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StarHaven Sanctuary: Book Three

Tera Lyn Cortez

 Copyright © 2023 Tera Lyn Cortez
All rights reserved.

www.teralyncortez.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer
who may quote brief passages in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Original cover by Melony Paradise

Paradise Cover Design
 DEDICATION

For my readers and friends who have stuck by me through the stress of the last
year and a half and waited ever so patiently for this trilogy to finally be completed!
I appreciate you all!
 CHAPTER ONE

The chair legs crashed against the table as my knees gave out and
my butt slammed down into the seat. Blinking rapidly, I attempted to
clear my vision, praying that the shards of glass littering the tabletop
would rearrange themselves somehow, reforming the vessel I'd
(somewhat arrogantly) believed to be unbreakable.
Please, please, please let this be some sort of terrible daydream.
Maybe I'd drifted off at the gravesides and none of this was real.
Pinching my forearm I begged myself to wake up. My state of mind
remained the same, and all I had to show for it was a big ol' bruise
forming.
Thoughts of the man I'd seen standing in my kitchen mere
seconds before ran through my mind. His face seemed vaguely
familiar, yet at the moment my panic prevented me from placing
him. Did I really see fangs? Or is my imagination playing tricks on
me? It had to be my imagination. There was no such thing as
vampires. More proof that all of this was just a dream.
 Of course, not that long ago I didn't believe there were witches
or werewolves in our world either. The rude awakening I'd received
should have opened my mind more fully to the unexpected. To the
many things existing right in front of our faces, hiding in plain sight.
Once again, frustration at being raised completely in the dark
bubbled to the surface. I wondered if having the background
knowledge would have left me in a better position to defend those I
loved. If my mother had embraced who and what she was, she
might not be dead now.
Then again, Aimee had spent her entire life with all the
knowledge and ability to nurture her magic and still lost the battle. A
wave of grief slammed into me. If I hadn't already been sitting in the
chair, I'd have found myself on the floor.
The three of us together, though? What a team we would have
made. We would have been able to beat her. Of that I had no doubt.
I'd captured her once. I just needed to figure out how to do it again,
and this next time I wouldn't let my guard down and allow her to be
freed.
Vibrations rumbled as Rick and Isaiah came thundering up onto
the back porch. I'd been so lost in my grief I hadn't felt them
drawing nearer. They both stared at me with expectant expressions.
Words failing me, I gestured vaguely toward the mess on the
tabletop.
“Is that what I think it is?” Rick's eyebrows touched his hairline.
All I could do was nod.
“What in heaven's name happened?” Isaiah glanced sideways
toward Rick.
 Wiping my face on my sleeve, I sucked in a deep breath. “I went
out to sit by Mom and Aimee's graves. I left the vessel sitting on the
table here, because I felt like it would be disrespectful to carry the
one who had murdered them to their graveside. I didn't want to
offend their memory, and I kind of didn't want her to be able to
gloat that she killed them, if that makes sense?”
Covering my face with my hands I let out a shuddering sigh. The
men murmured their understanding and waited patiently for me to
continue, not asking questions or rushing me. With a sniffle, I put
my hands down and looked over at them, guilt choking me.
“I was just sitting there when I heard glass shatter. It was so
loud, I originally thought it might be a broken window or something.
I ran back in here as fast as I could. I got through the door just in
time to see some guy standing here over the broken jar.”
“Someone was in the house? That shouldn't be possible.” Rick
looked around the room, as if expecting to see someone else still
there.
Both of them inhaled deeply. Rick closed his eyes and Isaiah
looked around the room. Neither of them seemed satisfied with
whatever they had been looking for.
“He looked vaguely familiar, but I was so busy panicking that I
couldn't place him at the moment. And he left the second I got back
into the house. So fast. Like a blur. His face is burned into my
memory now, though.”
“You think it's someone from one of the packs?” Isaiah managed
to look both worried and angry at the same time.
“You guys might think I've lost my mind, but...”
 For a second, I didn't want to admit that I thought I'd seen a
man with fangs in my kitchen. They might think that the stress
finally broke me. At this point, I didn't know if I could handle them
thinking that I'd lost my mind.
“Yes?” They both wore identical expressions of concern and
confusion.
Inhaling deeply, I took a second to try and frame the sentence in
the least insane way possible. “So, he grinned at me before rushing
through the house and out the front door. I could have sworn he had
fangs. Like real, honest to goodness, sharp teeth.”
Waiting for them to laugh, I kept my eyes trained on the
tabletop.
“That's not possible.” Rick was the first to speak.
Torn between wanting to defend myself and avoid the rest of the
conversation altogether, I snorted. Even having expected this
reaction from them, it still hurt. Before I could argue, Isaiah chimed
in.
“The stories are true. Vampires cannot enter without being
expressly invited. With the extra wards on this house, I don't see
any way he could have gotten over the threshold.”
His response left me momentarily speechless. They didn't think I
was crazy. In fact, they didn't even question my assessment of the
man's teeth. Instead, they were astounded that a vampire could
have weaseled its way into the house.
“We need to figure out where you have seen him before. I can't
imagine Aimee would have ever invited one of them into the house.”
Rick looked towards Isaiah.
 “And your mother most likely knew better, even if she never
would have admitted it.”
Something wiggled in my memories when he mentioned my
mother. The visitors from a while back, the ones claiming to be
officers... Could that be where I had seen this man before?
“I think this was my fault.” I sighed, hiding my face once more.
“What do you mean?” Isaiah reached out and gently pulled my
hands away from my face. “Talk to us, Leah. We can't fix what we
don't know.”
“So, a while back, two men came to the door, claiming they
were police officers who wanted to discuss Aimee's death. I told
them to come in while I found my mother to join us. She came
racing down the hallway and basically slammed the door in their
faces after yelling to them that they were most certainly not
welcome here. After that, she yelled at me for inviting total strangers
into the house, and didn't I know how dangerous that was?”
The situation made sense now, but at the time, I'd been baffled
by her reaction. I'd never seen her be so totally rude to visitors in
my life. She hadn't bothered to explain the reasoning to me then,
and once more left me to figure things out in the heat of the
moment.
“She tried to take back my invitation to come in by telling them
they weren't welcome here, but maybe it was already too late? They
didn't even argue, just smiled politely and turned around to leave.”
Rick nodded. “You had already extended the invitation. You
would have had to be the one to take it back, for lack of a better
term, in order for it to stop them, and even then, if they are strong
enough, you wouldn't be able to reverse it.”
 “All they needed to do after that was bide their time.” Isaiah
frowned.
Cradling my head, I dug my fingers into my forehead and my
thumbs into my temples, rubbing in circles. How could I have been
so stupid? The building headache forced my eyes closed for a
minute. Deep, even breaths helped me to gain control against the
rising hysteria I felt burbling up inside.
Opening my eyes, I looked at the two men. “How can I stop
them from coming back? Can we do anything to prevent them from
being able to just show up and come in any time they want to?”
Rick nodded. “Yes. There is a ritual you can perform. You'll want
to do it downstairs in Aimee's special room. You'll need to ask the
goddess to grant her protection over the home once more, and ask
her to rescind the validity of the invitation.”
“Okay, I can do that. I'm going downstairs to do it right now.”
In my attempt to push the chair back from the table, I somehow
managed to tip it on the back legs instead of sliding it across the
floor. The sudden shift in balance caught me off guard. Arms and
legs akimbo, I crashed backward, slamming my head into the floor.
Closing my eyes against the sudden array of stars dancing in front of
them, I sighed until my lungs emptied of breath.
Isaiah took my arm. “Are you hurt?”
Not wanting to speak just yet, I shook my head. This whole
being clumsy shtick was really beginning to get on my nerves.
Despite being less than graceful my entire life, I'd felt even more like
a klutz since arriving at the sanctuary. My own feet seemed out to
get me. It surprised me that so far I hadn't wound up with more
serious injuries.
 “Ready to get up?”
At my nod, Isaiah gave my arm a gentle pull, helping me into a
sitting position and shifting me off the uncomfortable wooden chair.
Cautiously, I opened my eyes, shutting them again when the room
spun out of control. Even with my eyes closed, I knew Rick had
moved around to my opposite side.
“Take it easy. There's no rush. You might have given yourself a
concussion.”
When the mere act of shaking my head made me nauseous, I
had to admit, at least to myself, that he might not be wrong. I
opened my eyelids just a crack, giving me a view of my own legs
and the floor. After blinking a couple of times I chanced opening
them the rest of the way. With a few more blinks, the blurry vision
cleared, mostly, and I looked toward Rick.
“Nah. I think I just need a minute.”
“Mm. Denying it won't make it go away.”
“I need to get downstairs and perform that ritual. The sooner
the better.”
Isaiah interrupted me. “You need to rest for at least a little
while. How are you going to channel powerful magic from the
goddess herself if you are so disoriented you can't even stand?”
Refusing to sigh again, I held my breath. Rick chuckled.
“You need to breathe. The last thing you need is to pass out and
hit your head again.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. You're not wrong. Can I at least rest
somewhere other than the kitchen floor?”
Rick took my other arm. “Let us help you to the couch. Please
don't argue. Consider it humoring an old man if you don't want to
admit to yourself that you need the help.”
The image of him as an old man elicited a small grin, and I
agreed. “Fine, old man. Who am I to argue with that?”
The act of getting to my feet made me wince, even with their
help. The chair back had created tender spots from my shoulders
down to my hips. It made me grateful they had suggested the living
room, where the couch was at least cushioned.
The trek to the couch wound up feeling about three times as
long as it normally would. Every step made my hips ache. By the
time they helped me lower myself onto the couch, the dizziness
returned and I had to close my eyes to keep from vomiting.
Isaiah grabbed a pillow and situated it under my head to let me
relax completely. Reaching out, I squeezed his forearm in thanks,
semi-afraid to speak in case I got sick when I opened my mouth.
“I want you to rest so you can regain your strength and be
ready to do the ritual before dark. Isaiah and I will start deciding
what we need to do next.”
Before I could even open my mouth to protest, Isaiah put his
finger against my lips. “Don't argue. We'll just be in the kitchen. We
won't actually do anything without talking to you, we promise.”
“Okay.” I whispered the single word and decided to follow their
recommendations. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I couldn't do
anything productive in my current state.
Sleep must have overtaken me, and the next thing I knew, I
heard Isaiah shouting my name. It jerked me awake, causing me to
sit straight up and my head to spin again.
“Huh? What?”
 He and Rick entered the living room side by side. “I think we
have some unwelcome guests. We need you to get downstairs and
perform the ritual now.”
The urgency in his voice drove me to my feet. The room tilted
sideways. They caught me just in time to keep me upright.
“Help me. I'll never make it down the stairs on my own.”
They half carried me to the secret room. Rick had to hold me up
as Isaiah removed my shoes and socks. Between the two of them,
they managed to settle me onto the earthen floor without letting me
hurt myself any further.
As I dug my toes into the loamy warmth, the men stepped
backwards, closing the door and leaving me in privacy to do what I
needed to do. Before beginning, I took three deep, cleansing
breaths. We desperately needed this to work. At this point, a battle
with the vampires would cost us dearly.
“Hear my pleas, Goddess. We ask for your intervention, for your
protection and for your blessing...”
 CHAPTER TWO

A rumble shook the house as the ground rippled beneath me. My

pleas increased in intensity as I begged for her to spare us and give
us an opportunity to prepare for this new onslaught from the
vampires and whoever they were working with. In exchange for her
protection, I promised to rid her sanctuary of the evil within it.
“I will not let them sully your beautiful sanctuary. We will run
them out and never let them return.”
The earth heaved once more, as if releasing a big sigh, and
everything stopped. Isaiah called my name from outside the heavy
wooden door. At my reply, he opened it, peering in expectantly.
Heaven only knows what he thought he might see, but he looked
markedly relieved to find me sitting exactly where they'd left me.
“You did it!”
“She did it.” I held out my hands. “Help me up, please?”
He lifted me to my feet, and I immediately stumbled, causing
him to catch my arm. “Let me help you get back up to the couch.
Unless I can convince you to go to bed for a little while?”
“Nope.” I started to shake my head, but stopped when it made
me dizzy. “I will rest, but we don't know how much time we really
have. Or if the rest of the pack is protected. What happened
anyways?”
Rick rubbed his forehead. “We started to see shadows just
outside the clearing. At first it was one, maybe two. We weren't sure
if our eyes were playing tricks on us or not. Then a couple more
showed up, and we became positive. It seemed like they were
looking for a way to get into the clearing. When the first one made it
through was when we knew we couldn't wait any longer and woke
you up.”
“We are ill-equipped to have a fight with a single vampire at the
moment, much less a group of them.” Isaiah's hand tightened on my
arm as I stumbled in my weariness.
“You've got that right. I don't feel like I could win a fight with a
stuffed kitten.”
The interminable walk back to the couch finally ended, and I
sank into it. Despite the fact that all I had really done was beg the
goddess with my voice, I felt as if every ounce of strength I
possessed drained from me during the process. Just holding my
head up off my chest required immense effort, so I let it fall back
onto the couch, leaving my eyes closed.
“You rest. You are not going to be much help with anything until
you regain your strength.”
“Ouch. No help with anything, huh?”
Rick laughed as Isaiah attempted to correct himself, then gave
up. “Just get some sleep, okay? We know we have at least a little
time and for you, it would best be spent regaining your abilities. You
know, like to walk on your own and maybe-”
Mustering up the last of my energy, I threw the throw pillow at
his head. It may not have had much oomph behind it, but it hit him
square in the face. Rick's chuckles evolved into full on laughter as he
warned Isaiah to give up.
“Just leave her to rest, son. When the hole gets too deep, you
should just stop digging.”
Giving him a half smile, I waved my thanks as I drifted off to
sleep. My ears registered Isaiah still trying to talk to me, but I made
no effort to stay awake and hear what he had to say. The exhaustion
put everything into sleep mode whether I wanted it or not.
By the time my eyes opened again, darkness had settled in the
room and left it shrouded in shadows. For a brief moment I panicked
before realizing where I was. In the other room, I could hear Rick
and Isaiah talking with at least two other people. I needed to
freshen up before seeing anyone else. So, with exaggerated caution,
I swung my legs over the edge of the couch, concerned about
whether they would hold me.
In the end, their strength wasn't the issue. Someone had
covered me in a blanket. That giant square of cushion-y warmth
became entangled with my limbs and I didn't even realize it until I
tried to take a step. All my effort won me was to find myself pitching
forward, arms pinwheeling as I landed (loudly) on the coffee table.
The resounding crash brought not only Rick and Isaiah, but the
previously heard visitors running into the living room. One of them
flipped on the lights. Blinking at the sudden onslaught of brightness,
I peered up at them.
 “What on earth happened?”
“Are you okay?”
“Who the hell did this?” I gestured toward the blanket still
wrapped about my legs.
Rick raised his hands in innocence while Isaiah once more
attempted to explain himself. “I wanted to make sure you were
sleeping comfortably.”
“Can you please help me up?” I studiously ignored the other two
people standing there, witnessing my embarrassment.
“Careful, there might be broken glass.” Isaiah gently lifted me to
my feet, setting me out of the way of anything that might have
broken when I crashed down onto the table.
Rick held out his arm for support as I unwound the blanket. “Do
you feel steady enough to walk?”
“YES! I would have been fine if not for this deathtrap.” I gave it
a disgusted glare as I threw it onto the back of the couch. “Sorry.
Not your fault. I don't mean to be rude.”
He just smiled. “It's okay. Why don't you go freshen up? We,
and by we I mean Isaiah, will get this mess cleaned up and we will
meet you in the kitchen whenever you're ready.”
Isaiah's grumbling voice followed me as I stalked down the
hallway toward the bathroom, but I paid him no mind. Despite
knowing in my head that none of this could be blamed on him-
seriously, he wanted me to be warm and comfortable, it's not his
fault I have zero grace-I just wanted to be cranky and felt it best to
ignore everybody until I got over it.
Shutting the door to the bathroom behind me, I leaned against
it and slid down to sit on the floor. The nap should have helped me
feel less sleepy, but my body insisted I could sleep for a week. At
least. Stripping off what clothes I could while sitting, I crawled into
the shower stall and turned the water on. Kicking off my pants, I
pulled my legs in and let the warm water sluice down over my achy
body.
As my skin adjusted to the temperature, I kept turning the
handle for hotter and hotter water until turning it any more was
impossible. Waiting until the water ran cold, I stood there, just trying
to regroup. Turning off the water and grabbing a towel, I resigned
myself to having to join the others in the kitchen, whether my
mental state was ready or not.
Realizing I hadn't grabbed clean clothes, I sighed, reaching for
the pants I had carelessly kicked off earlier. The pants that had
landed in the toilet bowl and spent my entire shower soaking up the
cold toilet water. Fuck.
Throwing them down onto the shower floor, I pulled on the dirty
shirt and wrapped my towel around my bottom half. Only a few
doors down the hallway separated me from my room, where I could
find clean, dry clothes to put on. Surely I could make it halfway
down the hallway without incident, right?
Right. Success was mine. However small, I celebrated with a
little jig as I reached for something clean to put on. And stubbed my
toe on the leg of the dresser. Which caused me to knock my very-
unfunny bone as I reached down to rub the offending digit. I cussed.
Loudly.
The temptation to slink back down into the basement and curl
up in the warm dirt of the sanctuary room almost overwhelmed me.
Before I'd even gotten all my dry clothes on, a knock sounded on
the bedroom door. Isaiah's voice followed.
“Are you okay in there?”
“Yep. Just stubbed my toe. Almost ready,” I called out with as
much fake enthusiasm as I could muster.
“Are you sure?”
“I'm fine!” Despite my resolve to not snap at him, that is exactly
what I did, making me feel guilty again. “I'm sorry, Isaiah.”
No response. I walked over to the door and cracked it open. The
hallway was empty. Damn it. Now I had offended him, and he left.
Not that I blamed him. I'd be getting tired of me and my attitude
too.
With a sigh, I grabbed a rubber band to pull my hair into a
messy bun and left the room. Making amends was more important
than doing my face up. Hushed conversation filled the kitchen.
Rick looked over at me as I walked in. Isaiah ignored me. Shelby
and a man I didn't recognize sat in the other two chairs. Shelby
jumped up to give me a hug. Her arms wrapped around me and
squeezed. It felt good, and I returned the gesture.
“How are you doing?” She looked into my eyes, and I could feel
her concern as she studied me.
“I'll survive. It'll have to do for now. What’s going on?”
Shelby gestured to the man accompanying her. “This is David.
He has noticed some strange things going on that he felt like Rick
and Isaiah ought to know.”
Seating ourselves back at the table, I looked around it
expectantly, waiting for someone to fill me in. Isaiah ignored my
gaze by studying the trees out the window. Rick took a deep breath
and began.
“Some of the pack has gone missing. They're just gone. Not a
word to anyone else and there has been no trail left behind for
anyone to track them. It's like they disappeared into thin air.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried to figure out a way to
word my question that the newcomer would not find offensive. “Do
you think they disappeared willingly?” That was the best I could do.
He shook his head. “Nope. Not at all. All but two of them have a
family, with children at home. They're not just running off on their
own. Something has to have happened to them. These are men and
women that are loyal to the pack, and always have been.”
Isaiah spoke up without meeting my eyes. “Many of them are
people I have known my entire life. And before you argue, I am
aware that people change and that it is possible for people to be
swayed by outside influences. While I might buy that one or two of
them were persuaded to join the outsiders, not all of them.”
Rick agreed. “Too many have disappeared for me to believe they
all defected to the other side. Plus, it's happened way too quickly.”
Their insinuation about how many people we'd lost scared me.
“How many?” I almost didn't want the answer.
You could tell Rick didn't really want to give it to me, either.
“Nine.”
“Nine?” I yelped the number in response.
After the number we had lost in battle, having that many of the
pack disappear came out to an uncomfortable percentage of the
total sanctuary population. Whatever was happening, we couldn't let
it continue.
 “What can we do? Is here anything I can do to help? Do you
think having asked for the goddess's blessing will protect them
now?”
“I don't know.” Rick's head hung, and his chin hit his chest.
Isaiah sat staring silently out the window, and I could feel the
weight of the responsibility on his shoulders, making me feel even
more guilty for being a brat to him. These people were not just
members of his pack. They were his friends and family. They meant
something to him, and he felt responsible for their safety. Knowing
him, he held all the guilt on his shoulders.
Under the table, I reached out and put my hand on his thigh,
squeezing gently. Words didn't seem appropriate, but I wanted him
to know that I would be there for him no matter what. Attitude or
not, I needed to be more supportive of him. None of the blame for
what had happened belonged to him.
For a moment he sat still, muscles tense, and did not
acknowledge me. In the end, he relaxed, and I felt his hand cover
mine. Letting out my breath, I thanked the goddess silently that he
forgave me. What would I do if I drove him away?
 CHAPTER THREE

“There's one other thing, as much as I hate to mention it. Aaron has
gone missing too. I'm not sure if he has been subjected to whatever
is causing the others to disappear or if he is involved.” David looked
uncomfortable at having to bring it up.
“We exorcised the evil spirit from him. I can't see him as doing
those kinds of things without her influence.” Rick seemed fairly sure
of himself.
“Did we get her completely out, though? What if she still had
some control over him, even though she no longer occupied his
body? Like a residual stain that wouldn't completely go away?”
Isaiah seemed just as sure as Rick, but for the opposite possibility.
“I have to admit that we can't afford to rule anything out at the
moment. I was absolutely certain that she wouldn't be able to
escape that vessel until we chose to allow it, for whatever
permanent solution we came up with, and here we are. The
outsiders who she is involved with must have some pretty powerful
magic of their own.”
My stomach churned at the thought that I had inadvertently led
us into an even more dangerous situation by leaving the vessel that
contained my grandmother's spirit unattended. If it had been in my
pocket, they may not have been able to break her out. Then again, I
may have been put to a test I had no hope of passing when up
against the vampires. At the moment, I could see no clear choice for
what would have been the “right” answer. The best I could do now
was deal with the aftermath and pray that we would finally succeed.
The four wolves suddenly turned and looked out the window,
almost as a single unit. My gaze followed theirs, but I saw nothing.
“What is it?” My voice came out as a whisper.
Rick, Isaiah, and David all stood up. “Shelby, stay here with
Leah. We're going to go check it out.”
Shelby and I immediately opened our mouths to protest, but
stopped cold at the look on Isaiah's face. “Please, do as Rick says.
We'll be careful, and Leah cannot afford to be alone right now. We'll
be right back.”
Torn between arguing and just doing what he asked to make
this one thing easier for him, I bit down on the inside of my lip.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Shelby nod, and I let my shoulders
slump. He wasn't wrong when he said I didn't want to be alone, and
I didn't think I had another battle in me just yet.
If anything, I wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week,
then wake up to find out this had all been some sort of very
extensive and realistic nightmare that my crazy brain had concocted
after a night of staying up too late and eating too much cheese. The
thought of cheese made my stomach sour.
“Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone in. For any
reason.” Rick sent Shelby to double check the front door. “With the
Goddesses blessing you should be safe in the house. If something
does happen, call for us and we will come right back, as fast as we
can.”
Shelby confirmed that the doors and windows were all shut and
locked and that she had pulled the ground floor curtains in the main
rooms. With that, the men slipped out the back door with the
admonishment to lock it behind them. An eerie silence settled over
the kitchen.
We watched them until they disappeared, which took all of three
seconds. Then just blended into the trees as soon as they left the
clearing. Together, we kept a sharp eye out for anything unusual.
“What do you think was out there?” The curiosity got the better
of me and I had to ask. Without the sharp hearing, the wolves were
blessed with I didn't have a clue. Had they not been here with me, I
may not have even known anything was amiss until it was too late.
It made me wish for a connection with my own wolf side.
“I'm not sure. It wasn't a distinctly identifiable sound. More like
something that you could hear, but not quite place, and you could
tell it just didn't belong.”
She shrugged. The events of the day already had me on edge
and I didn't even know the questions to ask to help myself
understand.
“Have you ever dealt with vampires before?” The word came out
as a whisper, as if I feared they might hear me and I would draw
their attention to us.
Shaking her head, she grimaced. “No, and I could have gone my
whole life without ever encountering them and been happy about it.
You've had more experience with them than me. What was it like?”
“I only saw him for a second. He was so fast. Unnaturally fast.”
“Well, that makes sense. They are unnatural. They shouldn't
even exist. After all, they're living dead things. What did it look like?”
“Surprisingly normal, for being dead? I mean, he had very pale
skin and dark hair. I might not have thought anything about his
appearance except that when he smiled, he actually had sharp
teeth. Just like in the movies. Then he zipped down the hallway in a
blur and took off out the front door. Poof, gone. If I'd seen him out
and about on a normal day, I might have even found him attractive.”
“So not the Count Dracula type ugly from the scary movies?”
“Nope, not the one I saw, anyways.”
Boredom set in and we busied ourselves making cookies. I felt
most comfortable in the kitchen where we had a better view of the
forest and I attempted to calm my nerves by stress eating raw
cookie dough. And a few cookies. We ate so much of the dough that
we had to make a second batch to get enough cookies for the guys
to have a few.
“Do you think they've been gone too long? Should we check on
them?” The cookie dough could only subvert my natural anxiety for
so long, and the worry began to settle in again.
“Nah, it really hasn't been that long. The sanctuary covers a lot
of property, and they may have had to travel a little ways. Let's not
worry until it starts getting closer to dark.”
 Her reasoning made sense, but the unease continued to grow.
Knowing that not only did vampires exist, but that there could be
one not far from us at that very moment gave me the willies. Add to
that the fact that my very evil grandmother, who wanted nothing
more than to kill me and suck my magic dry, once again roamed free
and I was quickly becoming a basket case. Even with Shelby for
company, I felt alone and exposed, despite being shut into a house
protected by the very goddess that had created the sanctuary.
She sat at the table with a cup of coffee while I washed dishes
and wiped the counter repeatedly. She'd long since given up offering
to help and I'd rebuffed her every suggestion for other activities to
occupy my mind. Every little sound outside had me jumping out of
my skin, and when I injured myself for the dozenth time Shelby took
my arm and forced me to sit down.
“Leah. Talk to me. Tell me something about yourself that don't
know. Talk to me about Aimee or your mom.”
My breath wobbled as I exhaled, but her tactic was a good one.
“Aimee and my mom didn't always see eye to eye. My mom's
aversion to magic is the reason I was raised totally in the dark, and I
had no idea that this world even existed. I didn't have any idea of
this part of Aunt Aimee's life until she had already died. For the first
little while, my mom still acted like I was crazy when I tried to talk to
her about it.”
Betrayal sliced through me as I thought about it. The memory of
showing her what I'd learned in the attic and having her poo-poo it
off, as if she hadn't a clue, still ate at me. All the while, she had
known so much she could have shown me, even then. And she had
chosen not to.
 “Aimee lied to me about a lot of things, too. Like, we all thought
something terrible had happened to Rick, and he had disappeared
from her life without a trace. I felt so badly for her, losing her
husband when they were still newlyweds. And yet not only did he
still live in the sanctuary, she knew it! And she saw him.” I shook my
head. “I know she had her reasons. But knowing she lied to me still
stings. A lot.”
“Wow. I bet. I'm so sorry.” The look on Shelby's face made me
wonder if she regretted opening this particular can of worms.
“It is what it is at this point. They're both dead. My grandmother,
their very own mother, killed them.” Saying it out loud in such a
matter-of-fact manner drove the point home. My family was
seriously messed up. Wow.
“I didn't know Aimee all that well, but everyone here knew how
much she adored you. When you stopped coming to visit, she
changed. There was a sadness that kind of hung about her.”
“My not visiting started out as being my mom's fault, but I grew
up. As an adult, I could have made it out here to visit her way more
than I did. Something was always slightly more important, or had to
be done right then, and I always promised we'd reschedule. Even
the last email she sent me sat in my inbox, waiting for a reply
because I was in a rush and I figured I could get to it later.”
My eyes burned with the effort not to cry. I pictured her sitting
at the computer and typing it out, then waiting for me to respond.
The opportunity for me to tell her one last time that I loved her. To
maybe make the plans that we might have kept this time. None of
which would ever happen because I put it off and then she died.
 My imagination showed me vivid pictures of her settling down at
her desk after sending it and opening her email, looking for a reply
from me. Maybe she even left the laptop on, so she'd hear a
notification if an email came through. Then she'd be disappointed
when it wasn't from me.
To make matters worse, her journal entry told me she had
known. She was aware this fight with her very own mother could kill
her, and still she respected my mother's wishes and didn't involve
me, even though doing so might have saved her life. She sacrificed
herself to keep me in the cocoon my mother had spun for me, away
from magic.
Until Shelby moved closer and put her arms around me, I didn't
realize how hard I'd began to cry. The guilt ate at me like acid,
slowly leeching the strength from me. The words poured out
between hiccups and sniffles. I let every last ounce of guilt and
shame out in a senseless torrent of words that probably didn't even
make sense. Through it all, my friend sat by me, held me close and
let me vent.
Once her shoulder was too wet to sop up any more tears, she
substituted a kitchen towel and let me keep going. She didn't try and
use words to comfort me or convince me I didn't have anything to
feel guilty about. She just let me talk. The catharsis of letting it all
go was magical in itself. And then it fed my anger.
The anger that this crazy ass woman, who we were related to,
thought she could ruin the world of so many and just continue
wreaking havoc with impunity. That she, who was really a nobody,
had the nerve to think that all the people she wronged along the
way were merely acceptable collateral damage who shouldn't have
gotten in her way. Wiping away the tears and the snot, I looked
Shelby in the eye.
“That bitch is done for. I've had it with her shit and I will be
damned if she wins.”
Before I could continue my tirade, I caught movement out of the
corner of my eye. The men were back, and I needed to know what
they had found. Everything else could wait.
 CHAPTER FOUR

The sight of them trudging across the clearing, dejected and somber,
broke my heart before even hearing what they had to tell us. Their
demeanor made the outcome of their search painfully obvious.
Whatever they had found was not in our favor.
As they filed in and settled around the table, Shelby and I made
cups of coffee to go with the plate of cookies we set out. Sometimes
a little sugar rush made the bad things easier to deal with, in my
opinion. Either way, I needed something to keep myself occupied
while they gathered themselves in preparation for sharing whatever
was out there.
With a deep breath, Rick looked over at Isaiah, who nodded,
indicating he could begin. “We're not exactly sure what happened
yet, but at least some of those who have gone missing are dead.”
Collecting himself, he continued. “We found multiple body parts,
some of which we weren't even able to identify yet. It may take
magic to do so.”
 “Oh no.” Shelby and I whispered in tandem.
As bad as I thought it might be, hearing that something was
killing people indiscriminately hadn't even been on my radar. The evil
spirit hadn't been free for that long, so whatever had been
murdering the pack members had begun to do so before she was
sprung from her temporary prison.
Isaiah's grief and guilt bled through our bond, in spite of the fact
that I could feel him desperately trying to keep it from me. These
were his people, his friends. Without him saying a word, I knew he
felt like he had failed them, and nothing I could say to him would
relieve that guilt. Time and reaping justice were the only things that
would temper their ferocity. Unfortunately, I knew this from a similar
experience.
“I'm sorry. I don't understand how you could not identify them.
Isn't their scent enough? Or are they unfamiliar and not from your
pack? Please forgive me if that is a rude question, but I don't quite
understand how much of that works for you yet.”
Isaiah took a deep breath as if to answer me, but Rick beat him
to it. “Don't be sorry. The situation itself is quite strange. Normally,
we would be able to identify them by scent. However, it almost
seems as if their essence was tripped away from them. There is a
void where there should be identifying markers. Some of them that
we were able to identify were only because of tattoos, unique
jewelry, or clothing articles that we recognized. I'm not even sure all
of them are part of our pack, to be honest.”
Tears slid down Shelby's cheeks, and I reached over to take her
hand. “Who did you find? Who were you able to identify?”
 Her voice shook as she forced the words out, and my heart
broke for her. No doubt she knew all the victims from the sanctuary
pack, and any one of them could have been close friend or even
family. Even if it was someone she didn't particularly care for, her big
heart would still be hurting for their loss.
David shifted his chair to be closer to her and put his arm
around her shoulder, tugging at her until she leaned against him.
Even though she resisted at first, I could tell it was because she was
trying not to fall apart, not because she didn't want the comfort. The
grief hanging on the air felt like being smothered with a hot, wet
towel.
Even though the only members of the pack that I'd become truly
close with sat at the table with me, I still dreaded hearing the names
of those that had been lost. I'd met every single person who lived
within the sanctuary at least once. We'd already lost so many during
the skirmish before the packs united.
Thinking of that night reminded me of Ophelia's body in my
attic, lying in stasis for the time I managed to learn to return her
soul. We needed her now more than ever to help us out. I needed
her knowledge and her guidance. Without her to teach me all the
things I needed to know about the dark magic I'd acquired it would
take me months, if not years, to master it. That would be months or
years we didn't have to spare. The spell to reunite her soul with her
earthly body needed to be my primary focus until I got it figured
out.
“Earth to Leah?” Isaiah's voice penetrated my thoughts.
“Huh? I'm so sorry. I was just realizing that we really need
Ophelia.”
 Rick and Isaiah both furrowed their brows at my announcement,
and I inwardly grimaced at my loose lips. Both of them disagreed
with my choice to try and reanimate Ophelia, which led to me trying
not to mention it any more than necessary. I just needed to learn
the ritual spells, gather the proper materials and get it done. Once
successful, they wouldn't have anything to complain about and it
would be over and done with.
All four of them stood and waited for me to pay attention. Rick
and Isaiah exchanged glances, but didn't speak.
“Are you guys leaving?” Had I missed that much of the
conversation?
Rick nodded. “Yes, we have some things to take care of back at
the pack village. Will you be okay here, or do you want someone to
stay with you?”
“I think the wards and protections are solid. I don't want to
interfere with the things you need to, especially at a time like this. I
will study the grimoires and see if I can find a way to help you
identify the victims. Let me know if there is anything else I can do,
okay?”
Shelby leaned in and wrapped her arms around me. “Will you be
really be okay here alone? I can stay if you want.”
Hugging her a little tighter, I shook my head. “You are absolutely
welcome to stay if you need the distraction or just want my
company, but I will be fine. I don't want to be the reason you miss
out on being with your pack.”
“I'll be back later, if that's okay?”
“Absolutely.” I smiled at her. “You know you are welcome
anytime.”
 As Shelby backed away, Isaiah took her place. He pulled me
close and rested his cheek against the top of my head. “Will you
really be okay? I hate leaving you here by yourself.”
“Don't worry about me. We've already established that this is
just about the safest place in the entire sanctuary. I won't go
gallivanting about the woods or anything. I probably won't even go
outside, and I promise not to open the door for anyone I don't
know. Go be with your pack. Take care of your duties, and I'll be
here waiting for you when you have time to return.” He kissed my
cheek and stepped toward the door.
Rick fixed me with a stare. “Do exactly as you just said. Follow
those plans and you should be perfectly safe. You can reach us in an
instant if you need us, and we'll be here as fast as we can.”
“Got it. I promise. You guys go take care of pack business while
I do what I can from here.”
David waved and led the foursome out the door. I threw the
deadbolt behind them and sagged against the frame. Being alone in
the house put my nerves on edge, but at the moment, I didn't feel
any fear.
Yet.
Grabbing the stack of grimoires that Ophelia had lent me before
her “death,” I settled into the living room sofa with more cookies and
more coffee. The caffeine would hopefully keep me from falling
asleep and the sugar would feed my brain enough to hopefully find
the information I needed. Instinct told me that without Ophelia's
help, I wouldn't have the skills necessary to end the nightmare
created by my grandmother's evil spirit, and we could not afford to
fail.
 Time drug on as I scoured the books for the ritual I needed.
Despite the caffeination and consistent sugar intake, I must have
dozed off, becoming aware of it only because I found myself in the
misty dreamscape once more. Blowing out my breath, I found
myself glad that I couldn't see my breath, which usually indicated
something unpleasant was about to unfold.
“Hello?”
When no answer came, I frowned. Deciphering the purpose of
the visit took time, and I didn't have much to spare. Those books
needed to be read and I shouldn't have been falling asleep in the
first place. If I learned anything from prior visits, though, I'd learned
that things would happen in their own time and I had very little
control while here.
“Hello? What do you want?” I tried being a little louder and a
little more assertive in my question this time.
“Patience Leah. I am here.”
I spun in a circle, seeing nobody. The voice echoed around me,
making it impossible to tell which direction it came from. It sounded
familiar, and I strained to see through the mist in hopes of placing a
face to the sound.
“Do not look for me. I am here by projection only and cannot
manifest a physical form here. I'd like to offer you more help.”
“Goddess? Is that you?” I couldn't think of anyone else who
might be inclined to help me, because the voice certainly didn't
belong to my mother or Aunt Aimee.
“Yes, child, it is I. Time is running short. Your grandmother's
spirit is gaining power even as we speak. Before long, she will be too
powerful for even I to overtake her.”
 “How is that? You are a goddess and she's just a witch?”
“Yes, but I am imprisoned, and she has found ways to drain the
power from others to strengthen herself. With the help of the
vampires she has invited into the sanctuary, she is bleeding her
victims dry of both their power and their blood.”
“Imprisoned? I don't understand.” My head spun. Since the
beginning, I made the assumption that the goddess of the sanctuary
resided here by choice, not force. Who on earth would be strong
enough to imprison a goddess?
“We have little time, but I will tell you what I can. I've not
always been the ruler here. This land was chosen, and the sanctuary
created solely to act as my prison. At one time, I was free to go
where and do as I pleased. I made a frightful enemy, and my soul is
bound here to an oubliette beneath the ground on this peninsula.”
Fear trickled down my spine. Did I feel sorry for her because she
was stuck here, or afraid because she must have done something
terrible to be given such a fate? She laughed softly, as if hearing the
argument going on in my head.
Either way, I needed her help. Without it, my grandmother
would win and I would die, along with most, if not all, of the
residents of the sanctuary.
“Fear not, my darling. We are at an impasse. I need you just as
much as you need me, and at this point, our only option is to work
together. Without each other, we are both doomed to an unpleasant
end. Our time here is almost over. I did not get to share everything I
wished, but I will leave you with the information you seek. The ritual
you seek is in the grimoire covered in the blackest black. You have
the power to perform it. If you request my assistance I will do what
I can, and I will come to you again...”
Her voice trailed off in my head as I felt myself crawling back
toward wakefulness. Sitting upright with a jerk, I sent the stack of
books next to me tumbling to the floor. Dropping to my hands and
knees beside the couch, I rooted through the mess until I came up
with the one she indicated held my answers.
The cover truly was of blackest black, seeming to absorb the
light from the lamps around the room and swallow it whole. The
leather under my fingers was smooth and supple, as if oiled
regularly and not hundreds of years old. The only mar in its surface
was a branded emblem I couldn't make out completely.
A shift back up to the couch brought sudden pain as my knee
collided with the edge of the table. It tipped to the far side, sending
everything on top of it sliding off, including my half-full coffee mug.
Cussing, I limped to the kitchen for paper towels to sop up the
mess, my knee throbbing the entire way there and back.
Coffee had splattered over a good number of the grimoires
previously knocked to the floor and I spent more time than I would
have liked ensuring I soaked up every last bit of the liquid from their
covers and pages. Ophelia would be wanting these back when she
returned, and she'd never let me borrow anything again if I returned
them covered in beverage stains.
Once the majority of the mess had been toweled dry, I could
finally turn my attention to the book that held my answers. If the
goddess was correct. I'd been left confused over how an actual
goddess could be imprisoned. Perhaps she wasn't as all-powerful as
I had believed. After all, she claimed to need me just as much as I
needed her, and something told me I didn't rate anywhere near
goddess-level on the power scale.
For now, I would take her at her word. If the ritual I sought
could be found in the black book, then I would find it. If not, my
only option was to continue looking elsewhere. Not only did I need
Ophelia's help, I owed it to her to bring her back. It was at least
partly my fault she had died in the first place.
 CHAPTER FIVE

For a brief moment, I feared what I would find when I opened the
book. Would it be willing to reveal its secrets to me? Would it find
me worthy of its knowledge? Or would this be one of those times
where I would fall short, designated as one of the less-than and not
enough?
Self-doubt wheedled its way into every thought. Goosebumps
rose on my bare skin, the clammy sweat of my reluctance creating a
sheen I could feel but not see. Closing my eyes, I attempted, rather
pitifully, to talk myself down from the ledge on which I found myself
poised. I'd come a long way in recent weeks. Endured relentless
grief. Pitted myself against creatures I once believed to only exist in
films and books.
And yet, when the time came to take a step as simple as
opening a book, I faltered. The tapping of my foot against the floor
created a muffled beat, mimicking the thudding of my heartbeat in
my ears. My arms didn't seem to want to obey my brain. It took only
a single motion to flip open the cover, and I struggled to do so.
With a burst of defiance, I pushed through the stranglehold my
doubts had on my physical self and threw the cover open. Tilting my
head downward, I promised myself I would open my eyes at the
count of three. The title page or table of contents couldn't possibly
be that scary. Perhaps at the count of five. But ten was a nice round
number.
By the sheer resolve to save Ophelia, I managed to lift the
eyelashes of my left eye, peeking ever so slowly at the book below.
Both eyes popped open when it registered that there was nothing to
be seen. The page contained no markings of any kind. Not words, or
pictures, or even a smear of ink.
In disbelief, I rifled through the pages. Pristinely empty, every
one.
“Damn it!” I let the book fall where it may in my lap and flopped
backward, leaning my head against the couch.
Logic told me she wouldn't have lent me an empty book.
However, I needed to decipher how to access the secrets hidden
inside. But how?
After attempting a couple of easy spells to reveal the contents, I
paused. It would be just my luck the thing was like a cell phone and
if you input the wrong thing too many times, you'd be locked out,
probably forever. Desperation gnawed at my gut like a beaver
sawing logs. Now what?
Ophelia no doubt figured she would be around to help me when
I got to this particular stage of my research and study, which
explained why she never told me its secret access code. Or even
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
Cook’s discovery, adding that his company had purchased the rights
to the place which were acquired the previous year by the
Portuguese company, their vessels, the Iphigenia and the North-
West America, being also included in the purchase. To refute the
Englishman’s arguments, the Spaniard declared that a Spanish
expedition had discovered the port four years earlier than Cook;[131]
that he himself had accompanied the expedition, and from him the
spoons had been stolen which Cook tells of purchasing; that the
Portuguese company had done wrong in selling land which was not
theirs but belonged to the King of Spain, not only this port being the
property of that Crown, but all the coast as far as Prince Williams
Sound. Colnett, the Spaniard continues, was unable to reply to these
well-founded arguments. The American captains say:
Colnett asked if he would be prevented from building
a house in the port. The commodore, mistaking his
meaning, answered him he was at liberty to erect a
tent, get wood and water, etc., after which he was at
liberty to depart when he pleased; but Captain Colnett
said that was not what he wanted, but to build a
blockhouse, erect a fort, and settle a colony for the
Crown of Great Britain. This was refused.
Colnett, in his published account, says that he hesitated, being
uncertain whether to enter the port, but—
The Spaniard, observing my unwillingness to comply
with his request, assured me on his word and honor, in
the name of the King of Spain, whose servant he was,
and of the Viceroy of Mexico, whose nephew he
declared himself to be, that if I would go into port and
relieve his wants I should be at liberty to sail whenever
I pleased.
Martinez’s plea of distress and his solemn promise, with Hudson’s
letter, the Englishman says, influenced him to enter the harbor, and,
as there was a calm, he allowed the Spanish boats to assist in
towing his vessel into the cove. Among the party that had come out
in the launches was the pilot of the captured English schooner. He
told Colnett of the situation in the cove—the Spanish war ships, the
fort, the formal possession, the seizure of the Iphigenia and North-
West America, and the arrival and departure of Captain Hudson. He
advised Colnett to anchor outside the cove until morning, but the
latter, depending on the Spaniard’s honor, entered and brought up
between the Spanish ships at about midnight.
The next morning, July 3, everything seems to have been
harmonious. Colnett visited the fort and other Spanish
establishments, and on invitation of Martinez took breakfast on
board the Spanish vessel, the Spanish commander returning the
compliment by dining on board the Englishman’s ship. The latter was
urged to delay his departure for a day, but being unwilling to do so it
was arranged that the Spaniard should send a launch in the
afternoon to tow the English vessel out, and on the return of the
boat Colnett should send the supplies, a list of which had already
been agreed upon. The launch not coming as soon as expected, a
request was made that it be sent at once. Martinez asked to see
Colnett’s papers before the latter should depart. After some
hesitation the Englishman took them on board the Spanish ship. The
Spaniard was still in doubt whether he should allow the Argonaut to
depart, sometimes saying that she could, at other times that she
could not. Finally he declared that she could not go that day. He
produced a book in which he showed what he said was an order
from the King of Spain to seize all English vessels found on the
coast. Colnett declared that he would sail at once, with or without
permission, unless the Spaniard fired on him, in which case he would
haul down his colors and surrender. Thinking it presumption for
Colnett to talk as if he were an agent of the English King, though he
was really sent only by a commercial company, Martinez declared
himself the personal representative of the King of Spain and
commander in chief of the port. Colnett replied that he had been in
His Britannic Majesty’s service for twenty years, and that he then
carried a governmental license, which he produced. He endeavoured
to show the injustice of the Spaniard’s conduct, reminding him of his
promise on his word and honor, made the evening before. Warm
words followed, and each commander seems completely to have lost
his temper. Each tells of violence, either threatened or inflicted, by
the other. At Martinez’s order Colnett was seized and made a
prisoner.
From the accounts it is impossible to decide which officer was the
more at fault in the quarrel. It was the unfortunate outcome of
anger on both sides, and doubtless was not premeditated by either.
The real explanation appears to be that given in the letter of Duffin.
Eight days after the quarrel he wrote: “I have every reason to
suspect there was a misunderstanding between the two parties, for
the linguist spoke English very imperfectly, and in all likelihood
interpreted as many words wrong as right.” It seems, then, to have
been a faulty translation that caused the quarrel which later threw
two continents into a feverish excitement in anticipation of war.
After the seizure had been made, however, a plausible excuse was
not wanting to the Spaniard. He says that he imprisoned Colnett
because the latter would likely have gone elsewhere on the coast
and established a post from which it would have been impossible to
dislodge the English without the force of arms. This is doubtless
exactly what would have happened, and in view of Martinez’s
instructions and of what he knew to be the policy of his country with
regard to the coast, he was entirely justified, from the Spanish
standpoint, in preventing by force what he could not have prevented
otherwise. Indeed, had he allowed the English expedition to depart
unmolested, and had the English colony been established elsewhere,
he probably would have been seriously taken to task for not
attempting to prevent it. Martinez’s account to the Viceroy was such
as to make it seem that he at no time had any intention whatever of
allowing Colnett to leave. He says nothing of his promise and pledge
to that effect which the English commander says that he made. But
though the Spaniard concealed the fact from his superiors, the other
accounts indicate unmistakably that he really intended, at first, to
allow the Argonaut to depart, and that his promise to her
commander was made in good faith. Possibly he had begun to doubt
whether the Viceroy would approve his proceedings respecting the
two vessels already seized, and did not wish to involve himself
further until he had that official’s decision. In view of this he may
have concluded to let all other vessels pass without scrutinizing them
too closely. His treatment of the Princess Royal indicates such intent,
and his promise to Colnett was consistent with it. After a day’s
consideration, he may have concluded to go through the form of an
investigation, at least, that he might make a plausible report of it,
but with the deliberate intention of closing his eyes to anything that
might prove derogatory to Spain. However the fact may be
accounted for, it is clear that Martinez was wavering between two
opinions and that the quarrel forced his decision. Duffin, in his letter
of July 12 [11], which seems to be the fairest of all the accounts,
speaking of events after the seizure, says:
The commodore’s passion now began to abate a
little, and he sent for me from the San Carlos, where I
was imprisoned. When I came to him, he seemed to
profess a very great friendship for me, and appeared
to be exceedingly sorry for what, he said, his officers
compelled him to do. He declared to me that he had
given Colnett permission to depart, and would have
assisted him all in his power but that Captain Colnett
insisted on erecting a fort opposite his.
A little further on, after telling of Colnett’s turning over to him all
control of affairs, the same writer continues:
I have endeavored to convince the Spaniards, had
we known this place had been taken possession by the
King of Spain, we would not, on any consideration,
have come near it; I have likewise wished to persuade
him to peruse the South Sea Company’s grant and our
instructions, which he refuses, and tells me it would
avail nothing now to do it, as his officers insist on his
going on with what he acknowledges he too rashly and
 hastily began, and without deliberating what might
hereafter be the consequence.
That the English captain was somewhat to blame for what had
occurred is clear from his own behavior, as related in Duffin’s letter
of July 14 [13]. The writer, speaking of Colnett, says:
I have endeavored to persuade him to draw out
every particular concerning our being captured, to
send to his employers, which he refuses. His objection
is that he has involved himself and everyone else in
difficulties that he is not able to extricate himself from,
and therefore declares to me that he will have no more
concern with the charge of the vessel.
This refusal to give the particulars of his arrest occurred after his
recovery from what Duffin spoke of at the time as insanity, but what
Colnett himself refers to as delirium. Meares’s publication of Duffin’s
statement concerning the commander’s insanity caused some hard
feeling when Colnett learned of it; and the statement was publicly
denied later by Meares.[132] Whatever it may be called, the
immediate cause was his capture. The malady lasted for ten days.
As a result of it, the whole control was left in the hands of Duffin,
the second in command. The latter’s statement concerning the
captain is as follows:
Captain Colnett has been in such a state of insanity
ever since the vessel has been captured by the
Spaniards that we are obliged to confine him to his
cabin. Yesterday morning he jumped out of the cabin
window, and it was with great difficulty his life was
saved. His constant cry is that he is condemned to be
hanged. I sincerely hope for his speedy recovery, but
am apprehensive he never will recover his former
senses again. I understand from the boy, Russell, that
it is a family disorder and that they all have symptoms
of madness more or less.
 The next day he wrote: “Captain Colnett is much better to-day,
and, in general, discourses very rationally.” It was at this time that
Duffin made his vain attempt to draw out the particulars of the
capture. Duffin seems to blame Colnett.
On the afternoon of July 3, immediately after seizing Colnett,
Martinez had taken possession of the Argonaut, had run up the
Spanish flag, and had imprisoned all of the officers and crew,
removed them from their own ship, and confined them on board the
two Spanish vessels. Of the events that followed during the next ten
days, while preparations were being made to send the vessel to San
Blas for the Viceroy to decide whether she was good prize, there are
greatly divergent accounts, as in the case of the other captured
ships. It is significant that the further the writing was removed from
the event the blacker is the picture drawn in the English accounts of
the Spaniard’s cruelty. Doubtless the most authentic is the one first
written—the letters of Duffin, already referred to.
After a little time Colnett and Duffin, with two other officers, were
allowed to return to their own ship. On the 11th Duffin wrote: “I am
at present in possession of my cabin, as are also the rest of us, and
the commodore behaves with great civility, by obliging us in every
liberty that can be expected as prisoners.” This is pretty strong
evidence that there was nothing very barbaric about Martinez’s
treatment, since Duffin had no motive for concealing the truth. What
he wrote had to be by stealth, he says, and was taken by Mr.
Barnett, an Englishman of the crew of the North-West America, who
was going to China on board the American ship. Under these
circumstances he would probably not have represented the
Spaniard’s conduct more favorably than it deserved. Many of the
supplies and stores on board the English ship were appropriated by
the Spaniards; but not without arrangement for compensation, as
would be inferred from later English accounts. Speaking of their
appropriation, Duffin says:
 They have taken of our stores to themselves all our
pitch, tar, canvas, twine, some provisions of all kinds,
guns, ammunition, the chief of our copper, and many
other articles that we were not acquainted with, all the
officers being prisoners, some on board one vessel and
some on board the other. We have great expectations
that the vessel will be delivered up at San Blas. The
commodore promises me, if she is, everything that he
has taken to himself shall be replaced at that port; but
there has been a number of things taken out of the
vessel by theft that he knows nothing of. Nevertheless,
if any, and the vessel is returned, they must
undoubtedly make it good.
According to the same writer, Martinez tried to buy all of the
copper on board, offering to give bills for the same, but it was
refused on the ground that if his orders allowed him to capture the
vessel they would undoubtedly allow him to capture the cargo also.
The Spaniard, he says, wanted the copper to trade for furs, which he
shipped to Macao by Captain Kendrick [of the American ship
Columbia], who traded for him on shares. This is the way in which
the man in command at the time spoke of what later accounts
designate as plundering by the Spaniards.
That the promise of compensation was made in good faith is
proved by the documents which Martinez submitted to the Viceroy.
One is dated at San Lorenzo de Nootka, July 5, 1789, and is a “List
of the provisions and other stores which have been taken at the
expense of the royal treasury from the captured English packet boat
Argonaut, for my subsistence in this port; all of which are to be
restored to Capt. James Colnett from the royal treasure of the
department of San Blas, in case the Most Excellent Señor Viceroy of
New Spain releases the vessel.” An itemized statement carefully
describing each article is given. Another document dated July 13 is a
“List of the artillery, balls, and other armament found on board the
captured English ship Argonaut, belonging to the free commercial
company of London, which remain in my possession at the disposal
of his excellency, awaiting his superior determination.” Inclosed with
these is a “List of the names of the captain, officers, crew, and
passengers which the Argonaut carried.” Among the officers there
were 12 Englishmen and 1 Spaniard; of the sailors, 4 were English, 7
Portuguese, and 3 Filipinos; the passengers were 29 Chinese; to
these were added Colnett’s servant, who was a Sandwich Islander,
and Duffin’s, who was a Bengalese. In all, there were 58 persons.
Another list includes only the 16 Englishmen, and states that they
are to be sent to San Blas on board the captured ship Argonaut. Still
another list includes the Portuguese, the Filipinos, the Chinese, and
the two servants, who were to be sent on the Aranzazu and the
other vessels that might come from San Blas. The one Spaniard had
entered the service of Martinez.[133]

On July 13, after the above documents relating to the capture of

the Argonaut were sealed up and the vessel was ready to be sent as
a prize to San Bias, the Princess Royal, which had left ten days
before, returned and was seized by Martinez. He says that his
motive for the seizure was his wish to prevent her from carrying
news of the capture of the other vessel to the company, and thus to
forestall their taking measures against him before he could be
reënforced.[134] This seems a poor excuse since the Englishmen
shipped on board the American vessel could carry the news just as
well.
Hudson’s letter to the Viceroy gives his account of the seizure. On
leaving Nootka on July 2 he had intended to sail northward, but a
storm had driven him southward and he had been unable to return
for several days. On July 13 he had succeeded in getting back
opposite the entrance to Nootka Sound, and being anxious to know
whether Colnett had arrived, and, if he had, wishing to get from him
some needed supplies and instructions for his future conduct, he
determined to enter in his launch, leaving his vessel in the open. He
had no fears of maltreatment since Martinez had dealt so liberally
with him before. He was met by a Spanish launch, was told that
Colnett was there and was sick and in trouble, was requested by
Martinez to enter the port, and was invited on board the Spanish
launch. He found it completely armed. His own pistol was taken from
him and his launch was taken into possession. When he reached the
Princesa Martinez informed him that he was a prisoner, as was also
Colnett, and that the fault was all the latter’s. Hudson was urged to
give orders for his ship to come in, but refused, and the Spaniards
prepared to take her by force. Seeing the futility of resisting, he
advised his lieutenant to surrender. The vessel was taken at midnight
and brought in the next morning. Captain Hudson does not mention
here his brutal treatment at the hands of the Spaniards, which is
related in other English accounts.[135] He says that he was allowed
to go on board his own ship or anywhere else in the port that he
chose.

The two English vessels left Nootka for San Blas, where they were
to await the disposition of the Viceroy. The Argonaut sailed July 13,
in charge of Tovar as prize captain. In Colnett’s letter to the Viceroy
he tells of the hardships that he suffered on the voyage. His
belongings had been transferred to the mate’s cabin, a very small
room. Each night at 8 o’clock he was locked in this, and the door
was not opened until morning. He was not allowed to have any
intercourse with his officers except in the daytime. The commandant
at Nootka had either asked or taken all of his chickens and other
fresh provisions, so that he had a slight attack of scurvy. His mouth,
he said, ulcerated, and the captain of the prize refused to allow him
to have his bread toasted for fear of destroying his teeth! Whenever
there was a storm the hatchways were closed, and he almost
smothered. The heat increased each day. One night he asked
repeatedly for a glass of water, but it was too great a favor, and he
had to wait until morning. His own condition was bad enough, but
when he got to San Blas he learned that the men of his crew had
suffered much more than he. They had been closely confined in
irons for many days, though there were only 8 of them and four
times as many to guard them.[136] Their chests had been broken
into, and most of their clothes and personal belongings had been
taken. Colnett had lost many articles that he valued very highly.
After their arrival at San Blas, August 15, they received better
treatment.[137] The Princess Royal arrived at San Blas on August 27,
just a month after she had left Nootka. She carried 12 English and 2
Portuguese prisoners.[138]
On August 29, Hanson, second pilot of the Argonaut, committed
suicide. The only known cause was melancholy, according to the
statement of the Viceroy drawn from a detailed account sent to him
by the commandant of San Blas.[139] In Colnett’s published account
he says that it was because of Hanson’s despair at the treatment
which he had received. The same writer states that several others
became sick and died.[140] Colnett may have exaggerated somewhat
the hardships of the voyage, but the letter seems to be a truthful
account. Their condition, at the best, was a bad one, and they were
probably confined more closely than was necessary and their wants
not attended to as they might have been. It is likely, however, that
most of the harsh measures taken by the prize crew were the result
of excessive caution rather than wanton cruelty.
Martinez’s operations at Nootka after sending his prizes to San
Blas are of minor interest. He carried on some explorations in the
neighborhood, studied the customs of the natives, and made, in his
diary, a full report of the country and its inhabitants. On December 6
he reached San Blas, having returned in consequence of an order
from Florez dated February 25, 1789.[141] This date shows that the
events at Nootka during the summer had nothing to do with his
recall, since the order was given shortly after the expedition had
sailed.
 When Martinez reached San Blas he had with him an American
ship and schooner which he had captured just as he was leaving
Nootka. He had hesitated for some time, uncertain whether he
should set them free, but had finally decided to take them to San
Blas to be acted on by the Viceroy. Revilla-Gigedo, who had
succeeded Florez in the viceroyalty, set them free, on the ground
that the Americans had not molested the Spanish settlements.[142]
The names of the vessels do not appear in this letter. They were
doubtless the Eleanora and the Fair America, under Captain Metcalf.
[143]

Martinez also brought with him the 29 Chinese that he had taken
from the Argonaut. To save the expense of keeping them the Viceroy
said that he had decided to have them brought to Mexico, liberated,
and given employment; or, if they preferred, they would be sent to
the colonies and mission settlements of California.[144] Meares, in his
memorial, declared that these Chinese laborers were detained at
Nootka by Martinez and put to work in the mines that had been
opened on the land belonging to Meares. Nothing appears in the
Spanish documents concerning any such mines. It has been stated
elsewhere that Meares gave 70 as the number of Chinese taken to
Nootka by Colnett. This is probably an exaggeration, since the
number 29 is repeated several times in the Spanish documents, and
in two places a complete list of their names is given.[145] From what
will be stated later, it seems that the Viceroy’s scheme for liberating
them in Mexico was not carried out.[146]
 Chapter VI.
THE ENGLISH PRISONERS IN MEXICO.[147]

Florez, the Viceroy, who had sent the Nootka expedition, had no
news from Martinez until late in the summer. Shortly after the arrival
at San Blas of the first prize, the Argonaut, the commandant of that
port dispatched a special messenger to Mexico. This messenger
arrived August 26, bearing Martinez’s letters and the papers from the
captured ships. The Viceroy’s anxiety was far from being relieved
when he found himself involved, not with the Russians, but with the
English. The question now was what should be done with the prizes
sent for his adjudication. He was embarrassed by the fact that he
was to retire from the viceroyalty within a few weeks, and whatever
measures he might determine upon would have to be carried out by
his successor. He decided to take no decisive step without the new
Viceroy’s concurrence. Within a day after the messenger’s arrival the
more important documents had been copied and Florez had written
his report. They were hurried off to the Government at Madrid. In
this report he told briefly of Martinez’s voyage to Nootka, of his
taking formal possession of the port and fortifying it, of his finding
the American vessels and allowing them to continue their voyage,
and of his seizing the Iphigenia and the Argonaut, releasing the
former on bond and sending the latter as a prize. To this account he
added some reflections concerning the importance of retaining the
port of Nootka. He would send reënforcements and supplies to
Martinez at once. The question as to whether the vessels were good
prize he would leave to his successor.[148]
Two days after sending this account to the home Government,
Florez sent orders to the commandant and commissary at San Blas
for the temporary disposition of the prize. The officers and men were
to be kindly treated and supplied with lodgings and other
accommodations according to their rank. Fresh food was to be
furnished at public expense, an account being kept of the cost. All of
their clothing was to be turned over to them, but no arms. They
were to be given complete liberty within the port, but were to be
closely watched to see that no one abused his privileges. A complete
inventory should be made in the presence and with the help of the
English captain. The latter should sign it and receive a copy for his
security and protection, whatever the fate of his vessel. The
perishable part of the cargo was to be sold and the rest deposited
separately in the royal storehouses. The ship, after being unloaded,
was to be examined, cleaned, and repaired at governmental
expense, with the approval of the English commander, who should
have a copy of the account.[149] The fact is not stated in this order,
but in a letter to Madrid it appears that the ship, when repaired, was
to be used in collecting supplies and reënforcements for Martinez at
Nootka.[150] From Colnett’s published account, it seems that the
Englishmen were induced to do the work on the ship in the false
hope of an early release. He says:
Under a promise that our detention could not be
long, they persuaded us to heave down and repair the
Argonaut, new copper her bottom, and fit new rigging.
The idea of release stimulated us to work on the ship
with great alacrity. So much so that our exertions
threw several into fevers; and on the vessel being
nearly ready, the Government threw off the mask,
informing us she was to be employed for their use,
and laughed again at our credulity.[151]
After receiving news of the arrival at San Blas of the second
English prize, the Princess Royal, Viceroy Florez wrote again to the
Madrid Government. This letter was dated September 26, and told of
the steps taken with regard to the captured ships since his account
written a month before. He had considered the matter carefully, and,
although he had decided to leave the disposition of the prizes to his
successor, yet he gave his own conclusions. He knew of no
precedent for the capture except the conduct of the Viceroy of Peru
toward the governor of Juan Fernandez, on account of the latter’s
not having detained the American ship Columbia when he found she
was bound for California.[152] This, he said, was based on the royal
order of 1692, a copy of which he inclosed.[153] He added that
conditions had changed in a century. However, he would not
disapprove the conduct of Martinez, since, he said: “Article 11 of my
instructions, ‘to repel force by force and to prevent hostile ships from
making establishments and trading with the Indians of our
coasts,’[154] could not have been enforced without detaining the
vessels.” He concluded: “For the sake of economizing expenses and
avoiding hard feelings between our court and that of London, it
seems to me best to allow both vessels to return to Macao, placing
their commanders under bond, as Martinez did the captain of the
Iphigenia.” Everything taken from the vessels he would restore or
pay for, deducting the cost of keeping the men and the expense for
repairing the ship. He had not time to attend to this, but would leave
it to his successor, if that official approved.[155]
On August 27, the day that Florez had written his first hurried
account to the home Government, he had also written an account to
Revilla-Gigedo, who was soon to succeed him in the viceroyalty. The
correspondence that followed is valuable as showing the divided
opinion in official circles regarding the justice of the seizures, and as
illustrating the evolution of the new Viceroy’s final decision regarding
the prizes. In the first letter Florez explained briefly that, as a result
of the last expedition ordered by the King, he had, without loss of
time, sent Martinez to take possession of Nootka. He then recounted
the grave consequences, which made it necessary to take most
prudent measures, and added:
For my part I have not ventured to enter upon them,
in view of the fact that I am so soon to surrender the
government to your excellency. I look upon this
business as more important than any other, and if you
 rank it the same I hope you will hasten your coming.
[156]

Three days later the new Viceroy, who was attending to some
public business at Veracruz, replied that he came fully instructed
from the higher authorities of all the steps taken by Florez in the
Nootka matter, of their approval by the junta of state, and the
consequent royal order. In view of the attempt to represent the
English expedition as a governmental enterprise, he especially
commended Florez for having inserted in Martinez’s instructions the
order of the English Admiralty office to Cook telling the latter not to
touch at Spanish ports except in case of necessity and then to leave
as soon as possible. He thought that that wise council would not
now have sent an expedition with such contrary instructions. He
believed it had come simply from Botany Bay or some establishment
in India. He said that it did not appear necessary for Florez to await
his coming to take steps regarding the captured ships, since Florez
was so well informed. As to the possibility of another English
expedition being sent to dislodge Martinez, he thought there was no
danger. England was too remote, and the Spanish could supply
reënforcements when necessary. The English Cabinet would not
undertake anything so likely to fail. In the end the unhappy affair
would be settled between the Spanish and English Courts. However,
he would not delay his coming to Mexico a moment longer than
necessary.[157]
On September 2, the same day that Florez received the letter just
reviewed, he answered it. In his answer there is a tone of
impatience which seems to be partly because Revilla-Gigedo had not
dropped everything else to attend to the prizes, and partly because
the latter’s approval was not enthusiastic. The new Viceroy had
suggested, that since the English expedition did not appear to have
been sent by the Government it would have been better if Martinez
had told the captains to return when they chose to the parts from
whence they had come. Florez retorted: “I explained to your
excellency that, according to the documents which Martinez sent to
me, these prizes have been made with good cause, and I think your
excellency will indorse my opinion when you have given careful
attention to their contents.” He inclosed copies of them, and called
attention to the positive representations of the English captain. He
continued: “Whether the English Court had any part in the plan for
occupying Nootka, or whether it did not, we have often seen them
lay claim to ports and territories occupied by the merchants or
subjects of their nation; and there is no doubt but that they have
ready naval forces incomparably greater than those which we can
send from San Blas.” He enlarged on the insufficiency of vessels in
that port for present needs, and told of the preparations that he was
making to use the captured ships to convey reënforcements and
supplies to Martinez. In closing he said: “But since your excellency
can not give it the preferential attention asked I have suspended my
orders relative to Nootka affairs until your excellency gives me your
final decision concerning the liberating or retention of the English
ships.”[158]
The loyalty with which Florez supported Martinez, and his
resentment when he found Revilla-Gigedo inclined to disavow the
seizures, may have arisen from a personal relation, since, as stated
above, Colnett says that Martinez represented himself as the nephew
of Florez.[159]
After having read the copies of Martinez’s letters and documents,
which Florez had sent, Revilla-Gigedo replied, September 9, that he
was pleased to find that his opinion of the unofficial character of the
English expedition was confirmed; that Colnett had been sent, not as
a governor, but as a merchant; that he was not to establish a
fortification but a factory, which was to be located not necessarily at
Nootka, but wherever it might be with convenience, and that Fort
Pitt was simply the name to be given to the factory. Had the English
expedition taken any sort of possession of Nootka, he said that it
would doubtless have afforded some subsequent claim. But since it
had not succeeded, and since the English captain had asked
permission to sail, all such fears ought to have vanished. There was
the more reason for this, since not only had England been prevented
from taking possession, but Spain actually possessed it. Since Florez
had already referred the matter to the Spanish Court, it seemed to
him that they could take no further step until the decision of His
Majesty should arrive. He agreed that in the meantime the captured
ships should be used to convey supplies to Martinez if no others
were available. He had read with pleasure the timely and prudent
orders of Florez for caring for the captured ships and prisoners. The
weakened forces at San Blas were being strengthened and the
necessary ships could be constructed. A new commandant of that
port with reënforcements had set out from Veracruz the preceding
day.[160]
In this Revilla-Gigedo maintained his former position that Martinez
had insufficient ground for making the captures. He seems not to
have considered what would have been the consequences if the
English ships had not been seized and had established a colony
elsewhere on the coast. He gave a qualified approval of the steps
taken by Florez while awaiting an answer from the home
Government, but he did not definitely commit himself on the
question to which Florez had tried to elicit an answer—that is,
whether he would declare the ships good prize.
On September 16 Florez replied that he had decided to continue
his preparations for sending supplies and reënforcements to Nootka,
since Revilla-Gigedo had approved using the captured ships for that
purpose.[161]
The new Viceroy took control of the government October 18.[162]
A few days later he wrote to the home Government concerning
Nootka affairs:
When my predecessor, Don Manuel Antonio Florez,
surrendered this government to me we had many
extended conferences, but either because of
forgetfulness or on account of preference for other
weighty affairs, he did not mention the matter of the
 English ships captured at Nootka. He ought to have
done it, since he left the business for me to settle. …
My verdict has always been opposed to the seizure of
the vessels, but since my predecessor has seen fit to
refer the matter to the home Government, I have
concluded that I ought to do nothing further until I
have received the decision of the King. Since there
were no others available at San Blas, he had made use
of the captured ships, he said, to bring arms from
Acapulco to that port. After their return from this trip
he would send them in January with supplies and
reënforcements for Nootka. By the time these
operations should be completed the King’s orders for
detention or release would have come.[163]
About the time that the new Viceroy took possession of the
government, letters arrived from the captains of the captured
English vessels. Mention has been made of the letter which Florez
wrote to the commandant and commissary at San Blas immediately
after receiving news of the arrival of the first prize. Besides this
letter giving orders for the care of the prisoners, the repairing of the
vessels, and making an inventory of the cargo, he seems to have
given instructions for obtaining a full statement of their case from
the English commanders. Their letters were addressed to Florez.
These are the accounts of Colnett and Hudson to which frequent
reference has been made above.[164] In closing, Colnett said:
Your excellency will pardon me for venturing to write
such a long letter, in which I have dwelt on affairs of
such little importance. But if I have done so, it has
been at the instance of the commandant of this port,
who has told me that it was your excellency’s wish. As
reflecting the treatment received at San Blas [he said],
I beg permission to add that all of the bad treatment
which I received at Nootka and the cruelty which was
practiced on me in my passage from thence hither has
 been entirely wiped out by the attentions and
humanity of the official whom I find here in the
position of commandant, Don José Comancho.[165]
This letter bears no date, but that of Hudson which accompanied
it is dated September 18.[166] Inclosed with these letters was a copy
of an inventory giving the original cost of each article. It was signed
by Colnett and Duffin, and apparently included the cargo of the
Argonaut only. On October 1 Colnett wrote another letter, in
concluding which he said:
The climate of San Blas has proved to be very bad
for me and my officers and crew. We should consider it
a great favor if you would permit us to make a journey
on horseback some miles inland, or allow part of us to
pass a few days at some distance from the port.[167]
It fell to the lot of Revilla-Gigedo to answer the letters. On
October 21 he wrote to Colnett:
I have read the representations which you and
Captain Hudson made to my predecessor, the Most
Excellent Señor Don Manuel Antonio Florez. He has
turned over to me all of your complaints against the
proceedings of the commandant of Nootka, Don
Estevan José Martinez. My dealings shall be based on
the laws of reason, equity, and justice. This is all that I
can or should say at present. I assure you and Captain
Hudson that yourselves and all the people of your
vessels shall be treated with such attention as is
demanded by the friendship and harmony existing
between our Sovereigns.[168]
Having thus temporarily disposed of the question of the captured
ships, the Viceroy busied himself about carrying out a “royal order of
the 14th of last April for sustaining with vigor our new establishment
at Nootka.” He wrote to his superior at Madrid how he had planned
to send, in the following January, a new expedition of three vessels
with complete equipment, supplies, and reënforcements. It was to
be commanded by a military official. He was to succeed Martinez as
commandant of Nootka, and was to receive from Martinez complete
instruction regarding the country and its inhabitants. This would
contribute the greatest possible security to the establishment in that
port. But the plan had been completely overthrown by the return of
Martinez with all of his ships to San Blas December 6.[169] At first
this had caused the Viceroy great inquietude, but soon he had
modified his plan and was again pushing it to completion. The new
commandant was to be Eliza, and Martinez should accompany him in
the office of pilot. The Spanish possession of Nootka was to be
vigorously maintained if any foreign power should attempt to dispute
it. One of the three ships was to be the captured Princess Royal. The
Argonaut had already gone to Acapulco and returned to San Blas
loaded with artillery to furnish armament for the expedition.[170]
This new enterprise may be dismissed for the present to follow the
fate of the English prisoners.
Before turning to the dealings of the Viceroy with the Englishmen
it is interesting, though not essential to the narrative, to notice the
final exit of Martinez from the stage that his rashness had brought
into prominence. In a letter of February 26, 1790, the Viceroy
mentioned a royal order of October 13, 1789, “informing me that at
the instance of Doña Gertrudis Gonzales, wife of Don Estevan José
Martinez, ensign of the navy, the King had resolved that I should
arrange to transfer this official to those dominions [Spain], or that in
case his continuance at San Blas was necessary to the service that I
should withhold a third part of his salary, to be applied to the
support of his wife and of one daughter 17 years old.”[171] Thus it
appears that while Martinez was getting himself and his Government
into trouble in America his family in Spain was in trouble because he
had neglected their support. The Viceroy gave orders at once for
Martinez’s return from Nootka on the first vessel coming to San Blas,
in order that he might go to Spain and rejoin his family. His services
were no longer necessary, it was said, there being enough officials
without him. It should be noticed that this order was given more
than two months before news reached Spain of Martinez’s operations
at Nootka. So that could have had no influence on his recall.
The request for a change of climate made by Colnett in his second
letter to the Viceroy, mentioned above, was granted. In Colnett’s
published account he says: “We were removed 60 miles up the
country; here we were allowed great liberty and better
treatment,”[172] and permitted to remain “the six latter months of
our captivity.”[173] This was at a place called Tepic. Not only was this
favor granted, but the English commanders were allowed to go in
person and plead their case before the Viceroy. Speaking of Bodega
y Quadra, the new commandant of San Blas, Colnett says:
To this officer I am greatly indebted for his kind
attention and obtaining permission for me to go to
Mexico to claim redress for our past treatment.[174]
In Revilla-Gigedo’s first account of the matter to the home
government he had mentioned the English captain’s complaint of the
bad faith and worse treatment of Martinez. He said he had offered to
give them a hearing in court, but it would be impossible to do this
without giving Martinez a hearing at the same time.[175] When
writing this he supposed that Martinez was at Nootka and would
remain until relieved of his command. But although Martinez
returned to Mexico shortly thereafter, still the trial was not held,
since he had to go again to Nootka as pilot of the expedition under
Eliza. The Viceroy, in his published “Informe,” tells of the promised
trial and why it was not held:
The captain of the Argonaut, James Colnett, and
that of the Princess Royal, Thomas Hudson, his
subaltern, asked and I gave them permission to come
to this capital. They produced their complaints against
Martinez and I ordered the case to be drawn up. But it
could not be continued, because the defendant and
some of the witnesses were necessarily employed in
 the royal service and the plaintiffs wished to be set
free as soon as possible.[176]
Speaking of his stay at the capital, Colnett says:
On my arrival at Mexico and during my residence
there I was treated by the Viceroy, Don Revilla-Gigedo,
with greater politeness and humanity, and, indeed, by
all ranks of people in that city.[174]
The time of the arrival of the English captains at Mexico seems to
have been about the first of the year. They received no definite
answer to the question whether their ships should be condemned or
released until late in April. The Viceroy was waiting for an answer
from the home Government to the first account of the seizures
which Florez had written the previous August. This account had not
reached the Government until December 30.[177] Florez’s second
account was received three days later.[178] Thus by the second day
of the new year the Government had a full account of the seizures
and copies of all of the documents. No reply was made until January
26. When this reply reached the Viceroy, greatly to his surprise and
disappointment, it gave him no advice, but instead it asked for his
determinations concerning the question whether the ships were
good prize.
Revilla-Gigedo resolved to wait no longer for advice, and so took
the responsibility upon himself. In answer to the request from
Madrid, he wrote, on May 1, 1790, his conclusions, as follows:
They have been to liberate the English prisoners on
the conditions shown by inclosed letters. Colnett, who
came to Mexico with my consent to present his
complaints, will now return to San Blas, where he will
receive his ship, the Argonaut. Embarking there with
all of the English and Chinese,[179] he will return to
Macao or wherever he wishes. At Nootka he will
receive from the commandant, Don Francisco Eliza, the
 sloop Princess Royal, which will be turned over to her
master, Thomas Hudson. These foreigners are warned
not to delay, trade, nor establish themselves on our
Spanish coasts under threat of punishment for
violation. I have felt compelled to release them,
considering that I ought not to hold as good prize a
few little vessels found on a distant and deserted coast
of our colonies of California; and considering the
uselessness of burdening the royal treasury with some
60 men, whose scanty sustenance has to be provided
for in the feeble and expensive establishment of San
Blas in order that the just sentiments of humanity
might not be violated, and that the plans of my
predecessor might be carried out.[180]
This action of Revilla-Gigedo and the grounds here given for the
release of the English ships are consistent with the position taken by
him as soon as he heard of the affair, namely, that the vessels ought
never to have been seized. It will be interesting to notice the
subsequent change in his position.
Colnett had been informed of the decision of the Viceroy on April
27.[181] On the same day orders were sent to San Blas for carrying it
out. The commandant, Bodega y Quadra, was to surrender the
Argonaut to Colnett in good condition, and was to give orders to
Eliza at Nootka to surrender the Princess Royal to Hudson in the
same condition. The small schooner, since it could not be taken
apart to be put on the larger vessel, was to be paid for. All
belongings were to be returned to the prisoners. The supplies
deposited in the royal storehouses were to be given back, an
equivalent was to be given for everything applied to the royal
service, and whatever had been lost was to be paid for. All this was
to be done in such a manner as to avoid complaint.[182] Besides
having all of their belongings restored, the commissary was to pay
wages to all, extending from the day of their capture until they were
released. Colnett was to be paid as a lieutenant of the navy, and all
others according to their rank as regulated by the scale of wages for
the South Sea. A general account was to be made of all expenses
occasioned by the captured ships.[183] The Viceroy argued, in a
letter to the home Government, that the English South Sea
Company, under whose license Colnett was navigating, should repay
to the royal treasury of Spain all expenses occasioned by the
captured ships. His reason was that their agents made the seizure
necessary by coming to the coast of California, where they could
neither establish themselves nor enjoy commercial advantages by
right.[184]
In the packet which Revilla-Gigedo sent on May 1 he inclosed a
letter from Colnett to the British ambassador at Madrid, presenting
his complaints against Martinez.[185] The Viceroy added that he
hoped these would be considered when Martinez reached Spain.
The Viceroy considered that he was treating Colnett very liberally,
and it does seem that he had allowed about all that could be
expected if his orders should be faithfully carried out. Colnett,
however, was not fully satisfied and presented a number of formal
requests. He enumerated a list of things which he requested should
be sent from Mexico to fit out his ships. These were granted. He
asked that all of the wages of both crews be paid to him as
commander, which was granted also. He demanded payment for
himself as commandant of an expedition, but he was allowed pay
only for a lieutenant, which was less than half as much. He
demanded the return of the schooner which he had brought in the
Argonaut, but which Martinez had taken. He was to have pay for it.
He wished the Princess Royal to return to San Blas for her crew, but
he was compelled to wait until he should get to Nootka for her. He
demanded a money payment of not more than £3,000 to reimburse
himself for personal valuables and nautical instruments lost. The
Viceroy refused this, since he had ordered that all of these should be
returned or paid for at San Blas. He asked for a special interpreter to
be appointed for him, but this was refused as unnecessary. His
request for the return of his servant, a Sandwich Islander, was at
first refused, but later granted. The Viceroy was attempting to keep
this man, who was said to be chief of one of the islands, ostensibly
that he might be converted to the Catholic religion; but probably the
real reason was to use him in getting an opening for a Spanish
settlement on the Sandwich Islands. He had flattered the vanity of
the savage by promising to send him to see the King of Spain.
Colnett’s persuasion prevailed. The most important request was that
for a passport which should allow greater privileges than the
Viceroy’s order for his release had granted.[186]
The Viceroy had forbidden the Englishmen to make any
establishment, to trade, or even to tarry on the coast; and in his first
reply to Colnett’s demands he repeated the prohibition. Three days
later Colnett wrote again, using very plain language. He called
attention to the instructions under which he had sailed with a license
from the British Government. Those instructions required him to
trade with the Indians and to form an establishment for that
purpose. The Viceroy’s instructions had ordered him to sail directly
to Macao, without stopping on the coast. He pointed out the
inconsistent position in which he was placed. The right of Spain to
the coast was a point to be settled—he hoped, in a friendly
manner[187]—between the Cabinets of Madrid and St. James. It was
clear that the right was not recognized by the English, as was shown
by the patent and instructions which he bore. That same year the
privilege granted to his company would expire. Let Spain see, in a
friendly manner, that it should not be renewed, but the Viceroy
should not oppose the pacific execution of a commercial undertaking
attempted in good faith and at so great an expense. He demanded a
passport with only one prohibition, namely, to trade with Spanish
ports.[188]
Colnett’s arguments had the desired effect. On May 11 the Viceroy
sent him a passport with only the one prohibition and expressly
stating that he might carry on his operations in places not actually
under Spanish dominion.[189] In the letter inclosing the passport he
trusts that they will not think of making an establishment on the
coast or of trading to the prejudice of the Spanish nation.[190]
It is noteworthy that in this passport the Viceroy reversed his
decision of ten days before and declared that Martinez’s seizure of
the vessels was well founded. He cited laws and royal orders which
he said not only absolutely forbade the navigation, establishment,
and trade of foreign nations on the American coasts of the South
Sea, but ordered them to be looked upon and treated as enemies.
His reason for freeing the English ships, he now said, was to
preserve harmony and a good understanding between the subjects
of His Catholic Majesty and the King of Great Britain. The change in
his mental attitude seems to have been brought about by the
stubborn persistence with which Colnett urged his demands in the
meantime. By the latter part of May, when he wrote again to the
home Government, the Viceroy had formulated his decision. He
declared:
The coasts north of California are truly and justly the
dominions of our Sovereign. According to the royal
order of November 25, 1692, of which my predecessor
sent a copy, and according to the treaty, to which it
refers, of 1670, ratified and confirmed by article 2 of
that of 1783, all of the vessels which Don Estevan José
Martinez, ensign of the royal navy, found in Nootka
were legitimate prizes. The release of the packet boat
Argonaut and the sloop Princess Royal has been the
result of pure generosity.[191]
This is a complete reversal of his decision quoted above from his
letter of twenty-six days earlier. In his “Informe” of three years later
the Viceroy cited in addition as grounds for his decision an article of
the orders of the royal navy, and also a royal order of October 18,
1776, “to detain, seize, and prosecute any foreign ship which arrives
in our ports of the South Sea.”[192]
 A royal order had been finally given, March 23, definitely
instructing the Viceroy to liberate the captured ships. In a letter of
June 26 Revilla-Gigedo said that the royal order of March 23 had
been completely satisfied by his accounts of May 1 and 27. He was
pleased that he had conformed so happily to the decisions of the
King.[193]
According to Colnett’s published account, he found on his return to
San Blas that the Argonaut was in a bad condition on account of the
treatment she had received. He says that the Viceroy’s liberality in
allowing wages was counterbalanced by the charges for
maintenance, traveling expenses, medical assistance, and an
allowance of eight months’ provisions. He says also that before he
was allowed to sail he was compelled to sign a paper expressing his
complete satisfaction with their usage.[194] That paper was signed
July 8, 1790, and is as follows:
I have the honor of informing your excellency that
to-day I have been dispatched from San Blas; and I
also have the satisfaction of adding that I have reason
to be content with the treatment of the commandant
and commissary of this department.
With all proper submission, I ask permission of your
excellency to add that the money which I have
received here is little more than the amount of my
individual loss, and is not the fifth part of the damages
by the most moderate calculation. Since I shall have to
turn matters over to the company which employs me, I
hope that your excellency will have consideration in
keeping with your known generosity, and will not allow
them to suffer such losses.[195]
This, if true, indicates that Colnett’s apprehensions of illiberal
treatment at San Blas were well founded. On his arrival at Nootka
the Princess Royal was not there. June 11 of the next year she was
dispatched from San Blas to be surrendered to Colnett or some other
representative of the company in China.[196] Colnett fell in with her
and she was handed over at the Sandwich Islands.[197]
This closes the Nootka affair as far as events on the American
continent are concerned. Before the Viceroy had finally decided to
liberate the prisoners, the matter had been taken up by the home
Governments, and all Europe was ablaze with excitement over an
expected war. The center of interest now shifts to the diplomatic
controversy, which is the most important phase of the Nootka
incident.[198]
What has been discussed so far might be briefly summarized as
follows: As far as discoveries and explorations, which could give
definite claims, are concerned, the Spanish were the earlier; but the
English were made in ignorance of the Spanish, and the results of
the English were published first. Spain could claim a prescriptive title
from the fact that she had maintained for so long an undisputed
claim, and from the additional fact that the land was contiguous to
her settled Mexican dominions; but the English were the first to
attempt to develop the country by exploiting the fur trade. The first
actual establishment was made by the English, and, although it was
temporarily abandoned in the autumn, it was with the evident
intention of renewing, enlarging, and making it permanent in the
spring; but unfortunately for what was, in the autumn of 1789, an
unquestionably superior claim, it was counterbalanced by the arrival
of a Spanish expedition in the spring of 1790, a few days before the
English returned to resume their occupation, and when there were
no signs of previous or intended occupation. The fact that the
Spanish expedition was public while the English was private, favored
the former. From these recapitulations it is plain that there was
abundant ground for disputing the respective rights.
As to the justice or injustice of the seizures at Nootka, there is
also room for dispute. The Iphigenia, by pretending to be a
Portuguese when she was really an English ship, aroused a just
suspicion, and what was probably a harmless trick, meant solely to
deceive the Celestials, assumed a grave appearance when the added
suspicion of piracy was aroused. But this suspicion of piracy was
based on a mistake made by the Spaniard in translating the ship’s
instructions. Having seized her on the ground of this double
suspicion, for the sake of consistency and to hide his blunder,
Martinez justified his rash act on a totally different ground, but one
which was plausible from the Spanish view. When the Argonaut
arrived her captain made the mistake of rashly declaring his purpose
before he knew his opponent’s strength, and of manifesting too
much impatience to get out of the power of a man who would
probably have allowed him to depart in peace had he been patient.
Then a quarrel, caused largely by the mistakes of a blundering
interpreter, ended in the Spaniard’s making another rash seizure, this
one without so much as having had the Englishman’s papers
translated.
When the matter was transferred to the officials in Mexico, the
outgoing Viceroy, instead of shouldering the responsibility and acting
at once, attempted to shift it to his successor. The failure of the two
to agree led to an awkward delay of several months. Then after the
new Viceroy finally declared that the vessels were not good prize, a
quarrel with the liberated Englishman led him to reverse his decision,
so far as the principle was concerned, though his change did not
affect the fact of the Englishman’s freedom.
The whole episode to this point seems to have been a series of
blunders, and would not merit careful consideration had not the
consequences been so serious for the home Governments.
 Chapter VII.
ATTEMPTS AT PEACEABLE SETTLEMENT.

The Spanish name of greatest importance in the diplomatic

contest with England in 1790 is that of Count Floridablanca. He was
of humble origin. His ability as a diplomatist was established while
ambassador to the Papal Court, especially in the suppression of the
Jesuit order. “This result [says Tratchevsky] was due in great
measure to the skill and energy of the Spanish ambassador at Rome,
Don José Moñino. As a recompense, Charles III conferred on him
the title Count Floridablanca, and soon made him prime minister
(1777).”[199] He retained this position fifteen years. “His integrity
and love of labor won for him the entire confidence of Charles III,
who found in him the industrious and respectful servant whom he
sought.[200] He was a great worker, of clean morals, beneficent, but
very proud.”[201] He was a devoted servant of monarchy and an
enthusiastic adherent to the principle of aristocracy. But on account
of his recent elevation to the rank of a noble he did not enjoy the
favor of the upper classes. Zinovief, the Russian ambassador, wrote:
“The nobles and the soldiery despise him, and he, in turn, takes no
pains to hide his aversion to them. No one of the great nobles
enjoys any considerable importance at Court or in the confidence of
the King. Floridablanca seems intentionally to push everyone else
aside that he alone may enjoy the Sovereign’s favor. Even the King’s
confessor, who, it seems, should have nothing to fear, has to yield to
him. … Everybody trembles before him.”[202]
This enviable position was enjoyed by the great minister until the
death of Charles III (1788). He was retained by Charles IV, but it
was not long before his position began to be undermined by court
intrigues. Baumgarten says:
 The Queen sought occasions to cast reproaches
upon him over a multitude of trifles, and, according to
the testimony of Sandoz, this mighty man was more
busily engaged in these bagatelles than in the weighty
affairs of state.[203] … The Queen found willing
accomplices among the Count’s associates in the
cabinet. By 1790 his power was greatly diminished, so
that he entered the contest with England considerably
handicapped.[204]
The controversy between England and Spain did not seem so one-
sided at that time as it does when viewed in the light of the
subsequent history of the two countries. The thirty years’ reign of
Charles III, which had just closed, is the most glorious period of
Spanish history, with the single exception of her period of
preeminence in the sixteenth century. Desdevises du Dezert says:
“In Charles III Spain had a real King, the only one she had had since
Philip II.”[205] Speaking of his position in Europe, the same author
says:
His foreign policy was wise. He rightly considered
England as the true enemy of Spain. He feared for the
Indies; he beheld them invaded by English merchants
and adventurers, by English merchandise and ideas. To
protect the colonies he hurled upon them a new
current of Spanish emigration, and decreed liberty of
commerce between the Peninsula and America. He
allied himself with France in order to combat England;
and, notwithstanding some reverses, the war was
closed to the advantage of Spain, which country in
1783 again took her place as a great European power.
[206]

When the conflict came, in 1790, although nearly two years of the
reign of Charles IV had passed, little was known of the weakness of
the King, the corrupting influence of the Queen, and the intrigues in