Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the Government of British ColumbiaChittenden, Newton H.
History
Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the Government of British Columbia
Chittenden, Newton H.
Haida Indians; Queen Charlotte Islands (B.C.)
Passing the point last mentioned, we are soon in the waters of
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
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