Captain Morin
Though less than obvious in the Fort Victoria Journal, Morin was a considerable and commanding fellow, even considered uncouth by some. He got into trouble on occasion, at one time racking up at $500 fine for ignoring port clearance procedures in Honolulu. Luckily for him, Morin was not the type to back down easily, and he managed to lower the fine to $25. However, the French were not satisfied and demanded a return of the fee and compensation for time lost.
Governor James Douglas was also not terribly friendly towards the prospect of Morin and his foreign ship whaling in the British colony. Afraid that the “foreigner’s” work would interfere with the fur trade, but unable to back his concerns with any official decrees, Douglas had to compromise and allow foreign whaling as long as the product was traded with the HBC. To Douglas’ chagrin, Morin continued to anchor in the waters surrounding Fort Victoria at his leisure.
Sources:
- Webb, Robert Lloyd. On the Northwest: Commercial Sailing in the Pacific Northwest, 1790- 1967. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011. http://books.google.ca/books?id=KnIb2nsqjv0C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=captain+morin+g eneral+teste&source=bl&ots=p- TNvTlWcU&sig=XeQA5rMvKj2SbNbpdntjV18HEBQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qL_kUfzkOcirigLsn YCIAg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=captain%20morin%20general%20teste&f=false.
