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Spanish place names in the Pacific Northwest: Try again.

Names given by Spanish explorers

  • Aristazabal Island: 52°38′N 129°5′W. Named 30 August 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honour of Gabriel de Aristazábal, comandante de la armada. George Vancouver misspelled this "Aristizable" on his chart.[1]
  • Cape Blanco: 42°50′15″N 124°33′50″W. [4] Allegedly named by Martin de Aguilar in 1603, although he probably did not reach the cape and the name might have been in use before 1603. Various other names have been used for the cape, and the name Blanco has been used for other capes, but in time Cape Blanco became established as the westernmost cape of Oregon.[5]
  • Boca del Infierno Bay: 49°37′N 126°38′W. An "original Spanish naming", meaning Bay of Fury or Bay of Hell. BCGNIS does not say who named it or when.[7]
  • Gil Island: 53°12′N 129°14′W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño while exploring the area. The name honors Juan Gil, the ensign-bearer of the San Martin, flagship of the Duke of Medino-Sidonia in the Spanish Armada. Part of Caamaño's task was to search for the mythical "Rio de Reyes". This strait or river, supposed to connect the Pacific with the Atlantic, was claimed to have been discovered in 1640 by Admiral Pedro Bartolome de Fonti, in command of a fleet of 4 vessles, his flagship being named the Holy Ghost.[17]


  • Porlier Pass: 49°1′N 123°35′W. Named in 1791 by Jose Maria Narvaez, commanding the Spanish schooner "Saturnina." Incorrectly spelled Portier for many years.[25]


  • Toba Inlet: 49°9′N 125°40′W. Named in 1792 by Galiano and Valdés as "Canal de la Tabla", because they found a strange tablet of planks with "hieroglyphics" carved on it. A map engraving error later changed Tabla to Toba.[34]

Names given by non-Spanish in honor of Spanish explorers

  • Dionisio Point: Named by Captain John F. Parry, HMS Egeria, on re-surveying Porlier Pass in 1905, after Commander Dionisio Alcala Galiano.

Spanish names of unknown origin

  • Aranzazu Banks: "Aranzazu Banks". BC Geographical Names..
  • Eliza Island
  • Fidalgo Bay
  • Guemes Channel

References

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