KIO-KATH-LI INLET, which, with the exception of Rennell Sound, is the
largest indentation on the west shore of Graham Island, being over
five miles in length and three miles in width; containing five islands
and receiving three streams, from fifty to one hundred feet in width,
the largest being navigable for canoes about a half a mile from its
mouth. Its south-eastern shores are very irregular. Mount Richard,*
the highest elevation in the north part of the island, lies to the
eastward.
Between Kio-Kathli Inlet and Frederick Island, a distance of about
twelve miles, there are four, bays from one to two miles in depth,
with sandy beaches at their head, over which flow small streams--the
first reached called by the Indians
STOWE HARBOR, being the only one affording protection for large
vessels against westerly storms. The old abandoned village of Tiahn is
situated facing the south, with a sandy beach fronting on the second
indention north of Stowe Harbor.
The immediate coast from Kio-kath-li Inlet north-ward to Cape Knox, is
less precipitous than further south, but more dangerous to navigators
by reason of its many out-lying reefs and rocks and the absence of
harbors.
CAVE BAY,* the first south of Frederick Island, so-named from a deep
cave in a high, rocky bluff near its northern entrance, is the most
extensive of those last mentioned, about two miles in depth, with a
fine sandy beach on the east side. Three streams flow into the same,
from fifteen to twenty-five feet in width.
There are three rocky islets near its southern entrance, inside of
Point Patience,* which I have called the Sea Lion* Islets, these
_mammal_ having been seen upon them by the native sea-otter
hunters. There is a good canoe landing in pleasant weather on the
shore opposite, but in stormy weather it breaks all around the bay. We
barely escaped losing everything in effecting a landing at the most
quiet place we could find.
FREDERICK ISLAND, from a mile-and-a-half to a mile-and-three-quarters
in length, extending in a north-westerly direction, is situated about
a mile north of Point Edward,* instead of south of it, as shown on the
Admiralty Chart. It is thickly wooded, from fifty to three hundred
feet in height, with rocky shores, except on its southern side, where
we found a sheltered cove, with a sandy beach accessible in stormy
weather. The site of the deserted village of Susk is seen on the south
side of a small bay to the south-east of Frederick Island. There are
five bays between Frederick Island and Cape Knox--a distance of
eighteen or twenty miles--all of them exposed to westerly winds,
excepting in small coves which afford safe canoe landings and
harbors. Of these latter
TLEDOO, a summer resort of the Massett sea-otter hunters, where there
are three cabins, is one of the best and most frequented. There are
four rocky islets lying from half a mile to a mile off shore between
Frederick Island and the cove, a distance of about four miles. There
are two small streams within three miles south of Tledoo, and one
within a quarter of a mile north, the first of the former being called
"Boulder Creek,"* the second, "Islet,"* and the latter, "Otter
Creek."* About two and a-half miles north east of Tledoo, around two
rocky points lies
KLI-KA-KOON, a camping place on the south shore of a small bay, near
the mouth of Hana-koot Creek. There is a sandy beach at the head of
this bay, and another small stream flowing in on its northern side.
Around the next point and we enter See-al-tzing or Ezra Bay, about two
miles in depth, having a sandy beach at its head and a small stream
flowing into it. There are five rocky islets lying off shore, between
the northern entrance to this bay and Saka-koon Point, at the southern
entrance to
LEPAS BAY, the most extensive of the five mentioned, and the last
before reaching Cape Knox. It is about three and one-half miles in
depth and nearly as wide. There is a small island and cove on its
north-eastern side, and beach of white sand at its head.
CAPE KNOX, the extreme north-western land of Graham Island, extends
boldly out to sea about four miles in a south-westerly direction from
the head of Lepas Bay. There are four off-lying rocks, the farthest
out being over three miles from the cape, upon which the sea is almost
always breaking.
Reaching Cape Knox, to the north-ward five or six miles may be seen
the north-west point of
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 shores, 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 circumnavigating the island from Tadense
eastward:--Clara,* Henry,* Edith and Albert Bays.* There is a small
cabin on the shore 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 PASSAGE, about a mile and a-half in width, separates North from
Graham Island, reefs, and Lucy Island narrowing the ship 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 shore of the passage.
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 shores 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
Passage. 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 shore 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. Passing 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 shores 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 shores 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 shore:
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
shore 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, passing 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
MASSETT INLET, a distance of about twelve miles, the shores are low
and rocky; the back-lying country flat and thickly wooded with spruce
and hemlock. There are four small islands near shore, the largest at
the entrance to the inlet being known as Strice Island. Proceeding
down its west shore about nineteen miles, to Massett 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 Massett, about three-quarters of a mile in
length, situated near the west shore, about five miles from the
entrance, and another fifteen miles down, about six miles long, called
by the Indians Cub Island, with a canoe passage from the inlet, on its
east side to Massett Harbor, as mentioned in Report No. 1.
MASSETT 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 shore 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 shore, parsing one small creek with an Indian lodge
at its mouth, about seven miles from Ship 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 passage, 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
Massett 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 Massett 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 Massett 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 shore, lie on the sides and tops of the mountains,
located in estimated quantities, 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--principally 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 quantities
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 shores of each,
also on Tattoo Inlet, but much the largest quantity on Cypress Island,
Kio-kathli Inlet.
The timber on the north shore 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. Massett Inlet and Harbor contains a much larger
quantity 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 quantity 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 quantities 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 hitherto 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 Massett 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 Massett 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
Massett 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.