STELLA WENSTOB | GUEST WRITER
The Curious Case of The
Cologne Bottle Case study of American conflict in Skokomish Territory
April of 1841 saw the quiet waters of Puget Sound inundated by the American Navy. A few settlers, missionaries, and the Hudson’s Bay Company, not to mention the thousands of resident Native American peoples, played host to the crew of the 780-ton sloop of war USS Vincennes and the 230-ton brig USS Porpoise. Loud and proud, it was the US Navy’s first scientific maritime exploratory expedition and the first official visit to the North Pacific Coast – or the Oregon Territory as it was known then. The Oregon Territory was in a contentious position as Britain and the US both vied for the rich area. The visit marked an important moment for American statesmanship, advancement of sovereignty, and science. The expedition had been at sea already four years since leaving New York in August of 1838 with a fleet of seven ships and over 350 crew – including nine scientific corps. By 1839, the scientific corps had collected so many anthropologic, botanic, geologic, and zoologic specimens a literal boat load was returned to New York aboard the USS Relief. This placed the United States government in a quandary, as no national museums existed to house these specimens. The Smithsonian Institute, the National Library, and the United States Botanic Garden were established as a direct result of the expedition.
The expedition travelled to South America, reported the discovery of Antarctica, visited and charted islands in the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, Hawaii and finally made it to the Oregon Territory in the spring of 1841. Arriving nearly 50 years after the last great exploratory mission of Captain Vancouver in the HMS Discovery, the expedition leader Charles Wilkes commented on surveying Discovery Bay. “The description of Vancouver is so exactly applicable to the present state of this port, that it was difficult to believe that almost half a century had elapsed since it was written.” (Wilkes 1844: 10) Charles Wilkes, although an accomplished scientist and surveyor, was a controversial pick for commander as he only held the rank of Lieutenant in the Navy. This was exacerbated by the fact that he dressed as a Captain - much to the disgust of his crew.
FJORD
62
