OF THE NORTH PACIFIC 27 a

many interesting details concerning the inhabitants are |
given. His map was of value until the West coast was fy |
4

surveyed in 1907 by H.M.S. Egeria. He was the first
navigator of whom we have any record of attempting to
enter Cloak Bay between North and Graham Islands,
but was prevented from doing so by the strength of the
tides. Dixon was the first to sail his vessel down the i
whole of the West coast Southward, coming close into
the land by day and standing off at night. In his diary rip
he stated also that he cruised Northward on the East er
coast to latitude 52° 59’. This may probably have been

half-way between Kumshewa and Skidegate Inlets. At Wi
this point high land was seen in the North-West, about ho
30 leagues distant, which he recognized as that seen in i
the vicinity of North Island. This, added to the fact Hy

that he met some of the same Indians at both ends of |
this region, convinced him that the land he had been

cruising along for the past month was a group of islands
and not in any way connected with the mainland.
During this trip around the islands he purchased sea- }
otter skins, which were sold at Canton for $90,000. WG
Dixon conferred on the islands their present name, the
choice being either derived from the name of his own Ht :
ship or that of the consort of George III who was then Hh
the reigning sovereign. i

In 1788 Duncan was the first to sail through the
straits between the islands and the mainland. He
renamed the Fleurieu Islands of La Perouse the
Princess Royal Islands after his ship.

Again in August of the same year Captain Douglas,
Master of the Iphigenia, coasted along the North shore
of Graham Island and rounded Rose Point. He was
the first to name this promontory. Rose Point is now
marked on our charts as Rose Spit. Captain Douglas
obtained command of his vessel in China where it was