A Person might be so circumstanced as to attain the Favour of copying such Letter, induced by some private Motive, without an Intention of making it publick, as Publications were not at that Time so frequent as of late Days; neither is it less probable that a Copy so taken may, in Process of Time, come into other Hands and then be published.
Mr. Gage observes, in his Dedication to Lord Fairfax, 'The Reason of his publishing a New Survey of the West Indies to be, because that nothing had been written of these Parts for these hundred Years last past, which is almost ever since from the first Conquest thereof by the Spaniards, who are contented to lose the Honour of that Wealth and Felicity, which they have since purchased by their great Endeavours, so that they may enjoy the Safety of retaining what they have formerly gotten in Peace and Security.' And though de Fonte declares that there was no North-west Passage, yet that there should be no Publication of the Account of the Voyage is consistent with this established Maxim.
The North-west Passage he mentions is not to be understood, in an unlimited Sense, for a Passage between the Atlantick and Western Ocean to the Northward, but the Meaning is confined to that Passage expected by Hudson's Bay: For de Fonte says, that he was to make a Prize of any seeking a North-west or West Passage[7]; by the latter he meant where Pennelossa was sent to search; and Bernarda says, there was no Communication out of the Spanish or Atlantick Sea, by Davis Streight; and there was an Extent of Coast which de Fonte only ran along, and had, but at Times, a distant View of; and as to the Jesuits, by whatever Means they got into those Parts, it is evident they had not seen all the intermediate Country. Therefore tho' the Court of Spain was satisfied that the Passage was not where de Fonte had searched; yet there might be a Passage where he had not searched, and publishing this Account of the Voyage would be an Assistance to the Adventurers, as it would confine them in their Searches to those other Parts which were cursorily passed by de Fonte, and where perhaps they might succeed: Or this Account particularly describing the Northern and Western Part of America, not hitherto known, would be of great Service to Rovers, who had already found their Way into those Seas, by directing them to the Coast and Harbours, and giving them an Account of a Country where they could retire to with tolerable Security from any Interruption from the Spaniards, a good Climate, hospitable People, and a Plenty of Provisions to be had; Circumstances which might enable them to continue their cruizing in those Seas much longer than without such Lights as they would receive from this Account they would be enabled to do. It is well known that the Spaniards claimed all to the Northward as their Dominion, which they intended in due Time to acquire the Possession of, and the Publication might give an Insight to the English; Settlers in America to be beforehand with them in attaining a Settlement in those Parts.
Their Attempt to intercept the English Subjects, when made Publick to the World, would have given Umbrage to the Court and People of England, which the Spaniards would not unnecessarily, and especially at a Time when they had their Hands full of a War with the French, who had also incited the Catalonians to rebel, and had joined them with their Troops. The Spaniards were, at the same Time, endeavouring to recover the Dominions of Portugal. And de Fonte had respect to the critical Situation their Affairs were in, even before he set out on his Voyage, hence his political Behaviour when he met with the Navigators from Boston, committed no Act of Hostility, yet made Use of the most effective Means to prevent their proceeding further.
As no Publication was permitted of this Expedition, this therefore could come but to the Knowledge only of a very few Persons in Old Spain. Such a singular Transaction being soon, from their Attention to other Matters, and their Ministry soon after entirely changed, no more talked of, unless it should have been revived by something of the like Nature again happening on the Part of the English. As no Attempt was made by the English for almost a Century, this Transaction, in that Time, fell into Oblivion. At the Time such Attempt was renewed, then the Spaniards were better acquainted with the Purpose of our settling in America, they had altered their Designs of extending their own Possessions, there was also another Power who might pretend that such Passage, if made, was Part in their Dominion, so obstruct our free proceeding and interrupt our settling; the Spaniards therefore having no immediate Occasion for any Researches back to the Records to acquaint themselves as to the Practicability or Impracticability of our Attempts, or to take Directions for their own Proceedings, the Remembrance of this Expedition continued dormant.
In New Spain, the fitting four Ships to go on Discovery, as such Undertakings had been very frequent, it would not engage any extraordinary Attention of the Publick there; it often happened that what was done on such Voyages was kept a Secret. The more curious and inquisitive Persons would attain but an imperfect Account, by Inquiry from the People on board the Ships, as the Ships were divided, and they would receive no satisfactory Information of what was most material, and the principal Object of their Inquiry by those who went in the Boats, as Seamen delighting in Stories often tell what they neither heard or saw. The Consequences of the Voyage not known, because not understood, a weak Tradition of this Expedition would remain to Posterity; and the only Knowledge or Certainty to be acquired, as to this Expedition, would be from Journals accidentally preserved, of some Persons who had gone the Voyage.
Mons. de Lisle gives us an Extract of a Letter from Mons. Antonio de Ulloa, wrote from Aranguer the 19th of June in the Year 1753[8], to Mons. Bouguer e le Mounier, to answer the Queries they had made on the Subject of the Letter of Admiral de Fuente. That curious and able Spanish Officer sent them in Answer, That in the Year 1742 he commanded a Ship of War the Rose, in the South Sea; he had on board him a Lieutenant of the Vessel named Don Manuel Morel, an antient Seaman, who shewed him a Manuscript; Mons. Ulloa forgot the Author's Name, but believes it to be Barthelemi de Fuentes, the Author in that Manuscript reported, that in Consequence of an Order which he had received from the then Viceroy of Peru, that he had been to the Northward of California, to discover whether there was a Passage by which there was a Communication between the North and South Sea; but having reached a certain Northern Latitude, which Mons. Ulloa did not recollect, and having found nothing that indicated such Passage, he returned to the Port of Callao, &c. Mons. Ulloa adds, he had a Copy of such Relation, but he lost it when he was taken by the English on his return from America. It is evident, from this Account being seen in 1742, it is not the same from which the Translation is made which we now have, that being published in 1708. And as Mons. de Lisle asserts, that the Letter is conformable with what Mons. Ulloa said at Paris three Years before, with this Difference only, that he said positively at that Time, that the Relation which he had seen at Peru, and of which he had taken a Copy, was of Admiral de Fonte, this Manuscript, which contained the Account of the Voyage, may rather be supposed to be a Relation, or Journal kept by some Person, who was aboard Admiral de Fonte's Ship, a Friend or Ancestor of Morel, than a Copy the same with this Letter, as it only mentioned the Purport of the Voyage, seems not to have the particular Circumstances as to intercepting the Boston Men. This Account is an Evidence so far in Favour of this Letter, as it proves that this Letter is not the only Account that there is of this Voyage, and that another Account was seen and copied at Peru many Years after this Letter was published in England. But if it be supposed that it is one and the same Account, and that from the English, it would not have been accepted of and kept by Morel, and shewed as a Curiosity, unless he was satisfied that it was a true genuine Account of such Voyage, and as to which he would naturally inquire, being on the Spot, where he might probably be informed, and unless he was at a Certainty that what that Account contained was true, would he have produced the Manuscript, or permitted his Captain to take a Copy of it as genuine; yet we may with greater Probability suppose, that this Manuscript which Morel had was no Translation from the English, but in itself an Original. Mons. Ulloa speaking of Morel as an antient Seaman, cannot mean that he was in the Expedition of de Fonte, only implies his being acquainted with some one who was, with whom, from his Course of Years, he might have sailed, and attained this Journal.
What is said in the Letter of Mons. Ulloa, that he forgot the Name of the Author of the Manuscript, but believes it was Bartelemi de Fuentes, that the Author of that Manuscript gave an Account of. It must be considered, that when Mons. Ulloa wrote he was in Old Spain, many Years after he had seen the Account, and three Years after he was at Paris; and though he genteelly answers the Inquiries sent him, agreeable to his Conversation at Paris, yet does not express himself so positively as when at Paris, as in the Letter he only believes it to be Bartelemi de Fonte. Mons. Ulloa would sooner not have answered the Letter than deny what he had formerly said; and if Mons. de Lisle had advanced that for which he had no proper Authority, both as a Gentleman and an Officer he would not have submitted to such a Falshood: But from Mons. Ulloa being tender in the Account, being of a Matter which might not make any great Impression on him at the Time he received it, ten Years since, out of his Hands, and three Years after he was at Paris, this Account is more worthy of Credit, and he might be more cautious, now he was to give it under his Hand, to soften the Reproach of his Countrymen for his not acting like a true Spaniard, in being so communicative in this Matter. The Account which Mons. de Lisle hath given, was with a Permission of Mons. Ulloa to make Use of his Name, as the Letter Mons. Ulloa sent testifies. Where Mons. de Lisle hath not the Liberty to mention the Name of his Author, he only says, that there was a Person equally curious, and as well instructed in the Affair as Mons. de Ulloa, who assured him positively that there was such a Relation.
Though Mons. de Lisle had a particular System to support, yet, at the same Time, he had a great publick Character to preserve. Mons. Bougier, Mounier, and Ulloa, were living at the Time he gave this Account to the Publick; they would be asked as to what they knew of the Affair; and a more particular Inquiry would be made of Mons. de Lisle, as to the Information he received from the nameless Person; and as there were several of his Countrymen who did not adopt his System, a Trip in this Affair, as to the Evidence he brings in Support of the Authority of this Account of de Fonte, would have given them an Advantage which they would not have neglected, and have done Justice to the Publick, by letting them know there was little of Truth in this Account; but as no Reflections have appeared, we have no Reason to question the Veracity of Mons. de Lisle in this Relation, on any Surmises of Strangers, on no better Authority than meer Opinion, without a single Reason produced in Support of what they insinuate.
This Letter, when published in 1708, was considered only as an Account that was curious; was looked on as of no Importance, and did not engage the Attention of the Publick until the Discovery of the North-west Passage became the Topick of common Conversation, and would have lain, without having any further Notice taken of it, had not the Attempts to discover a North-west Passage been revived. It is from their being produced in a proper Season, that Accounts of this Sort become permanent, assisting in some favourite Design, being thus useful they are preserved from Obscurity and Oblivion. We have an Account, the Author Captain Don Francisco de Seixas, a Captain in the Spanish Navy, and is frequently quoted by the Spanish Writers, though he is little known amongst us.—He says, P. 71. 'Thomas Peche, an Englishman, having been at Sea twenty-eight Years, and made eight Voyages to the East-Indies and China during sixteen Years of that Time, spent the other twelve in Trading and Piracies in the West-Indies, from whence he returned to England in 1669; and, after continuing there four Years, in 1673, with other Companions, fitted out at the Port of Bristol one Ship of five hundred Tons, with forty-four Guns, and two light Frigates of one hundred and fifty Tons, and in each eighteen Guns, giving out that he was bound on a trading Voyage to the Canaries; whence they bore away with the three Vessels, and went through the Streight Le Maire, with two hundred and seventy Men, which he carried directly to trade at the Moluccas and Philippinas.