HAMILTON SOUND: The body of water to the east of New World Island and south of Fogo Island is referred to as Hamilton Sound, and while it was not marked on the charts of Cook and Lane it is clearly shown on maps of today.

By definition, a sound is "a large body of water from which two or more inlets, arms or channels branch off'. While not a common term used in Newfoundland, Hamilton Sound is north of Gander Bay, which is connected to Gander Lake (and the town of Gander) by the Gander River. From the 1884 publication from the United States Hydrographic Office publication:

Sir Charles Hamilton sound. The northern shore of Sir Charles Hamilton sound is formed by Grandfather island, the Indian islands, and groups which extend from them towards the Dog bay islands, the southwestern being the Goose islands, lying WSW. 2 W. 7 1⁄2 miles from Grandfather island; the intervening space is occupied by dangers, and should not be approached within half a mile, or in less water than 10 fathoms.

According to Wikipedia contributors, Admiral Sir Charles Hamilton (1767 - 1849) served as resident governor for the colony of Newfoundland from 1818 to 1823. "During this period, he oversaw the reconstruction of St. John's following fires in 1818 and 1819.

Although he was charged with promoting agriculture, he was soon discouraged by the poor soils of the island. The economy of the island was depressed due to decreased demand for Newfoundland cod and Hamilton encouraged diversification of the fisheries to include whales, seals and salmon".

Interestingly, Cook and Lane never labeled this body of water as "Hamilton's Sound" on the charts they show numerous small islands (islets) that undoubtedly would be hazardous to fishermen.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

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