In 1792, British naval lieutenant George Vancouver arrived in the Pacific northwest on a mission of exploration. He has orders to take possession of Nootka Sound, but finds the Spanish, led by Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, already there and unwilling to leave.
Quadra and Vancouver negotiate their countries' claims, manoeuvring for advantage and seeking the support of Maquinna, chief of the Mowachaht, who recognizes the threat posed by all the newcomers to his territory. Their fate lay in the hands of their commanders. How they respond could pitch Spain and Britain into outright war.