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History of the Northwest Coast: 1543-1800
History of the Northwest Coast 15431800 Author:Hubert Howe Bancroft Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. APOCRYPHAL VOYAGES TO THE NORTHWEST. 1596-1609. Juan De Fuca's Pretended Discoveries—The Story To Lok—Presump- Tions AGAINST ITS TRUTH—WRITER... more »S ON THE SUBJECT—EXAMINATION OP Evidence, Historical And Geographical—Doubtless A Pure FicTion—Mercator—Wytfliet—The Great Northwest—Imaginary Coasts, Rivers, And Towns—Conrad Low's Remarkable Map—Close Of The Century—Captain Lancaster—Herrera—Vizcaino—Agui- Lar's River—Ascension — Torquemada—Onate—Lake Copalla— Zlsogaba And Qlteen Clnacacohola—Tldan—John Smith — Mal- Donado's Pretended Voyage Through The Strait Of Anian—A Famous Lie. In recording the fictitious voyages it seems most proper and convenient to notice each, not under its own pretended date, but under the date when the claim was first made. By this system the first of the famous voyages, several anonymous and vaguely recorded trips through the strait having been already referred to, belongs here, under date of 1596, when Juan de Fuca told his tale of having discovered the Northwest passage in 1592. This is also the only one of the apocryphal voyages the authenticity of which still finds defenders; but more on this matter presently. In April, 1596, Michael Lok, an Englishman well known for his interest in geographical discoveries, met Juan de Fuca in Venice. Fuca had lately arrived in Italy from Spain, and in Florence had encountered an English pilot, John Douglas, with whom he came to Venice, and by him was introduced to Lok. Fuca's story was as follows: He was a Greek, born in the DE FUCA'S STORY. 71 island of Cephalonia, and his real name was Apostolos Valerianos. He had been forty years mariner and pilot in the Spanish West Indian service, and was on board of the galleon when captured by Cavendish off the point of California, November, 1587,...« less