The question of how far Francis Drake travelled north
along the West Coast of the Americas is an interesting and difficult
one. Recent theories speculate that he may have actually entered
through the Straits of Juan de Fuca and explored the Straits of
Georgia. He was in need of a beach to pull his ships up onto and
clean them and briefly considered present day Jericho Beach in
Vancouver but due to the thousands of natives inhabiting the shores
of English Bay he was hesitant to enter into a situation which would
leave him vulnerable to their potential attacks. He therefore sailed
back south to the Oregon coast and completed his refit there. This
may have been the first overseas encounter with the Coast Salish
people of British Columbia and European sailors. Due to the sea
Otter and their valuable pelts it would not be long before Spanish,
English, Russian and than America traders would be appearing
regularly along the coast looking to trade with the natives.
