Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the government of British Columbia Part 3

Rose Spit peninsula embraces from 1200 to 1500 acres of rolling grazing land, portions of which are suited to agriculture. Immediately to the eastward of Long Lagoon there are about 200 acres of meadow land, a portion of which is quite low and wet. To the south and westward lies an irreclaimable swamp, covering from five to seven thousand acres, filled with dead trees, standing.

South of the Hoya-kund-la River, and near the seash.o.r.e, there is about 250 acres of grazing land, interspersed with groves of small spruce. From the mouth of Tlell River, south and westward, there is a considerable body of grazing land, estimated at two thousand acres. It produces, besides the usual coa.r.s.e sand gra.s.ses, a nutritious wild pea vine.

THE SOIL

Is uniformly sandy and of too recent formation to be much enriched by decomposition. It varies but little in quality, there being no alluvial deposits, owing to the flat character of the eastern portion of the island. There is no sub-soil, except in a few localities, sand and gravel extending down to the rock layers. As far as I penetrated the interior, the roots of the fallen trees exposed only sand, sea-washed stones and sh.e.l.ls. Clay was observed at one or two points, for a short distance between Hoya-kund-la and Tlell Rivers, also a formation resembling peat.

TIMBER LANDS.

A forest of spruce, hemlock, cedar and cypress covers probably nine-tenths of the surface of the island. While in the aggregate, it embraces large quant.i.ties of merchantable timber, a comparatively small portion is available for lumbering operations. This is due to the scattering growth of the best trees, and also to their location upon streams either too small to float logs or blockaded by fallen trees. I am speaking, of course, only of that section of the island so far examined. There are very fine specimens of spruce and cedar upon all the streams mentioned flowing into Ma.s.sett inlet. Spruce is much the most common, and is found in bodies of sufficient extent to warrant its manufacture into lumber on the sh.o.r.es of Canoe Pa.s.sage, Grouse, Nedo and Watoon creeks. Some of the trees seen were from five to seven feet in diameter and of great height.

The cedar was found chiefly on the banks of the streams and borders of marshes and swamps. In following up the rivers and creeks, especially those flowing into Ma.s.sett Inlet, I almost invariably found Indian trails, evidently made for getting out canoe logs, and poles for carving their tribal and family emblems. These trails, upon which considerable labor had been expended at the crossing of ravines and marshy places, extended only a short distance, seldom exceeding two miles, branching off here and there to the base of great cedars from which they had selected a choice section, and rough-hewn before dragging out.

The surface of the timber lands was generally covered from five to ten feet in depth with fallen trees, in all stages of decay, moss-grown, and half concealed by a thick growth of salal and salmonberry bushes. All of the streams which I followed up to their source, led into almost impa.s.sable swamps, through which progress at the rate of a mile an hour was difficult. Along the north and east sh.o.r.es of Graham Island, I saw but little timber of sufficient size and in bodies large enough to warrant the erection of a saw mill. The smallness and obstruction of the streams and the absence of harbors, renders its profitable utilization difficult. There is but little of the yellow cedar or cypress growing in the forest now described.

Scattering trees were seen at various points, especially along Ma.s.sett Inlet, but no valuable tracts of it were found. It grows more upon the higher lands at the eastern base of the mountains on the western portion of the island. Besides the forest trees mentioned, there are occasional small bodies of alder, yew and crabapple trees seen, the latter bearing considerable fruit.

Of plants, the strawberry grows everywhere upon the open lands, producing small fruit of fine quality in moderate abundance.

HALIBUT AND SALMON

Abound in the waters traversed. I was surprised to find the Indians catching the former in Ma.s.sett Inlet. Nedo and Watoon creeks, Skoonan, Hi-ellen and Tlell Rivers are all salmon streams, with fis.h.i.+ng stations at their mouths.

TROUT

Are also found in all these streams and in the other creeks and brooks mentioned. Sh.e.l.l fish, clams, round and long, though not abundant on that part of the coast examined, may be obtained at several points thereon with but little difficulty.

GAME

Of some kinds abounds, especially geese, ducks and grouse. Black bear are numerous, their fresh tracks being frequently seen. There are no deer or rabbits, except those which have been brought to the island by Mr. McKenzie and others, which are reported to be increasing. No wolves or beasts of prey have ever been seen. There are no snakes, nor turtles, and very few frogs. Mosquitoes have not been troublesome, but are more numerous during the summer months.

THE WATER SUPPLY

So abundant, owing to the swamps filled with decaying trees, through which it flows, is generally highly colored, and though perhaps not unwholesome, is not very palatable. There are, however, exceptional streams, especially at Skidegate, which, having their sources in the hills, are clear and pure. There is, of course, no difficulty in obtaining an abundant supply of rain water, which is much used for drinking purposes at Ma.s.sett.

It not being my purpose to elaborate upon the various resources of the island in this hasty sketch, but simply to indicate, as requested, the general results of my examination of that portion thus far traversed, the foregoing is respectfully submitted.

Your obedient servant,

NEWTON H. CHITTENDEN.

PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER TWO,

SKIDEGATE, Queen Charlotte Islands, June, 1884.

_Hon. Wm. Smithe, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works of the Province of British Columbia:_--SIR--On the 5th of May, having secured the services of two Hyda Indians, one a native of Ninstints, the extreme southern village of the Hyda nation, familiar with the sh.o.r.es of the southern portion of Moresby, and also of Provost Island, and the other of Gold Harbor, well acquainted with the northwestern coast of Moresby Island, I proceeded from Skidegate by canoe southward, circ.u.mnavigating the islands above mentioned, and also crossing them from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e at two different points, and penetrating inland sufficiently far in several other places to determine the general character of the section of country under examination. Our route was via Sand Spit Point, Copper Bay, the villages of c.u.mshewa and Skedance, c.u.mshewa Inlet, Louise Island, Selwyn Inlet, Talunkwan Island, Dana Inlet, Logan Inlet, Tanoo Island, the village of Tanoo or Laskeek, b.i.+.c.hardson Inlet, Darwin Sound, De La Beche Inlet, Hutton Inlet, Werner Bay, Huxley Island, Barnaby Island, Scudder Point, Granite Point, Skincuttle Inlet, Deluge Point, Collison Bay, Carpenter Bay and Forsyth Point, all on the east side of Moresby Island; thence across Houston Stewart Channel, around Provost Island, entering Provost and Luxana Bays and Seal Cove, rounding Cape St. James, and then along the west coast, northward, via the village of Ninstints, Henry and Robson Inlets, Grand View Inlet, Ta.s.soo and Gold Harbors, to the southern or Canoe Pa.s.sage of Skidegate Channel, through which, touching at the abandoned village of Cha-atl, we returned to Skidegate, the round trip of about 325 miles having been made in twenty-three days.

GENERAL PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Steep and often precipitous mountains, ranging in elevation from 800 to 4000 feet above the sea, rugged and rocky on their western slopes, densely covered with forests of spruce, hemlock and red cedar, extend from Skidegate to Cape St. James, and from Queen Charlotte Sound to the ocean, over all the islands, so far as my observation extended, except the comparatively small tracts as hereafter described. The small diameter of the islands south of Skidegate Channel leaves but little room at any point for an interior beyond the range of the human eye, when standing upon the summits of the highest mountains, after having traversed their sh.o.r.es. The latter are uniformly rock-bound, frequently bluff or precipitous for from 25 to 1500 feet, with generally very limited borders of level country, the base of the steep mountains reaching down to the sea, with but narrow foothill slopes.

There are occasional short stretches of fine sandy beaches, especially on the bays and inlets. The streams flowing from the short water-sheds are small, but numerous, and without exception filled with fallen trees from near their mouth up. Their waters are generally rapid, clear and good. Trout are found in most of them, and a small, very excellent salmon is caught in considerable numbers in several of the largest.

The rivers which I followed to their sources, rise in lakes and small swampy mountain basins. There are many good harbours for small boats, and several which afford perfect security at all times for large vessels on the eastern sh.o.r.es of the islands traversed. Of these, Copper Bay, Gray Bay, Laskeek Bay, Crescent Inlet, Sedgwick Bay, Werner Bay, Island Bay, George Bay, Collison Bay, Carpenter Bay, Provost Bay, Luxana Bay, and Seal Cove are the most important. On the west sh.o.r.e of the islands, though the harbor advantages are much more limited in number, they are believed to afford safe anchoring grounds for sloops and vessels of considerable size during the severest storms from any quarter. Henry and Bobson Inlets, Ta.s.so and Gold Harbors, from twenty-five to thirty miles apart, are the largest and best harbors on this coast. There is, I judge, sufficient water at their entrances to admit deep-draught vessels.

Besides these waters, there are several indentations, greater than shown on the charts, and others not marked thereon, where small boats may find shelter. Among the latter, Grand View Inlet, so named from the magnificent scenery surrounding it, situated about eight miles south of Ta.s.so Harbor, is one of the securest retreats for small boats I have ever seen. When opposite the entrance, the rocky sh.o.r.e seemed to offer no landing place unless the storm should suddenly abate. Unexpectedly my Indian guides turned directly toward land, and ran through a narrow rock-bound pa.s.sage into a little basin about fifty rods square, surrounded by mountains rising very precipitously from 1500 to 2500 feet in hight, down which were plunging ten cataracts, where the smallest canoe could lie in safety at all times. The west sh.o.r.e is much the boldest, presenting for considerable distances, almost perpendicular-faced mountain walls from 1000 to 1500 feet in hight.

THE AGRICULTURAL LANDS

Embraced in these islands aggregate but a few hundred acres, princ.i.p.ally lying in small tracts at the heads of bays and inlets, mouths of streams, and on small benches at the base of the mountains. Most of the richest spots appear to have been cultivated at some time by the Indians for raising potatoes. The largest bodies of cleared arable land seen, contained not exceeding twenty acres. There are several thousand acres of lightly timbered spruce and alder lands, bordering the bays, inlets and streams, which might be cleared and brought under profitable cultivation for dairying and the raising of root crops, should the development of the other resources of the islands attract a sufficient population to create a home market for such products.

The most available and desirable of the lands of this character noticed, are situated upon Skidegate Inlet, Copper Bay, Alder Creek, four miles south, Gray Bay, along the central portions of the south sh.o.r.e of c.u.mshewa Inlet, Hutton Inlet, Henry and Robson Inlets, and on the narrows of Skidegate Channel.

GRAZING LANDS.

The level grazing country is also of small extent, a tract of about 400 acres situated on Sand Spit Point, south of the entrance to Skidegate Inlet, being much the largest found. It bears a scattering growth of coa.r.s.e beach sand gra.s.s.

On the sides of the mountains, however, and in some places reaching up to their summit, are several thousand acres suited for stock ranges, producing a thicker growth of more nutritious gra.s.s, of the red-top variety.

Of such pasture lands we found about 1,000 acres in crossing from Hutton Inlet to Robson Inlet, surrounding a beautiful lake about a mile in length, and about 500 acres in each of the following bays, viz: Carpenter, Provost, Luxana, Henry and Robson, and also several hundred acres on the northern slope of the mountains lying south of Canoe Pa.s.sage into Skidegate Channel.

TIMBER LANDS.

As already stated, a dense forest of spruce, hemlock and cedar covers nearly the whole surface of the country.

It contains in the aggregate great quant.i.ties of valuable timber, and many places where small mills could obtain an abundant supply of spruce, but no location I think, where a large lumber manufacturing establishment could be profitably operated. The Dougla.s.s fir and yellow cedar or cypress, furnishes the only lumber which can be profitably exported from the Province. The former is not found on the Queen Charlotte group of islands, and the latter does not grow in sufficient quant.i.ties south of Skidegate Inlet to furnish saw-logs in any considerable quant.i.ty. The best bodies of timber seen were on the south sh.o.r.e of Skidegate Inlet on a small stream flowing into Copper Bay on the north side of Louise Island, bordering a river flowing into c.u.mshewa Inlet, about ten miles west of the village of Skedance, on Hutton Inlet, Carpenter and Henry Bays.

FISH.

Nearly all of the choicest varieties of fish found in this region abound in the waters traversed. There are several halibut banks besides those located on the charts, where the Indians obtain the most abundant supplies of these, their princ.i.p.al article of food.

On the day of our arrival at Ninstints, the Indians returned with a large number caught upon banks opposite the central portion of the western sh.o.r.e of Provost Island. There are also banks off Sand Spit Point and Skedance. During the present spring, the Indians have caught a considerable number of black cod opposite Skidegate Channel, and also off the abandoned village of Kisson, on the north-west coast of Moresby Island. The waters just outside the entrance to Skidegate Inlet are the greatest known resort of the dog-fish on the coast; the only place where they are caught continuously from spring until fall in large numbers.

The extraction of their oil by the Skidegate Oil Company, to the amount of 35,000 to 40,000 gallons annually, give a profitable employment to a large number of Indians during the summer months.

We found Chief Skidegate and about twenty of his people catching their spring supply of a very fine small salmon, in the river flowing into Copper Bay, and met Chief Skedance _en route_ to a river flowing from the north side of Lyell Island into c.u.mshewa Inlet, for the same purpose. There is also a salmon stream emptying into that inlet on the north side near Conglomerate Point.

Upon one of the streams discharging into Hutton Inlet (which I named Portage Creek, from the fact that in former times when the natives were much more numerous, they sometimes carried their canoes across the island to Bobson Inlet), there was a stone dam, evidently built for salmon traps. We also saw where bear had eaten salmon near its banks.

Enormous quant.i.ties of mussels of great size, some measuring eight and ten inches in length, covered the sh.o.r.es in many places, and round clams are also abundant.

MINERALS.

I carefully examined the sh.o.r.es and banks of the streams wherever opportunity offered, but found no minerals except copper, at and in the vicinity of veins previously discovered on the sh.o.r.e of Copper Bay, and opposite Copper Island in Skincuttle Inlet.

GAME,