North America: British Possessions. page 2

The history of British Columbia begins at the close of the 18th century Vancouver Island, discovered in 1592 by a Greek navigator in the Spanish service in Mexico, was coasted by Drake, and styled "New Albion," in Elizabeth's days, and was again visited by Captain Cook in 1778 The territory had its modern name from Captain George Vancouver, of the royal navy, who had sailed as midshipman under Cook, and was engaged in the exploration of that part of the Pacific coast of North America. In 1849 the island became a Crown colony A few years later the discovery of gold in the valley of the Fraser River, on the opposite mainland, brought a rush of emigrants, and in 1858 British Columbia became a separate Crown colony. In 1866 the two were united, joining the Dominion, as "British Columbia," in 1871.

Newfoundland, discovered in 1497 by one of the Cabots, and visited by the Portuguese navigator Cortereal in 1501, soon became the centre of a great cod-fishery carried on by people from Portugal, Spain, France, and the British Isles. In 1583 it was occupied as a British possession, under a charter from Elizabeth, by the famous Sir Humphrey Gilbert, whose ship suddenly foundered on a return-voyage. In 1624 the island was first regularly colonised by Sir George Calvert, afterwards Lord Baltimore, under a "patent" from James I. In 1662 the French appeared at Placentia on the south coast, and claimed possession of the district for their country, an event which was to become, in later years, a source of much trouble to colonial and British ministers. During the 18th century true colonisation, or tillage, was greatly retarded by the opposition of the "fishing-interest," who cared for nothing but cod, and the colonists were subject to many attacks during the wars with France, In 1763 the Treaty of Paris conceded the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon to France, and in 1783 the Treaty of Versailles extended the French hold on the coast. The cod-fishery has generally flourished, but the progress of the colony has been slow, mainly from obstinate devotion to the one pursuit, and neglect to develop the internal resources of the great island, rich in minerals, and suitable for tillage in large areas. The people have hitherto refused to join the Dominion. In 1895 there was a severe financial crisis due to a fall, in Europe, of the price of products from the fisheries. The capital, St. John's, has suffered from disastrous fires, as in 1816, 1817, and in 1846, in which year two-thirds of the place was destroyed. In 1892 one-half of the buildings, including the fine unfinished Anglican cathedral and other great structures, were swept away by a conflagration which left 11,000 people homeless.