Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the government of British Columbia Part 1

Official report of the exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the government of British Columbia.

by Newton H. Chittenden.

Geographical Position and Extent.

The Queen Charlotte Islands, the extreme north-western lands of British Columbia, lie in the Pacific Ocean, between fifty-one and fifty-five degrees of north lat.i.tude. They comprise over 150 islands, and islets, their length being 156 miles, and greatest width fifty-two miles. Provost, Moresby Graham and North Islands, extending north-westerly in the order mentioned, twelve, seventy-two, sixty-seven and five miles respectively, const.i.tute over eighty per cent, of their entire area. Dixon Entrance on the north, with an average width of thirty-three miles, separates Graham Island from the Prince of Wales group of Alaska. Queen Charlotte Sound, from thirty to eighty miles in width, lies between them and the mainland of the Province. The nearest land is Stephen's Island, thirty-five miles east of Rose Spit Point, the extreme north-eastern part of Graham Island, and also of the whole group. Cape St. James, their most southern point, is one hundred and fifty miles northwest of Cape Scott, the northernmost land of Vancouver Island.

Discovery and Exploration,

The Queen Charlotte Islands were first discovered by Juan Perez, a Spanish navigator, on the 18th of July, 1774, and named by him, Cabo De St. Margarita, and their highest mountains, Sierra de San Cristoval.

La Perouse coasted along their sh.o.r.es in 1786, and first determined their entire separation from the mainland. In 1787, Captain Dixon sailed off and on their north-west sh.o.r.es, with his vessel, the Queen Charlotte, naming the group, also North Island, Cloak Bay, Parry Pa.s.sage, Hippa Island, Rennell Sound, Cape St. James, and Ibbitson's Sound, now known as Houston Stewart Channel. The first white men known to have landed upon the islands, were a portion of the crew of the _Iphigenia_, under command of Captain William Dougla.s.s, who remained about a week in Parry Pa.s.sage in 1788, trading with the natives. The most extensive explorations made of any portion of the islands, by those early navigators, whose voyages for purposes of discovery, trade and adventure, extended into these northern seas, were those of Captain Etienne Marchand in the French ship _Solide_, who in 1791, examined the sh.o.r.es bordering on Parry Pa.s.sage, and also about twenty miles of the west coast of Graham Island, from near Frederick Island southward. Since that date, although several parties of prospectors and others have visited various parts of the islands, no systematic effort has. .h.i.therto been made for the exploration of the entire group.

Under the direction of the Dominion Government, the waters and sh.o.r.es of the north and east coast of the islands including those of Ma.s.sett Inlet and Sound, Naden Harbor and Skidegate Inlet, have been partially examined, and mapped with considerable accuracy; but almost the entire west coast, so far as the number, extent and character of its numerous indentations are concerned, has. .h.i.therto remained a _terra incognita_. Judge James G. Swan, who, under the direction of the U. S. Government, visited the islands in 1883, and voyaged in a canoe from Ma.s.sett to Skidegate, gave in a lecture before the Provincial Legislature of British Columbia, the first public confirmation of the entrances to the inlets and harbors on the west coast of Graham Island, approximately, as reported by Captain Marchand.

General Physical Features

High steep mountains, dense and almost unbroken forests, islands and islets in great number and water-ways most wonderful, extend for a thousand miles along this north-west coast "Only mountains, forests and water," replied an Indian, of whom I made inquiries concerning this region. The Queen Charlotte Islands, in common with all those lying off the north-west coast of the continent, are evidently the mountain tops of a submerged land, separated from it by a mighty volcanic upheaval followed by the sinking of the earth's surface, and the inflowing of the waters of the ocean, forming the most remarkable labyrinth of inlets, sounds, straits, channels and pa.s.sages on the face of the globe. A continuous range of mountains from 600 to 5,000 feet in height, extends the entire length of the islands nearest their western coast, reaching their maximum elevations on Moresby Island, between Darwin Sound, and the head of c.u.mshewa Inlet. These are clothed with an evergreen forest of spruce, hemlock and cedar from near their summits down to the coast, with the exception of the comparatively small areas, as hereafter specified. The sh.o.r.es of the islands from c.u.mshewa Inlet southward to Cape St. James, and from thence northward around the west and north coast to Ma.s.sett, are uniformly rock-bound, containing however, many stretches of fine, sandy, or gravelly beaches. From Ma.s.sett to Dead Tree Point, Moresby Island, a distance by the coast line of about seventy-five miles, a magnificent broad beach of white sand, extends the greater portion of the way. The sh.o.r.es of Naden Harbor and Skidegate Inlet and channel are also generally low and sandy. With the exception of the north and eastern portion of Graham Island, the base of the mountains reaching down to the sea, with only occasional narrow benches and gradual foot-hill slopes. The highest elevations on the immediate coast, from North Island east and southward to c.u.mshewa Inlet, Klas-kwun Point, Tow Hill and Cape Ball of Moresby Island, do not exceed four hundred feet. From thence to Cape St. James, there are several bold, rocky bluffs, from three to eight hundred feet in height, but along the west side of Moresby Island, between Henry Bay and Gold Harbor, the mountains present, for considerable distances, an almost perpendicular front of from one to two-thousand five hundred feet in height, and in many places the mountains bordering the inlets to the northward, are almost equally high and precipitous.

Pa.s.sages, Inlets and Channels.

The princ.i.p.al islands of the group, as mentioned, are separated by narrow water-ways, admitting the pa.s.sage of the largest ships through them, with the exception of the narrows of Skidegate Channel and Inlet, navigable only for small vessels at flood tide. These are Parry Pa.s.sage, between North and Graham Islands, a mile-and-a-half in width, and two miles-and-a-half in length, Skidegate Inlet and Channel separating Graham from Moresby Island, together thirty-five miles in length, and from 250 feet to seven miles in width, and Stewart Houston Channel twelve miles long, with an average breadth of a mile and-a-half, between Moresby and Provost Island. We also found a short canoe pa.s.sage between the latter island and Cape St. James. Besides these sea channels extending across the group, there are twenty inlets from three to fifteen miles in depth, generally running in an easterly and westerly direction, and reaching to the base of the high mountains described. These numerous inlets, with the bays therein embraced, leave but a skeleton land of Moresby Island and the south-western portion of Graham. Ma.s.sett Inlet, the deepest indentation in the archipelago, penetrates the latter island for eighteen miles, and then expands into an open sea nearly twenty miles in length and over six miles in width.

Bays, Harbors and Sounds.

The waters surrounding these islands embrace numerous bays, harbors and sounds, of which Cloak Bay, North Island, Virago Sound, Naden and Ma.s.sett Harbors of Graham Island, Darwin and Juan Perez Sounds, Laskeek, Sedgwick, Henry and Robson Bays, Gold Harbor of Moresby Island, Cartwright and Rennell Sounds, and the excellent harbors afforded by Kio-Kath-li, Skaloo, Athlow, and Seal Inlets on the west coast of Graham are the most important. There are no harbors, except for small boats, between Ma.s.sett and Skidegate Inlets by the east coast.

Islands.

Of the great number of islands and islets contained in the archipelago the largest and most important except those mentioned are, Louise, Lyell, Barnaby, Tal-un Kwan, Tanoo, Ramsay, Murchison, Kun-ga, Faraday and Huxley Islands, all lying off the east coast of Moresby; Maud and South Islands in Skidegate Inlet; Cub, Edward Kwa-kans, Wat-hoo-us and Multoos of Ma.s.set Inlet and Sound; Frederick and Nesto on the west coast of Graham and Chathl island between the entrance waters of Skidegate Channel and the canoe pa.s.sage connecting therewith. Of these named Lyell and Louise islands, the largest, are about 15 miles in length and from five to ten miles in width. Barnaby, Talun-Kwan, Tanoo and Cub islands are each from eight to ten miles long. The others are much smaller--from two to three miles in length.

All of the largest except Cub Island are mountainous, and forest covered down to their sh.o.r.es. Hot Spring island, situated between Ramsay and Faraday, though small, deserves mention as containing a spring of very hot water, slightly impregnated with sulphur and salts.

Rivers.

There are hundreds of streams upon the islands, from ten to twenty-five miles in length, and from fifteen to one hundred and fifty feet in width. The Ya-koun River, the largest, rises in Ya-koun Lake, and flowing northward empties into Ma.s.sett Harbor, twenty-six miles south of Ma.s.sett. It affords uninterrupted navigation for canoes about a mile and-a-half, and beyond to its source, by means of small dug-outs and numerous portages. The Naden River, rising in Eden Lake, and discharging into the head of Naden Harbor, is next in size. It is broader and deeper than the Ya-koun, navigable for canoes between two and-a-half and three miles, but is only about ten miles in length. The river Tlell emptying into Queen Charlotte Sound twenty-five miles north of Skidegate Inlet, is the princ.i.p.al stream discharging on the outer coast of the island. Canoes can ascend it two or three miles at high tide. The Ain River, of Ma.s.sett Harbor, Jalun of the north coast, Slate Chuck and Dena of Skidegate Inlet, Skidegate Chuck of Moresby Island, are among the other more important streams. All of these, and many others of lesser size, flowing into the numerous inlets, are the resort of salmon in great numbers. Upon the banks of the Ya-koun, Naden and Ain Rivers, the natives have obtained their choicest specimens of red cedar for their canoes, carved poles, and house building. Numerous bear, and marten traps, in the last stages of decay, were found upon them. They are generally filled with logs to near their mouth, with rapids and shoals in their upper courses. Their waters are clear and good, with the exception of those flowing from the northern and eastern portions of Graham Island.

Lakes.

Soo-o-uns or Clifford Lake, the source of the Ain River, is so far as known, the largest body of inland water upon the islands, being from eight to ten miles in length, and from two to three miles in width. Yakoun, Eden and Awan Lakes, the sources of the rivers bearing their respective names are next in size.

Climate.

The climate of the islands, being under the influence of the warm j.a.pan current, is much milder than upon the coast of the mainland opposite. I found vegetation more advanced at Ma.s.sett, and all along the northern and eastern sh.o.r.es of the islands in April, than at Port Simpson. It is rarely severely cold, and then only a few days at a time. Snow falls, according to elevation, from one to five feet in depth, and remains upon the mountain tops until late in summer, and in a few deep gorges on their northern slopes throughout the year. It not infrequently reaches down to the coast, but then generally disappears in a short time. The temperature is equable, the extreme heat of summer seldom exceeding seventy-five degrees, Fahrenheit. During the months of April, May and June, the thermometer ranged from forty deg., at 5 A.M., to about sixty-five deg., in the middle of the day. I kept no record later than June, having loaned my instrument to a vessel, whose barometer had become useless. The annual rainfall varies according to local topography, from forty-five inches to seventy-five inches, the west coast, especially at the heads of the inlets, receiving much the largest amount, and the north and eastern portions of Graham Island the minimum. There were about fifty-five, clear days in the months of June, July and August of the past season, which I was informed was about an average one in that respect. Throughout the winter months the sky is almost continuously overcast, one rain storm--frequently accompanied, especially on the west coast, by violent gales--succeeding another, with but few and short intervals of clear weather. The winds are very changeable, those from the north being the most prevalent and reliable.

Soil.

A light sandy soil, generally prevails over all the islands, except those large areas covered by rocky mountains. The best lands lie mainly at the heads of inlets and mouths of the larger streams. There are occasional tracts of swampy lands containing a deep soft fibrous deposit resembling peat. A clayey subsoil was seen in a few places near Cape Ball on the east coast of Graham island.

Agricultural and Grazing Lands.

There are about fifteen thousand acres of clear land upon the islands on and near the coast including river tide meadows. The largest tracts lie on the north and east side of Graham Island as more specifically located in Progress Report Nos. 1 and 3. The mountains embrace probably twenty thousand acres of open, timberless lands producing considerable pasture. The gra.s.ses of the coast, with the exception on some meadows, are generally coa.r.s.e and thin. Graham Island will support a few hundred cattle, by cutting all its meadows for winter feeding. The grazing of the interior is very limited, owing to the density of the forest growth, its numerous swamps, and almost impa.s.sable deadfalls.

Forest Growth.

The forest growth is very dense, and composed chiefly of spruce, hemlock, red and yellow cedar. I have measured several spruce trees, and also red cedars from thirty to thirty-three feet in circ.u.mference, the finest specimens having been found on Skidegate and Ma.s.sett Inlets. With the exception of those localities, I have seen no place upon the islands, where the available quant.i.ty of these woods is sufficient to warrant the erection of mills for their manufacture for exportation. There are fine specimens of yellow cedar of very scattering growth, and several bodies of considerable size on the borders of the interior lakes of Graham and Moresby Islands, as hereafter more specifically described in Progress Report No. 2. Its utilization is of doubtful practibility, on account of its distance from navigable water, and the obstructions of the streams flowing therein. There is an occasional alder bottom, hemlock is quite common, bull pine is found in a few localities, and yew, dog-wood and crab-apple occur upon all the islands. There is a dense undergrowth of salal, whortle, salmon, raspberry and other bushes, and shrubs.

Wild Animals.

Black bear, land otter, marten, weasel and mice, are so far as known, the only native animals upon the islands. Deer and rabbit have been placed upon Graham Island, by Alexander McKenzie Esq., of Ma.s.sett, and the latter by Rev. Mr. Robinson upon Bare Island in Skidegate Inlet. The Indians report having seen a species of Caribou, on the northwest part of Graham Island.

Birds.

The birds of the Queen Charlotte Islands are, eagles, ravens, crows, hawks, owls, black-birds, blue-jays, humming birds, wrens, swallows and bats, of the same kind found in other parts of this region.

Resources--Fish, Etc.

The waters surrounding the Queen Charlotte Islands, abound with the most valuable varieties of fish found in this region. Hallibut are caught in unlimited quant.i.ties, upon banks near all the Indian villages; small salmon of excellent quality frequent nearly all the larger streams in the spring, and a much larger, though inferior kind in the fall of the year. I have seen fine silver salmon at the mouth of the Ya-koun River, but it is doubtful whether they, or any other marketable salmon, frequent these waters in great numbers. Immense schools of dog-fish feed on the shoals off the north and eastern sh.o.r.es of the islands, herring of good size and excellent quality visit Skidegate and other inlets in such great quant.i.ties that their sp.a.w.n forms an important article of diet with the natives. Flat-fish, rock-cod, salmon and brook-trout, clams and mussels are plentiful.