Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/73

Rh y A N V A N 57 ascertain was whether the Strait of Juan de Fuca really was a strait. Vancouver, accompanied by Lieutenant Broughton, left Falmouth on 1st April 1791, and, after spending some weeks at the Cape, made for the coast of Australia, where a very careful survey of the south-west coast was made, especially of King George s Sound, the value of which as a harbour Vancouver pointed out. He next made for Dusky Bay, New Zealand. After a short stay, he proceeded north-east, discovered the little island of Oparo (27 36 S. lat. and 144 12 W. long.) by the way, and on 30th December reached Tahiti, where he was again joined by Lieutenant Broughton, who meanwhile had discovered Chatham Island. After staying about three weeks at Tahiti and several weeks at the Sandwich Islands, Vancouver on 18th April 1792 sighted the west coast of North America (California, then known as New Albion) in 39 27 N. lat. Here he proceeded to examine the coast up to 52 18 N. lat. with minute care, surveying all inlets and navigating the passage through Juan de Fuca which separates the Island of Vancouver from the main land. Most of February and March 1793 was spent again at the Sandwich Islands, with the natives of which Van couver had much intercourse, and in the affairs of which he took much interest. In April he resumed his explora tion of the coast, which he examined and surveyed as far north as 56 N. lat. Part of the autumn was spent in visiting the Spanish settlements in New California, and surveying the coast and coast region as far south as 35 N. lat. From January to the beginning of March Van couver s headquarters were again at the Sandwich Islands, the cession of which to Great Britain he accepted, though the cession seems never to have been officially ratified. Quitting the Sandwich Islands again about the middle of March 1784, Vancouver made direct for Cook s Inlet by Tchernigoff Island and Kodiak Island. Cook s Inlet was carefully explored and the fact established that it Avas not a river. The coast eastwards and southwards was surveyed as far as the limit of the former voyages. After spending some time about Nootka and visiting some parts of the coast, Vancouver set out homewards in the middle of October 1794. Several points were examined and sur veyed on the west coast of America on the way south wards, including Cape St Lucas, the southern point of Lower California. After touching at Cocos Island and making a somewhat careful examination of the Galapagos Islands, Vancouver continued his voyage by way of Cape Horn, finally entering the mouth of the Shannon on 13th September 1795. He immediately set about the prepara tion of the narrative of his voyage, but died at Petersham in Surrey, 10th May 1798, before he had quite completed his task. Under the care of his brother the narrative was published in 1798 (3 vols. 4to), with a folio volume of magnificent maps and plates. Vancouver s work on the west and north-west coast of America was of the highest character, and has formed the basis of all sub sequent surveys. His zeal led him to take an active share in all operations, and the hardships he thus suffered tended no doubt to shorten his life. He was a man of great tact, humanity, generosity, and uprightness of character. Plate in. VANCOUVER ISLAND, which is included in the territory of British Columbia, lies in a north-west and south-east direction parallel with the coast. From Wash ington Territory (U.S.) on the south it is separated by Juan de Fuca Strait, which leads into the Gulf of Georgia and Johnstone s Strait on the east of the island, Queen Charlotte Sound entering this last from the north-west. These channels vary from 5 to 80 miles in width. The island extends from 48 20 to 51 N. lat. and from 123 to 128 30 W. long. Its length is about 250 miles and its breadth varies from 10 to 70. The area is estimated at from 12,000 to 1C, 000 square miles; but the island has never been completely surveyed. The coast-line generally is precipitous. The west coast is much broken by bays and fringed with numerous reefs and islands, which render navigation somewhat dangerous. Barclay Sound on the south-west, Nootka Sound behind Nootka Island on the west, and Quatseenough Sound on the north-west send branches into the heart of the island. The east coast is much less broken, though the channel separating it from the mainland is studded with islands. Vancouver generally is mountainous, with peaks rising from 6000 to 9000 feet. There are some level areas on the south-east coast, while in the interior a few narrow well -watered valleys are suitable for agriculture. Short streams run down both coasts, and the island is dotted with lakes, Buttle and Dickson in the centre, Cowichan in the south, and Niin- kish in the north. The mountains, much broken, run generally along the length of the island, the highest peaks (estimated at 9000 feet) being south-east of Nootka Sound, while farther to the north are Victoria Peak (7484 feet) and Mount Alston (6500 feet). To the south of Buttle Lake, Mount Albert Edward rises to 6968 feet. The mountains in the south of the island are generally lower. The island is essentially a mountain range composed of metamorphic and trappean rocks, fringed by a belt of Carboniferous limestones and other sedimentary deposits. Among the metamorphic and erupted rocks are gneiss and killas or clayslate, permeated by quartz veins, quartz and hornblende rocks, compact bituminous slate, highly crys talline felspathic traps, and semi-crystalline concretionary limestone. Among the sedimentary rocks are sandstones and stratified limestones, fine and coarse grits, conglom erates, and fossiliferous limestones, shales, &amp;lt;tc., associated with seams of coal. The country is strewn with erratic boulders and other marks of Glacial action. So far as is known at present the chief mineral resource is coal, which is worked in large quantities at Nanaimo on the east coast, and in quality is reputed the best on the whole Pacific coast. While limited areas in the south-east of the island and in the inland valleys are well adapted to agriculture (about 300,000 acres in all), and while farming is carried on to some extent, the country is too mountainous ever to develop agriculture on any large scale. The mountains are, however, covered with forests, mainly the Douglas pine, yielding splendid supplies of timber. These forests, with its coal and its fisheries, may be regarded as the chief resources of the island. The climate of Vancouver, especially in the south, is wonderfully mild for the latitude, as mild as that of Great Britain, with drier summers. The mean temperature of December at Victoria, in the south of the island, is about 38 Fahr., while that of July is 53. A rainfall of 35 - 87 inches in the year has been recorded at Esquimault. In the northern parts and in the west the climate gets much more severe, and there the rainfall is greater than on the south and east coasts. Cereals of all kinds, all fruits of the temperate zone, pulse, and vegetables flourish on the patches suited to agricul ture, while cattle and sheep can be easily reared in small numbers. The population of the island in 1881 was 9991, of whom 5925 lived in the city of Victoria. In 1887 the population was estimated at 25,000 (19,000- whites and Chinese, and 6000 Indians). The capital of the island is VICTORIA (q.v.). Three and a half miles to the west of Victoria is the town of Esquimault at the head of Parry Bay. There has been a British Admiralty station here for many years, the harbour having an average depth of from 6 to 8 fathoms. There are Government offices, two churches, a public school, and various other buildings. The Canadian Government has constructed a dry dock, 450 feet long, 26 feet deep, and 65 feet wide at the entrance. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Rail way renders Esquimault of increasing importance. Seventy-three miles north of Victoria and connected with it by railway is the town XXIV. 8