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1536 W Rd |
British Columbia Tourism Region : Vancouver Island
Description From Owner:
- Gowlland Harbour - After John Thomas Gowlland, second master, first of HMS Plumper and then of HMS Hecate.
- Heriot Bay - After F.L.M. Heriot, a relative of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Maitland, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Pacific Station 1860-2.
- Quadra Island - After Don Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, Spanish naval officer, who took part in exploratory voyages off the BC coast in 1775 and 1779.
- In 1792, when Captain Vancouver met him at Nootka to effect the transfer to Britain of the Spanish base here, Quadra was in command of the naval establishment maintained at San Blas, Mexico.
- Although Vancouver was unable to reach agreement with Quadra about the expected transfer, the two formed a close personal friendship.
- As a symbol of their friendship, Vancouver, with the Spaniard's approbation, named Vancouver Island 'the Island of Quadra and Vancouver.'
- In his account of his great expedition, Captain Vancouver has this to say of Quadra:
- The well known generosity of my other Spanish friends, will, I trust, pardon the warmth of expression with which I must ever advert to the conduct of Senor Quadra;
- who, regardless of the difference in opinion that had risen between us in our diplomatic capacities at Nootka, had uniformly maintained toward us a character infinitely beyond the reach of my powers of encomium to describe.
- His benevolence was not confined to the common rights of hospitality, but was extended to all occasions, and was exercised in every instance, where His Majesty's service, combined with my commission, was in the least concerned.
- Quadra died in San Blas in September 1794, occasioning a renewed tribute from Vancouver. Quadra Island received its name in 1903 after it had been established that it and Maurelle and Sonora Islands are actually three separate islands.
- With permission from G.P.V and Helen B. Akrigg 1997 British Columbia Place Names. UBC Press.
Address of this page: http://bc.ruralroutes.com/GowllandHarbour