Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition explored areas of the Colony of Vancouver Island
that remained unknown outside the capital of Victoria
and settlements in Nanaimo and the Cowichan Valley
. The expedition went as far north as the Comox Valley
over four and one half months during the summer and fall of 1864. The result was the discovery of gold in one location leading to a minor gold rush, the discovery of coal in the Comox Valley, an historical record of contact with the existing native population, the naming of many geographic features and a series of sketches recording images of the time.
had been the subject of comment in the colonial press in the early 1860s but it was not until the new Governor, Arthur Edward Kennedy
, arrived in March of 1864 that the project had a sponsor. In April 1864 he announced that the government would contribute two dollars for every dollar contributed by the public.
Since his arrival in Victoria in May 1863, Robert Brown
had been working in the colony as a seed collector for the British Columbia Botanical Society of Edinburgh on a meagre income. He had explored the Alberni Inlet including Sproat Lake
(which he named) and Great Central Lake
. He named some of the surrounding geographic features for his sponsors. Between May 28 and July 8 he explored from Barkley Sound
to Kyuquot
and Nootka Island
. After returning to Victoria, he crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca
to Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Whidbey Island
and went as far as Seattle. In September of 1863 he travelled to Lilloett and New Westminster followed by a return trip to Port Alberni where he established the length of Great Central Lake.. Although his seed collection disappointed his sponsors, the experience and the reputation he earned in Victoria was recognized on June 1, 1864 when he was appointed as commander of the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition. Brown considered his mission to report on the topography, soil, timber and resources however his sponsors were more interested in whether gold would be found.
The group he assembled included Frederick Whymper
who produced a series of drawings of the scenes observed during the expedition. Two members of the recently disbanded Royal Engineers
, Peter John Leech (1826-99) who was second in command and John Meade were part of the group. There were two university graduates, Henry Thomas Lewis and Alexander Barnston. John Buttle (1838-1908), John Foley and Ranald MacDonald
(1824-94) made up the rest. They added Tomo Antoine, the son of an Iroquois
voyageur
at their first stop in Cowichan
. MacDonald was the oldest of the group at 40. Brown, the commander, was only 22..
and the length of Lake Cowichan where they divided into two groups. One, led by Leech, was to travel from the south side of the lake to Port San Juan
. The other, led by Brown, followed the Nitinat River to the west coast to meet the Leech party at Port San Juan for fresh supplies which were to be brought in by boat from Victoria. Brown returned by boat to Victoria leaving Leech to lead the remaining group temporarily. While Brown was away, the group found gold at what would become Leechtown
.
On August 1, the group continued. Brown went on to Nanaimo, then by boat to Comox
and from there across the island to Alberni. While in the Comox Valley, Brown discovered coal. Members of expedition insisted that Browns River be named after him at the location where coal was found. Leech's group took a more difficult route across the island. The two groups met in Alberni in September. After exploring in that area, they crossed the island to the Qualicum River and then travelled by canoe to Nanaimo to board the Grappler. From there, they returned to Victoria where they arrived, as local celebrities, on October 21.
, Chemainus, and Comox
areas, who had arrived to pre-empt land under the Vancouver Island Land Proclamation of September 1862 (single men were allowed 100 acre (0.404686 km²), married men 150 acre (0.607029 km²) plus 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) for each child under 18 after 2 years of occupation). Unlike some other observers, Brown described the residents as ill-suited to life as farmers, having come as a result of the Gold Rush
. He described the few settlers then present as unenthusiastic and living in poverty.
What was described as a first class trail between Nanaimo and Comox had been completed in May 1863 but Joseph Despard Pemberton
had scrapped the idea of turning the trail into a road because the Colony of Vancouver Island
could not afford the $70,000 it was expected to cost. As a result, the road from Victoria was completed only as far as Chemainus. When Brown explored up the island in August 1864, he found the trail blocked by windfalls and washouts, although he did find one bridge remaining at the Qualicum River
.
The motivation for support of the expedition was to find gold and promote Victoria, whose growth had stopped after the 1858 gold rush
ended. Some gold had been found at the Goldstream River
in 1863, and the expedition found some at Leechtown. The expedition also performed mapping and collected information on the mineral and agricultural potential of the island.
Brown's journals include a collection of native myths and legends and one of the earliest accounts of a potlach ceremony.
Colony of Vancouver Island
The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
that remained unknown outside the capital of Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
and settlements in Nanaimo and the Cowichan Valley
Cowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is a region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. There is some debate as to the origin of the name Cowichan, which many believe to be an anglicized form of the First Nations tribal name Quw'utsun.Communities include...
. The expedition went as far north as the Comox Valley
Comox Valley
The Comox Valley is a region on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada that includes the city of Courtenay, the town of Comox, the village of Cumberland, and the unincorporated settlements of Royston, Union Bay, Fanny Bay, Black Creek and Merville. The communities of Denman...
over four and one half months during the summer and fall of 1864. The result was the discovery of gold in one location leading to a minor gold rush, the discovery of coal in the Comox Valley, an historical record of contact with the existing native population, the naming of many geographic features and a series of sketches recording images of the time.
Mission and personnel
The need for exploration of unsettled areas of Vancouver IslandVancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
had been the subject of comment in the colonial press in the early 1860s but it was not until the new Governor, Arthur Edward Kennedy
Arthur Edward Kennedy
Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland....
, arrived in March of 1864 that the project had a sponsor. In April 1864 he announced that the government would contribute two dollars for every dollar contributed by the public.
Since his arrival in Victoria in May 1863, Robert Brown
Robert Brown (explorer)
Robert Brown was a Scottish scientist, explorer, and author.He was born in Camster, Caithness, and studied in the universities of Edinburgh, Leyden, Copenhagen, and Rostock. He took the habit of referring to his home town, Campster , to distinguish himself from his famous contemporary of the same...
had been working in the colony as a seed collector for the British Columbia Botanical Society of Edinburgh on a meagre income. He had explored the Alberni Inlet including Sproat Lake
Sproat Lake
Sproat Lake, named after Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, is a lake in central Vancouver Island. Home of the last Martin Mars type Waterbombers, and near Port Alberni, Sproat Lake is a summer hangout for the Alberni Valley. Highway 4 runs along its scenic north shore....
(which he named) and Great Central Lake
Great Central Lake
Great Central Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Great Central lake has a depth of 293 metres , making it the second deepest lake on Vancouver Island...
. He named some of the surrounding geographic features for his sponsors. Between May 28 and July 8 he explored from Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet...
to Kyuquot
Kyuquot
Kyuquot, meaning "people of Kayukw" in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, may refer to:* Kyuquot, British Columbia, an unincorporated settlement on northwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia...
and Nootka Island
Nootka Island
Nootka Island is an island near Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It contains 534 km² of area. It is separated from Vancouver Island by Nootka Sound and its side-inlets....
. After returning to Victoria, he crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
to Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
and went as far as Seattle. In September of 1863 he travelled to Lilloett and New Westminster followed by a return trip to Port Alberni where he established the length of Great Central Lake.. Although his seed collection disappointed his sponsors, the experience and the reputation he earned in Victoria was recognized on June 1, 1864 when he was appointed as commander of the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition. Brown considered his mission to report on the topography, soil, timber and resources however his sponsors were more interested in whether gold would be found.
The group he assembled included Frederick Whymper
Frederick Whymper
Frederick Whymper was a British artist and explorer.Whymper was born in London in 1838, the eldest son of Elizabeth Whitworth Claridge and Josiah Wood Whymper, a celebrated wood-engraver and artist...
who produced a series of drawings of the scenes observed during the expedition. Two members of the recently disbanded Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Peter John Leech (1826-99) who was second in command and John Meade were part of the group. There were two university graduates, Henry Thomas Lewis and Alexander Barnston. John Buttle (1838-1908), John Foley and Ranald MacDonald
Ranald MacDonald
Ranald MacDonald was the first man to teach the English language in Japan, including educating Einosuke Moriyama, one of the chief interpreters to handle the negotiations between Commodore Perry and the Tokugawa Shogunate.-Early life:MacDonald was born at Fort Astoria, in the Pacific Northwest of...
(1824-94) made up the rest. They added Tomo Antoine, the son of an Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
voyageur
Coureur des bois
A coureur des bois or coureur de bois was an independent entrepreneurial French-Canadian woodsman who traveled in New France and the interior of North America. They travelled in the woods to trade various things for fur....
at their first stop in Cowichan
Cowichan River
The Cowichan River is a moderately sized river in British Columbia, Canada. It originates in Cowichan Lake, flowing east towards its end at Cowichan Bay. Its drainage basin is in size....
. MacDonald was the oldest of the group at 40. Brown, the commander, was only 22..
Explorations
After arriving in Cowichan aboard the Grappler, the group proceeded up the Cowichan RiverCowichan River
The Cowichan River is a moderately sized river in British Columbia, Canada. It originates in Cowichan Lake, flowing east towards its end at Cowichan Bay. Its drainage basin is in size....
and the length of Lake Cowichan where they divided into two groups. One, led by Leech, was to travel from the south side of the lake to Port San Juan
Port Renfrew, British Columbia
Port Renfrew is a community on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located approximately 2 hours' drive west of Victoria, British Columbia. Port Renfrew is the western terminus of the Juan de Fuca Trail. Tall Tree Music Festival also calls Port Renfrew home, proving to be...
. The other, led by Brown, followed the Nitinat River to the west coast to meet the Leech party at Port San Juan for fresh supplies which were to be brought in by boat from Victoria. Brown returned by boat to Victoria leaving Leech to lead the remaining group temporarily. While Brown was away, the group found gold at what would become Leechtown
Leechtown, British Columbia
-Location:The site now is only a clearing in the forest, with little remaining except for some rotting foundations, and is accessible by bike or foot on the Galloping Goose Trail, which follows a portion of the former Canadian National rail line between Victoria and the town of Youbou, on the north...
.
On August 1, the group continued. Brown went on to Nanaimo, then by boat to Comox
Comox
Comox is a name from the Kwak'wala language, meaning "plenty" and "riches". The Kwakwaka'wakw people of British Columbia, Canada applied it as a metonym to the Salish people living in the area of the present-day town of the same name...
and from there across the island to Alberni. While in the Comox Valley, Brown discovered coal. Members of expedition insisted that Browns River be named after him at the location where coal was found. Leech's group took a more difficult route across the island. The two groups met in Alberni in September. After exploring in that area, they crossed the island to the Qualicum River and then travelled by canoe to Nanaimo to board the Grappler. From there, they returned to Victoria where they arrived, as local celebrities, on October 21.
Observations
Brown described the settlers he found in the Cowichan ValleyCowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is a region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. There is some debate as to the origin of the name Cowichan, which many believe to be an anglicized form of the First Nations tribal name Quw'utsun.Communities include...
, Chemainus, and Comox
Comox
Comox is a name from the Kwak'wala language, meaning "plenty" and "riches". The Kwakwaka'wakw people of British Columbia, Canada applied it as a metonym to the Salish people living in the area of the present-day town of the same name...
areas, who had arrived to pre-empt land under the Vancouver Island Land Proclamation of September 1862 (single men were allowed 100 acre (0.404686 km²), married men 150 acre (0.607029 km²) plus 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) for each child under 18 after 2 years of occupation). Unlike some other observers, Brown described the residents as ill-suited to life as farmers, having come as a result of the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. He described the few settlers then present as unenthusiastic and living in poverty.
What was described as a first class trail between Nanaimo and Comox had been completed in May 1863 but Joseph Despard Pemberton
Joseph Despard Pemberton
Joseph Despard Pemberton was a surveyor for the Hudson's Bay Company, Surveyor General for the Colony of Vancouver Island, a pre-Confederation politician, a businessman and a farmer. He was born in 1821 in Dublin, Ireland and died in 1893 in Oak Bay, British Columbia...
had scrapped the idea of turning the trail into a road because the Colony of Vancouver Island
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
could not afford the $70,000 it was expected to cost. As a result, the road from Victoria was completed only as far as Chemainus. When Brown explored up the island in August 1864, he found the trail blocked by windfalls and washouts, although he did find one bridge remaining at the Qualicum River
Qualicum River
The Qualicum River is a river on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, flowing northeast into the Strait of Georgia just south of Qualicum Bay, near the town of Qualicum. The river's name comes from that of the Qualicum people....
.
The motivation for support of the expedition was to find gold and promote Victoria, whose growth had stopped after the 1858 gold rush
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River. This was a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton...
ended. Some gold had been found at the Goldstream River
Goldstream River (Vancouver Island)
The Goldstream River is a river on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The river's name derives from a small gold rush in its basin during the 1860s, and was originally Gold Stream.- Course :...
in 1863, and the expedition found some at Leechtown. The expedition also performed mapping and collected information on the mineral and agricultural potential of the island.
Brown's journals include a collection of native myths and legends and one of the earliest accounts of a potlach ceremony.