RECORDED: [location unknown], 1976-08-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Captain William Higgs recalls how his father, Leonard Higgs, came out from England to British Columbia via Oregon, and settled on South Pender Island. William was born in 1901. Educated at home, then three terms boarding at St. Michael's school. Made boats out of cedar slabs, then out of cedar lumber. Boat trips to pick up supplies at Cadboro Bay, Mayne Island or Sidney. Learned boatbuilding skills from father. William became an apprentice seaman on the CPR steamships, starting with the "Princess Beatrice", rising to quartermaster. Coastal stops visited. After 2.5 years, went into tugboats and towboating. Started his own small towing business in Sidney, Gulf Islands Transportation Company. In 1934, company moved to Nanaimo and changed name to Nanaimo Towing Company. William and his brother Tom designed a ferry, bid on the Nanaimo to Gabriola run, had the ferry "Atriveda" built, and ran the service 1931-1946. Also developed and ran three small ferries to carry passengers from Nanaimo to the CPR resort on Newcastle Island. Sold out of ferry business 1946 and expanded marine salvage and towing work. Sold out to Straits Towing Company 1951. After that, worked as Associate Surveyor to the Board of Marine Underwriters of San Francisco. Retired to Gibsons, then developed the Higgs Lifesaving Search Initiator Buoy system. Towboating work. TRACK 2: More on towboating and marine salvage jobs. Salvaging the S.S. "Catala" from a reef at Lasqueti Island. His first rescue and salvage experiences: rescuing canoeists off Gowland Point when he was "a little lad"; salvaging the CPR rail car barge "No. 6" at the age of 12, after chartering Gerald Payne's tug "Nora" for the job. More about life on Pender: his cousins, the Spauldings; a rough rowboat trip to Sidney. Salvaging Brother XII's boat, the "Lady Royal", off De Courcey Island. Development of diving in salvage work. The story of the murder involving the rum-running boat "Beryl G.".