HMS RESOLUTION Approaches Nootka Sound

Capt. James Cook’s two ships, Resolution and Discovery, approaching Nootka Sound in the afternoon of March, 1778. This view accurately shows the details of the ornate carving on the stern of the flagship. The weather had cleared enough on the west side of Vancouver Island to see the opening to the sound and gain entrance. The men of Cook’s expedition were the first Europeans to set foot on Vancouver Island. They anchored in Ship Cove for a month while they repaired the ships and made observations.