Part 3 (1/2)
Among the natural features of this part of the north sh.o.r.e of the gulf, must not be omitted, on account of their singularity, the small salt-water lakes, which are found divided from the sea only by a narrow ledge of rock, having a depth over it of four feet at high-water. They are consequently replenished by the sea every tide, and form salt-water cascades during the ebb and rise of of the tides; some of them, divided into several branches, run through a low swampy woodland country. Here also are streams of water, so warm as to be unpleasant to the hand; and every feature of this district evidences the violent effort of nature in its production. Except the coast and ca.n.a.ls, nothing is known of it; but its mineral riches are scarcely problematical. The channels between the several islands which here obstruct the gulf are narrow, deep, and much impeded by the strength of the tide, which is sufficient in some places to stop the progress of a steam-vessel, as has been frequently experienced by the Hudson's Bay Company's steam-boat Beaver; yet Vancouver found no difficulty in working his vessels through Johnstone's Strait, the pa.s.sage between these islands and the southern sh.o.r.e, against a head-wind; being compelled, as he says, to perform a complete traverse from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e through its whole length, and without meeting the least obstruction, from rocks or shoals. He adds, ”the great depth of water, not only here, but that which is generally found was.h.i.+ng the sh.o.r.es of this very broken and divided country, must ever be considered a peculiar circ.u.mstance, and a great inconvenience to its navigation; we, however, found a sufficient number of stopping-places to answer all our purposes, and in general without going far out of our way.” From this, archipelago, extending about sixty miles, the strait widens into a broad expanse, which swells to the north in a deep sound, filled with islands, called Broughton's Archipelago. This part was named by Vancouver Queen Charlotte's Sound; and is here fifteen miles broad, exclusive of the archipelago, but it contracts immediately to less than ten, and sixty miles from Johnstone Straits joins the Pacific, its northern boundary. Cape Caution, being in lat.i.tude 51 degrees 10 minutes. The entrance to the sound is choked with rocks and shoals.
Here, between Broughton's Archipelago and Cape Caution, another mountain, called Mount Stephen, conspicuous from its irregular form and great elevation, and worthy to be named with those to the south, seems to mount guard over the northern entrance to the straits.
From Cape Caution, off which are several groups of rocks to lat.i.tude 54 degrees 40 minutes, where the Russian territory commences, the coast has much the same character as that already described between the Gulf of Georgia and the sea, but that its harsher features are occasionally much softened, and its navigation less impeded. Throughout its whole length it is cut up by long and deep ca.n.a.ls, which form various archipelagos of islands, and penetrate deeply and circuitously into the land, which is high, but not so precipitous as about Desolation Sound, and generally covered with trees.
The islands lying close to the sh.o.r.e follow its sinuosities, and through the narrow channels thus formed the currents are rapid; those more detached are more fertile; they are all the resort of the natives during the fis.h.i.+ng season. Their formation is granite, the prevailing rock north of lat.i.tude 49 degrees. Distant thirty miles at its nearest and ninety at its furthest point from the line of islands which cover this coast, and under parallels 52 degrees and 54 degrees, lies Queen Charlotte's Island, called by the Americans Was.h.i.+ngton. It is in form triangular, about 150 miles long, and above sixty at its greatest breadth, and contains upwards of 4000 square miles. Possessed of an excellent harbour on its east coast, in lat.i.tude 53 degrees 3 minutes, and another on the north, at Hanc.o.c.k's River (the Port Entrada of the Spaniards), it is a favourite resort of traders. The climate and soil are excellent, hills lofty and well wooded, and its coast, especially on the west side, deeply indented by arms of the sea, among which may be named Englefield Bay and Cartwright's Sound. Coal and some metals are said to have been found on this island.
On the whole the character of this coast seems to be well expressed by Lieutenant Wilkes, when he says--”Nothing can exceed the beauty of these waters, and their safety; not a shoal exists within the straits of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, Puget's Sound, or Hood's Ca.n.a.l that can in any way interrupt their navigation by a 74 gun s.h.i.+p. I venture nothing in saying there is no country in the world that possesses waters equal to these.”
CHAPTER FIVE.
NATIVE TRIBES.
Mr Nicolay, in his treatise on the Oregon Territory, gives a minute and graphic account of the aboriginal inhabitants of this district, from which we purpose making some extracts to enrich our pages.
The princ.i.p.al Indian tribes, commencing from the south, are the Callapuyas, Shaste, Klamet, Umqua, Rogues' River, and Chinooks, between the Californian boundary and Columbia, to the west of the Cascade Mountains; the Shoshones or Snake and Nezperces tribes about the southern branch of the Columbia, and Cascade Indians on the river of that name; between the Columbia and the Strait of Fuca, the Tatouche or Cla.s.set tribe; and the Clalams about Port Discovery; the Sachet about Possession Sound; the Walla-walla, Flat-head, Flat-bow Indians, and Cour d'Aleine or Pointed Heart, about the rivers of the same names; the Chunnapuns and Chanwappans between the Cascade range and the north branch of the Columbia; the Kootanie to the east, between it and the Rocky Mountains; and to the north about Okanagan, various branches of the Carrier tribe. Of those on the coast to the north and on Vancouver Island not much is known.
Their numbers may be stated at a rough estimate as--
+==========================================+======+
On the coast below the Columbia
2,500
+------------------------------------------+------+
About the Cascades
1,500
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On the Snake River and its tributary
2,500
+------------------------------------------+------+
Between the Columbia and Strait of De Fuca
3,000
+------------------------------------------+------+
About Fort Vancouver
1,500
+------------------------------------------+------+
Walla-walla
1,500
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Flat-head, etcetera
1,200
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Okanagan
750
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Northward
2,500
+------------------------------------------+------+
Vancouver's and Queen Charlotte's Island
5,000
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Possession Sound
650
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Fraser River
500
+------------------------------------------+------+
On the coast of the Gulf of Georgia
500
+------------------------------------------+------+