Vancouver, George

van-koo'ver, George (1758-1798), an English sailor. He saw service under the famous Captain Cook on his second and third voyages. On his return to England he was made a first lieutenant. In 1790 he was sent out by the English government to search for a northwest passage. During this voyage he surveyed the Pacific coast of North America as far north as Cook's Inlet. On his return to England he published an account of his voyage under the title of A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean and Round the World in the Years 1790-5. His name has been perpetuated in Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Vancouver, Washington.