great britain spain declaration counter declaration (1 Ergebnisse)

6; 8 pp. Small quarto. Two separately bound pamphlets. Parallel texts in English and French. Bound in matching half calf and marbled boards. Fine copies. Both housed in a very attractive fold over, leather backed box. A very significant pair of printed documents representing Spain's formal abandonment of her claim to the Northwest Coast of Canada, Nookta Sound. Spain's claims date back to the discovery of the New World but the British voyages of Drake, Cook and the Russians in the 18th century and the desire to reach the rich fur areas in the Northwest fueled the inevitable conflict, coming to a head with Spain seizing John Meares ships. Things were getting tense but Vancouver and Quadra who cooperated in their great surveys and thus helped to prevent an all out war.