Standard Oil Products PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. on the island at the mouth of the cove. War with Spain almost resulted, but be- fore it broke the expedition was recalled and the Spaniards deserted the Nootka area, never to return. These henchmen of the King of Spain who appeared so suddenly and then as swiftly vanished from the British Colum- bia scene, left little but their names—but those were a golden legacy. Gabriola, Galiano, Valdez and a host of other place- names will forever record their dash and valour. Contrary to what is generally supposed, the Straits of Juan de Fuca were not named in honour of a Spaniard. Juan de Fuca was the name of a Greek pilot who is reported to have sailed up this body of water in 1592, but whose claim has never been fully substantiated. When in Our Town Be Sure to Visit THE PANAMA NEWS We have an interesting book and souvenir display. We also sell magazines, including “THE SHOULDER STRAP”. e PANAMA NEWS LIMITED PRINCE GEORGE The enthusiast whose curiosity leads to closer scrutiny of some of the place- names of the province is bound to find his quest beset by anticlimax, and even dis- appointment. A very little stone-turning serves to dispel illusions of grandeur about some of our most picturesque local designations. Take Buccaneer Bay, for example. The name certainly bears the imprint of drama. It has all the ear- marks of romance, bringing to mind visions of bloody deeds of piracy, of cut- lasses and buried loot. The truth is that this well-known landmark was named in 1860 upon receipt of news that the race- horse Buccaneer had won the Royal Hunt Cup’ at Ascot. Similarly, and at about the same time, the Thormanby Islands were labelled by Capt. Richardson and crew of His Majesty’s Surveying Vessel Plumper when the horse Thormanby won the Derby. The names given to points on the Thormanby Islands are all connected with the turf—Derby Point, Epsom Point etc. , When Buccaneer rode to victory in the Ascot in 1860, after an undistinguished career as a three-year-old, the sporting crew of the Plumper were so overjoyed at the news that they promptly dubbed the nearest body of water ‘““Welcome News Pass”, a rather unusual appellation, which P.O. BOX 850 BRYANT MOTORS LTD. Dodge and De Soto Cars — Dodge Trucks Manufacturers of WESTERN WHITE SPRUCE and MOUNTAIN FIR LUMBER W. LAMB wt SONS (Successors to: Alexander Sawmills) Service, Sales and Paris popular usage luckily shortened to “Wel. come Pass”. The English language is spoken throughout half of the civilized world, but not because the British were a “na. tion of shopkeepers”. The fact that lit erally hundreds of the place-names in B. C. were named after mariners of Eng- land is proof of their adventurous spitit Judging by the imposing roster of places named after them, the Anglo-Saxon sea farers seem to have attached their names to geographical features as a matter of course. No British seadog of the mit Airport Taxi & Limousine Service PHONE 9 {| Friendly Service to Any Point in B.C. O PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. lz PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. | THE SHOULDER STRAP Vis.