June, 1792.]

[Original Journal, Pages 195-197.]' of rocky islands and rocks, as also another opening to the westward of this island, that seemed to take a similar direction. Between Anvil island and the north point of the first opening, which lies from hence S. by W. five miles distance, are three white rocky islets, lying about a mile from the western shore. The width of this branch of the sound is about a league; but northward from Anvil island it soon narrows to half that breadth, taking a direction to the N. N. E. as far as latitude 49° 39′, longitude 237° 9′, where all our expectations vanished, in finding it to terminate in a round bason, encompassed on every side by the dreary country already described. At its head, and on the upper part of the eastern shore, a narrow margin of low land runs from the foot of the barrier mountains to the water-side, which produced a few dwarf pine trees, with some little variety of underwood. The water of the sound was here nearly fresh, and in color a few shades darker than milk; this I attributed to the melting of the snow, and its water passing rapidly over a chalky surface, which appeared probable by the white aspect of some of the chasms that seemed formerly to have been the course of water-falls, but were now become dry.

The gap we had entered in the snowy barrier seemed of little importance, as through the vallies, caused by the irregularity of the mountain's tops, other mountains more distant, and apparently more elevated, were seen rearing their lofty heads in various directions. In this dreary and comfortless region, it was no inconsiderable piece of good fortune to find a little cove in which we could take shelter, and a small spot of level land on which we could erect our tent; as we had scarcely finished our examination when the wind became excessively boisterous from the southward, attended with heavy squalls and torrents of rain, which continuing until noon the following day, Friday the 15th, occasioned a very unpleasant detention. But for this circumstance we might too hastily have concluded that this part of the gulf was uninhabited. In the morning we were visited by near forty of the natives, on whose approach, from the very material alteration that had now taken place in the

From the painting by Henry Singleton, in the National Portrait Gallery, London. Photograph copyrighted by Walker & Cockrell. Rights secured for this work in England and America.

[June, 1792.]

[Original Journal, Pages 197-198.]

face of the country, we expected to find some difference in their general character. This conjecture was however premature, as they varied in no respect whatever, but in possessing a more ardent desire for commercial transactions; into the spirit of which they entered with infinitely more avidity than any of our former acquaintances, not only in bartering amongst themselves the different valuables they had obtained from us, but when that trade became slack, in exchanging those articles again with our people; in which traffic they always took care to gain some advantage, and would frequently exult on the occasion. Some fish, their garments, spears, bows and arrows, to which these people wisely added their copper ornaments, comprized their general stock in trade. Iron, in all its forms, they judiciously preferred to any other article we had to offer.

The weather permitting us to proceed, we directed our route along the continental or western shore of the sound, passing within two small islands and the main island, into the opening before mentioned, stretching to the westward from Anvil island. At the distance of an hundred yards from the shore, the bottom could not be reached with 60 fathoms of line, nor had we been able to gain soundings in many places since we had quitted point Atkinson with 80 and 100 fathoms, though it was frequently attempted; excepting in the bason at the head of the sound, where the depth suddenly decreased from sixty fathoms to two. We had advanced a shore distance only in this branch, before the color of the water changed from being nearly milk white, and almost fresh, to that of oceanic and perfectly salt. By sun-set we had passed the channel which had been observed to lead into the gulf, to the southward of Anvil island; and about nine o'clock landed for the night, near the west point of entrance into the sound, which I distinguished by the name of HowE'S SOUND, in honor of Admiral Earl Howe;

Admiral Earl Howe. Of all the geographical names bestowed by Vancouver in his "Voyage Round the World" there is not one that suggests to an American reader more of his country's early history than does this name

of Howe's Sound. Emanuel Scrope Howe, second Viscount Howe, had four sons, three of whom impressed American history. The eldest was George Augustus Howe, a great favorite with the Colonials, who fell at Ticonderoga in 1758 during the French and Indian War. The second was the great Admiral Richard Howe, and the third was the great General William Howe.

The general arrived at Boston in March, 1775, with reënforcements for General Gage. He had desired to avoid Boston on account of the friendly feeling there for his brother who had fallen at Ticonderoga. Gage directed him to attack the American position on Charlestown Heights, which resulted in the famous battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Howe led the attack, and it is said that for a time he stood alone on the fiery slope, every officer and man around him being shot down. On October 10, 1775, he succeeded Gage with the rank of General in America. There followed Washington's siege of Boston, and Howe on March 6, 1776, withdrew to Halifax. Reënforcements arrived in the summer of 1776 in ships commanded by his brother, Admiral Richard Howe. Then came the Long Island Campaign, the winter in New York, the following winter in Philadelphia. He resigned and embarked for England on May 24, 1778.

Admiral Howe, who held the rank of Commander-in-Chief in America, assisted his brother's movements of troops. There was no American fleet to fight and, on the whole, he was exceedingly clever but unsuccessful in coping with the superior French fleet that arrived in July, 1776, under d'Estaing. He had asked to be relieved as early as November 23, 1777, but would not leave while a superior opposing force was present. When reënforcements arrived, he resigned the command to Rear-Admiral Gambier (whose name has since been given to the principal island in Howe's Sound) and arrived in Portsmouth on October 25, 1778.

Both these brothers seem to have had great respect for the Americans. Admiral Howe was a friend of Franklin. For this reason the brothers had been commissioned to treat for settlement with the colonies. The admiral did not arrive, however, until after the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, which he could not accept, and so the peaceful commission ended. Both were subjected to harsh criticism. Both complained of poor support from the home government. An investigation by Parliament proved nothing. After the American peace and the change of ministers, both resumed commands and attained further distinctions.

It was Richard Howe whom Vancouver honored by the name given to the sound lying west and north of Burrard Inlet. He was born in London on March 8, 1726, and died on August 5, 1799. At the age of fourteen, on July 3, 1740, he entered the navy in the Severn and accompanied Anson in his voyage round the world. During those fifty-nine years, until his death, he saw a tremendous amount of service. A few times he was not popular, but for most of his career he was continually hailed as a hero. Personally he was a quiet sort of man. Horace Walpole describes him in one of those famous epigrams, "Undaunted as a rock and as silent." Frequently in a position