Shortly after he left, the Spanish arrived to stake their own claim in the region. But in buying Nootka Sound, he made the luckiest decision of his life. If Meares had sailed just a little further round the bay’s corner, it might today be known as Cape Discovery.Īs an explorer, Meares suffered from chronically bad luck. exists.” He chose a damning name for the last place reached before turning back: Cape Disappointment.Ĭape Disappointment is at very the edge of the Columbia River. Dejected, he wrote in his ship’s log: "We can now with safety assert, that no such river. On leaving Nootka, he tried – and failed – to find the Columbia River. ![]() But we do know that Meares’s company were the first Europeans ever to build a ship on the Northwest coast. But the local chief Muquinna later called him a liar, and historians still dispute the terms of the deal – or, indeed, whether any deal actually took place. In May he reached Vancouver, where he traded pistols and other goods with the indigenous people for a plot of land in the area.Īt least, that’s what he claimed. To avoid being caught as an unlicenced British trader, Meares registered his ships in Macau under different names, and disguised them with Portugese flags. Meares agreed, but broke his promise almost immediately – and the encounter began a lifelong feud with Dixon. Dixon, who took a dim view of their illegal escapade, insisted Meares swear an oath never to return to North America. The wretched handful of survivors were rescued by a British captain called George Dixon, who found their ship trapped in the Alaskan ice. Out of his crew of 33 men, 23 died of scurvy. ![]() In 1786, he headed out from Calcutta for North America. Born in Dublin in 1756, he joined the Royal Navy as a teenager, before leaving for India to start his own trading company in 1785. ![]() Officially, the East India Company controlled on any trading in the Pacific done by British subjects, while the Crown regulated the fur trade through the King George’s Sound Company, by special arrangement with the East India.īut from 1785, British merchants started to ignore the regulations, and a few renegade traders headed across the world in hopes of raking in huge profits. Every part of this actually happened, and the real historical figure, Captain John Meares, led a life just as gripping as the story told on TV.įrom Captain Cook onwards, British merchants had been making a fortune on the Northwest frontier by buying cheap furs from the indigenous Americans, and selling them in China for silk, porcelain and tea. For a brief moment, this outlaw trader became the most powerful man in London. Our team of professionals are always ready to support you with advice or any other technical help, so don t hesitate to contact us at any time.Returning to England, he found he had a unique bargaining chip in the cold war over North America’s undefined borders. Our shop offers unique design garments with high quality print that will not fade in the sun or fall apart after washing. We offer sizes from S to 5XL and other options like short or long sleeved, kids, mens and womens fit t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and more. We have a large number of garment options to fit all people. ![]() Whether you're celebrating a best friend's birthday or give a simple present to a family member, our clothing is the ultimate gift for the loved ones. Don't waste your time with low-quality clothes, pamper yourself with this Retro themed sweatshirt, a perfect way to stand out from the crowd. The Delaney Nootka design is printed onto a soft cotton kids crew neck sweatshirt, which means the surface is soft to the touch and comfortable to wear. Our online shop offers a wide range of custom clothing. If you love to be original and to look cool, you are in the right place.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |