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In the second half of the 18th century, information did not circulate easily. So navigators - tradesmen, adventurers, whale hunters or missionaries of all nations who sailed the waters of the Great Pacific, often had the impression to be the first to discover islands that did not appear on their own maps, which were generally very inaccurate. And some of them were keen on giving an “official” name to their discoveries. But more numerous were those who did not even worry about writing down or telling what they had found. The Marquesas archipelago, which comprises eleven islands or islets, was called that way by Spanish navigators, after a brief but painful encounter in 1595. Afterwards, the archipelago sank into oblivion until James Cook's visit, upon his second journey in 1774. James Cook too did not behave in a humane manner with the natives and did not officially take possession of the land.
In 1791, the Hope, a small American 71-ton trade vessel commanded by Joseph Ingraham sailed across the North-West group of the archipelago. He wanted to put this discovery to his credit and name it after the United States of the Revolution. This is how Ua Huka was given the name ”Washington”. The same year, French Captain Etienne Marchand, in command of the Solide, and who learnt only later that Ingraham had preceded him, took possession of that same island in the name of France and named it after his vessel: “Solide”.
However, on the first maps, the name “Washington Isles” rather refers to the whole North-West island group. The International Philatelic Exhibition which is to be held in Washington from 27 May to 3 June 2006, is the occasion for us to remind this part of History.
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