238 SURVEY OF ADMIRALTY INLET. [1792. 



In the mean time, the survey of the Strait of Fuca had been 

 completed. 



Vancouver and Broughton took their departure on the 1st of 

 May, as already mentioned, from Cape Flattery, the point at the 

 south side of the entrance of the Strait, and thence sailed slowly 

 along the coast eastward, about a hundred miles, to its extremity 

 in that direction, where they entered a harbor called by them Port 

 Discovery, the same which had, in 1790, received from Quimper 

 the name of Port Quadra. A little beyond this harbor, they found 

 another opening in the coast towards the south, corresponding with 

 that called by Q,uimper Canal de Caamano, through which they 

 entered an extensive arm of the sea, with several branches, stretch- 

 ing in various southerly directions, to the distance of more than a 

 hundred miles from the strait. This great arm, called Admiralty 

 Inlet, with its principal branches, Hood's Canal on the west, Pos- 

 session Sound on the east, and PugeCs Sound, the southernmost, 

 were carefully surveyed to their respective terminations ; and the 

 navigators, having thus ascertained that no passage through the con- 

 tinent was to be effected by those channels, returned to the strait. 

 Of the beauty and apparent fertility of the country surrounding this 

 arm of the sea, Vancouver speaks in glowing terms. The surface 

 near the shores was generally undulating, presenting a succession 

 of meadows, lawns, and hillocks, many of which were covered 

 with noble forests of oak ; " the soil principally consisted of a rich, 

 black, vegetable mould, lying on a sandy or clayey substratum ; the 

 grass, of excellent quality, grew to the height of three feet, and the 

 ferns, which, in the sandy soils, occupied the clear spots, were 

 nearly twice as high." In the distance, on the east, the south, and 

 the west, the view was bounded by lofty mountains, to the stupen- 

 dous peaks of which Vancouver assigned the names of British 

 admirals and diplomatists. 



After completing this part of their survey, the English landed on 

 the shore of Possession Sound, and celebrated the birthday of their 

 sovereign, the 4th of June, by talcing possession, in his name, and 

 " with the usual formalities, of all that part of New Albion, from 

 the latitude of 39 degrees 20 minutes south, and longitude 236 

 degrees 26 minutes east, to the entrance of the inlet of the sea, 

 said to be the supposed Strait of Juan de Fuca, as also of all the 

 coasts, islands, &c, within the said strait, and both its shores ; " to 

 which region they gave the appellation of Neiv Georgia. With 

 regard to this ceremony, it may be observed, that, although naval 



