínez had received that the Russians planned to send four frigates to occupy Nootka the following year. As Flórez tells Valdés, were the Russians to embark on this project, they would pose an immediate threat to Spanish strategic interests. He was also concerned about the Americans though the only American ship the Spanish had sighted was the frigate Columbia which had sailed from Boston. Furthermore, he sees a British as a threat as well.

In order to counteract the threats posed by Russians, Americans and British, Flórez informs Valdés that he has decided to ‘feign’ (‘finjamos’) that the Spanish were already in possession of Nootka harbor, which had been discovered by Juan Perez during the first Spanish expedition to the area of 1774. He announces that he has been able, after great diffculties which included the selection of commanders, to make two ships in San Blas suffciently seaworthy to undertake the occupation of Nootka in the following year: the frigate Princesa under the command of the Alferez (Lieutenant) Esteban José Martínez and the supply boat or ‘paquebote’ Filipino under the command of the Pilot Gonzalo López de Haro.

The objective of the operation was to create the impression to the Russians and other foreigners that the Spaniards had been occupying the Port of Nootka for some time. For the deception to be more effective he instructed the commanders of the expedition, together with troops, missionaries, settlers and bakers to parade themselves ostentatiously so that any visiting foreigner would gain the impression that the settlement was well established. Flórez also talks about the preparation for the settlement of Nootka: the selection of four chaplains who were to convert the Alaska Natives to Christianity, and the arrangement for the visit of the supply ship Aranzazu to take supplies and gather news from the Nootka settlers. Flórez also mentions the difficulties in San Blas harbor, where they are experiencing difficulties constructing new ships, particularly the frigates Concepcion and Favorita. The Viceroy requests that a new commander, marine officers, surgeons, and chaplains be immediately commissioned and sent to San Blas. He discusses his plans to combine the supplies of Spain’s California ‘presidios’ or military settlements with supplies obtained through expeditions from San Francisco to Nootka and Prince William Sound to Cook River.

This document, written by the Viceroy of New Spain, Manuel Antonio Flórez, provides instructions to navigator and explorer, Esteban José Martínez, to occupy Nootka, Alaska. During his 1788 voyage to Alaska, Martínez had discovered that Russian troops intended to occupy Nootka. The Spaniards decided to preempt the Russians and occupy Nootka first. The instructions state that Martínez should set sail for Nootka between January and February 1789. Martínez would be in command of the frigate Princesa and the supply ship, San Carlos el Filipino, piloted by Gonzalo Lopez de Haro. Flórez also stipulated that Martínez bring additional troops and train/arm his crew in preparation for a conflict with the Russians. Martínez was instructed to meet up with the supply ship, Aranzazu, commanded by Don José Cañizares. Cañizares would then return to the Port of San Blas, where the Viceroy was stationed, with news of Martínez’s progress. The instructions also reference a map created as a result of Captain James Cook’s expedition to the area in 1778. Flórez provides advice on how to interact with Alaska Natives during the journey, including engaging in trading and commerce and suggests that the missionaries aboard the ship begin spreading their religious message to the Indigenous peoples. Martínez was asked to erect a building, possibly to signal the Spaniards intent to create a permanent settlement. Flórez also orders Martínez to be hospitable yet firm with the Russians, making clear their claim to Nootka. If they encountered Russian resistance, they were to defend themselves and prevent the Russians from trading with Alaska Natives. Flórez explains that American ships have not been seen in the area and, if the British arrived, Martínez was to explain Spanish claims to the island. Martínez is also asked to explore the area between Prince William Sound and Nootka by dispatching the San Carlos el Filipino. Flórez explains that he will arrange for the supply ship, Aranzazu and the frigate, Concepcion, to transport additional supplies. The Viceroy ends his instructions with general recommendations on treating Alaska Natives, dealing with foreign powers, maintaining harmony between officers and crew, and preventing scurvy and food supply spoilage.

In this letter, the Junta de Estado or Spanish regional government acknowledges the receipt of letters from the Viceroy of New Spain, Manuel Antonio Flórez, and supports his decision to take possession of the Port of Nootka. According to the letter, the King has ordered that Captain Juan Francisco de la Bodega and six other Navy officers be sent to the Port of San Blas from Spain to assist the expedition. The Junta grants permission to the Viceroy to undertake the building of extra ships if necessary in the Port of Realejo on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. They also inform the Viceroy that the Junta has commissioned four surgeons to accompany the expedition and has ordered the forging of cannons to arm the ships. In the meantime, they report that they are also sending dispatches to the Russian capital informing them that the Spanish King is aware of the Russian presence on the Northwest coast of America and that they expect that future Russian navigators will abstain from settling in Spanish-controlled territories in America.

This list provides an account of the Spanish ships and their captains at the Port of San Blas at the time of the 1790 Nootka expedition, particularly those ships used to establish the demarcation line between Spanish and British territory. The ships prepared for the Nootka expedition were the Santa Gertrudis, Princesa, and Concepción. There was also the Aranzazu which had arrived from the Philippines in 1781 and had been converted from a paquebote (supply ship) into a frigate. The document ends with a list of the Presidios (military outposts) of San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and San Diego, the names of their commanders, and the number of soldiers stationed.

An important issue raised in the previous report (Embarcaciones que hacen el servicio en el Departamento De San Blas son Las Siguientes) was the question of the salaries. This report provides the salary details of all personnel including pilots, divers, cooks, and cabin boys from the arrival of the first officers in 1774 until 1789. The letter also alludes to a Royal Order approved by the King of Spain in 1777 which changed the type of salary for many personnel from fixed to daily, ensuring that personnel were only paid when they worked.

This report accounts the occupation of the Port of Bodega near San Francisco by First Lieutenant Don Juan Matute.

Juan de Bodega was tasked with implementing the demarcation line between Spanish and British territory, which was decided at the Nootka Convention of 1789. During a voyage past San Francisco, Bodega discovered that British troops had landed about 60 miles north of Bodega Harbor. On his return to the Port of San Blas on the 9th of February of 1793, Bodega communicates the news to the government at the Port of San Blas. On the 17th and 18th of the same month, the government orders the immediate dispatch of the frigate Sutil under the command of Lieutenant Don Juan Bautista Matute to lay claim and settle the Port of Bodega for Spain. If they encountered the British there, they were instructed to present an official protest and withdraw. Land troops provided by the Govenor of California would support Matute’s occupation. The report recounts that Matute, who had set sail on the 23rd of March and arrived on the 26th of May, reached Bodega Harbor, the only apparent sign of the British was the presence of some small cut trees that seemed to indicate that a ship had been there. Matute suggested that it could have been the ship of James Colnett ‘Colmet’ driven to the port due to bad weather.

After having explored the area for three days, he discovered that the port was in shallow waters and could only be entered by ships with a low keel. He also found that there was no timber or water within easy reach. Deeming that the establishment of the port was not feasible, he sent the frigate Aranzazu, with troops, artisans and other equipment, back to San Francisco. He also sent back the small contingent of cavalry led by the commander of the presidio (military post) of Santa Barbara who had lent Matute assistance. On the 9th of August, he returned to San Blas in the company of the frigate Atrevida, which was on its way back from exploring the Strait of Fucar.

This report features the accounts of Lieutenant Francisco Eliza and Pilot Juan Martínez de Zayas during their exploration of the Pacific Northwest coast from San Francisco to the Columbia River and the Straight of Fuca. The exploration of this portion of the coast had been postponed due to the urgent need to examine the coast north of Nootka and determine the extent of the Russian presence. The Viceroy of New Spain had previously commissioned Dionisio Galiano and Cayetano Valdés, commanders of the Goletas Mexicana and Sutil, to explore the area between San Francisco and the Columbia River. However, they were unable to complete the mission due to the quickly approaching winter weather. After consulting with the Commander of San Blas, Juan de Bodega, chose Lieutenant Francisco Eliza and Pilot Juan Martínez de Zayas to lead the exploration. Eliza had previously been in charge of the occupation of Nootka in 1790 and had explored the Fuca Strait in 1791. They set sail from the Port of San Blas on the 30th of April of 1793 with enough food and water supplies to last them eight months.

This report states that on the 26th of May, Eliza left behind the supply ship piloted by Juan Martínez de Zayas, which he believed to be too slow. The commanders agreed to meet in Puerto de Nuñez Gaona (present day Neah Bay). Eliza piloted his own ship further north and eventually began working his way back down while exploring the coast. During this time, he reports on his difficulties in finding fresh water and his encounters with Native Americans.

Eliza sets anchor at the Cape of San Sebastián and reaches the Port of Trinidad (Kodiak Islands) reaches on the 1st of August. He is able to supply himself with water and timber here. He describes Trinidad Harbor as being small, rocky, and surrounded low hills covered with pines and oaks. He also mentioned four small houses. Eliza describes the Native Americans that he encounters as affable and obliging and mentions that they use heavy, roughly made canoes. According to Eliza, unlike the Native Americans further to the north they did not use guns and seemed to have had very little contact with outsiders. On the 9th of August, Eliza reaches Bodega Harbor, where he finds the goleta Sutil under the command of the Lieutenant Don Juan Matute, who has been sent by the Viceroy or New Spain, to establish a settlement and ascertain if the British have landed. Eliza sets sail once more from Bodega Harbor towards San Francisco accompanied by the goleta Sutil. On this second leg of the journey, Eliza explains that the coast is entirely inhabited by Native Americans, whom he provides gifts of cloth to as a gesture of goodwill. He arrives in San Francisco on the 3rd of September and commissions his pilots to create a map of the bay. Eliza then sails to San Blas via Santa Barbara and San Diego.

Having made it all the way to the Columbia River, Martínez de Zayas’ account provides additional information on the voyage. On the 5th of June, after having been left behind by Eliza a few days earlier, Martínez de Zayas encounters the frigate Aranzazu. He provides the frigate with 12 barrels of fresh water. On the 24th of July, Martínez de Zayas reaches the Strait of Juan de Fuca and heads towards the Puerto de Nuñez Gaona. While waiting for Eliza, he repairs his ship, with the help of the local Native Americans, who provide Martínez de Zayas with fruit and fish. During this time, Martínez de Zayas comes across some unmapped islands which he calls ‘Deseados’. He sails down the coast, passing the Isla de los Dolores and Punta de Labastida, mapping and taking depth soundings. On the 6th of August, they reached Puerto de Grek, present day Grays Harbor. Martínez de Zayas describes the harbor as being exposed and recounts encounters with both peaceful and aggressive Native Americans.

On the 11th of August at 8 o’clock in the morning, Martínez de Zayas begins his exploration of the Columbia River using a sloop and a launch boat loaded with supplies. He enters the river with ‘innumerable’ canoes loaded with ‘robust’ Native Americans of ‘good disposition’. After covering 14 miles by noon, the Native Americans became threatening. The Spaniards respond with open fire. Unable to proceed and unwilling to leave his troops at the mercy of ‘treasonous’ and ‘proud’ Native Americans, Martínez de Zayas orders his men to head out to sea with the low tide. The next day, Martínez de Zayas heads south, reaching the Cape of Santa María de La Luz, passing through Lucout Harbour on the 15th, the Cape of Fonrreatel on the 16th, Cape Perpetua on the 19th, Cape Gregori on the 20th, Punta del Marques on the 30th, and the Cape of San Sebastián on the 31st. Here, Martínez de Zayas discovers an entrance to the Cape which he believes leads to Sigman Harbour. At 2pm on the 1st of September, Martínez de Zayas and his men spot Trinidad Harbor and map Cape Montecino, about two hundred miles north of San Francisco. He described the Cape as ‘a mountain the highest one after the Cape of Toledo’. He then sails down the coast passing Cape Vizcaíno and Punta Delgada before reaching Bodega Harbor on the 4th of September at 2:30 in the afternoon. Here, Martínez de Zayas had planned to meet up with Matute, though he learns that Matute is no longer there. Instead, under the order of Juan de Bodega, he maps the harbor from the 5th to the 11th of September. Martínez de Zayas claims that, if the harbor entrance were broad enough to allow big ships to enter, it would be ‘the best harbur on the whole coast´. He also attempts to ascertain the extent of the Native American population, but finds that it is difficult due to the scattered nature of settlements.

Martínez de Zayas arrives in San Francisco on the 17th September and on the 16th of October he sets sail for San Diego where he joins the goleta Sutil. Both ships reached San Blas on the 4th of November.

Extensive descriptions of each document as provided by the dealer.