In the late months of 1876, the Dominion of Canada, in cooperation with the newly established British Columbia Government, was searching for ports for the Canadian Pacific Railway. By 1877, HMS Daring was stationed in the North Pacific, operating out of Esquimalt, at a time when both the British Admiralty and the Canadian government were increasing their scrutiny of the Pacific coast. The Canadian Pacific Railway, which had been promised under the Terms of Union of British Columbia in 1871, had not yet selected a terminus on the Pacific coast, and accurate hydrographic information was essential for that decision. Although the HMS Daring was not a Canadian vessel, her surveys contributed valuable information to the pool that was used by colonial and Dominion authorities.

These surveys coincided with Canadian government investigations into Pacific harbours for the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway. The project was overseen by Sandford Fleming, who heavily relied on hydrographic data from the Royal Navy.

Arriving in Esquimalt in June of 1877, the vessel was refitted for seaworthiness, then sailed to the Burrard Inlet to Moodyville for new sails. By August of 1877, it was ready.

At Barkley Sound, the vessel HMS Daring conducted detailed soundings and shoreline corrections, which were later reflected in Admiralty chart revisions of the late 1870s. The sound was confirmed to be a large, sheltered anchorage suitable for both naval and commercial vessels. However, reports highlighted the steep, heavily forested interior, which posed a significant obstacle to railway construction.

The HMS Daring surveyed Clayoquot Sound and Nootka Sound further north, updating charts from eighteenth-century surveys. Nootka Sound offered deep, well-protected anchorage; however, its surrounding mountainous terrain posed significant engineering challenges for any rail connection to the interior.

During these surveys, the HMS Daring operated in waters that the Nuu-chah-nulth (nuučaan̓uł) peoples have long travelled, lived and used. Their villages and canoe routes were depicted on Admiralty charts, though Indigenous knowledge was recorded only indirectly. By late 1877, the HMS Daring returned to Esquimalt, with her surveys incorporated into Admiralty publications. The hydrographic information she documented helped eliminate the outer coast as a viable terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), guiding railway planners toward the more sheltered waters of Burrard Inlet.

During this dispatch, Captain John Hamner documented entries in his personal letter book, while the First Mate made Journal entries in the logbooks of the HMS Daring. These records reveal that the HMS Daring anchored at Gillies Bay on September 9, 1877, and returned on October 1, 2, and 3 of the same year. It was very uncommon for the ship to revisit a bay like Gillies Bay, as it was only a safe but unoccupied harbour, especially considering that Comox and Nanaimo offered more secure harbour options.

Although insignificant on its own, when combined with its entire voyage, there are 8 recovered and known place names recorded during its search for the CPR Port.

Daring Point is named after the H.M. steamsloop Daring.

Edward Point is named after Edward J Powell, chief draughtsman, Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty.

Hamner Point at the Skeena River and Hamner Rocks at Browns Passage are named after Commander John George Job Hamner, commanding the HMS Daring.

Hegan Point, Skeena River, is named after Sub-lieutenant George Vincent Hegan of the HMS Daring

Hicks Point, Smith Island, is named after Robert Hicks, the Pilot aboard the HMS Daring.

Powell Point, Skeena River, is named after Edward J Powell, chief draughtsman, Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty.

Veitch Point, Skeena River, is named after James Richard Veitch, Royal Navy, Navigating Lieutenant of the HMS Daring.

Woodcock Landing, North Skeena Passage, was given the name after William H Woodcock, who occupied the landing and was adopted on Chart 580 by the officers of the HMS Daring.

The significance of these place names lies in the year and the people they were named after. 1878 changed everything in the area we know as Powell River.