Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the Government of British Columbia

by Newton H. Chittenden

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PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER FOUR.

SKIDEGATE, Queen Charlotte Islands, October, 1884.

Hon. Wm. Smithe, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works of the Province of British Columbia:—SIR—After returning to Skidegate from the exploration of the islands of the Queen Charlotte group lying to the southward, I devoted about one month to the examination of Skidegate Inlet, Skidegate Channel, the Canoe Passage from the latter to the west coast, and to the country bordering these waters, embracing the southern portion of Graham and the north end of Moresby islands. For this purpose, I traversed their entire shores, and penetrated from three to eight miles inland at various points, following up the principal streams flowing into these waters, and visiting also the Cowgits coal mine, the Slate Chuck quarry, the Indian villages, fishing camps, and other places of interest.

SKIDEGATE INLET,

Considering its resources of fish and timber, its coal deposits, the establishment thereon of the only manufacturing industry carried on by white men upon the islands, and two of the principal native villages, it is at present the most important body of water embraced within the Queen Charlotte Archipelago. The Inlet proper, from the entrance between Sand Spit and Dead Tree Points, to its junction with the waters of Skidegate Channel, leading through to the west coast, is twenty-five miles in depth, and from two or three hundred feet in the narrows to seven miles in width at the expansions of Bear Skin and South Bays. Its shores are generally low and frequently sandy, and the back-lying country densely timbered and sloping gradually, except on its north-western side, where the mountains rise quite precipitous from 1,500 to over 4,000 feet above the sea. More than twenty small rivers and creeks flow into the inlet, several of which abound with a small but excellent variety of salmon. Of these streams, Klick-a-doon, (Slate Chuck), between Bear Skin Bay and Anchor Cove on the north, and Dena, emptying into South Bay, and those discharging into Long Arm are the largest and most important.

There are from one to four Indian houses at the mouths of the salmon streams, for their temporary lodgment during the fishing season.

Over thirty islands and islets are embraced within the waters of the inlet. Maud Island, the home of the Gold Harbour tribe, is the largest, being between three and four miles in length, and from one to two miles in width. It is centrally situated, thickly wooded, except where destroyed by fire on its southern side, with an average elevation of about three hundred feet. Lina and South Islands, the next in size in the order mentioned, are from one and a half to two miles in length. There is only a canoe passage between the former and Graham Island. Leading Island, lying between Maud and Moresby, is the landmark by which navigators are guided safely over the bar in clear weather. Bare Island, owned by the Skidegate Oil Company, not so destitute of vegetation as its name suggests, is of interest as having been once a fortified stronghold of the Skidegate tribe, now living on the north shore, opposite, and as now containing a flourishing colony of rabbits.

AGRICULTURAL AND GRAZING LANDS.

There are upwards of two hundred acres of tide meadows at the mouths of the streams mentioned, the largest and best tract, containing from twenty to thirty-five acres, lying along the Dena, on Moresby Island. There are also several hundred acres of alder bottoms, with a comparatively light growth of spruce interspersed, available for cultivation. The density of the timber prevents the growth of nutritious grasses, except in very limited quantities upon the immediate shores.