Coronation Gulf Vegetation 47 ¢ 
little but a few sparse, coarse grasses. The islands from Grays bay east 
are little granite outliers here and there near the coast, wave-worn and 
sometimes almost awash. Outside of the coast islands, Hepburn island, 
Jameson islands, and others are of the usual Coronation gulf diabase 
type. The coast line being usually rugged, there is little place for the 
lagoons which are a feature of the coast farther west. The eastern end 
of Coronation gulf and of Bathurst inlet is rather a coast of long, narrow, 
rocky fjords cutting deeply into the land.! ° 
“North of Moore bay, and lying two or three miles outside of the 
Detention harbour granite islands, are some rather large islands of 
stratified dolomite, cut by a large dike of diabase which also appears 
inland on the mainland near there. At Kater point, the diabase cliffs 
are high and bold, with lower ridges to the southward, merging into a 
low, sandy shore towards the mouth of Hood river. Hood river has its 
entrance partly masked by a number of low, sandy islands. The river has 
high-cut banks of muddy clay for three or four miles, with willows five or 
six feet high and one inch or more in diameter in some of the bends. At the 
first cascade, nine or ten miles from the mouth of the river, the steep 
clay banks are about 100 feet high, with a level grassy bench extending 
back about half a mile to a ridge of fine, red sandstone, cut on the north 
side by a dike of coarse-grained diabase with a broad, grassy valley beyond. 
The next ridge is quartzite, succeeded by another grassy valley with 
granite hills farther on. A few caribou were seen in the grassy valleys 
here, but in most of this region the pasturage is too limited near the 
coast to support many caribou, although some numbers pass through in 
migrations. 
“The shores and islands of Bathurst inlet east of Arctic sound are 
mostly rocky and rugged, similar to the Coronation gulf islands in general 
appearance, although much higher and more rugged. The diabase 
overflow characterizes the surface features of the northern part of Bath- 
urst inlet, overlying granite, quartzite, or dolomite as the case may be. 
The shore of the south end of Arctic sound is low and sandy for a 
short distance, but the country behind is very rugged. East of Hood river 
the low land and soil deposits are much less frequent and the vegetation 
consequently more scanty. Heather and other plants were found in 
places and even a few dwarf blueberries (Vaccinium) on Barry island, 
but in practically no place east of Hood river could we find willows large 
enough to be of any practical use as fuel, although in some places the 
Eskimos were able to gather enough creeping ground willow stems in 
spring, and in some places dwarf birch enough to make small fires. 
“South of Arctic sound, and the south and east sides of Bathurst 
inlet, the country appears to be a very high, rough, granite country, and 
the Eskimos who hunt there state that it is very barren and d fficult 
to travel over, in many places almost impossible to negotiate except by 
packing in summer. South of Arctic sound appears to be about the 
western limit where the muskoxen are said to be at all common, although 
a few are said to be found as far west as Grays bay. Some of the natives 
of the Bathurst inlet region make overland trips to Backs river and the 
Akkilinek (Thelon) river, principally to get spruce wood from the latter 
river valley. The diabase rock on some of the islands of Bathurst inlet 
and a certain area of the mainland contains native copper in amygdules 
and small veins, but most of it appears to be of rather low grade. The 
Eskimos of the region ltammer out many of their crude implements from 
this copper, which is usually found as float pieces on the shores.” 
1 See Plate X. fig. 2, in Vol. ITI, Pt. K, of these reports. 
