Imperial Eagle (ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Loudoun (1774-1786) |
| Owner | Austrian East India Company (Imperial Eagle) |
| Builder | Liverpool |
| Launched | 1774 |
| Renamed | Imperial Eagle (1786-88) |
| Fate | Confiscated, 1788. |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 400 (bm) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | Loudon:18 x 9-pounder + 3 x 6-pounder guns 20 guns |
The Imperial Eagle was a British merchant ship launched in 1774. It was originally named Loudoun, but its name was changed later. This ship was about 400 tons in size and was built in Liverpool, England.
In the late 1780s, the Imperial Eagle became important for fur trading voyages. It sailed to the Pacific Northwest of North America to collect valuable sea otter pelts. These furs were then sold in China. Captain Charles William Barkley was in command of the ship for a time.
Contents
Sailing Under a False Flag
The Imperial Eagle was owned and operated by British traders. However, it pretended to be a ship of the Austrian East India Company. It even flew the flag of Austria. This was a trick to avoid paying for expensive trading licenses.
At the time, two British companies, the East India Company and the South Sea Company, had a monopoly. This meant they controlled all British trade in the Far East and Pacific. British traders needed special, costly licenses to work in these areas. By pretending to be an Austrian ship, the Imperial Eagle's owners hoped to avoid these fees. This was like flying a flag of convenience, but it was against the rules for British traders.
The real Austrian East India Company had nothing to do with the Imperial Eagle. The ship's owners simply used the name to hide their activities.
Ship Description
The Imperial Eagle was a large and strong ship for its time. It was a "fine vessel" of 400 tons. It was a ship-rigged vessel, meaning it had square sails on all its masts. The ship also carried twenty guns for protection. Its original name, Loudoun, was sometimes spelled differently, like Louden or Lowden.
Voyage of 1786-1788
In 1786, the ship, still called Loudoun, was prepared in London for a long trading journey to the Pacific. Captain Charles Barkley left his job with the East India Company to command this private fur trading trip.
The Loudoun left the River Thames on September 6, 1786. It sailed to Ostend, a city in what is now Belgium. In Ostend, the ship picked up more supplies. This is also where the ship was renamed Imperial Eagle and started flying the Austrian flag. Captain Barkley also got married in Ostend to Frances Hornby Trevor. Frances Barkley joined her husband on his voyages. She was the first European woman to visit the Hawaiian Islands. She was also the first woman known to have sailed around the world openly.
The Imperial Eagle left Ostend on November 24, 1786. It sailed to the Cape Verde Islands and then to Bahia, Brazil. After sailing around Cape Horn, the ship headed to the Hawaiian Islands. In Hawaii, Frances Barkley met a young Native Hawaiian girl named Winée. Winée joined the ship as a maidservant. The Imperial Eagle left Hawaii on May 25.
Exploring the Pacific Northwest
In March 1787, Captain Barkley brought the Imperial Eagle to Nootka Sound. This was a popular port for fur trading ships. Frances Barkley became the first European woman to visit the Pacific Northwest. Winée was the first Hawaiian person to visit the area. The Imperial Eagle was the largest ship to ever enter Friendly Cove, the main harbor in Nootka Sound.
Because they arrived first, Barkley was able to buy all the available furs. At Nootka, they found Dr. John Mackay. He had been left there by another ship to learn about the local Nuu-chah-nulth people and collect furs. Mackay joined the Imperial Eagle's crew. He taught Barkley a lot about the local people and how to trade with them. Barkley bought about 700 high-quality sea otter pelts.
Other fur trading ships, like the Prince of Wales, arrived later. They were disappointed to find that Barkley had already bought all the furs. Another captain, James Colnett, knew that Barkley was sailing without the proper licenses. He believed Barkley's early arrival ruined his own trade.
After Nootka Sound, Barkley sailed south. He traded in Clayoquot Sound, which he named Wickinninish Sound. He also explored a large sound and named it Barkley Sound after himself. He named a channel in the sound Imperial Eagle Channel.
Discovery of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
In July, Captain Barkley made an important discovery. He found the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He did not explore it, but he named it after Juan de Fuca. Juan de Fuca was a Spanish explorer who claimed to have found a large strait in that area in 1592. Barkley believed the strait he found was the same one.
Many people had doubted Juan de Fuca's claim for a long time. Captain James Cook had explored the area earlier and said the strait did not exist. So, Barkley's discovery was a big surprise. Frances Barkley wrote in her diary about finding the "long lost strait of Juan de Fuca."
Tragedy at Destruction Island
Instead of entering the strait, Barkley continued sailing south along the coast of what is now Washington. In September, the Imperial Eagle anchored near a small island, likely Destruction Island. Barkley sent six men ashore in a boat to get fresh water.
While the men were filling water barrels, a group of Hoh or Quinault Indians attacked them. All six men were killed. Among them were the ship's purser, Beale, and the second mate, Miller. Barkley named the island Destruction Island to remember this sad event. The river nearby is now called the Hoh River.
Journey to China
After the attack, Barkley decided to sail directly to China. The Imperial Eagle reached Macau in December 1787. The fur trade there was very successful. Barkley sold about 800 furs for a large profit, even though there were many furs on the market.
While in Macau, Frances Barkley's Hawaiian maidservant, Winée, left the ship. She was ill and wanted to return to Hawaii. Sadly, she died on the way back and was buried at sea.
Confiscation of the Ship
After selling the furs in China, Barkley bought new goods. He then sailed the Imperial Eagle to Mauritius, which was a French colony at the time. While in Macau, the ship's disguise was changed from Austrian to Portuguese. So, the Imperial Eagle sailed to Mauritius under the flag of Portugal.
Barkley planned to sail to Calcutta, India, to prepare the ship for more fur-trading voyages. But in Mauritius, he learned that the East India Company was taking legal action against the ship's owners. The owners decided to avoid trouble by ending their agreement with Barkley and selling the Imperial Eagle. They left Barkley to deal with the problems.
Charles and Frances Barkley stayed in Mauritius for over a year. Eventually, in 1788, they sailed to Calcutta, India, where the Imperial Eagle was taken away. Charles Barkley had invested a lot of his own money in the ship. He tried to get his money back and eventually received some payment, but it was much less than he had lost.
Another fur trader, John Meares, managed to get hold of Barkley's maps and journals. Frances Barkley later wrote that Meares unfairly claimed her husband's discoveries as his own. Other traders also criticized Meares for not giving Barkley credit.
The Barkleys faced many challenges trying to return to England. They finally reached Portsmouth, England, about two years after leaving Ostend. Later, Charles and Frances Barkley returned to the Pacific Northwest on another ship called the Halcyon.
Legacy of the Voyage
Frances Barkley said that she and her husband named many places after themselves during their voyage. This included a "very large sound" that Captain Barkley named Barkley Sound. They also named several coves, bays, and islands in the sound. For example, there was Frances Island, named after Frances Barkley, and Cape Beale, named after their purser.
Today, Trevor Channel, near Imperial Eagle Channel in Barkley Sound, is named after Frances Hornby Trevor, Captain Barkley's wife. There is also a Loudoun Channel in Barkley Sound, named after the ship's original name.
