Charles Duncan (captain) facts for kids

Charles Duncan was a British ship captain who explored the Pacific Ocean in the late 1780s. He was involved in the maritime fur trade, which meant trading for animal furs by sea. From 1786 to 1788, he captained a ship called Princess Royal. This ship was a smaller vessel, known as a tender, that worked with a larger ship, the Prince of Wales. Both ships were owned by the King George's Sound Company.

Duncan and the main captain, James Colnett, traded with the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast to get sea otter furs. These furs were very valuable. They then sailed to Guangzhou (also known as Canton) in China, stopping in the Hawaiian Islands along the way, to sell the furs.

Exploring the Coast

While sailing along the coast of what is now British Columbia, Captain Duncan and Captain Colnett met some of the Kitkatla Tsimshian people for the first time. These were important first encounters between Europeans and the local Indigenous groups.

Later, in Hawaii, the ships Princess Royal and Prince of Wales had some difficult interactions with the islanders. One event at Waimea Bay led to serious disagreements.

Mapping and Discoveries

Charles Duncan was also a skilled mapmaker. He drew a map of the entrance to the Juan de Fuca Strait. This strait is a large body of water between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula. His map included notes about the Makah people who lived near Cape Claaset, which is now called Cape Flattery in Washington state.

He also drew a picture of a tall rock formation known as Pinnacle Rock. Today, this landmark is called Fuca’s Pillar.

Duncan strongly believed that a Northwest Passage existed. This was a legendary sea route through North America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He didn't find it himself, but his belief was partly based on information he heard from Indigenous people.

In 1788, Captain Duncan named Princess Royal Island after his ship, the Princess Royal.