The third, a mile-and-a-half further westward, both small and unnavigable, and the fourth known as,
STANLEY OR TE-KA RIVER, into its most south-western bay. We were able to push our canoe up this stream, the second largest on the north shore of the island, about one-third of a mile, when log obstructions were found. About two miles in a south-easterly direction and we entered
NADEN RIVER, the second in size on the Queen Charlotte Islands, about a hundred and fifty feet in width at its mouth, up which we ascended between two and three miles to falls, with our canoe, at high tide, and advanced about six miles beyond on foot to the borders of Eden Lake, in which it rises, passing several rapids, from six to ten feet in height—and numerous log jambs. There are the ruins of five huts on the left bank of the river at its mouth. About a mile and-a-half north-eastward from Naden River, a small creek discharges into the harbor, and two miles beyond.
LIGNITE BROOK, with a small island opposite, at high tide. About two miles north of the latter, we crossed a small creek flowing into the deepest indentation of the harbor, which, being largely bare at low tide, we have named Tide Bay. From Cape Edensau, the eastern entrance to Virago Sound to
MASSETT INLET, a distance of about twelve miles, the shores are low and rocky; the back-lying country flat and thickly wooded with spruce and hemlock. There are four small islands near shore, the largest at the entrance to the inlet being known as Strice Island. Proceeding down its west shore about nineteen miles, to Massett Harbor or Sound we found four small streams, none of them navigable, except a few rods at high tide, named respectively:—Kowing, Kulin, Kitzhaun and Kuk. They have their source in swamps and small lakes, the back-lying country being low and thickly wooded. There are two islands in the inlet, the first called Massett, about three-quarters of a mile in length, situated near the west shore, about five miles from the entrance, and another fifteen miles down, about six miles long, called by the Indians Cub Island, with a canoe passage from the inlet, on its east side to Massett Harbor, as mentioned in Report No. 1.
MASSETT HARBOR or Sound, is a splendid body of inland water, about eighteen miles in length from east to west, and from five to seven miles in width, with upwards of two hundred miles of shore line, having seven arms from three to ten miles in length, containing over forty islands and islets, and receiving the waters of twenty-five rivers, creeks and small streams. Following the order of our movement along its western shore, parsing one small creek with an Indian lodge at its mouth, about seven miles from Ship Island, we reach the mouth of
AIN RIVER, opposite Kwa-kans Island and a group of islets. We ascended this stream about ten miles, five on foot and thence by canoe through two small lakes to its source in Soo-u-uns Lake. This fine body of water is about eight miles long and three miles wide, surrounded by a thick forest of spruce, red and yellow cedar. Mountains rise gradually from its western and north-western sides to the height of from eight to fifteen hundred feet. The river, from fifty to seventy-five feet in width, is navigable for canoes, about a mile from its mouth, and also between the small lakes mentioned, by means of several portages—log-jambs, shoals and rapids. There are seven Indian lodges at its mouth, this stream being a great resort for salmon.
It is about twelve miles from the mouth of the Ain River to the end of the north-western arm of the sound, which having no name on the chart, I have called
NEWTON INLET. It is about six miles in length, and two miles wide, with an island at its entrance, known as Mut-oos, and several islets. En route we found two small streams, to the largest of which my attention was first attracted by the noise of rapids at its mouth. This is called by the Indians, Ta-tzun-in. Ascending it by wading, with considerable difficulty, its bed was seen to be chiefly limestone rock. There are two rivers flowing into Newton Inlet from fifty to seventy-five feet in width, navigable for canoes at high tide about half a mile, when shoal rapids are reached.
Steep mountains from 1,500 to 3,000 feet in height, separate this inlet from the waters of the Pacific. Five or six miles to the south-eastward begins