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.)
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.
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