Français  Contact Us  Help  Search  Canada Site Volume 1 (1000–1754) Volume 2 (1755-1871) Volume 3 (1872–2000) CHAPTER 1 The Conquest CHAPTER 2 The Revolt of Pontiac and the American Invasion CHAPTER 3 The Coveted Pacific Coast A New Stage for European Struggles Early Explorations of the Northwest Coast The Vikings of the North Pacific New Spanish Explorations Enter Cook and the British Spanish Reaction Russian, British and Spanish Plans The Nootka Incident The Nootka Crisis Garrison Life at Nootka Vancouver and Bodega Y Quadra The Evacuation of Nootka From Sea to Sea CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 CHAPTER 5 Demobilization CHAPTER 6 The Royal Navy, Ruler of the Seas CHAPTER 7 A Decade of Turbulence APPENDIX A The British Armed Forces APPENDIX B Daily Life of Soldiers and Officers APPENDIX C Uniforms and Arms APPENDIX D Reference      CHAPTER 3 The Coveted Pacific Coast           Russian, British and Spanish Plans ( 3 pages )           1 2 3      Continued Spanish Exploration                Captain Alejandro Malaspina, Marina real, circa 1795. (Click image to enlarge) As early as 1788, Spain was preparing an expedition to the Pacific with both a scientific and a political aim.  It was to be commanded by one of Spain's foremost scientists, Captain Alejandro Malaspina.  Although these scientific and political objectives were important, the military aspect of the expedition was important as well.  In fact, after receiving his instructions Malaspina had to identify those harbours that would be suitable as bases for Spanish warships, to evaluate the security and defence of colonial maritime trade, and to determine how advanced were the European establishments in the Pacific, in particular those of the British in Australia.  One portion of his route would also include a detailed exploration of the northwest coast of North America, along what is now British Columbia.  Two corvettes, the Descubierta and the Atrevida, equipped with the most advanced scientific instruments and each carrying 24 guns, were built for the project, and Malaspina's expedition left Cadiz for the Pacific as planned on July 30, 1789.           1 2 3   Last Updated: 2004-06-20 Important Notices