Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of
Ucluelet and north of
Bamfield on the west coast of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
and forms the entrance to the
Alberni Inlet. The
Broken Group archipelago lies in the sound. Barkley Sound is part of the traditional territory of the
Nuu-cha-nulth First Nations. In 1787, Captain
Charles William Barkley of , explored the sound and named it after himself. Barkley traveled with his 17-year-old bride,
Frances Barkley, the first European woman to visit what is now British Columbia.
In 1791, the Spanish ship , under
Juan Carrasco and
José María Narváez, explored Barkley Sound in detail. The Spanish named it Boca de Carrasco. Another Spanish name in common use at the time was Entrada Nitinat.
In 1933, 27 years after the sinking of , the ship's lifeboat #5 was found floating in Barkley Sound. Remarkably, it was in good condition, with much of the original paint remaining. The boat's nameplate is now on display in the
Maritime Museum of British Columbia.
External links
Barkley Sound page, VancouverIsland.com
References
Alberni Valley
Barkley Sound region
Sounds of British Columbia
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