Queen Charlotte Islands

“ Proceeding southward, steep and often precipitous mountains, ranging in elevation from 800 to 4,000 feet above the sea, rugged and rocky on their western slopes, densely covered with forests of spruce, hemlock and cedar, extended from Skidegate to Cape St. James, and from Queen Charlotte Sound to the Pacific Ocean, over all the islands, so far as any observations extend, except a few thousand acres of grazing lands. Small tracts of arable meadows and garden patches are cultivated by the natives. ”

“ An island, about a mile in length, lies across the entrance in a north-westerly direction, which so thoroughly protects the inner waters of the inlet from westerly storms, that I have called it Protection Island.* There is a canoe passage between it and a point of rocks projecting from the southern shore of the inlet, and a small island close to its south-west side. Three streams flow into the inlet—one at its head, called Athlow river, and two on its south side, the largest, from forty to fifty feet in width, rising in Sook Lake. ”

“ The waters surrounding these islands embrace numerous bays, harbors and sounds, of which Cloak Bay, North Island, Virago Sound, Naden and Massett Harbors of Graham Island, Darwin and Juan Perez Sounds, Laskeek, Sedgwick, Henry and Robson Bays, Gold Harbor of Moresby Island, Cartwright and Rennell Sounds, and the excellent harbors afforded by Kio-Kath-li, Skaloo, Athlow, and Seal Inlets on the west coast of Graham are the most important. There are no harbors, except for small boats, between Massett and Skidegate Inlets by the east coast. ”

“ The forest embraces no Douglass fir, but little available yellow cedar or cypress, and only comparatively small bodies of merchantable spruce, which are accessible without the construction of expensive roads. Between Skidegate and Cape St. James there are more than thirty islands and islets, and bays, inlets, harbors, sounds and channels in great numbers. Day after day and week after week we paddled, rowed and sailed along these wonderful shores, visiting the Indian villages of Cumshewa, Skedance, Laskeek, or Tanoo, and Ninstints, all occupied, and several others now abandoned. ”

“ NORTH ISLAND—It is from five to six miles in length, with an average breadth of three and a-half miles, covered with spruce down to its irregular, rocky shores, its greatest elevation above the sea not exceeding four hundred feet.
There are four bays from one to two miles in depth on its eastern and north-eastern side, with beaches at their heads, which we named in the order reached in circumnavigating the island from Tadense eastward:—Clara,* Henry,* Edith and Albert Bays.* There is a small cabin on the shore of Edith Bay, with a garden patch adjoining. They are all exposed to easterly winds. ”

“ At high tide it is navigable through connecting waters for small vessels entirely across the island, here about thirty miles, varying from one to five miles in width. Its shores are generally gradually sloping, with long stretches of sandy beach, bordered by a thick forest which, covering the mountains, rising from 800 to 3,500 feet, within from five to ten miles, bounds the horizon on every hand. Here are convenient halibut banks, salmon and trout streams. ”

“ From the rise and fall of the tides (eighteen feet) every facility is afforded for the erection of works for a great maritime nation. The country also affords as many sites for maritime power as any other.”
On the northern coast there are a number of islands which belong to the territory. The largest are Vancouver’s Island, and Queen Charlotte Island, both of which enjoy a mild and salubrious climate, with a soil well adapted to agriculture. They have also an abundance of fine fish in their waters. ”

“ THE SLATE CHUCK QUARRY, From which the natives of the islands obtain the material for their stone carvings, is situated on the east side of the mountain of that name, on the west bank of Klickadoo River, about three miles and one-half from its mouth. The deposit is evidently an extensive one, the exposures covering several acres. No united effort has been made to develop it, the Indians quarrying it individually and carrying it out on their backs—over a rough trail—as required. ”

“ Kah-oh and Ki-oos-ta, both in ruins, the former containing six houses and ten poles, and the latter fifteen houses and eighteen poles, are situated near each other on the south shore of Parry Passage, on Moresby Island. On the north side of the Passage, on the south end of North Island, opposite Lucy Island, lies Tadense, with its six small houses—still occupied by hunters and fishermen during the summer—and one lonely carved pole. On the rocky, exposed shore, just east of Klas-kwun Point, stands the three houses and one carved pole comprising the village known at Yatze. ”

“ It is second in population to Massett, containing 150 natives, 20 houses and 25 carved poles. There is only one more Hyda village to the southward, Ninstints, with 30 inhabitants, 20 houses, 25 carved poles, and 20 burial columns, occupying a rock-bound islet lying off the south-west coast of Moresby Island, near the western entrance to Houston Stewart Channel. There are five other villages on the west coast of the islands, all abandoned, and most of them in ruins. ”

“ At last, on the 12th of August, land was discovered at daybreak, which proved to be a cluster of islands, of which Carteret counted seven. Ignorant that Mendana had discovered them in 1595, nearly two centuries previously, and had given them the name of Santa Cruz, Carteret took possession of them, naming them Queen Charlotte's Islands and giving a distinctive appellation to each member of the archipelago. Cocoanuts, bananas, hogs, and poultry were seen in abundance as they sailed along the shore; but every attempt to land ended in bloodshed and repulse. ”

“ Queen Charlotte Sound, in the Southern Island, Cloudy Bay, Otargo, and all down to the South West is inhabited by European Gangs of Whalers for Merchants resident in Sydney. On the South Island there are Europeans, and there have been Europeans there for the last Five-and-thirty Years past, what the Natives call Kou Matuas; that is, old Men living there for the last Forty Years on the Coast. There are innumerable Europeans ”

“ The mountains embrace probably twenty thousand acres of open, timberless lands producing considerable pasture. The grasses of the coast, with the exception on some meadows, are generally coarse and thin. Graham Island will support a few hundred cattle, by cutting all its meadows for winter feeding. The grazing of the interior is very limited, owing to the density of the forest growth, its numerous swamps, and almost impassable deadfalls. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Although their waters were red from flowing through cedar swamps, several contain trout and a very choice variety of small salmon. Between Massett and Skidegate there are no harbors, only small bays, where vessels might find shelter during off-shore winds. From Massett Inlet eastward to Rose Spit, the extreme northeastern point of Graham Island, and from thence southward for nearly forty miles, a magnificent, broad, sandy, gradually sloping beach extends the greater portion of the way, being only broken for short distances by rivers, creeks and rocky headlands. ”

“ Besides the halibut bank marked on the chart, there is one near all of the villages mentioned, and inexhaustible quantities of clams and mussels along the neighboring shores. This is certainly one of the most favored regions in the world for the abode of the Indian. From the number and size of their houses now occupied, and ruins, from fifty to seventy in each village, their burial Ghans and houses filled with the dead, these islands most have contained at least ten times their present population. Smallpox and the corruption of their women have been the principal causes of their destruction. ”

“ On leaving King George's Sound the Queen Charlotte returned to the Sandwich Islands, whence she sailed on 18 Sept. for China, where it had been agreed she was to meet her consort. On 9 Nov. she anchored at Macao, and at Whampoa on the 25th was joined by the King George. Here they sold their furs, of which the Queen Charlotte more especially had a good cargo, and having taken on board a cargo of tea they dropped down to Macao and sailed on 9 Feb. ”

“ An Account of the Discovery of Queen Charlotte's Islands, with a Description of them and their Inhabitants, and of what happened at Egmont Island. The scurvy still continued to make great progress among us, and those hands that were not rendered useless by disease, were worn down by excessive labour; our vessel, which at best was a dull sailer, had been long in so bad a condition that she would not work; and on the 10th, to render our condition still more distressful and alarming, she sprung a leak in the bows, which being under water, it was impossible to get at while we were at sea. ”

“ When we sailed, we left a union jack flying upon the island, with the ship's name, the time of our being here, and an account of our taking possession of this place, and Whitsun Island, in the name of his Britannic Majesty, cut on a piece of wood, and in the bark of several trees. We also left some hatchets, nails, glass bottles, beads, shillings, sixpences, and halfpence, as presents to the natives, and an atonement for the disturbance we had given them. Queen Charlotte's Island is about six miles long, and one mile wide, lies in latitude 19°18'S., longitude, by observation, 138°4'W. ”

“ Several white men have been killed, boats' crews cut off, vessels wrecked.
'We shall hear more of such doings; and really I can't blame the islanders. They are perfectly friendly to friends; though there is much suspicion shown even towards us, where we are not well known.
'As far as I can speak of my own plans, I hope to stay at Mota for a time, till the "Southern Cross" returns from Norfolk Island; then go to the Solomon Islands; return by way of Santa Cruz and probably Tikopia, to Mota; thence to Norfolk Island; thence probably to New Zealand, to take the steamer for Fiji. ”

“ The prospects for the islands were never better, and it is sincerely to be hoped by all who wish well to the human race that Hawaii-nei may long continue to prosper in every way, and to send light and gladness to the peoples of the insular countries which are scattered like lovely gems all over the beautiful blue ocean. ”

“ Henry Williams having visited Queen Charlotte Sound during the course of his Southern Mission and secured the signatures of the chiefs there, Cloudy Bay thus became the last port in the Middle Island at which the Herald could profitably call. Under these circumstances Major Bunbury consulted with Captain Nias, and they were agreed that it would be advisable to at once proclaim the Queen's authority over the Island as the most effectual means of preventing further dissensions amongst the natives and Europeans. ”

“ The Banks group of islands came next—Great Banks Isle, or in the native language Vanua Lava, Valua or Saddle Isle, a long narrow ridge of hills, Mota or Sugarloaf Island, an equally descriptive name; Star Island, and Santa Maria. These places were to become of great importance to the Mission, but little was seen of them at this time—the walls of coral round them were remarkably steep and difficult of access.
Valua had no beach and no canoes, and such swarms of natives clustering upon the cliffs that the Bishop did not think it prudent to land. ”

“ From no less than eight islands have we for the first time received, young people for our school here, and fifty-one Melanesian men, women, and young lads are now with us, gathered from twenty-four islands, exclusive of the islands so long-known to us of the Loyalty Group. When you remember that at Santa Cruz, e.g., we had never landed before, and that this voyage I was permitted to go ashore at seven different places in one day, during which I saw about 1,200 men: that in all these islands the inhabitants are, to look at, wild, naked, armed with spears and clubs, or bows and poisoned arrows ”

“ Solomon Islands are the extreme verge. In the East Island, where there would be merely a question of nothing or something, we may take very young men who would perhaps not be easy to keep out of harm at Sugar Loaf, because there will be no difficulty about returning them to their homes....
'November 11th.—We found in the Santa Cruz group that the news of Captain Front's and his two men's death in Vanikoro, and (as we suppose) the news of the "Cordelia" having been at that island to inquire into the matter, had made the people anxious, uneasy, noisy, and rather rude. ”

“ Many canoes came to us from that spot, and we stood in quite close in the vessel, so that people swam off to us.
'They are all fighting among the various villages and neighbouring islets of the Reef Archipelago, twenty miles north of the main island. It is very difficult what to do or how to try to make a beginning. God will open a door in His own good time. Yet to see and seize on the opportunity when given is difficult. ”

“ This was ground gained; and one or two voyages to Vanua Lava and the other isles were preparatory steps, and much experience had been acquired, and resulted in this:—
'The feasibility of the Bishop's old scheme is more and more apparent to me. Only I think that in taking away natives to the summer school, it must be understood that some (and they few) are taken from new islands merely to teach us some of their languages and to frank us, so that we may have access in safety to their islands. Should any of them turn out well, so much the better ”