William Henry McNeill facts for kids
William Henry McNeill (born 1803, died 1875) was an important sea captain. He is famous for his 1830 trip on the ship Llama. He sailed from Boston, USA, all the way around Cape Horn. This long journey of about 12,000 miles (19,000 km) took him to the Pacific Northwest. He was part of the maritime fur trade.
Boston merchants owned the Llama. The ship carried goods for trading. In 1832, the Hudson's Bay Company bought the Llama and its cargo. They bought it in Honolulu. The company's leader in the region, Roderick Finlayson, kept McNeill as captain. This was special because McNeill was American. The company usually only hired British people. But McNeill knew the northwest coast very well. This made him a valuable captain for them.
Rescuing Japanese Sailors
In 1834, McNeill helped rescue three Japanese sailors. Their ship, the Hojunmaru, was badly damaged. It had drifted across the ocean for over a year. Most of the crew died from scurvy. The ship wrecked near Cape Flattery. The Makah people had taken the three survivors. Their names were Iwakichi, Kyukichi, and Otokichi.
John McLoughlin, another leader at the Hudson's Bay Company, asked McNeill to help. Captain McNeill went to the Makah territory. He paid to free the three Japanese sailors. They stayed at Fort Vancouver for a few months. Then, they traveled to London. People hoped they could help Britain trade with Japan. From London, they went to Macau. But Japan did not want them to return home. So, they lived the rest of their lives in Macau. These three men were the first Japanese people to visit what is now Washington and London.
Captain of the S.S. Beaver
In 1836, a new ship arrived at Fort Vancouver. It was the S.S. Beaver. This was the first steamship on the Pacific Northwest Coast. McNeill became its second captain in 1837. He commanded the Beaver until 1851.
In 1837, the Hudson's Bay Company needed a new main base. They worried they might have to leave Fort Vancouver. So, they told McNeill to find a good spot. He sailed the Beaver to look for a safe harbor. They also needed land good for farming and raising animals. On August 10, he found a great place. He wrote in his log about "an excellent harbour and a fine open country". This location later became Fort Victoria.
Important Meetings and New Posts
On May 11, 1841, McNeill met an important visitor. He and Alexander Caulfield Anderson greeted United States Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. Wilkes was part of the United States Exploring Expedition. His ship, the USS Porpoise, anchored near Fort Nisqually. This was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. It was close to the modern town of Dupont, Washington.
On March 14, 1843, Captain McNeill anchored off Vancouver Island. He was in McNeill Bay. He was scouting the exact spot for Fort Victoria.
McNeill stopped being captain of the Beaver in 1843. In 1849, he helped set up Fort Rupert. This fort was near modern-day Port Hardy. McNeill was promoted to Chief Factor at Fort Simpson in 1856. He retired from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1863. He moved to his farm on Vancouver Island. It was near Victoria, British Columbia. He died there in 1875 from pneumonia.
Today, Port McNeill, British Columbia is named after Captain McNeill.
