The extreme north-eastern land of the island, is more extensive than
indicated by the chart. Mr. Maynard, the photographer, who accompanied
my Indian guide in a canoe around it, while I was engaged in examining
the country inland, says that they were thrown with great force on the
spit by a heavy breaker more than three miles off the extreme point of
land of the peninsula, which split and would doubtless have sunk the
canoe, had we not taken the precaution to strengthen it with ribs
before leaving Massett. The north shore of the island is generally
low, Chown and Yakan Points and Tow Hill being its only elevations
exceeding fifteen or twenty feet. Between them are long stretches of
very fine beaches, sandy, wide and gradually sloping.
There are no harbors, though canoes and small boats take refuge in
stormy weather at the mouths of the rivers already mentioned. A thick
growth of spruce and cedar generally reaches down to the sea
shore. About seven miles south of Rose Spit Point there is a lagoon
three or four miles in length, which we have named Long Lagoon. The
Hoy-kund-la River, not mentioned on the charts, about two rods in
width, and choked with the usual obstructions, was passed, ten miles
further south. Three brooks, from ten to fifteen feet in width, were
crossed between it and