RENNELL SOUND, the largest indentation on the west coast of the island, extending about ten miles from its north point entrance in a south-easterly direction, and being from five to three miles in width.
It contains five islands, Edward Island,* the largest, centrally situated, about a mile and a-half in length with a good beach, camping place with a hut on its southern side,—and a group of four islands near its head; the largest of which I have called Cypress Island,* from having seen considerable yellow cedar growing thereon. There are five streams flowing into the sound, three in it south-easterly and two on its north-easterly side, from fifteen to thirty feet in width, none of them navigable. The only snow seen on Graham Island in September, lay in a deep canyon on the northern slope of the high mountains which surround it head.
There is an Indian hunters' lodge, chiefly made from yellow cedar plank, at the month of a small stream on a little bay on its south-eastern side.
TATTOO INLET, about two miles and three-quarters in length, with a uniform breadth of a mile, surrounded by steep, high mountains, runs in a north-easterly direction from near the north shore entrance of Rennell Sound. It receives two fine salmon streams at its head, from forty to fifty feet in width, navigable for canoes about fifty rods from their mouth. An extensive land slide has bared the mountain on its southeastern side. There is a little, low, rocky island, about a mile from the entrance, upon which numerous hair seal were basking at the time of our visit. Both shores at the entrance are bold and rocky.
SEAL INLET*—So called from having seen hundreds of hair seal upon Seal Island, near its entrance, is next reached. It is about four miles in length, running north-east, then north and again north-east, with an average breadth of a mile and-a-half. There are two streams flowing into it, one about forty feet in width at its head, and a smaller one on its southern side. Besides the island mentioned, there is a small one situated close to the north shore of the inlet—with only a canoe passage between—about a mile from the entrance, and a group of three islets opposite a high, perpendicular granite bluff near its head. This inlet is called by the Indians Kung-wa. Four or five miles further, with mountains rising almost perpendicularly a thousand feet on the right, around Na-wa-dun Point and we enter
T'KIEW BAY, about two miles in depth, with a fine stretch of sandy beach at its head. Two or three miles beyond the next point—called by the Indians Skwa-ka-tance—lies
NESTO or HIPPA ISLAND, a mile and a half or more in length, thickly wooded, mountainous, with rocky shores, except on its eastern side where there are short stretches of sandy beaches with back-lying benches, formerly occupied by Indian lodges. There is a small island situated close to Nesto on its north-western side, with a canoe passage between them.
Nesto Island lies across the entrance to a fine inlet and good harbor known among the Indians as
SKALOO INLET—It is about three and-a-half miles in depth, running a little north-east, with regular shores, having an average breadth of about three-quarters of a mile. A small stream empties into it at its head. Proceeding north-westerly past the old Indian village of Len-na-how and around Skoot-koon Point, four or five miles brings us to
ATHLOW INLET, a splendid harbor and very interesting body of water, between four and five miles in length, and from one to two miles in width, surrounded by high, precipitous mountains, embracing three of the most conspicuous peaks on the west coast; one to the north-west, quite green from its summit down a thousand feet, which I have named Green Mountain; another lying to the east, Castle Mountain* and one south-east, Bald Mountain.*