Description:
On a small rocky island, named San Rafael Island, in the Pacific. This island is the largest of the St Miguel group lying off the entrance to Nootka Sound.
The Indian village of Friendly Cove is less than a quarter of a mile away.
The cairn is a solid structure of uncut stones in the form of a pyramid measuring 11 feet high, it stands on a 7 feet square base. Access to this monument is quite difficult, especially at low tide.
History:
The cairn itself was built in 1903 by the University of Washington Historical Society at the site of the cannon at the old Spanish fort.
The tablet below was unveiled on Wednesday 13th August, 1924 by the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. In 1923 the Canadian government had declared Yuquot/Friendly Cove, a National Historic Site.
In 1997 it was recognised that this site was significant in the history of the First Nation.
Inscription:
On a bronze tablet on the seaward side of the cairn:
NOOTKA SOUND
DISCOVERED BY
CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
IN MARCH, 1778.
IN JUNE 1789 SPAIN TOOK
POSSESSION AND ESTABLISHED
AND MAINTAINED A SETTLEMENT
UNTIL 1795.
THE CAPTURE OF BRITISH
VESSELS IN 1789 ALMOST LED
TO WAR, WHICH WAS AVOIDED BY
THE NOOTKA CONVENTION, 1790.
VANCOUVER AND QUADRA
MET HERE IN AUGUST, 1792,
TO DETERMINE THE LAND
TO BE RESTORED
UNDER THE CONVENTION.
Second plaque on the cairn:
NOOTKA SOUND
LA BAIE NOOTKA
The Spaniard Juan Perez visited this bay in 1774, but it was first
explored by James Cook in 1778. Spain established a settlement
here in 1789 and seized British vessels sent to do likewise. The
ensuing debate brought Europe to the brink of war, but the out-
break of the French Revolution, which threatened to isolate
Spain from her main ally, led to the signing of the Nootka Con-
vention on 28th October, 1790. Spain thereby ceded her claims to
the unoccupied territories on the west coast of North America.
In 1795 the Spanish settlement here was abandoned.
L’Espagnol Juan Perez visita cette baie en 1774 et James Cook
I’explora en 1778. L’Espagnol y fonda une colonie en 1789 et
saisit les navires anglais venus dans le meme but .Le querelle
faillit déclencher une guerre en Europe ; toutefois, la Révolution
francaise menacant de priver L’Espagnol de son principal allié, la
convention de Nootka fut signée le 28 octobre 1790. L’Espagnol
cédair a I’Angleterre ses droits sur les turres inoccupées de la cote
oust de I’Amérique du Nord. En 1795, la colonie espagnole fut
abandonée.
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques de Canada
GPS Coordinates: 49.592374, -126.615949
References:
Cook’s Log, page 500, vol.10, no.1 (1987)
Cook’s Log, page 9, vol.35, no.3 (2012)
Cook’s Log, page 12, vol.38, no.1 (2015)
Image gallery (click to enlarge)