APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 491 



Inclosure in No. 2. 

 lieport. 



Pnrsnant to inRtrnotinns, I embaiived on the Canarlian Government steamer 

 "Quiidia'' at Victoria, liritish Columbia, on the 9th May, 1892, and, alter calling at 

 Carmaunah and Cape Hesil, reached the East Haycock Islands at about 5 o'clock on 

 the morniuo- of the 11th May. These islands are a part of the Scott group, and lie 

 off the north-west part of Vancouver Island, in north latitude 50° 48' and west longi- 

 tude 128"^ 47'. I visited them in one of the ship's boats, and found the main island 

 to rise perjiendicularly from the water to a height of about 80 feet. The sea was too 

 rough to permit of our landing, so that no examination of it could be made for the 

 purpose of searchiug for evidence of seals having hauled out there. Several small 

 rocks lie to the eastward of the larger island, and in the surf by one of these a few 

 fur-seals were seen, one an old bull, the others either females or young males. Near 

 a small rock to the westward of the larger island other fur-seals were seen, either 

 females or young males. About one-third of a mile to the westward of this small 

 rock were two larger ones, the nearer rising about 20 feet from the water, the farther 

 about 40 feet. These were covered with sea-lions, there being not less than 500 on 

 the iirst and 800 on the second. 



West Haycock Island lies about 5 miles west by north of East Haycock Island, 

 and is shown on the Admiralty Charts to be 18i) feet in height. It was approached 

 from the north, and at that end we saw several fur-seals, about a dozen in all. A 

 landing was effected at one place on this island, but no examination of it could be 

 made, as it was impossible to wallc along the shore at that place, and the heavy surf 

 pnnented our landing elsewhere. The western side of the island was, however, 

 followed in the boat for its entire length, about one-third of a mile, and fur-seals 

 were seen all along it in groups of two or three, while at the southern end there was 

 a group of eight or ten. These seals did not swim out to sea, but ke])fc along shore, 

 or escaped through some of the rocky channels that separate the islets that line it. 

 A ccrtiticate to the above effect w.as signed by the men who were in the boat with 

 me at this time, several of whom were familiar with fur-seals and their habits, and 



is appended to this Report. 

 136 A jjortion of West Haycock Island and all the islets that surround it are 



suited for the hanling-out of seals, as, while there is no beach and the shores 

 are steep and rocky, the summits of the islets may easily be reached by the seals. It 

 seems very j)robable that seals may haul-out there, but it was at the time of my visit 

 too early in the season for them to have done so, and when next I passed these islands, 

 late in September 1892, the weather was so rough that we could not go within sev- 

 eral miles of them. 



Triangle Island lies about 12 miles to the north-westward of West Haycock Island, 

 and was visited the same day (11th May), but a landing could be effected in one place 

 only. At this place the skull of a fur-seal was found. It lay several feet above high- 

 water mark, but no other part of the skeleton could be discovered. The animal to 

 which it belonged may have been blown ashore during a storm, but no diift wood 

 was tbnnd as high above the water. Many hair-seals and fur-seals were seen about 

 the islands, but more of the former than of the latter. 



The following day (12th May) Virgin Rocks of the sea-otter group were reached. 

 These lie in north latitude 51° 16' and west longitude 128° 15', and consist of anum- 

 ber of rocks, the largest less than 50 feet in height, and not over 100 yards in length; 

 the extreme northern and southern islets or rocks are about half-a-mile apart. The 

 one furthest to the south was visited first, and was fotmd to be covered with sea- 

 lions — several hundred of them. The largest island was then approached, and as the 

 sea-lions by which it also was covered did not take alarm, a careful estimate was 

 made of their number. The lowest count by any one in the boat was 2,000, so that 

 I may safely say that there were at least that many there. No fur-seals were seen at 

 that place or at Pearl Rocks and Watch Rock of the same group, which were after- 

 wards visited. These rocks are in every way suitable for the hanling-out of seals, 

 hut the ground is quite occupied by sea-lions. 



On the loth May the " Quadra " struck a sunken rock at the entrance to Rose Har- 

 hour, at the south end of Queen Charlotte Island, and shortly afterwards sank. From 

 Rose Harbour I went in one of the ship's boats to Inverness, at the mouth of the 

 Skeena Kiver, whence passage was procured to Victoria. I met at Inverness the Rev. 

 Mr. Collinson, for many years a missionary among the Indians on that part of the 

 coast. He told me that the Indians sometimes saw fur-seals along way up Portland 

 Canal, and that in February 1889 a great many young seals were taken there. In the 

 descripticm of the Seal Ivocks in Portland Canal in the " British Columbia Pilot " 

 occurs the following: "Many fur-seals seen on this cluster, August 1868."* Mr. 



• See foot-note, p. 484. 



