Mourelle (1775)

Mourelle, Francisco Antonio (1755-1820). Journal of a Voyage in 1775, to Explore the Coast of North America Northward of California. Detached from Daines Barrington, Miscelanies. London: J. Nichols, 1781.

During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, the Spanish participated actively in the "race" to find the Northwest Passage. Moreover, the first European expedition to sail along part of the coast of the present British Columbia was a Spanish expedition led by Juan Pérez in 1774; it sailed from San Blas, Panama up to the northern tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands before returning to its point of departure.

In January 1775 Francisco Antonio Mourelle, a young pilot of 20, was ordered to join a second exploratory expedition commanded by Bruno Heceta; the latter's orders were to go up to 65 latitude north. The expedition set sail from San Blas in mid-March and made a first stop at Puerta de la Trinidad north of San Francisco from June 8 to 19. Then, continuing its slow advance northward, the expedition stopped again on July 11 in a bay to take on drinking water, but the seven men sent ashore for this purpose were immediately killed by the Indians of North America. Despite this tragic incident, the Sonora piloted by Mourelle continued on its course and managed to reach 58 latitude north, before turning round and reaching port in Monterey, California in late October. It was not until 1779, a year after James Cook had visited Nootka, that the Spanish set up a new expedition to try to find the Northwest Passage. Once again piloted by Mourelle, the expedition sailed from San Blas to Alaska and back again this time without incident.

Interrupted by the war between Spain and England, the Spanish voyages of exploration did not resume until 1788. Up to and including 1791, these expeditions followed almost always the same pattern: while a first ship sailed up the coast to Alaska, a second one scrutinized more carefully the labyrinth of islands, capes and bays of Juan de Fuca Strait. At the end of 1791 Mourelle was designated the leader of a voyage of exploration scheduled for the following year. Having fallen ill, Mourelle was replaced by Alcalá-Galiano, who would preside over the last Spanish attempt to discover the Northwest Passage.

During the 1775 expedition Mourelle had kept a journal. For unknown reasons this journal fell into the hands of an English writer, James Barrington, who published it in translation in 1781.