Alaska’s “Escape Point” earned its name in blood – and you can boat there today

Vancouver’s 1793 Behm Canal Survey and Tlingit Clash

In summer 1793, Captain George Vancouver led a small boat trip that changed how we see Alaska. For three weeks, he mapped the 108-mile Behm Canal, now part of Misty Fjords National Monument.

He named this vast waterway after a Russian governor who once helped spread news of Captain Cook’s death. On August 9, Vancouver stopped at New Eddystone Rock where Tlingit people asked him to visit their village.

He said no and kept going north. Days later, Tlingit warriors attacked his crew near what he later dubbed Escape Point, hurting two men.

The grand fjords and misty peaks that once saw this rare clash now wait for modern explorers to trace Vancouver’s path through southeast Alaska.

Vancouver Set Sail From Salmon Cove On A Bold Mission

Captain George Vancouver anchored his ships HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham at Salmon Cove on July 23, 1793. He quickly set up a star-watching spot on the western shore to check his timekeeping tools.

Two days later, Vancouver left his main ships behind and took small boats to circle Revillagigedo Island.

This three-week trip took him through what he later called Behm Canal, a 108-mile waterway between the island and mainland Alaska. Other officers watched the main ships while Vancouver led this mapping trip himself.

The Canal Got Its Name From A Man Who Delivered Bad News

Vancouver named Behm Canal after Magnus von Behm, Russia’s governor of Kamchatka in 1779. The choice had personal meaning.

When Captain Cook died in Hawaii during his third voyage, his ships stopped at Kamchatka. Vancouver, who served on that trip, saw von Behm take the sad news back to Europe.

The name showed respect to von Behm while also noting Russia’s presence in the area. Vancouver often picked names that linked to people from his life or British naval history.

Small Boats Did The Heavy Lifting Of Coastal Mapping

Vancouver’s boat crews started the slow work of mapping the tricky coastline. He planned ahead for this job.

Over the winter, he changed his small boats to give crew members better cover and space for supplies during long surveys.

The men took depth readings, wrote down details about land features, and made careful charts as they moved through the waterway.

Their work helped check if the famous Northwest Passage existed in this area.

A Volcanic Pillar Made The Perfect Breakfast Spot

On Friday, August 9, 1793, Vancouver and his men pulled their boats onto a strange rock formation for breakfast.

This 237-foot stone pillar stuck straight up from the water in Behm Canal. Vancouver thought it looked like the Eddystone lighthouse back in England.

The odd formation stood out clearly in the waterway. Today, this same rock is one of the most photographed spots in Misty Fjords National Monument.

Friendly Tlingit Visitors Showed Up During Breakfast

While the British crew ate breakfast at New Eddystone Rock, three small canoes arrived carrying about a dozen Tlingit people. The visitors came without weapons and happily took the small gifts Vancouver’s men offered.

Using hand signals, the Tlingit asked the British to visit their nearby village. Vancouver wrote to King George III that this meeting was quite friendly.

The peaceful nature of this visit made later events on the journey more surprising.

The Captain Chose Charts Over Cultural Exchange

Vancouver said no to the Tlingit invitation to visit their village. Instead, he told his men to get back in their boats to keep mapping northward through Behm Canal.

His main goal was finishing the survey work rather than spending time with local people. During most of his trip along the Pacific Northwest coast, Vancouver kept peaceful ties with native groups.

He later wrote that his detailed survey work would have been impossible if these relationships had stayed hostile.

Mapping Every Twist And Turn Of The Waterway

After leaving New Eddystone Rock, the boat crews kept up their careful survey work as they moved north through Behm Canal.

They recorded every land feature, measured water depths, and noted coastline details for their maps. This work proved that Revillagigedo was completely surrounded by water, making it an island.

The mapping also showed no Northwest Passage existed through this part of southeast Alaska. The charts Vancouver created during this trip helped British ships find their way through these waters for many years.

Things Turned Violent Near A Point Of No Return

The peaceful mood changed when Tlingit warriors attacked Vancouver’s party near a spot he later called Escape Point.

Two of his men got hurt in the fight, one of the few violent meetings during his entire Pacific Northwest trip.

This attack shocked everyone after the friendly meeting at New Eddystone Rock just days earlier. Vancouver’s group managed to get away from their attackers.

A Place Called Traitors Cove Tells Its Own Story

On August 12, 1793, Vancouver named a spot Traitors Cove after his crew had more trouble with local people. This cove branches off from Behm Canal on the west side of Revillagigedo Island.

The unfriendly meeting here reminded Vancouver’s men about the dangers they faced while working in new territory.

The name showed Vancouver’s feeling of betrayal after the earlier friendly meeting with the Tlingit. More than 200 years later, this place still carries the name Vancouver gave it.

The Island Circuit Proved What Wasn’t There

Vancouver finished his three-week boat trip having gone all the way around Revillagigedo Island. The survey proved it was an island and helped support British claims in southeast Alaska.

His charts covered the entire 108-mile Behm Canal and all nearby waterways. During the trip, Vancouver named many spots we still call by those names today.

His careful work showed no Northwest Passage existed through this area, answering a big question of his time.

Journey’s End Brought The Team To Port Stewart

On August 18, 1793, Vancouver arrived at Port Stewart, completing his circle around Revillagigedo Island. The expedition had traveled hundreds of miles in small open boats over three challenging weeks.

Vancouver later named this port after John Stewart, a master’s mate on HMS Discovery who did good survey work in the area.

The main ships Discovery and Chatham joined them at Port Stewart from August 22 to September 5, 1793.

This successful survey marked a key achievement in Vancouver’s four-and-a-half-year mission to chart the entire Pacific Northwest coast.

Visiting Misty Fjords National Monument, Alaska

You can explore where George Vancouver charted Behm Canal in 1793 during his three-week survey that led to his violent encounter with the Tlingit people.

The monument is 40 miles east of Ketchikan with no road access or entrance fees. Get information at Southeast Alaska Discovery Center on Main Street in Ketchikan for $5.

Take floatplane tours with water landings or boat tours through Behm Canal. You can also reserve one of 13 USFS cabins through recreation.gov.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• This 1870s Alaska expedition solved the mystery of how Yosemite Valley formed
• 142 years of trauma: When the Navy obliterated a Tlingit village in Alaska
• When six H-bombs threatened an ancient Alaskan village – and lost