172 B GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



will be found the extreme number of people inhabiting these islands, 

 including women and children." It is to be remembered that Dixon 

 not only did not anchor in any of the ports, but that most of the time 

 he kept so far from the shore as to render it improbable that more 

 than a small proportion of the able-bodied men of each tribe should 

 visit the ship. 



The number of sea-otter skins obtained by Dixon during the cruise 

 about the Queen Charlotte Islands was 1821, "many of them very fine; 

 other furs we found in less variety here than in many other parts of 

 the coast, the few racoons before mentioned, a few pine-martin, and, 

 some seals, being the only kinds we saw." 

 puiafionbyMr ^ nave ^ een so f° rtunate as to obtain from Dr. W. F. Tolmie the 

 -John Work. subjoined estimates of the numbers of the Haida tribes. These were 

 made between the years 1836 and 1841 by the late Mr. John Work, 

 and, though not framed from personal acquaintance with the Haida 

 country, are supposed to be based on the most reliable sources, with 

 which Mr. Work's long residence on the northern part of the coast of 

 British Columbia had made him familiar. It is likely that even at 

 this date the population of the islands had somewhat decreased, but in 

 all probability not very materially. On examining the table it will 

 be found that the villages are grouped under the common names in 

 some instances, and that it is at times difficult to recognise what place 

 is referred to. I have, however, endeavoured to test the table in 

 regard to those places with which I am familiar, by comparing the 

 relative importance of the different localities at present with that 

 assigned to them here, and otherwise, and am persuaded that the 

 figures are substantially correct, and probably rather an under than an 

 over-estimate if taken to represent the population when first brought 

 into contact with the whites. 

 Totals. The total number of Haidas living in the Queen Charlotte Islands, 



as given by Mr. Work, is 6593. The whole number of the Haida 

 nation, including the Kai-ga-ni Haidas, 8328. The number of people 

 assigned to each house in the Queen Charlotte Islands, according to 

 Mr. Work's table, is found to be about thirteen, which, taking into 

 consideration the size ot the houses and manner of living, is very 

 moderate. 



