English Camp, Garrison Bay

Lunch done, we head over to the National Memorial Park dock on English Camp.

Great to see the Union Jack flying proud. This is a bit of history that, if nothing else, is quite fun. There was a boundary dispute in the 1840's between the English and the Americans. Both insisted that they owned San Juan Island as part of the original boundary agreement -- at the time the surveyors didn't realize that it was there -- they thought that there was only one strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

This dispute caused both sides to occupy the island -- the English on the north side; the Americans in the south. This carried on for some time until one day one of the American's shot a pig that belonged to one of the Englishmen. This so enraged the English that they petitioned to Governor Douglas in Victoria to send troops to defend their claim to the island. So, in 1860 Governor Douglas sent out a party of 120 Royal Marines who had just previously been fighting in Shanghai and called them to build a fort on the San Juan Island to defend British ownership. Likewise, the American's sent their considerable army force to the south end of the island. Not long after the President sent the Commander of the Army in American to negotiate a peaceful conclusion. It was decided that the territory dispute would be adjudicated by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. During the many years that the dispute was under consideration by the Kaiser, the Americans and British lived in respectful harmony. The British built their camp up with fine buildings, gardens and homes for the officers. The American camp was woefully unkempt and very rough living.


Outside and inside the block house at English Camp.