The journal is a photocopy of the original at Yale University.
Thomas Manby was born in 1769. He joined the Royal Navy in 1783 and was appointed to accompany Captain George Vancouver on his voyage to the North Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Northwest in 1790. The purpose of this voyage was to carry the Nootka treaty into effect, to go to the Sandwich Islands and then the Northwest Coast, there to examine all the European settlements, explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and investigate the story of the "Washington's" having circumnavigated Vancouver Island. The expedition departed with two ships, the Discovery and the Chatham. Manby was first a mate on the Discovery and was later appointed the master of the Chatham.
The expedition proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope. They entered the Indian Ocean on August 17, 1791 and stopped at New Holland, New Zealand, and Otahita Island, en route to the Sandwich Islands. They then sailed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a Northwest Passage, explored the Northwest Coast, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Port Discovery, Nootka Sound and Karakakooah Bay. The voyage was completed in 1795. Manby was later commissioned and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. He died in 1834.
The greater part is written in a fine clear hand, probably not by the author. The last few pages were probably written by the author himself. The journal does not contain entries for each day of the voyage.
The journal is divided into two parts. It is arranged in chronological order. The first part covers the voyage from Deptford, England around the Cape of Good Hope to Australia, New Zealand, the Sandwich Islands, and the coast of America, February 10, 1791 to April 19, 1792. The second part covers the explorations along the coast in search of a Northwest Passage, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Nootka Sound, the Columbia River, San Francisco and Monterey, winter in the Sandwich Islands and then the return to the Northwest coast and Nootka Sound. The journal ends on June 30, 1793.
This collection is open for research use.
Not to be published without permission of Yale University.
[Item Description]. Cage 505, Thomas Manby Papers . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The journal of Thomas Manby was purchased by the Washington State University Libraries (MS81-07).
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