Canadian Forestry Journal, August, ipi6 



681 



Timber Resources of the Queen 

 Charlotte Islands 



splendid Growth of Spruce, Hemlock and Cedar. 

 Virgin Stands of Huge Girth Timbers 



By Roland D. Craig, 

 Commission of Conservation, Vancouver. 



The Queen Charlotte Islands were 

 so named by the explorer. Capt. 

 Portlock Dixon, who in 1789 visited 

 these island^ in his ship "Queen 

 Charlotte," but little was known of 

 them from the geographical stand- 

 point until explored and mapped by 

 Geo. M. Dawson, of the Geological 



Moresby Island is about 30 miles 

 wide on the north end. and with the 

 adjoining islands gradually tapers to 

 a point 100 miles south, with an area 

 approximately 1,200 square miles. 



A range of mountains extends 

 along the western side of Graham 

 Island and down through Moresby 

 Island to the southern extremity, 



Survey, in 1878. Even yet the peo- leaving about three-quarters of Gra 



pie of Canada 'do not appreciate the 

 extent and the resources of these is- 

 lands. 



Physiographically they form a 

 part of the partially submerged 

 range of mountains including the 

 Olympics, Vancouver Island, Prince 

 of Wales Island, and the other 

 mountainous coastal islands of Al- 



ham Island on the east side prac- 

 tically flat country. Moresby and 

 the adjoining islands are nearly all 

 mountainous and rough in contour. 

 Graham Island is indented on the 

 north side by two large harbors, 

 Masset Inlet and Naden Harbor. 

 The former, after traversing a nar- 

 row channel for 17 miles, opens out 



aska. Bewig separated from the into an irregularly shaped expanse 



mainland by a stretch of water from 

 50 to 100 miles wide, known as 

 Hecate Passage, these islands were 

 unvisited except by a few traders 

 and scientists until the advent of the 

 Grand Trunk Pacific Railway 

 turned the attention of investors to 

 these northern lands. 



The group of islands extends in a 

 north and south line about 150 

 miles. Graham Island and Moresby 

 Islands being the most important side of Moresby Island the Coast is 



of water about 18 miles from east 

 to west and six miles from north to 

 south. Naden Harbor, with its ap- 

 proach. Virago Sound, extends about 

 14 miles back, and after a narrow 

 entrance widens to a fine protected 

 harbor six miles long by four miles 

 wide. Skidegate Inlet, which di- 

 vides Graham Island from Moresby 

 Island, forms an excellent harbor on 

 the south, and all along the east 



ones, with "several others of consid- 

 erable size, such as Burnaby. Lyell 

 and Louise, lying along the eastern 

 side of Moresby Island. Graham Is- 

 land, the most northerly, is 53 miles 

 wide at the north end. 25 miles on 

 the south end. and about 50 miles 

 from north to south, covering ap- 

 proximately 2.000 square miles. 



indented with bays and passages 

 which are navigable for large ships. 

 The west coast has few harbors, 

 Rennell Sound, on Graham Island, 

 being the only one affording ade- 

 quate shelter for shipping. As a 

 con-^enuence. it is uninhabited, and 

 with the exception of some oil pros- 

 pectors has been little visited. 



