Princess Royal (1778 Sloop)
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''Princess Royal'' was a British
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
that sailed on
fur trading The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
ventures in the late 1780s, and was captured at
Nootka Sound Nootka Sound () is a sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Pacific Northwest, historically known as King George's Sound. It separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island, part of the Canadian province of ...
by Esteban José Martínez of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
during the
Nootka Crisis The Nootka Crisis, also known as the Spanish Armament, was an international incident and political dispute between Spain and Great Britain triggered by a series of events revolving around sovereignty claims and rights of navigation and trade. It ...
of 1789. Called ''Princesa Real'' while under the
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...
, the vessel was one of the important issues of negotiation during the first
Nootka Convention The Nootka Sound Conventions were a series of three agreements between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Great Britain, signed in the 1790s, which averted a war between the two countries over overlapping claims to portions of the Pacific No ...
and the difficulties in carrying out the agreements. The vessel also played an important role in both British and Spanish exploration of the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
and the
Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...
. In 1790, while under Spanish control, ''Princesa Real'' carried out the first detailed examination of the
Strait of Juan de Fuca The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Canada–United States border, international boundary between Canada and the ...
by non-indigenous peoples, finding, among other places, the
San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...
,
Haro Strait The Haro Strait is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington (state), Washington st ...
(the entrance to the
Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia () or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United Stat ...
), Esquimalt Harbour near present-day
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
, and Admiralty Inlet (the entrance to
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
).


British merchant vessel ''Princess Royal''

Lloyd's Register Lloyd's Register Group Limited, trading as Lloyd's Register (LR), is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research ...
listed ''Princess Royal'' in 1789 as being a sloop of 60 tons ( bm), surveyed in
Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
in 1778 and resurveyed in 1786; Class A1, Copper sheathed, single deck with beams;
draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
of when laden; owned by Etches & Co. From 1786 to 1788 ''Princess Royal'', under Charles Duncan, accompanied the much larger ''Prince of Wales'', under James Colnett, on an expedition to acquire
sea otter The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of ...
furs in the Pacific Northwest and sell them in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. The ships were owned by Richard Cadman Etches and Company, also known as King George's Sound Company. The company was exploring the possibilities of taking furs collected in the Pacific Northwest to China, a venture shown to be potentially profitable by
James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
. The two ships left England on 23 September 1786, rounded
Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...
, and reached the Pacific Northwest late in the summer of 1787. After trading for furs with the
indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
in the vicinity of
Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the British Columbia Coast, northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia ...
, Aristazabal Island, and
Banks Island Banks Island is one of the larger members of the Arctic Archipelago. Situated in the Inuvik Region, and part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, of the Northwest Territories, it is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of ...
, both ships sailed to the Hawaiian Islands where they spent the winter. While on the coast of present-day
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
they had a series of first contact encounters with some of the
Kitkatla The Gitxaala (), or ''Gitlaxmoon'' are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian people, located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, and inhabit the village of Lax Klan. 'Gitlaxmoon'' ("people of the saltwater")'' in recognition of their coas ...
Tsimshian The Tsimshian (; ) are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace, British Columbia, Terrace and ...
. In Hawaii ''Princess Royal'' and ''Prince of Wales'' were involved in several violent conflicts with the islanders; one conflict at Waimea Bay, resulted in the death of between five and fourteen
Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was settled at least 800 years ago by Polynesians ...
. During the summer of 1788 the two returned to the Pacific Northwest to acquire more furs, this time operating separately. Charles Duncan sailed ''Princess Royal'' first to Nootka Sound, then to Haida Gwaii. He then took the ship across
Hecate Strait Hecate Strait (; Haida language: ''K̲andaliig̲wii'', also ''siigaay'' which means simply "ocean") is a wide but shallow strait between Haida Gwaii and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It merges with Queen Charlotte Sound to the south a ...
to conduct fur trading among the islands and inlets north of Princess Royal Island, passing through Principe Channel and into
Douglas Channel Douglas Channel is one of the principal inlets (or fjords) of the British Columbia Coast, into which the Kitimat River flows. The channel was named in honour of Sir James Douglas, the first governor of the Colony of British Columbia. The offici ...
. Although today the name "Princess Royal" applies to a single island, Duncan called the entire archipelago the Princess Royal's Islands. It included what is today called Banks Island,
Pitt Island Pitt Island ( Moriori: , ) is the second largest island in New Zealand's Chatham Islands, with an area of . It lies about to the east of New Zealand's main islands, and about to the southeast of Chatham Island, from which it is separated by ...
, Gil Island, Campania Island, Gribbell Island, Hawkesbury Island, and the Estevan Group, among others. In late June, 1788, Duncan returned to Haida Gwaii, then proceeded south. He took ''Princess Royal'' into the uncharted waters of Milbanke Sound and spent a few days trading with the
Heiltsuk The Heiltsuk , sometimes historically referred to as ''Bella Bella'', or ''Híɫzaqv'' are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people of the Central Coast Regional District, Central Coast region in British Columbia, ...
. Near Nootka Sound he encountered John Meares, from whom he learned that Colnett and ''Prince of Wales'' had not arrived at Nootka. Therefore, Duncan did not stop at Nootka Sound but instead took ''Princess Royal'' south, trading in the vicinity of
Clayoquot Sound Clayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. ...
and near the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On 17 August 1788, Duncan left the Northwest, sailing ''Princess Royal'' back to the Hawaiian Islands, where ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Princess Royal'' were reunited. The two then sailed to China, arriving in late November, 1788. There they sold the fur skins acquired in the Pacific Northwest. ''Prince of Wales'' returned to England via the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
while ''Princess Royal'' remained in the Pacific for another fur trading season. James Colnett also remained, and was given command of ''Argonaut'' for another year of fur trading in the Pacific. Thomas Hudson was given command of ''Princess Royal''. While Duncan and Colnett were not the first Europeans to meet the Haida, their 1787 and 1788 accounts provide the first significant written description of them. There were three main encounters, including two at Rose Harbour in Houston Stewart Channel and one at Juan Perez Sound. The British described "Coyah" (Xō'ya, head of the Qai'dju qē'gawa-i Raven lineage) as the principal chief of Houston Stewart Channel and the adjacent waters. In July 1788 both British ships witnessed and became involved in a conflict between two groups of Haida at Juan Perez Sound — a group from the south led by Xō'ya and "Yuka", and a group from the north called "Sangaskilah" by the British.


Nootka incident

In the spring of 1789 ''Princess Royal'', under Thomas Hudson, along with ''Iphigenia'' ( William Douglas), ''Argonaut'' (James Colnett), and '' North West America'' (Robert Funter), all British fur trading vessels, arrived at Nootka Sound. Two American fur trading ships were already anchored in the sound, one of which was '' Columbia Rediviva'', and more arrived later, including '' Lady Washington'', under Robert Gray. Esteban José Martínez, in command of the new Spanish post at Nootka, asserted Spanish sovereignty. After a complicated series of events, Martínez ended up with three captured ships and their crews, ''Princess Royal'' among them. Hudson had taken ''Princess Royal'' into Nootka Sound earlier and had been allowed to leave on the condition he proceed to China. Instead, he collected more furs from the region and returned to Nootka Sound, expecting Martínez would no longer be there. Hudson did not intend to enter the sound but ''Princess Royal'' was becalmed on an incoming tide. A Spanish longboat captured the ship and towed it in. During the capture of ''Princess Royal'' the
Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth ( ; ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifteen related tri ...
("Nootka") Chief Callicum, the son of Chief Maquinna, was shot and killed. On 21 June 1789, Martínez dispatched José María Narváez in the captured ''North West America'', renamed ''Santa Gertrudis la Magna'', to explore inlets to the south of Nootka Sound. By early July Narváez returned to Nootka, having sailed about into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, demonstrating that it was a very large inlet. After hearing Narváez's report, Martínez felt that the Strait of Juan de Fuca was the entrance of the legendary
Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...
and of extreme strategic importance. Therefore, he placed Gonzalo López de Haro and Narváez in command of ''San Carlos (el Filipino)'' and the captured ''Princess Royal'', renamed ''Princesa Real'', and sent them to the Spanish naval base at San Blas with news about the strait. In October, Martínez completely evacuated Nootka Sound and returned to San Blas himself, with his prisoners and captured ships. The events at Nootka Sound during the summer of 1789 escalated into a major international crisis, called the Nootka Crisis, which brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war. Peace was maintained through a series of agreements called the Nootka Conventions. It took several years for the terms to be fully agreed upon and carried out. Among other things, Spain agreed to restore the captured ships to their owners and pay them an indemnity.


Spanish naval vessel, ''Princesa Real''

In late 1789, a Spanish force under Francisco de Eliza was sent to reoccupy Nootka Sound. The fleet included the captured ''Princesa Real'', under the command of Manuel Quimper. Eliza arrived at Nootka on 4 April 1790, and found no ships present. Under the terms of the first Nootka Convention, ''Princess Royal'' was to be returned to the British at Nootka Sound, but as the port was deserted Eliza decided to make use of the vessel while waiting. He dispatched ''Princesa Real'' under Quimper, with López de Haro and Juan Carrasco as pilots, to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca more fully. On the way Quimper stopped at Clayoquot Sound and met Wickaninnish and, a day later, Maquinna, whose son had been killed on board ''Princess Royal'' the previous year. Quimper and Maquinna were able to begin the process of reconciliation between the Spanish and the Nuu-chah-nulth. In the summer of 1790, Quimper, Haro, and Carrasco explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca in ''Princesa Real'', carefully charting harbors and performing acts of possession. Quimper made maps of Neah Bay (called Bahía de Núñez Gaona) and Esquimalt Harbour (Puerto de Córdova). On 5 July 1790, Carrasco sighted Admiralty Inlet, the entrance to Puget Sound. Thinking it likely to be a bay he named it Ensenada de Caamaño, after Jacinto Caamaño. Haro Strait (Canal de López de Haro) and
Rosario Strait Rosario Strait is a strait in northern Washington state, separating San Juan County and Skagit and Whatcom Counties. It extends from the Strait of Juan de Fuca about north to the Strait of Georgia. The USGS defines its southern boundary as a ...
(Boca de Fidalgo), both of which lead to the Strait of Georgia, were also sighted during the voyage, in addition to
Deception Pass Deception Pass (; ) is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It connects Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A pair of bri ...
(Boca de Flon), Mount Baker (La Gran Montana Carmelo), Port Discovery (Puerto de Quadra), Sooke Basin (Puerta de Revilla Gigedo), Dungeness Spit, the San Juan Islands,
Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, Island County, Washington (state), Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington stat ...
, Fidalgo Island, and others. Quimper realized that Haro Strait was a major channel worth exploring, but did not have the time. His orders were to return to Nootka by 15 August so that ''Princesa Real'' could be returned to the British. Quimper got the ship within sight of Nootka Sound by 10 August, but due to contrary winds and fog he could not enter, despite repeated attempts. Instead, he sailed ''Princesa Real'' south to
Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...
, arriving on 1 September 1790. By November the vessel was back at San Blas.


Last voyage

In 1791 Quimper took ''Princesa Real'' on another attempt to return it to the British. He sailed the vessel from San Blas to the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, stopping at Hawaii on the way. Another Spanish captain would take the ship from the Philippines to China, as the Spanish and British governments had agreed that the ship would be returned to its owners in
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
. It turned out that James Colnett arrived in Hawaii in March 1791, just as Quimper was arriving. The two met. Colnett demanded that ''Princess Royal'' be turned over at once, while Quimper explained his orders were to take it to the Philippines. Colnett prepared to seize the ship by force. John Kendrick Jr, a former fur trader who had entered Spanish service and was on board ''Princess Royal'', calmed the quarrel. Quimper slipped away at a convenient time and sailed to
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, arriving in June. By the end of the year ''Princess Royal'' had been taken to Macau, but the ship was in such poor condition upon arrival that the British agents refused to accept it. Eventually the British agreed to accept a small payment in cash instead.


Fate

Soon afterwards a hurricane hit Macao and badly damaged ''Princess Royal''. She was later sold for salvage.


See also

* List of historical ships in British Columbia * Towereroo


Footnotes


External links


Nootka Crisis
Beyond the Map

Sooke Region Museum * {{BCGNIS, 30978, Princess Royal Island Ships of the Spanish Navy Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Age of Sail merchant ships of England Age of Sail sloops History of Vancouver Island Spanish history in the Pacific Northwest Fur trade History of Washington (state) 1778 ships Captured ships