Of strictly agricultural lands, the quantity found is quite
limited. At the mouth of Cedar Creek there are about twenty acres of
overflowed land which could easily be reclaimed by dyking. Along Canoe
Passage there is a considerably larger tract of tide-land, probably
150 acres, which from two to three feet of levee would protect from
overflow. Proceeding northward there is no open country until
Deleatlay* is reached, where there are about 900 acres of level land,
about one-half of which is subject to overflow at high tides. This
produces an abundant growth of meadow grass. It is situated about two
miles southeast of the village of Massett. Passing over to the north
coast there is a strip of grazing land from fifty to ten rods in
width, narrowing as it is followed eastward, which extends from the
village named, unbroken, for five or six miles along the immediate
seashore. It produces a coarse sea blade bunch grass and affords
considerable grazing. This tract comprises about 1,000 acres, most of
which is of too uneven surface to admit of cultivation with the plow.
On the inlet extending from Skoonan River westward, there are about
seventy-five acres of tide-lands which could be reclaimed by a short,
inexpensive dyke. Near Yakan Point, to the eastward, there are about
twenty acres of level meadow land, with a small patch adjoining, where
the Indians have raised potatoes. In the meadow I found cranberry
vines, upon which last season's fruit was still hanging. About one
mile south-west of Tow Hill and half a mile from the sea shore, with
timber intervening, there is a marsh containing about 200 acres, which
could probably be drained and converted into good grass land. Here I
also found cranberry vines in a flourishing condition and their
fruit. Three or four miles back from the coast at this point, lies a
tract of several hundred acres of swamp grass land, which by drainage,
would afford considerable pasturage. A narrow strip of grazing land,
from five to fifteen rods in width, extends for about three miles
along the seashore, eastward from near the mouth of the Hi-ellen
River. Five or six miles south-west of Rose Spit peninsula, I found a
hay marsh of probably 150 acres.
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 seashore, 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 coarse sand grasses, a nutritious wild pea
vine.