THE FIRST HINT OF CAPTAIN GEORGE
Vancouver's desire to make history probably came when he was an ambitious 16-year-old seaman serving on Captain James Cook's ship, the Resolution, during Cook's second great voyage.
Cook sailed with the intention of determining whether an Antarctic continent really existed by exploring the Antarctic region and the South Pacific. Just before Resolution turned north after having sailed as far south as was possible, Vancouver climbed the bowsprit, leaned out over the Antarctic sea toward the polar ice, and established his claim of having been "nearer the south pole than any other man"
By his mid-twenties, he had narrowly escaped death on the island of Hawaii (the day before Captain James Cook was killed on the same island), sailed the world twice and gained his first commission.
As captain of the Discovery, Vancouver is credited with undertaking the last of the great voyages of exploration embarked upon by 18th century European sailors. During this expedition, he oversaw the return of British territory and property from the Spanish at Nootka and created the first accurate map of the northwest Pacific coast,
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Vancouver's desire to make history probably came when he was an ambitious 16-year-old seaman serving? on Captain James Cook's ship, the Resolution, during Cook's second great voyage. Cook sailed with the intention of determining whether an Antarctic continent really existed by exploring the Antarctic region and the South Pacific. Just before Resolution turned north after having sailed as far south as was possible, Vancouver climbed the bowsprit, leaned out over the Antarctic sea toward the polar ice, and established his claim of having been "nearer the south pole than any other man" By his mid-twenties, he had narrowly escaped death on the island of Hawaii (the day before Captain James Cook was killed on the same island), sailed the world twice and gained his first commission.
As captain of the Discovery, Vancouver is credited with undertaking the last of the great voyages of exploration embarked upon by 1 81b century European sailors. During this expedition, he oversaw the return of British territory and property from the Spanish at Nootka and created the first accurate map of the northwest Pacific coast, exploring from the tip of Vancouver Island to the southern end of the Alaska panhandle He bestowed almost 400 place names that are still used today, including the largest island on the west coast of North America and Canada's largest west-coast city, which both carry the name Vancouver.
To celebrate the 250111 250111 anniversary of Captain
Vancouver's birth and honour his accomplishments, on June 22, 2007, Canada Post will issue a single international rate ($1 .55) stamp.
