The Wiener Zeitung newspaper of 29 June 1782 carried a report from Fiume that, "in the early days of this month, Mr. von Bolts, Director of the Triestine East India Company, together with the English captain, Mr. Digson, arrived in this city".

She was to have sailed from Trieste (accompanied by a tender of forty-five tons) under Imperial colours, and was equally fitted out for trade or discovery: men of eminence in every department of science were engaged on board; all the maritime Courts of Europe were written to, in order to secure a good reception for these vessels, at their respective ports, and favourable answers were returned; yet, after all, this expedition, so exceedingly promising in every point of view, was overcome by a set of interested men, then in power in Vienna.

Apparently, Bolts still wished to carry out his North West Coast venture in connection with this voyage, and asked George Dixon to participate.

[6] However, Dixon went back to England, where he attempted to interest Sir Joseph Banks and English merchants in the North West Coast fur trade.

[10] On the northwestern part of Graham Island he acquired a large number of sea otter cloaks in trade with the Haida of Kiusta, under Chief Cuneah.

[11] After visiting China and selling his cargo, he returned to England in 1788 and published, in 1789, A Voyage Round the World, but More Particularly to the North-West Coast of America.

In 1789 Dixon met with Alexander Dalrymple, the Examiner of Sea Journals for the East India Company and an influential advocate of maritime exploration, and the Under-Secretary of the Home and Colonial Office, Evan Nepean.

He urged on Nepean the need to take up Dalrymple's plan for a settlement on the North West Coast to prevent the Russians, Americans or Spanish from establishing themselves there.

He offered suggestions on the type of vessels that would be suitable and proposed the Queen Charlotte Islands as the best place to form a settlement on the North West Coast.