An intelligent Indian of whom I made inquiries concerning this country, replied, "there is no land, it is all mountains, forests and water." This statement is almost literally true so far as open lands are concerned, along the coast we are now describing, with the exception of the mountain pasturage as hereafter more specifically mentioned.
Mountains rising very precipitously from one to four thousand feet above the sea, generally thickly covered with the prevailing woods of the island, extend from Skidegate Channel northward for about forty-five miles, the country gradually sloping all along the north portion of Graham Island from fifteen to twenty miles from the coast south-ward The summits of this mountain range are generally from five to eight miles from the sea shore, the long western arms of Skidegate and Massett Inlets reaching to its eastern base. The immediate coast is uniformly rock-bound, with many sharp, jagged points extending far out to sea, with out-lying reefs white with breakers in stormy-weather. Most of the many
INLETS, SOUNDS, BAYS, POINTS, ISLANDS, RIVERS AND CREEKS between Skidegate Channel and Cape Knox, having been hitherto unknown, except to a few of the natives, they will lie briefly described in the order reached in advancing northward.
Indian names have been retained so far as known, but when these are of difficult pronunciation, or unknown, English names have been added; a star indicating such cases. First comes
GOODEL BAY—About three and one-half miles south of Buck Point, the extreme south-western land of Graham Island. It is about two miles in depth, with a beach of the finest sand on the island at its head. A small island surrounded with kelp lying about one hundred rods from shore, protects a good canoe landing in stormy weather. Here were I found racks for drying halibut, which are caught in abundance off this part of the coast. A fine clear stream about twenty feet in width entered the bay near by. Between three and four miles from shore and about the same distance south of
BUCK POINT, lies an island, called by the natives Guigats, a mile or
more in length, which is probably the land marked on the Admiralty
Chart as Buck Point, though shown thereon to be separated from Graham
Island.
KE-OW INLET, the entrance to which is concealed by a high rocky point, until nearly opposite, extends in a north-westerly direction about four miles, with an average width of a mile-and-a-half. It is surrounded by high, steep mountains, down which several cataracts were plunging. A clear stream about twenty-five feet in width, with rocky rapids at its mouth discharges into the inlet at its head, Rounding
TSET-LA-KOON POINT—About four miles north-west of the entrance to the last named inlet—one of the most difficult for small boats to pass on the West Coast, (except by a canoe passage in very calm weather.) we next enter
CARTWRIGHT SOUND—This fine body of water, about two miles in width, extends five or six miles in an easterly direction, reaching to near the base of steep mountains from 1500 to 2500 feet in height. Its shores are generally rocky, though there is a sandy beach at its head, where we found a good landing and camping place at the mouth of Zuboff* river. This stream is from fifty to seventy-five feet in width, and navigable for canoes not exceeding one hundred rods, before meeting log obstructions. Large schools of dog salmon were rushing in and out at the time of our arrival, hundreds jumping their full length out of the water. Though much inferior to most other varieties of salmon, they are dried and a smoked in large quantities by the Indians.
An arm extends south-ward for about a mile from the south side of this Inlet, near its head to the base of high and very precipitous mountains, which from having four islets at its entrance, I have named Islet Inlet. There is also an island in the main inlet near the north shore about three miles from its entrance. Advancing and passing Kin-da-koon and Hunter Points, the latter a high, bold promontory bring us to