Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the government of British Columbia Part 5

NORTH ISLAND--It is from five to six miles in length, with an average breadth of three and a-half miles, covered with spruce down to its irregular, rocky sh.o.r.es, its greatest elevation above the sea not exceeding four hundred feet.

There are four bays from one to two miles in depth on its eastern and north-eastern side, with beaches at their heads, which we named in the order reached in circ.u.mnavigating the island from Tadense eastward:--Clara,* Henry,* Edith and Albert Bays.* There is a small cabin on the sh.o.r.e of Edith Bay, with a garden patch adjoining. They are all exposed to easterly winds.

CLOAK BAY, on its south-western side, is much the largest indentation, but is open to westerly storms. The small cove on the south side of the island, near the Indian village of Tadense, is believed to afford the safest anchorage.

PARRY Pa.s.sAGE, about a mile and a-half in width, separates North from Graham Island, reefs, and Lucy Island narrowing the s.h.i.+p channel very rapid--except at flood tide--to less then 2000 feet. The deserted Indian villages of Ki-oos-ta and Kah-oh are situated near each other on the south sh.o.r.e of the pa.s.sage.

It is about twenty miles from North Island to the entrance of Virago Sound. The coast and back-lying country for ten or fifteen miles, is low and thickly wooded; the sh.o.r.es being generally rocky with sharp points and many outlying rocks, surrounded with kelp, though there are occasional short beaches of gravel and sand. There are several exposed bays but no harbors, except for small boats, after leaving

BRUIN BAY, opening into the south-eastern entrance to Parry Pa.s.sage. Here vessels sometimes anchor, though exposed to strong eddies. Rounding the next point we reach

PILLAR BAY, so-named from an isolated column of conglomerate rock, about a hundred feet in height, standing near its eastern side. It is three or four miles in width, and a mile and a-half in depth, but open to north-east winds. The

JALUN RIVER, the largest stream between North Island and Virago Sound, discharges into a small bay about four miles further eastward. It is from forty to fifty feet in width at its mouth, and navigable for canoes, not exceeding half a mile on account of rapids. Here were two huts, and a wooden boiler made from a hollowed log, for extracting dogfish oil with heated stones, this being a favorite camping place for the native fishermen and hunters.

KLAS-KWUN POINT--Seven or eight miles to the eastward from the mouth of Jalun River, there is a bold point rising a short distance back from the sh.o.r.e to two or three hundred feet, known as Klas-kwun Point, on the east side of which lies

YAT-ZA VILLAGE--It has the most rocky and difficult landing of any Indian village on the island, the sites of which are almost invariably on perfect little harbors. Pa.s.sing Cape Naden, we now enter the waters of

VIRAGO SOUND--It is about eight miles in width and five in depth, and opening into Naden Sound through narrows less than half a mile in width, between Points George and Mary. The sh.o.r.es are low and thickly wooded, with spruce of small growth. Two small islets lie near its west side entrance. Virago Sound is exposed to all winds north of south-east and south-west, but safe anchorage may be found at all times in

NADEN HARBOR on the west side opposite the abandoned village of Kung. Naden Harbor is about five miles in length, north and south and two miles in width. Its sh.o.r.es are low, and generally sandy, except in its southern and north-western sides. There are nine streams flowing into it, with extensive tide flats at their mouths--which will be noticed in the order reached in following the right hand sh.o.r.e:

First, a small creek about half a mile east of the village of Kung, into which the high tide flows for half a mile or more.

The second empties into the harbor, about two miles southward of of the highest land bordering it, called Bain Point.

The third, a mile-and-a-half further westward, both small and unnavigable, and the fourth known as,

STANLEY OR TE-KA RIVER, into its most south-western bay. We were able to push our canoe up this stream, the second largest on the north sh.o.r.e of the island, about one-third of a mile, when log obstructions were found. About two miles in a south-easterly direction and we entered

NADEN RIVER, the second in size on the Queen Charlotte Islands, about a hundred and fifty feet in width at its mouth, up which we ascended between two and three miles to falls, with our canoe, at high tide, and advanced about six miles beyond on foot to the borders of Eden Lake, in which it rises, pa.s.sing several rapids, from six to ten feet in height--and numerous log jambs. There are the ruins of five huts on the left bank of the river at its mouth. About a mile and-a-half north-eastward from Naden River, a small creek discharges into the harbor, and two miles beyond.

LIGNITE BROOK, with a small island opposite, at high tide. About two miles north of the latter, we crossed a small creek flowing into the deepest indentation of the harbor, which, being largely bare at low tide, we have named Tide Bay. From Cape Edensau, the eastern entrance to Virago Sound to

Ma.s.sETT INLET, a distance of about twelve miles, the sh.o.r.es are low and rocky; the back-lying country flat and thickly wooded with spruce and hemlock. There are four small islands near sh.o.r.e, the largest at the entrance to the inlet being known as Strice Island. Proceeding down its west sh.o.r.e about nineteen miles, to Ma.s.sett Harbor or Sound we found four small streams, none of them navigable, except a few rods at high tide, named respectively:--Kowing, Kulin, Kitzhaun and Kuk. They have their source in swamps and small lakes, the back-lying country being low and thickly wooded. There are two islands in the inlet, the first called Ma.s.sett, about three-quarters of a mile in length, situated near the west sh.o.r.e, about five miles from the entrance, and another fifteen miles down, about six miles long, called by the Indians Cub Island, with a canoe pa.s.sage from the inlet, on its east side to Ma.s.sett Harbor, as mentioned in Report No. 1.

Ma.s.sETT HARBOR or Sound, is a splendid body of inland water, about eighteen miles in length from east to west, and from five to seven miles in width, with upwards of two hundred miles of sh.o.r.e line, having seven arms from three to ten miles in length, containing over forty islands and islets, and receiving the waters of twenty-five rivers, creeks and small streams. Following the order of our movement along its western sh.o.r.e, parsing one small creek with an Indian lodge at its mouth, about seven miles from s.h.i.+p Island, we reach the mouth of

AIN RIVER, opposite Kwa-kans Island and a group of islets. We ascended this stream about ten miles, five on foot and thence by canoe through two small lakes to its source in Soo-u-uns Lake. This fine body of water is about eight miles long and three miles wide, surrounded by a thick forest of spruce, red and yellow cedar. Mountains rise gradually from its western and north-western sides to the height of from eight to fifteen hundred feet. The river, from fifty to seventy-five feet in width, is navigable for canoes, about a mile from its mouth, and also between the small lakes mentioned, by means of several portages--log-jambs, shoals and rapids. There are seven Indian lodges at its mouth, this stream being a great resort for salmon.

It is about twelve miles from the mouth of the Ain River to the end of the north-western arm of the sound, which having no name on the chart, I have called

NEWTON INLET. It is about six miles in length, and two miles wide, with an island at its entrance, known as Mut-oos, and several islets. _En route_ we found two small streams, to the largest of which my attention was first attracted by the noise of rapids at its mouth. This is called by the Indians, Ta-tzun-in. Ascending it by wading, with considerable difficulty, its bed was seen to be chiefly limestone rock. There are two rivers flowing into Newton Inlet from fifty to seventy-five feet in width, navigable for canoes at high tide about half a mile, when shoal rapids are reached.

Steep mountains from 1,500 to 3,000 feet in height, separate this inlet from the waters of the Pacific. Five or six miles to the south-eastward begins

TI-IN-OWE INLET, which extends south-westerly between four and five miles, having an average breadth of two miles. Two streams flow in at its head, up the largest of which we ascended about one-third of a mile at high tide, when a log jamb was found. There are three inlets between Tin-in-owe and the entrance to Tsoo-skatli Inlet, about ten miles to the south-eastward, and many islands and islets, the largest of which is called Wat-hoo-us Island. Into the first of these inlets flows the Awun River, rising in Awun Lake, about one hundred feet wide at its month, and which we were able to ascend with our canoe about one mile, when rapids were reached. Advancing several miles beyond on foot, the river was found choked with frequent log jambs. There is an Indian cabin and small garden plat cultivated for potatoes, at its mouth. Proceeding eastward, we next enter a small bay into which descends, over a precipitous ledge of rocks, a river, the outlet of a small lake hidden from view by a narrow belt of timber; then follows a deeper indentation about a mile in length and half a mile in width to near its head, where an island narrows it for a short distance to less than a hundred feet. Having seen here the largest number of jelly fish found on the islands, I have named it Zoos Inlet.*

RAPIDS INLET,* or Lake, a small basin about half a mile in depth, which at low tide, discharges its waters with a loud noise down a steep rock-bound pa.s.sage, not exceeding twenty feet in width, lies between Zoos Inlet and the point at its south-eastern entrance, which I have named Combe's Point. Five or six miles further bring us to

TSOO-KAT-LI INLET, which extends for about ten miles in a south-westerly direction, varying from three and a-half to two miles in width, containing over twenty-five islands, one of the largest, of which situated at the entrance, I have named Entrance Island.*

Four streams flow into this inlet at and near its head, the largest of which, Tat-lim-in, we ascended about one-eighth of of a mile to rapids, with the canoe, and three miles further on foot, finding a succession of rapids, shoals and log-jambs. Ma-min River, about sixty feet wide and filled with logs to near its mouth, empties into the south-eastern part of the inlet. About six miles east of Entrance Island, we reach the mouth of the

YA-KOUN RIVER, the largest stream on the Queen Charlotte Islands. It rises in Ya-koun Lake, seven days' travel distant by canoe, over scores of portages. It is about one hundred feet wide at its mouth, and navigable for small boats without obstructions, a mile and-a-half, beyond which, by means of two very small canoes and several portages, we ascended about five miles.

AGRICULTURAL LANDS--The resources of the west coast, Virago Sound and Ma.s.sett Inlet country, so far as known at present, are fish, furs and timber. Its agricultural lands, chiefly those portions of deltas and meadows at the mouths of streams not subject to overflow, embrace in the aggregate, only a few hundred acres, the largest tracts on the west coast, lying at the head of Kio-kath-li, Tattoo and Athlow Inlets, not exceeding twenty acres.

There are about one hundred acres of tide meadows on Virago Sound, forty acres at the mouth of Nadeu River, twenty acres along the coast, at and near the entrance to Lignite Brook, ten acres between Naden and Stanly Rivers and the balance at the mouths of the other streams before mentioned. That portion of Ma.s.sett Inlet herein described, contains about 250 acres of tide meadow lands, the largest tracts from five to twenty acres each, lying at the heads of Newton, Tin-in-owe and Tsoo-Skatli Inlets, and mouths of the Mamin and Ya-koun Rivers. The latter stream has an extensive delta of tide land, fifty or sixty acres of which could be reclaimed by dyking.

The bottom lands of the west coast, which might be brought under cultivation by expensive clearing, are limited to comparatively small tracts at the heads of inlets, their sides being generally precipitous and rocky. Portions of the low lands along the north coast of the island, on Virago Sound and Ma.s.sett Inlet, being comparatively lightly timbered, might be reclaimed, for agricultural purposes. The

GRAZING LANDS of the west coast, with the exception of small tracts of a few acres on the sh.o.r.e, lie on the sides and tops of the mountains, located in estimated quant.i.ties, as follows: 300 acres on the north side of Ke-ow Inlet; 500 acres near the head of Seal Inlet; 200 acres on Skaloo Inlet; 3000 acres on Athlow Inlet--princ.i.p.ally on its southern side--and a few hundred acres on the summits of the mountains to the northward.

TIMBER LANDS. There is no merchantable timber, on the west coast of Graham Island, excepting spruce, which is found in moderate quant.i.ties at the head of Rennell and Cartwright Sounds, and the inlets to the southward. We examined with considerable care those localities where yellow cedar had been reported, crossing on foot from Athlow to Skaloo Inlet, finding small bodies of scrubby growth on the sh.o.r.es of each, also on Tattoo Inlet, but much the largest quant.i.ty on Cypress Island, Kio-kathli Inlet.

The timber on the north sh.o.r.e of Graham Island, including Virago Sound, is generally light. From three to eight miles up the Naden River, however, we found considerable bodies of good spruce and red cedar. Its utilization would be attended with great expense, owing to the exceeding roughness of the country and the log jambs, shoals and rapids of the river. Ma.s.sett Inlet and Harbor contains a much larger quant.i.ty of available spruce and red cedar, the best tracts of which were found on the east side of the inlet opposite Cub Island, along the banks of the Ain, Awun, Ma-min and Yakoun Rivers, and on the inlets previously described. The largest quant.i.ty of yellow cedar seen was on Soos-u-uns Lake, which is believed to be too small to warrant the expenditure necessary to obtain it.

FISH. Hallibut, herring, salmon, salmon trout, and dog fish are caught in unlimited quant.i.ties in the waters described, also black cod or skill, all along the west coast of the islands.

MINERALS.--No minerals except coal are known to exist in the country herein described, of which no veins. .h.i.therto undiscovered have been found.

FUR-BEARING ANIMALS, especially bear, land otter and martin are very numerous. Since the abandonment of the west coast by the Indians for permanent residence, being but little trapped and hunted, they have increased rapidly. We found large numbers of old bear and martin traps along the streams and on the coast in the neighborhood of their old villages. Fur seal are killed in considerable numbers, and a few sea otter, from fifteen to twenty each season.

WATER FOWL.--Wild geese were very numerous in Ma.s.sett Inlet, Naden Harbor, and the southern inlets of the west coast. Comparatively few ducks, however, were seen.

WATER.--Nearly all the streams from Athlow River, northward, and also those of North Island, Virago Sound and Ma.s.sett Inlet to the head of its South-western arms are of a dark reddish color.

THE CLIMATE of the west coast is exceedingly variable--stormy, squally weather prevailing during the greater portion of the year, the rainfall ranging from sixty to seventy inches. The Virago Sound and Ma.s.sett Inlet country lying to the east of of the mountains possesses a much more equable and desirable climate, the annual rainfall seldom exceeding forty-five inches, except at the heads of the inlets.

Very Respectfully

Your obedient servant,

NEWTON H. CHITTENDEN.

PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER FOUR.

SKIDEGATE, Queen Charlotte Islands, October, 1884.

_Hon. Wm. Smithe, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works of the Province of British Columbia:_--SIR--After returning to Skidegate from the exploration of the islands of the Queen Charlotte group lying to the southward, I devoted about one month to the examination of Skidegate Inlet, Skidegate Channel, the Canoe Pa.s.sage from the latter to the west coast, and to the country bordering these waters, embracing the southern portion of Graham and the north end of Moresby islands. For this purpose, I traversed their entire sh.o.r.es, and penetrated from three to eight miles inland at various points, following up the princ.i.p.al streams flowing into these waters, and visiting also the Cowgits coal mine, the Slate Chuck quarry, the Indian villages, fis.h.i.+ng camps, and other places of interest.

SKIDEGATE INLET,