LOBSTER PLANTING AREAS 131 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a 



of this current comes through the inlet and in and out among the gaps between the 

 islands and reefs, so that a constant interchange of water would be assured. There is 

 practically no drainage area from which fresh water could come, as Ellen bay coming 

 in from the southeast and Annette creek, just north of Glenthorne creek, very nearly 

 cut the island in two, leaving but a very narrow strip between them and the south- 

 west shore of the island. On account of these two inlets being thus situated, no 

 inconvenience is ever liable to arise through the shutting up of the end of Glenthorne 

 Creek. 



Annette creek is somewhat similarly placed but does not seem nearly so suitable 

 as Glenthorne creek. It reaches in farther as the points on each side reach out 

 farther, but as both shores are complete if a portion of it was closed off the tide 

 current would not be running past the barrier, and hence all the interchange there 

 would be could only be of the nature of a back wash. This probably accounts for the 

 fact that it is much more muddy than Glenthorne creek. The depth of the two is 

 much the same but Annette creek has more shallow water around the shore and in 

 consequence a greater portion would go dry at very low tide. 



Just across Captain passage from the mouth of these two inlets, Long harbour 

 extends in a similar way for a distance of 2J miles into Saltspring island. About 

 half a mile from the entrance some small islands and reefs run parallel to the north- 

 east shore, about 100 yards from it at both ends but more than tliat at the centre, 

 where there is a small indentation in the shore occupied by a sandy beach. There is 

 a greater variation in depth here, and if it could be blocked at each end in such a 

 way that the tide would pass right through, it might be a suitable location. It would 

 not be so large as the bead of Glenthorne creek but in other respects the conditions 

 are somewhat similar. 



At the southeastern extremity of DeCourcy island a peninsula extends north- 

 ward in such a way as to leave a bay between it and the main portion of the island. 

 The entrance to this bay is somewhat cut off by a couple of small islands, and at low- 

 tide a ridge extends and very nearly connects these with the extremity of the peninsula. 

 The area thus inclosed is 500 or 600 yards long and nearly half that width at the 

 widest part but narrowing very much towards the head. The water over the greater 

 portion is Ih to 2 fathoms deep at low-tide. All of the shore with tlae exception of 

 the extreme head, where there is a beach, is rocky, the rocks being rough and broken 

 on the one side but smoother and sloping more gradually on the other. A good tide 

 current flows in and out over the reef and between the islands. It is fairly well pro- 

 tected from storms and could readily be inclosed by a barrier across the entrance. 

 .No fresh water runs into it and it is not used as an anchorage. 



Just south of Boat harbour on the main coast of Vancouver island is a peninsula 

 somewhat similar to that on DeCourcy island. It is not so large but a series of reefs 

 extend from its extremity, protecting the bay almost as well as if the point did pro- 

 ject. The opening here is to the southwest instead of to the north. The bay is 

 almost as long but much narrower. Several other bays somewhat similar to this 

 occur between Boat harbour and Oyster harbour, but fresh water runs into the 

 majority of them, and the ranchers use them for anchorage. 



A little over a mile from Jack point, not far from Nanaimo, and just before 

 Duke point is reached, there is the entrance to a lagoon over three-quarters of a mile 

 long and from 150 to 200 yards wide, which may be entered readily by small boats at 

 high-tide but is inaccessible at low-tide. The entrance is somewhat narrow and the 

 rocks across the entrance serve as a barrier up to about half tide, with the 

 exception of two narrow passages. This barrier retains the water as the tide goes out 

 so that the water in the lagoon may be at a much higher level than that outside. 

 Even if the water lowers to the levels of the rocks at the entrance only a small portion 

 of the whole area becomes dry. The greater part of it is from i to 2 fathoms at the 

 lowest tide. The southern end of it has a bottom of sandy mud, with bunches of eel- 



38a— 9 i 



