128 DEPARTMENT OF TEE NAYAL SERYICE 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 



habitat. There is very little water with a depth of over 30 or 35 fathoms, the only 

 part of any size to be excepted being Stuart channel from the south end of Thetis 

 island, Sansum narrows and the northern portion of Satellite channel or, generally 

 speaking, the channel between Saltspring island and Vancouver island. Even in 

 this channel there is seldom 100 fathoms or very near it. In this area the effect of 

 the mixture of fresh water from the Fraser river is much less marked than it is out- 

 side of this chain of islands. Judging from plankton observations, low-tide collec- 

 tions and bottom dredgings, there is an abundant supply of food material throughout 

 the area. 



Certain inshore locations offer snug retreats and convenient abiding-places such 

 as the lobster has a fancy for. Around the DeCourcy islands there are many such 

 locations. Near Mudge island, with Dodds narrows on one side and False narrows on 

 the other, these are more especially marked. It was in a small bay on the False 

 narrows side of Mudge island that the lobsters thrived for a couple of months in 

 1905. The adjacent shores of Vancouver island on one side and Gabriola island on 

 the other are of much the same nature. From Pylades island, the last large island 

 of the DeCouircy group, or the smaller Tree island, it is a short distance by way of 

 the Danger reefs to the reefs to the north of Thetis island, and from this along the 

 west side of Trincomali channel, taking in the shores of Reid, Hall, Norway, Wallace, 

 and Secretary islands, Governor rock and Atkins reef, it is good all the way to tlio 

 entrance of Captain passage. On the other side of the channel the outline of Valdez 

 and Galiano islands is very regular and but little indented until Montague harbour 

 is reached. The Vancouver island coast is much more indented and irregular as far 

 as Oyster harbour, as is the north shore of the harbour, but the south side and from 

 this along the coast southward as far as Crofton, the water along the shore is shallow 

 and the shore itself is sandy or muddy with but few rocks along the whole distance. 

 The west coast of Thetis and Kviper islands is quite regular also, with the exception' 

 of a small portion around Telegraph harbour, where there are a number of small 

 islands and reefs. The west coast of Saltspring island and the adjacent coast of Van- 

 couver island are quite regular but there are some very suitable small bays. The rapid 

 progression into deep water in almost every case spoils the desirability of the location. 



In the neighbourhood of Captain passage, the conditions are very favourable. 

 In fact the whole coast of Prevost island is very suitable, with its numerous rocky 

 and sandy bays passing inland in a southeasterly and northwesterly direction. Ou 

 the opposite side of Captain passage the strip between Ganges harbour and Trin- 

 comali channel offers similar conditions. Long harbour runs inland for 2^ miles as 

 a narrow inlet. From Ganges harbour southward the shore of Saftspring island is 

 regular with no large indentations and few small ones. This is largely true of the 

 south end of the island as well, with the exception of the entrance to Fulford harbour, 

 where there are numerous small rocky indentations. The whole area between Mayrie 

 and Saturna islands on the one side and Pender island on the other is shallow, much 

 of it less than 15 fathoms. The shores are not so very ragged but there are several 

 small bays that would serve for lurking places. The south and west shores of Pender 

 island are quite regular and rather abrupt. 



To the east of the north end of Saanish peninsula is a triangular area, approxi- 

 mately 4 miles each way, that offers very favourable conditions. Moresby island 

 forms the eastern apex, with Portland and Piers to the north and the southern point 

 running down to Sidney and James islands. The surface water in this area has a 

 greater density than that at any other part of the region under consideration; it has 

 the largest beds of kelp and, in all probability, all the other conditions that go with 

 these. It cannot be said that the area is limited thus to the soiith as in reality a 

 continuation of it, a strip from 2 to 4 miles wide extends along the Vancouver island 



