'Travelling man' - Free
George Vancouver was a travelling man. Born in 1757, he only lived for forty years but achieved great things. He is best known for exploring and charting the Pacific Coast of North America but his voyage also took him to Hawaii and the eastern coast of Australia. His charts were so accurate they were used by several generations of sailors after him. He was quite a guy and had risen from humble beginnings after joining the navy at 13.
He died in obscurity, from an unrecorded means. What a tragic end to such a great life. His downfall was due to Thomas Pitt, 2nd baron of Camelford and a complete waste of space. He signed up for George's big expedition as an able seaman at the age of 16. George had to severely discipline him on several occasions. As Pitt was only a low rating seaman this involved shackles and floggings, according to the Naval code of the time. Pitt resented being disciplined by what he saw as a low born man, but George was just doing his job. Unbeknownst to both George and Pitt the latter's father died during the voyage and so Pitt had became a member of the House of Lords, taking the title Lord Camelford. Of course, you will know that his cousin, Pitt the Younger, was PM at the time and he was brought in to also discredit Vancouver.
Camelford challenged poor George to a duel, which he refused, but his civilian brother, Charles, took up the challenge for him. It took place in the grounds of Holland House. Camelford killed the unfortunate Charles.
Once back in London, Camelford stalked Vancouver and even assaulted him on the corner of Conduit Street. Thereafter Camelford ensured that Vancouver's naval career ended and poor George was ostracised. What a mess. How dreadful that a wastrel like Camelford was able to end such a glittering career and ruin a man with Vancouver's undoubted talent.
What a shit Thomas Pitt was, he never amounted to anything and died at the age of 29 with no known heirs, hence his title died with him.
Anyway, the purpose of this sorry tale, (apart from furthering your education) is to tell you that George named a lovely windswept bit of coastline on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsular, in what we now know as Washington State, after a place it reminded him of on the Kent coast - Dungeness.
I can see where he was coming from; if you imagine standing with your back to the present day power station, that is. I half expected to see Derek Jarman's cottage and garden there. It's rather lovely, desolate and slightly eerie. Plus, the local crabs are fantastic, even if they do appear on the bill as 'Dung crab'!
Full of crustacea, we made our way around the peninsular through the temperate rainforest. Tomorrow we are going to Portland, Oregon.
He died in obscurity, from an unrecorded means. What a tragic end to such a great life. His downfall was due to Thomas Pitt, 2nd baron of Camelford and a complete waste of space. He signed up for George's big expedition as an able seaman at the age of 16. George had to severely discipline him on several occasions. As Pitt was only a low rating seaman this involved shackles and floggings, according to the Naval code of the time. Pitt resented being disciplined by what he saw as a low born man, but George was just doing his job. Unbeknownst to both George and Pitt the latter's father died during the voyage and so Pitt had became a member of the House of Lords, taking the title Lord Camelford. Of course, you will know that his cousin, Pitt the Younger, was PM at the time and he was brought in to also discredit Vancouver.
Camelford challenged poor George to a duel, which he refused, but his civilian brother, Charles, took up the challenge for him. It took place in the grounds of Holland House. Camelford killed the unfortunate Charles.
Once back in London, Camelford stalked Vancouver and even assaulted him on the corner of Conduit Street. Thereafter Camelford ensured that Vancouver's naval career ended and poor George was ostracised. What a mess. How dreadful that a wastrel like Camelford was able to end such a glittering career and ruin a man with Vancouver's undoubted talent.
What a shit Thomas Pitt was, he never amounted to anything and died at the age of 29 with no known heirs, hence his title died with him.
Anyway, the purpose of this sorry tale, (apart from furthering your education) is to tell you that George named a lovely windswept bit of coastline on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsular, in what we now know as Washington State, after a place it reminded him of on the Kent coast - Dungeness.
I can see where he was coming from; if you imagine standing with your back to the present day power station, that is. I half expected to see Derek Jarman's cottage and garden there. It's rather lovely, desolate and slightly eerie. Plus, the local crabs are fantastic, even if they do appear on the bill as 'Dung crab'!
Full of crustacea, we made our way around the peninsular through the temperate rainforest. Tomorrow we are going to Portland, Oregon.
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