Doug: Your posting of the unfortunate April 13th incident reawakens my curiosity about your local waters. Who the hell was Juan de Fuca? Is there a good source of information about the Spanish exploration of the Pacific NW? And while we're getting historical, what sort of boats did the local Native Americans use around Victoria? How far south did kayak use go? PT, Melbourne, OZ., *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I know you directed this to Doug, but I couldn't resist. I actually had no idea who Juan de fuca was, and usually make up some, uh, likely sotry to explain to whoever. But! He was Greek! I didn't know any of this. I'm in Victoria too, and there is Juan de Fuca everything here. I take my cat to the Jdf Vet Clinic! I understand that instead of the University of Victoria, there was a proposal to name it Juan de Fuca U. Niversity. Snicker. Luckily, didn't happen. Sad story re the two who went out yesterday and the one who came back. I couldn't believe what I heard. that piece of water deserves a lot of respect. http://www.nps.gov/olym/edhis.htm "Since the early 16th century European explorers had sought a Northwest Passage across the American continent to the Pacific. A Greek navigator who sailed for Spain and was known by the name of Juan de Fuca claimed to have found such a passage at 47 degrees north latitude in 1592, but his claim was doubted by subsequent explorers. ...(snip) In 1787 the English Captain Charles William Barkley recognized the passage between the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island and entered it onto his charts as the Strait of Juan de Fuca. " Diane > Doug: Your posting of the unfortunate April 13th incident reawakens my > curiosity about your local waters. Who the hell was Juan de Fuca? Is there a > good source of information about the Spanish exploration of the Pacific NW? > And while we're getting historical, what sort of boats did the local Native > Americans use around Victoria? How far south did kayak use go? > PT, Melbourne, OZ., > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Peter Treby" <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> > And while we're getting historical, what sort of boats did the local Native > Americans use around Victoria? How far south did kayak use go? AFAIK, they primarily used dugouts based on the huge trees from the boreal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. There were some canoes made from bark - sturgeon-nosed and others - but I'm not sure if they were coastal or inland. George Dyson, in Baidarka, documents the use of Aleutian baidarkas as far south as California. These were seal hunters spurred on by Russian fur traders to hunt. They had to venture further south as the seal stocks were depleting as they hunted so aggressively. Without the trade pushing them, I don't remember that they had previously ventured very far south - certainly not as far south as Vancouver Island. BTW, those dugouts are very impressive. I've seen several in museums and they are big. Made for travel on the coast and for whaling, they were big, beautiful and impressively decorated. Mike For the appearance: http://www.gwaiiecotours.com/haida_canoe.htm for size,scroll down to the 17m canoe: http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/havct01e.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Mike wrote: AFAIK, they primarily used dugouts based on the huge trees from the boreal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. There were some canoes made from bark - sturgeon-nosed and others - but I'm not sure if they were coastal or inland. Actually, in this range of latitude boreal forests begin inland, farther to the north, and are characterized by intermittent stands of forest and tundra, until all becomes tundra past the arctic circle. Coastal Alaska, west and north of the Aleutians begin stands of typical boreal forest. Tree species from east to west include: red spruce, balsam fir, eastern hemlock, white pine, aspen and black and white spruce. Paddlers point of view: Slave Lake, Boundary lakes, Hudson Bay, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Wood Tikchik (AK). Along the coastline, the temperate rainforest is typified by extensive rainfall and an unusually mild maritime climate extending north as far as Juneau, Alaska. The Japanese or Kyushu current brings mild humid air from the south and central pacific eastward. (But you still need a dry suit). This is the forest that gets all the press with its huge red and yellow cedar, western hemlock and sitka spruce. The larger trees occuring in the southern range. Great stands of douglas fir often occupy the interior of islands or mainland forest sites. Not all is rainforest, that definition, strictly speaking is reserved for forests receiving over 100 inches of rain annually, are typically westward facing, thus assuring continual supply of wet pacific weather. The classic definition includes other areas near rainforest that dry up a bit more but still retain similar characteristics of wet temperate forest. Paddlers point of view: WA Olympic Coastline, Western Vancouver Island coastline, Central and Northern British Columbia Coastline, Alaska ( Icy Strait to Ketchikan). To see the largest trees paddle up a river valley and walk. Leeward forests are often weather beaten and not as sizable until inland enough to shelter from worst of weather. The locals would select a suitable tree, most often cedar, fell it, burn it out and ply all the inland and coastal waters of the PNW. The Haida were well known among other tribes for paddling from the Gwai Haanas (Queen Charlottes) as far south as the San Juan Islands. And we thought we were cool crossing 3 or 4 miles, island to island. Try 50 miles of Hecate strait, or north to Dixon entrance. Of course, they had many paddlers per canoe so that a full time bailer was often employed. People that paddle here are very lucky as the northwest coastline is quite simply one of the most beautiful and diverse pieces of land and seascape on earth, (though you should always wear your pfd and immersion apparel). No I'm not a travel agent or guide, Rob G *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tuesday, April 16, 2002, at 8:46:29 AM PST, Rcgibbert_at_aol.com wrote: [Re: Pacific Northwest waters]... > People that paddle here are very lucky as the northwest coastline is > quite simply one of the most beautiful and diverse pieces of land > and seascape on earth I quite agree! I live on the WA coast, and every day I go out paddling (ocean, coastal rivers, or slightly inland rain forest lakes), or walk on the beach, or ride my bicycle along the coast road, I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful area. For me, "Paradise on Earth" consists of the coastlines and mountain areas from northern California to the Arctic. I currently live happily on the Washington coast, and dream of moving to coastal Alaska (Kenai Peninsula). I'm sure that I would also love the western Fjords and mountains of New Zealand's south island (and all of NZ's coastline indeed - both north and south islands). Southwestern South America also looks pretty good to me. And there are many other very beautiful places on this planet I'd like to experience as well. Tropical places are wonderful as well, but I think I'm generally more of a temperate/arctic/antarctic type of being than I am a tropical one. I've even been to some very lovely inland locations, but for me - a sea spirit - I need to smell the sea when I wake up in the morning, or I'm just too far inland. Melissa -- PGP public keys: mailto:pgp_keys_at_gmx.co.uk?subject=0x46C29887&Body=Please%20send%20keys *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Daly" <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com> To: "Paddlewise" <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 7:09 AM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Spanish Victoria > From: "Peter Treby" <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> > > > And while we're getting historical, what sort of boats did the local Native > > Americans use around Victoria? How far south did kayak use go? > > AFAIK, they primarily used dugouts based on the huge trees from the > boreal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. There were some canoes > made from bark - sturgeon-nosed and others - but I'm not sure if they > were coastal or inland. > > George Dyson, in Baidarka, documents the use of Aleutian baidarkas as > far south as California. These were seal hunters spurred on by Russian > fur traders to hunt. They had to venture further south as the seal > stocks were depleting as they hunted so aggressively. Actually it was the sea otter that was the object of the massive hunt. The Aleutian's in their skin kayaks were so proficient that the sea otter was almost hunted to extinction. Sea otters feed in part on sea urchins which in turn feed on kelp forests. With the sea otter gone from the food chain the kelp forest were in turn greatly reduced. As an aside - the area was charted by George Vancouver and his officers and men. They did the survey using the tender, and long boats from the ship Discovery. They rowed everywhere. They made only two errors, one was mechanical, the ships watch was running fast, and if memory services me correct they misplace the lines of latitude by about 7 minutes east. The other mistake was failing to find the Fraser River. Which the Spanish also failed to find. Vancouver hated the ships Doctor who was also the ships naturalist. Whenever they made landfall in the Discovery the doctor was sent ashore with a group of men to brew Spruce Beer. Now I've had a few whobbly pops, but never a Spruce. Anyone care to enlighten us on Spruce Beer. Gordin Warner Victoria *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 22:13 16/04/2002 -0700, G. Warner wrote: >Vancouver hated the ships Doctor who was also the ships >naturalist. Whenever they made landfall in the Discovery the doctor was >sent ashore with a group of men to brew Spruce Beer. > >Now I've had a few whobbly pops, but never a Spruce. Anyone care to >enlighten us on Spruce Beer. Well, I've drunk birch bark wine, which was really rather excellent. If you really want to try it, look at http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/RECIPENS/15a993b0/791e1b24.htm which gives several recipes for spruce beer. Can't say it's very tempting: maybe Vancouver's ploy was to make the Doctor drink the stuff. By the way, I've a feeling that the famous Bligh, eventually of the Bounty, was on Vancouver's expedition, but I can't be sure without checking. Nick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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