1790's
The Early Explorersby Robin Tremblay
1790’s – The Early Explorers
In the midsummer of 1792, two small Spanish goletas, the Sutil and the Mexicana, navigated the intricate waterways of the coast claimed by Spain as part of Nueva España, what we now call British Columbia. Their sails fluttered lightly in the wind, and although the crews were weary, they remained vigilant, constantly lowering chains to ensure their hulls were safe.
This was no ordinary voyage.The commanders of these Spanish goletas were Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés, both of whose names are associated with well-known islands. They had been sent north to chart the mysterious Strait of Juan de Fuca and beyond, in search of signs of a passage that might connect the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
As the ships navigated the rugged coastline, they discovered a long, sheltered channel between the mainland and a large island of rock and forest, known as Texada Island. The waters were choppy, and they sought a protected harbor. After anchoring and lowering their boats, they sent them off in two different directions.
On June 23, 1792,they chose to honor a man whose spirit had guided their expedition: Alessandro Malaspina, the brilliant Italian-born explorer who led Spain’s grand scientific voyage across the Pacific. Although Malaspina himself had not sailed these exact waters, his vision and leadership inspired their mission.
In the journal of the expedition, written in ink on parchment and spoken aloud, they named the channel the Malaspina Strait. This name has endured through the centuries, appearing on maps, spoken by sailors, and it continues to identify the stretch of sea between Texada Island and the Sunshine Coast to this day.
What made the voyage truly extraordinary was that it formed part of Spain’s response to the Nootka Crisis, involved direct cooperation and encounter with George Vancouver, and ultimately resulted in the first European circumnavigation of Vancouver Island.
It was not the first time sailors and explorers sailed these waters, Captain Vancouver was sailing the waters at the same moment in time, surveying and mapping the coast.
In Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World (1798), Vancouver wrote “…opposite to this island [Texada], on the continental shore, a considerable river discharges itself into the strait…”
This is the earliest European reference to what is now known as the Powell River area. Vancouver did not name the river, but his description confirms its presence across from Texada Island.
