2 B GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



deposits of the mainland and in the vicinity of Vancouver island are 

 included in this report with those bearing on the Queen Charlotte 

 Islands, for the purpose of rendering these more complete. 



Bad weather. The weather during a great part of our stay in the Queen Charlotte 

 Islands was very unfavourable, being stormy and calm by turns, and 

 exceedingly wet. This involved much discomfort and some delay, and 

 combined with the unexpectedly intricate character of the south-eastern 

 part of the islands, which occupied much time, rendered it imjiossible 

 to extend the systematic exploration to the west coast. 



Results of the The exploration, though particularly devoted to the ffeoloffical fea- 



season's work. x ., 



tures of the country, necessarily involved the maintenance of a careful 

 running survey, checked by observations for latitude taken as fre- 

 quently as the weather and other circumstances admitted. Meteoro- 

 logical observations were carried on with as much regularity as possible 

 during the entire season. A number of plants were collected and 

 preserved. These have since been forwarded to Prof. Macoun, who 

 has kindly furnished a list of them. Some time was also devoted to 

 dredging, and a large quantity of material obtained in this way or 

 collected along the shores has beeu handed to Mr. Whiteaves for 

 examination. Sixty-three photographs were taken on prepared dry 

 plates, most of which have proved satisfactory on development. They 

 illustrate points of geological and picturesque interest, and also the 

 peculiar carvings and architectural devices of the Haidas. These had 

 not before been photographed, and owing to the rapid progress of 

 decay it will be impossible to obtain satisfactory illustrations of them 

 in a few years time. 



Position, Discovery and Early History of the Islands. 



Islands. 



Position of the The Queen Charlotte Islands, so named b}^ Dixon in 1787, form a 

 compact archipelago, separated by wide water-ways from the islands 

 which fringe the shore of the mainland of British Columbia to the 

 west and the coast of the southern extremity of Alaska to the north. 

 Dixon Entrance or Sound, to the north, has an average breadth of 

 thirty-three miles. Like most places on this coast, it has been several 

 times re-named. The name Perez Inlet was given to it by Bodega in 

 1775, and it has also appeared on maps as Douglas Entrance, Granitza 

 Sound and Kygahne Strait. The water between the Queen Charlotte 

 Islands and those fringing the mainland to the west has been named on 

 some charts, rather inappropriately and in quite modern times, Hecate 

 Strait. It has a rudely triangular form, with a width at the south, 

 between Cape St. James, and Day Point, Milbank Sound, of eighty-eight 

 miles ; at the north, between Eose Point and Stephen's Island, twenty- 



