On May 19, 1792, young Si’ahl stands beside his father, watching the HMS Discovery anchor off Bainbridge Island. The 10-gun British survey ship, led by Captain George Vancouver, has sailed into Puget Sound to claim the Northwest for Britain. Si’ahl- Chief Seattle-will grow up to lead the Duwamish and Suqamish tribes through changing times. His people will remember this moment.

HMS Discovery 1789, built by Randall, Gray & Brents of London, was a full-rigged, Royal Navy survey ship. She was best known as the lead ship in captain George Vancouver’s exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition.

On 1 April 1791 the HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham departed from Falmouth to explore the South Coast of Australia. Over the course of the next 4 years, Vancouver’s Discovery surveyed the North Pacific Ocean, wintering in Spanish California or Hawaii.

The Discovery’s mission was to exert British sovereignty over part of the Northwest Coast following the hand-over of the Spanish Fort San Miguel at Nootka Sound, although exploration in co-operation with the Spanish was an important secondary objective. Exploration work was successful as relations with the Spanish went well. Despite 4 years of dispatches with their governments, Vancouver and the Spanish Commandant Juan Quadra failed to formally conclude an agreement. Remarkable the Discovery only lost 6 sailors in accidents over these 5 years.

After 4 years at sea, Discovery was in great need of repair. She was laid up until 1798 when she was refitted as a bomb vessel and re-commissioned under Commander John Dick. As a bomb vessel Discovery had an armament of 1 x 13” mortar; 1 x 10” mortar; 8 x 24-pounder carronades & 2 x 6-pound guns.

In October 1800 Commander John Conn replaced Dick. HMS Discovery took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 and was awarded a Naval General Service Medal. She was paid off in October that year and was laid up in ordinary in May 1802.  After that she served as a hospital ship and later as a convict ship until 1831. She was broken up in 1834.

Our model of the HMS DISCOVERY is 100% handcrafted by artisans from scratch, using high-grade woods such as rosewood, mahogany, teak, and other exotic woods. The model required hundreds of hour to complete by skillful and creative master craftsmen. It is built using all the finest materials and metal fittings to build the model. Our model was built according to scale through original plans, pictures and drawings. This HMS DISCOVERY model comes ready to be display on a wood-base.