162 b 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



Villages of 

 Parry Passage. 



Tartanee of 

 Douglas. 



New village. 



also in some cases familiarly called by the Haiclas themselves, much 

 difficulty is found in correlating the villages now found with those 

 mentioned by others. 



In Parry Passage there are three village sites, two of which are on the 

 south side, and completely abandoned. The outer or western of these 

 shows the remains of several houses and carved posts, and is called 

 Kak-olu The second, about half a mile further East, is named Kioo-sta, 

 and has been a place of great importance. This, as alread} T mentioned, 

 seems to have been Edensaw's place of residence at the time of 

 Douglas' visit, and has probably been deserted for about ten years. It 

 is nearly in the same state with the first mentioned, the houses, 

 about twelve in number, and carved posts still standing, though com. 

 pletely surrounded by rank grass and young bashes, overgrown with 

 moss, and rapidly falling into decay. It is difficult to imagine on what 

 account this village has been abandoned, unless from sheer lack of in- 

 habitants, as it seems admirably situated for the purposes of the natives. 

 Many of the larger articles of property, including boxes, troughs, and 

 other wooden vessels and stone mortars have not been removed from 

 the houses. 



On the opposite side of Parry Passage, facing a narrow channel be- 

 tween North Island and Lucy Island is the village which Douglas calls 

 Tartanee. It now consists of but six houses, small and of inferior con- 

 struction ; and a single carved post stands a little apart from the vil- 

 lage, but is not very old. We were informed that anciently a very 

 large village stood here, but did not ascertain whether its inhabitants 

 were driven away as a consequence of war with other Haidas, whether 

 they migrated, or whether the village was simply abandoned owing to 

 the great decrease in numbers. The present village is said to have 

 been built after the destruction of the earlier one, a statement borne 

 out by the fact that none of the old carved posts referred to by 

 Douglas, and no substantial houses are now seen. There would doubtless 

 have been propped or patched up, and thus preserved, had the spot 

 been continuously inhabited. Douglas' account is somewhat confused, 

 and has probably been communicated to Meares some time after the 

 date of the events to which it relates ; he mentions, however, no other 

 chief but Blakow-Coneehaw, which would seem to show that the whole 

 vicinity of Parry Passage was embraced in a single chieftancy at the 

 time of his visit. 



In the first bay east of Klas-kwun Point, between North Island and 

 the entrance of Yirago Sound, the Ya-tza, or knife village, is situated. 

 Like many of the Haida villages, its position is much exposed, and it 

 must be difficult to land at it with strong northerly and north-easterly 

 winds. This village site is quite new, having been occupied only a few 



