304 GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 
De Fuca strait, and likewise all the straits of the Archipelago of De Haro. His name runs 
over all these interior waters. 
On the Spanish charts the name Rosario Canal was for a long time retained, and though it 
had an older date and better claim than that of Vancouver, yet it at last yielded to Vancouver 
the more powerful authority, and is now confined to that little strait east of De Haro Archi- 
pelago. Vancouver’s name, Gulf of Georgia, has, however, also been thrown out of De Fuca 
strait and confined to the waters north of De Haro Archipelago. 
Some American authors seem to have endeavored to allow De Fuca strait to encroach 
upon the Gulf of Georgia. Mr. Greenough, for instance, has quite expunged the name Gulf 
of Georgia from his chart, and makes the name De Fuca strait run round the wholeof Vancou- 
ver' s island. 
16. Втвсн Bay (48° 54' north latitude, 122° 46’ west longitude) is a small cove north of the 
southeastern entrance to the Gulf of Georgia. The southeast part of the bay is formed by 
nearly perpendicular rocky cliffs, while the land to the east is low. 
This bay was probably already seen by Elisa and named by him Ensefiada de Garzon. A 
mere comparison of the Spanish charts of the officers of the Sutil and Mexicana with our 
modern charts might leave still a doubt whether the Spanish Епвейада de Garzon is our Birch 
bay. 
But the circumstances which the said officers relate, that on passing the mouth of Ensefiada 
de Garzon, on the evening of June 12, 1792, they then discovered the lights, and saw the two 
ships of Vancouver at anchor,* makes the indentity of that bay with Birch bay, where Van- 
couver's vessels were then stationed, quite certain. 
It was visited and surveyed again by Vancouver, (June, 1792,) who then made it one of his 
principal stations, from which he explored the vicinity by boat excursions. He called it Birch 
bay, because he found birch trees there in abundance.t This name is retained by modern 
navigators, Kellet, Wilkes, &c. 
- The southern entrance cape of Birch bay is called Point Whitehorn. 
17. PENINSULA оғ Ковевтѕ' ѕ Pornt, (49° north latitude, 1239 4' west longitude.) Birch bay is 
the last useful, well protected, easily accessible, and deep bay, with good anchoring ground, 
before reaching the 49th parallel. After this the waters towards the north become very shallow 
and filled with sand banks, which may be considered as a product of Fraser's river. From the 
low delta of this river a low, sandy and narrow peninsula runs out and projects towards the 
south. It includes, to the east, with the equally low coast of the continent, a pretty large bay 
of about 25 miles in circumference. 
This bay, which has to the east two little coves, is throughout very shallow, and in its northern 
part filled with sand banks; the boundary parallel, of 499 north latitude, cuts right through 
the middle of this bay, and the southérn half only belongs, therefore, to our domain. Neither 
the bay nor its coves have any name in the British Admiralty charts. They have here only the 
word shallow. On the old Spanish Admiralty charts, (Madrid, 1795.) it is called Ensefiada 
del Engano, (Deception Gulf,) probably in allusion to its shallowness. The Spaniards had also 
a name for the low point or peninsula which, in latitude 49° 2’, sets out into this bay from the 
continent. They call it Punta de San Rafael, (San Rafael Point.) If we have no local names, 
then we ought to restore the old Spanish names. 
* Sutil and Mexicana, page 48. 
t Vancouver, volume I, page 315 
a 
