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 shores. 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 shores 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 shore 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, Tasso 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 Tasso Harbor, is one of the securest retreats for small boats
I have ever seen. When opposite the entrance, the rocky shore 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 passage 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 shore is much the boldest, presenting for considerable
distances, almost perpendicular-faced mountain walls from 1000 to 1500
feet in hight.