which, he found himself in the vicinity of Nootka
Sound. He records that the Indians who paddled
out to his ship had a fondness for metal. They were,
in fact, conversant with iron and copper, which were
used to make certain blunt instruments. It is also
believed that there was considerable trading among
the various tribes in these metals. Cook then pro-
ceeded northward in pursuit of the mythical passage
through the Bering Strait, but encountered heavy ice-
floes, which barred his way eastward, and resignedly
turned his ship towards the Sandwich Islands for
winter exploration, but fate held her sway, and Capt.
Cook was killed in an encounter with the natives.

After this fateful event, Cook's ships returned home-
wards and called in at Canton, where the crew
discovered the enormous value of sea-otter skins so
easily caught on the north-west coast. The publication
of this account soon filled the air with talk of fur trade
expeditions, and numerous vessels were outfitted
for voyages to British Columbia for purposes of trade.

The pioneer of the early fur trade was Capt. James
Hanna, who sailed from China in 1785 and worked
in the vicinity of Nootka. This event was the fore
runner of many romantic episodes in the exploration
of the British Columbia coast and country. A very
interesting anecdote is the fact that the first European

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