June, 1881.
THE WEST SHORE.
45
to the sunny south that he was com
pelled to return.
Within the next decade we find oth
era who came to these shores on similar
business. Cavendish, in 1587, captured
a galleon near Cape St. Lucas, the
southern extremity of California, and
scttintr fire to the vessel, he landed the
crew on the inhospitable coast, where
they seemed destined to perish from
want. It was about this period that
the search for a northwest passage
between the Atlantic and l'ucilic he
ean. which has only been concluded in
our own days. Little further about the
far northern shores of the Pacific was
known until the year 1760, although
the Hudson Bay Company hail explored
and taken possession of territories up
to the 74th parallel of latitude. The
Spaniards, however, about that time,
readied the mouth of the Columbia,
while the Russians came south from
their distant settlements at Kamschatka.
But in the year of 1746 the British
eovcrnment offered a reward of $100,
000 to any one who should make the
northwest passage from either ocean
This in itself was a strong inducement
for northern discovery; but not content
with this, in 1776 Captain Cook was
commissioned to examine the shores of
the Pacific aa fur as 65 degs. north,
searching for all water communication
with Hudson or Baffin Bays. In
March, 1778, Cook sailed up to 48
decs., and found a promontory extend
Ing some distance from the shore; this
1 he named Cape Flattery. From thence
he sailed on, stopping at Friendly Cove
and Nootka Sound, which he thought
were on the main land.
Some ten years later, Capt. Berkeley,
an English merchant sailor, found the
passage north of Cape Flattery. He
did not explore it, but the next year
Capt. Mcarcs, a British naval officer,
sailintr up it tome to dees., named it
the Strait of luan de Fuca, after" the
nick name of Apostolos Valcrianos, the
fictitious pilot.
A few veart after this serious difli
eultics occurred between Great Britain
and Spain respecting the northwest
passaee. and Pacific navigation gencr
ally, and a joint commission was ap-
oointed in I7QJ. consiting or wapt
Vancouver on the part of England, and
Spanish officers, who were to meet at
Nootka Sound, and settle what lands
etc., sciaed by Spain should be restored
cmnt. an nrt was rtasscd bv the British
nit v which should be naid her bv the Parliament constituting British Colum-
J t 1
Spaimh government, ul.t ttt.U ttmuuvd tiuwn toionjr,
r. : ..i.i:,;n ... it,.. .1... Attention had lren attracted to it by
ties, was ordered to explore the coast Mr. Douglas, the company s chief
and look out for any water passage, and "a.icr, " ....
u umner ColumWn, In April, Ry
covered Strait of Fuca. The Spanish J uly, 185. there were supposed to be
- r 1 ftiAui.ti.ik. iin.ii.f 1 jimhrj iiiiiivin 111 mv
nicn-ui-war ouiu mm mcwiflii mum i -
i 1 . ii:,r.,r n f:,ii;,mn Douirln (nftcrwtinU Sir limei Pmtff
II IC 1.111111114111(1 VI ''(jll'MV w ..." .... (
....1 n vut,l.., Vunrnnver in laa, K. C. B.) received the commw
...1 .u. KnJ. sion as Governor, and a complete
Jum 'V - . . :.t 1-.
ness was settled in a very amicable co.onim sm, - .K......
mnnncr the act of Parliament. Subsequently
On the conclusion of his chief busi- pratc colonial establishment was
ness, Capt. Vancouver forced his way set up in the island, and afterwards the
between the islands of the Ciulf ol '-"""
Gcoriria. and through "Johnson" Strait, milled.
ku tiiiiv rrt tilt iirtMiil nil ?. atii kuttltm nf fmwii l?nli
JW UlUlim si.ni, w - in sv
Queen Charlotte Sound, some too ., N regards the British possessions
miles north of Nootka. The long ex- ! northwestern America, passed away
1... .1 ... i,.,i .. 1 . '.. f..l...I.U
pause 01 rotay nuuit yrinv.ii ..v on inc aumuinuto ii..'.
hitherto suposed part of the main it0 the Cumulinn confederation, and
I....I Km nnui ,lirnvrrnl to be nil ikland. ... n.ll llin flfkl Hurt of the history
and he decided that it should bear thcLhy no means an uneventful one of
name 01 niinsen unu inn i uv i'""-nne youngest iinum
. 1. : ...:..... ....1 1, ... until I kt tir 1.1
isn coniiiiiinc' , .. " , i.cw nuim.
quite recently, known as "Vancouver
What the future shall have in stort
for her, who can tell F Endowed with
a lovely climate, with an acreage of
tome two hundred thousand square
miles; with all the mineral ami forest
! . ..!.!. I -
uitii-cu, ...u. .. - m r it Dcs man can ciesircjwmi mi min.
greeted the eyes of Vancouver when rivcri -na apuduuK bays and harbors;
first .ie landed on Nootka Sound yet Wlh hcr m.,.,,,! w well adapted for
or Quadra Island."
Such is a very brief account of the
progress of Pacific discovery until
- . ..... .
Vancouver Island was reached. Wild,
indeed, must have been the sight which
he did not fail to be struck with the
beauty ot this new land of which he
writes: "It Is as enchantingly beautiful
as the most elegant finished pleasure
trade, who shall rightly predict her fu-
turcr
She has hd her trials and draw.
l"- " ... 11 1...
ground, in Europe." No immediate .
results as regards any attempt to coIo- " ' "
. ' ' !..... -.1 ..rii.fU.riV 1 lie lllt
nizution followed for some time, and it
was only in 1S43 that the Hudson Bay
Company sent a party of their em
ployes to Victoria, (so called after the
reigning Sovereign), where they Mult
a fort, (see p. 144), and laid the founda-
lion of a very important trading post.
Six veara later a grant of the island
was made to the company by the
Rritimh government on condition thai
they should ue their utmost endeavors
to promote colonization, ihe same
irreat trading corporation hod posses
sion of the Mainland under a similar
charter, but it was used by them ex
dusively for their fur trade, ai.d twyomi
establishing forts at Victoria, Nanalmo
and Rupert, not much practical use was
made of the island.
On the termination of the ten-years 1 buUsU
niiiirrrtiiiird nroMeril v. The dis
lance from the home market and base
of supplies, ihe difficulty In the way of
raoid communication, the want vl set-
tiers adapted for her rapid develop.
ment i all these have tiecn hindrance
to her advancement. Her hope are
now fixed on the east. Day by day
the iron horse, with the enormoua od-
vantages which be seldom fails to bring
with him, is coming further and further
west, until we shall see him rushing
through Ihe fastnesses of the Rocky
Mountain, and drawing nearer and
nearer to bis Pacific goal. The ardent
hope and wishes or every friend 01
progress ill d him on hi way.
iri..,k...l iiui tMH a diMt Utm of
mnviM ' ' " ... .
olU. si dl U ! toWxiol OowmssMl