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.)
The principal islands of the group, as mentioned, are separated by
narrow water-ways, admitting the passage 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
Passage, 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 passage 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. Massett 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
Massett 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 Massett 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 Masset 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 passage 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account