Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/59

JAMES COLNETT AND THE "PRINCESS ROYAL" 49 Great Britain whose Protection and License together with that of the Honble. Board of Marine I have now in pos- session and which I hope never to disgrace, I must act in conformity to it at the risk of my Life and will demand the Property of the Honble. South Sea Company—where- ever I find it. For which reason I have detained Mr. Kendrik until I know your determination—this Business I hope will be amicably settled between us to the Honor of both Nations and ourselves—whatever terms or Conditions you can ask with reason will be agreed to by Your Hble. Servant James Colnett, Lieut, of Royal Navy and Commander of all Vessels employd and to be employed for the time being for the Honble. South Sea Company of London. 28 Quimper could not make out the import of this letter, his interpreter Kendrick being detained on the Argonaut, but the officer who brought it had some knowledge of Spanish and from him he gathered that Colnett, being of higher rank than Quimper, held that the latter should go on board the Argonaut to discuss the matter. Quimper's instructions required him to pursue a conciliatory course and he accordingly passed over to the other ship, taking his papers with him. After examining the papers, Col- nett proposed that Quimper should go with him to Macao, but the Spanish offiicer gave him to understand that he would not depart one iota from his instructions, "sacri- ficing first [his own] life and that of all those under [his] command." This somewhat grandiose declaration seemed to bring the negotiations to an impasse. Colnett's officers advised him to fight, but Quimper held resolutely to his decision and announced that he was ready to fight if Colnett insisted on that mode of settling the dispute. The matter having arrived at this point, Colnett evi- dently concluded that in this instance discretion was the better part of valor. He withdrew his original demand 28 This copy of the leter is taken from the original which is in Mexico in the Archivo General y Publico, Sec. de Prov. Int., Tomo 153. Quimper gives only a Spanish translation of it.