José Joaquín de Arrillaga

He hoped to stay in Loreto and rule from there, but he was ordered to the capital in Monterey, California, and arrived in July 1793.

He had a meeting with George Vancouver, an English officer of the British Royal Navy on the latter's 1791–95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.

When Arrillaga found that Vancouver had visited Mission Santa Clara de Asís without asking him for permission, he nonetheless dined with him and showed Spanish hospitality.

Arrillaga ordered Vancouver's men to return to their ship each night, and he put guards at all the storehouses.

Arrillaga had a meeting with Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, Spanish commander of a naval expedition from San Blas, Nayarit, to Nootka Sound, on the west coast of what is now Vancouver Island in British Columbia).

The talks' outcome was to transfer the Spanish outpost on Nootka Sound from Spain to Great Britain in 1795, shortly after Arrillaga departed office.

[9] The sign there has the inscription: "Known affectionately as "Papa" by his soldiers, companions and friends, he served twice as governor of California under Spanish rule.

A view of the Habitations in Nootka Sound . In: "A Collection of Voyages round te World ... Captain Cook's First, Second, Third and Last Voyages ...." Volume V, London , 1790, page 1767.
Friendly Cove , Nootka Sound . Volume I, plate VII from: "A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean and Round the World" by Captain George Vancouver .
The gravesite of José Joaquín De Arrillaga at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, also known as the Soledad Mission.