CIHM Microfiche (Monographs) ICIMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Institute for Historical Microraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the t)est original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checked below. n n D D n D Coloured covers / Couverture de couleur Covers damaged / Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaur^ et/ou pellicula Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps / Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured inl< (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material / Re\\6 avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin / La reliure serrte peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge intdrieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 616 filmtes. Additional comments / Commentaires suppl^mentaires: Thia Kam !• filnMd at ttw radueUon ratio clMCkMilMlow / Ca do c u ma nt aat (ttmA «u ttux da rMuetton imfl<|li(ifrru|ih.v Rarly «>!(|>lnrnti Chuck cr»*k ... . Cowffiti! Hnnna river . . Caiii|. .\iitlinicitr Caiii|i \Vilh R(il)ertwin Aiia!yse« .... IfCntoiDi rnrk" J'A.lk ,. H . H . II . M l.-i in 2li 27 at •J!t Xi 41 45 P 1' t i ! i ; i' ' i ,^^- 1 ! ', ! i '■■ u tUii REPORT f.cli 8h Buniaby, Lyell, Louise, ic. A report was written in lf<7H on the ;;«o!o'4ic»»i features of the group, by Dr. (J. .M; Dawson, with wh . ' was incorpmited much information relative to the n»tural his»< ■- "lie Indians and other matters of general interest. KxiMuinations \> ..>re carried out by means of a small schooner, and were almost entirely confined to the eastern shores of the several islands, though a trip was made into the interior of Graham islaiul, following the waters of Ma-sset inlet from the north end. The portion to which the preient report chiefly if fcrs is tin- nio^t northerly, comprising Graham island, the largest of the group, and Noith island, at its northwest angle, thes*' two forming the most northwesterly portion of the Pacific seaboard of the Dominion of Canada. These islands lie between longitude 131' 3*5' (that of Rose spit, the northeast point of Graham island) and 133 9 (that of Frederick island, on the west coast), an . in latitude betwe<^n "»•'{ >*' and 54' l.'i'. i I, {I -J >v_ ! 1 in 1 8 B UEOLOOICAL SIRVEY OF CANADA Tlie imly twD .settlements on Graham island are tlie Indian villajjes of Skidegate, at the southeast extremitj", and of Masset, at the nortli end. The nearest .shipping p<>rt.s on the mainland of British Colum- bia ai-e Ports Simpson and Essington, tiie distance from Masset to the former in a straight line being 85 to 90 miles and from Hkidegate to Simpson 115 miles, oi to Essington 115 miles. The .sailing distances are of course somewhat greater than those gi\en. The nearest land on the north is at Point Chacon in Alaska, distant about 45 miles. Connexion with the mainland is made by means of a steamer cull- ing at Skidegate once a month and at Masset once a year, though a more frequent service to the latter place is contemplated. At other times communication is had with the ports in British Columbia by sailing ixjats of about five tons burden, known as " Columbia river Ixiats,'" which usually have fine .seagoing qualities. (Iraham island is much broader at the north end than at the south. Thus, from Rose point, on the northeast, to Cape Knox, at the north- west extremity, is fifty-three miles in a direct line • while from Lawn hill, near the southeast point, to the south entrance of Rennell sound, on the .southwest coast, is only twenty-five miles across country. This is also pi-actically the distance Iwtween Skidegate village and Huntfr point, at the northwest entrance to Cartwright sound. The distance between Masset village on the north and Hkidegate on the south is alxiut 48 miles measui-ed directly across the island, while from the north enc" of North island to the western entrance of Skidegatf chan- nel along the west cosist is about 77 miles. The area of the island, roughly speaking, is somewhat more than 2000 S({uare miles. The northern interior of the island is accessible by water through Masset inlet, a deep and narrow tidal waterway, which, after a dis- tance of seventeen miles, expands into a large lake-like sheet of water, with a length, from east to west, of eighteen miles, and a breadth north from the mouth of Yakoun river, which is near the southea.st angle, of about seven miles. On the south side of this inland lake a narrow passage, through which the tide rushes with great force, con- nects with another inland salt water lake known as Tsooskatli, which is nine miles long, one to two and a half miles «:de, and contains many small islands. The time of high water' in this inland lake is alwut four hours and a half later than at Masset harbour. To the north of the main expansion of Masset inlet there is a fre.-sli water lake about fourteen miles long from east to west, with a maxi- mum breadth of one mile and a half, known as lintsua lake, which connects with the inlet by the Ain river. All these inland lakes are bordered by high ranges of mountains, including many cone-shaped peaks. All are composed of igneous rocks, fK)rtions of which are Pre- ORAHAM ISLAXD ft B Cretaceous, and part ..f later Tertiary age. By tl.e lintsua lake u waterway extends nearly across this part of the island, west of Masset inlet, a ridj?e of scarcely more tlian a mile in width separating it fi-om the waters of the Pacific we.m in Kiokathli inlet, on the west coast of the island. The island affords but few good harbours. On the west coast, the only really gwxl seaport, which however has never lieen surveyerl by the Admiralty, is near the southern end and is known as Rennell sound. It has a broad, clear entrance from the sea anfl extends inland about eijtht to nine miles, curving, towards the inner half, to the south- ward and thus forming excellent shelter from westerly gales. It can be readily recognized along the shore by the presence, at its entrance of a bold hill, which rises somewhat abruptly from the beach on the south side to an elevation .rf over 1,000 feet. The inner end of this sound contains several islands, the largest of which was named Shields by Mr. W. A. Robertson, the original discoverer of the Graliani island coal areas : from opposite this island a trail was partially constructed eastward for about four miles to the shores of Yakoun lake. This lake at the head of Yakoun river is practically on the line of contact be tween the coal-measure rocks of the east half of the island and the Igneous rocks of the west coast. The trail pisses ovei' a rid.ro about m feet high or 390 feet above the surface of the lake, as nma.sured by aneroid. Kano inlet, sometimes called Cartwright sound, which is a few mile^ south of Rennell sound, extends inland for about seven miles. At its entrance the width from point to point is about three miles, which, three miles inland, narrows to two miles. There is a cove on the south shore with a small island where good shelter can be obtained for fish- ing boats, though the inlet, seaward, presents no other shelter from westerly gales. During the past season a fishing station for halibut «as established here by Capt. Bradford. The inner half of the inlet is n. ,ie narrow and terminates in two small coves, that to the south- east being bordered by high-peak.- 1 mountains which reach elevations of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, the summits, in July, Ijeing covered with snow. At the northeast angle of this inlet, the shores are lower, and a small creek enters from the east. To the north of Rennell sound the inlets are small. The shores are uniformly rough, often with ragged ledges and good teaches are rarely seen. Several small islets are found near the entrance of the smaller indentations. The largest of these inlets, known as Kiokathli, is about twenty-five miles north of Rennell sound, but the entrance is Ijad and there are ledges inside which make it dangerous for vessels in its pres «>nt unsurveyed statt-. Good anchorage for Niats can l>e had in the '•! ih if J i 10 B GEOL ! m l!' ui: Jn 1 » 1 aiJi:I .! , 12 B OKOLOOICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Irr I fr->!ii till' slioi'f of .Skiel- katla three miles east of the Indian villajje, while a Mr. HofJge at the Tlhil has a few head of cattle and horses and a fine piece of natural ranch-land. These animals pick up a living on the wild grasses aloni; the borders of the l)eaclies or in glades in the wihhIs, while on the randi lands at Masset and TUal considerable (luantities of h- / are made from the wild grass on the marsh lands along the creeks. A numljer of fine cows are also kept at these places and the Indians, both at Masset ami Skidegate, own a (juantity of cattle which run practically wild in tlif Woods for a goofl part of the year. In the ;i)»theast jmrt of the island, towai-ds Rose point and in reai c>f Cape Fife, there is also a considerable herd of wild cattle, which art- now lieing hunted down for the sake of the meat, which is taken to Port Simpson or to one of the Alaskan ports for sale. This herd was reported as very large, but from close inquiries, it appears that tlir numlwr of animals at present in this part of the island in a wild stati' is probably under one hundred. Owing to the generally dense forest, ranching can be carried on, with any chance of success, only at widely separated jioints. With the exception of the alx)ve named, no other attempts have yet l)eeii made at rr..iching Spit point across from Skidegate, a ranch of large sizeha^ quite recently been starteil under favourable c(mditions. Owing to thr fact that severe winter weather never visits these islands, the stock can be kept in the open all the year round. The islands of the Queen Charlotte group held, some thirty year- ago, a large Indian population, variously stat*"d at from 5,000 to 7,000 persons (Haidas), who were scattered in villages along the entire coast line. This numljer has gradually decreased — through sickness oi remc)\ al — and the numlier of persons in this group is now reported t > be alwut 700. Gradually, also, the entire Indian population ha^ reukoved from the once widely separated villages, the remains of which can still lie seen at many places, until they are all now ctincent rated at the village of Masset at thf* north end of Graiiani island, ami ^ i in. SLLa (iRAHAM IStANO 13 at .Skid.-gate at the south en.l. At Iwth jihaes the In.lians are eom- foitably situated, having' g,Kjoperative store and a fact^.ry for the .nauufacture of rlo^^-fisli „il uiuier their own eon- trol and management (the last two industries l)eing located at Hkide- gate), while thei-e is another tact«.ry, usually known as the oil-works, locatefl at .Skidegate post-ottice, two miles west of the Indian village,' where employment can also be had, if desireint of comfort and physical well-being, the Indians of this island appear to be very fortunate. They are also .|uite musical and there is a gootl bmss band, entirely nmnageil by themselves, in each village. During the summer months- from the middle of June to the middle or end of August— the island is practically deserted by the Indians, *he whole population migrating to the mainland of British Columbia, where they are employed in the numerous salmon canneries that abound along the coast from t!je Portland canal south to the Fiaser river. In ordinary seasons, the earnings for this time are sutHcient for the family's com- fort and support for the rest of the year, so that, with the exception of providing what few ftsh are i-«iuireple ip'jrut rivularig), grown along some of the inland streams and also ■ . the lieatheH, and forms a great impediment to travel, owing to its 'piky or thdi'iiy character. Among l)erries, the most abundant seen hy us were the Sallal (Gaul- Ihfria nhalliiii), the ISalmon lieny (/iiilins specta^liis), especially plenti- ful and laden with large yellow and red Ix'rries, the Elderberry (Sambu- eii)i racemoKHD), the Dogw(Kxl (Corims occidentalis). Honeysuckle (Loni- cura involucrata), and the wild currant (Rihes). Throughout tlie forest, progii'ss is greatly imiwxled by thickets of Sallals and Salmoi. l)erry, by a thick growtli of the Devil's A\xh (Echinojmuax /ton iduin), and by laige (juantities of the rank skunk cabbage {Lysichiton kamtxc/iatctnse), the tleshy succulent roots of which are a favourite food of the Ijears, and whose leaves sometimes measuie three feet in length by eighteen inches in breadth. The great amount of moisture which prevails for a large part of the year develops an abundant unart of the year. These hills are all densely wooded, except where occasional patches of heath ftp{«?ar along the sides on t!>eir upper portions. It may easily l)e imagined that the whole of the country in this direi-tion is exceetlingly hard to traverse or to prospect. ORAIIAH ISLAKD 15 B Ett»tt of tlic linP ivtVm-d t.. through the centrr ..f il,,. islaiui the surface is comparatively h>w, and o>er lar«» portion^ .,uite level. Forest fires have dentroye.! much of the oriwinal tiinl^^r i{rowth, more espetially throujjhout the eastern part, but the ^tK^ond growth is dense everywhere. There are no tracts of clear land, but extensive swamps are found. .Several comparatively low ridges are seen in the northe»st corner of the island which extend southerly fi^om Tow hill and in rear of Ca{K' Fife, and these may represent masses of igneous rtniksof which hott-ever no definite statement can l)e made owii.- to the absemo of outcrops in that area; but nmsses of Imsaltif rc«;k of the later Ter tiary age, in places columnar in character, are found at Tow hill on the north am) -it Lawn hill on the southeast coast. T.. the north of .Skidegate high ridges are seen, which, accmling to the chart, reach a height of 1,400 feet. These are in part igneous an.l in part a con-lo. nierate. The exposed rocks of this eastern area are generallv sandstone and shale of Cretaceous and Tertiary age. Rock outcrops are seldom s.^en except on a few of the streams in the st)Uthern part of the island, whil,. merely surface exposures are rarely visible owing to the thickness of the soil co>ering. Some of the streams cut deep channels, but the Unks are usually of sand and gravel wi' h occasional thick beds of clay. These streams are difficult t97, with rofercnce prinoifMilly to archiieolo^^ical i-e>4earelit's aiiiuiig the Haida Indianti. Colle«'tion>t of fossiln were made from a .luiiiU'r of places, and have helpeiettle the avte of the sedimentary riH-ks of Graham island, though collections had previously l)een made by Mr. Richardson and hy Dr. r)aws«m. These collet'tions are all from jKiints alon^f the shores. 'I'lie interior of the island was however almost entirely unexplored, the only information relative to it bt'ini; obtaine the low sut.' of tiiM water in the river, aiul tl..- iiuiiilxM- an.) extent of the lotfjains whicii corapelle »K)at was lost owing to heavy seas. A gale from the west also det^iined the party for ten days at Tow hill Thence the shore was followed south tu Skiest that c sfViTHi l<>j{-jniiiH wore lucat(*H, hixI ineaKurtni, and the p»hnlluw!t wert- Wxfe from logs, but the stream was very shallow, with iMinks of clay an(i sand. .Jams are frei|uent in the next three miles, t«'n being seen, several of which were marked as " bad," with drift lo^s up to 60 inches in diameter. In the next six miles, up stream, these jams are comparatively rare ; occasional lep, cutting in places dii*ectly across the river. In the next stretch of three mi'.os there are ten log jams, several of which are very Ijad, to within about four nnles of the foot of the lake where it was found n< cessary to leave the canoe, the last distance to the lake being almost clear, with the exception of one large jam. For a couple i >f miles there is dead water below the outlet. At about six miles below the lake, the stream flows through a channel cut in the sandstone for a distance of about half a mile, the passage being from 12 to 20 feet in width. Many of these jams are very old and .solid, the lower trees being partially bui-ied in the sand. At a high stage of wat«>r some of them Would l)e covered sufficiently to pass bart would have to be removed to obtain a passage for small Ijoats from salt water lo the lake. They could, however, ([uite readily be removed by proper appliances, when the water in the river is high by means of a small steam engine, a tug or steam scow and dynamite for the large logs. Besides the log jams, the number of shallows in the stream would seriously inverfere with navigation except in high water stages. Owing to the generally low condition of the banks and '"le almost impenetrable tangle of roots, small bush and rank vegetation, it i^ almost impossible to traverse this part of the country during the sum- mer months, the water in time of flooy channels, which in time also become choked with drift wood and form an impassable jungle. The importance of this stream as a means of inland communication is however very considerable. In any attempt to work the coal seam-*, especially at the Wilson camp, the facilities of transjHjrt by tliis route — if it could be rendered navigable — would l)e much gn Vr than by trails cut from 8kidegate, a distance of seveiiteen miles. With the ORARAm iilaxd 10 n jams remove.! and the nhallow, flr,Hl«wl at the woi-st ,H,i„t« it would 1» ,«H,ible to tulce up liKJit .Iraft stern whwl Inwt. or .tows ,,h far ,u. the mouth of Wilson im-k, whieh is only a mile from the outcrop of the .(Mil ; ,.r to the lake itn^-lf, wher.' the east hranch of the Yakoun eoineH in and where IwinR operations should Ix- rarri.^l on in the valley of this stream to the north of th.- Rolx-rtson camp outcrops. In this way, als<., machinery for sawmi' which will b». very neecssarv for all conteiiipln^ed mining op^-rations, can lie place.1 on "the ground in the vicinity of lx)th camps with comjMirative ease. OKNERAL (JKOMMiY. The formations found on Graham island m.iy l,e considemi under four heads : — I. Post Tertiary ; including san.ls, grav.-ls. and clays, the latter often hoidmg marine shells and pieces of lignite. II. Tertiary; comprising shales, sandstone and conglomerate with bwlf .f lignite, fossil if erous. III. Cretaceous; shales, sandstone and conglomerate, with thin lime- stoiu's, and w.th large deiH„sits of bituminous coal which sometimes losses into anthracite; also fossiliferous. IV. Igneous rocks comprising P.-e-Cretaceous and later Tertiary. POST-TKRTr.ARY. Ihe general aspect of the sjinds, clays and gravels has been well described in the lleport by Dr. G. M. Dawson, 1878-79, and lists of f.Kssils collected from them at different points have IxH-n given It will ue necessary therefore merely to give briefly the lea.iing features iilating to the formation. Along the east and north coasts the surface deposits of clay.s an,i the coast, sands and gravels abiuntl, and are frequently underlaid by a hard t.>ugli bluish-grey clay, which at a distance resembles a hard grey sandstone and from the lower part of which collections of marine shells were made bj- Dr. G. M. Dawson in 1878, and were determined I'y Dr. J. V. Whiteaves. These beds of clay and sand are exposed at a number of pl.aiiit ; Ciipn U«ll Ami fur «ever»l mile* north ; thn entmnce to MoMiiit inl(«t, oppoiiit^t thf villago ; thf eiwt Nhore uf thf inlet at Watutm river, elevt-n niilcM altovi^ the viUn^i' ; at EchinUN (K>int alwut twt> mileit wett of the nioutli of Yakoun river on the Houth Hido of tho Ma«iH*t inlvt expanition ; the Maniin rivid ;i ft. HantU with pehblvM having the OMpect uf a well soliditied conglomerate .5 m Stiff gn-y clay, with pie<'es of lignite and thick depueiita of shelU many of which am of large nize '.\ >■ Iteach with lignite pioceH. Among the specieH of .shells found in these deposits theme collected at Watoun river, in MaKset inlet, may be given as fairly reprtsentini; those found elsewhere. They include HematkyrxH ptitlacea, Lini. Afodiolaria Nigra, Grey. Saxicava nigona, Lamarck. Puncturella galeata, UouhJ. lialanng i A very common shell at most of these places is the large variety of the clam, still found in grettt quantities and uhod for foo<], knowti as Schizochi'Tus NutteUli, some spf-cimens nf wliicli mea)'un> .seven inches by five An interesting feature in these clays is the frervi>.<., tin- |>ittc<-« l)«inj{ riu»r»'ly frHKnicritx |(iikiil ujt on the U'lul'. At iicith'-r i>f tli«'>»f jiliut* lire liny wni|) im Miinin riviT, which ih tht* inr. DttN^^xmit list iKiiir ; (U(|,. If<7f*-7lt, p. !ir> U.): - Mnciima unmiiti, Cnnrikd. Siiriitmna ii/unliiiu», |)c»h. Tiipm ttatniv*a, CunrniJ. Atwiiia A'/eno, HtinipMon. At thf liKiility on Niulcn livir which cnttTs thf liiail ..t' Nmlt-n harbiiur (Virago »<)unfieN »cri- (il)s<'i'M-d in ii Ixink iiliout ftft4'cn ftM't high : — From the lower jtart (if tiic h«nk :— SiuidoiuuM »ijHouid. Vryptvhranc/iin tunn-iilricn, Midd. f'Af/.«<<( cwcuid'H, C'jir.) Tornatinn e.rimui, Maird. Liltorina SitcfiatM, Phil. From the upper part of tlie liank the following Aeiv ohtj.iiied : — Scixidomm ../tialidun, l>esli, Tiij)e» atamineit, Conrml. C'ardium yiitialli, Conrad. Purpura critpata, Cheinn. The country east of Massei inlet is usually low, or hrokcn with octiisional ridges of no great elevation. It is largc'y drift covered, and lock outcrops are practically unknown. Even the streams, which are siiort, are cut in sand and jfravel, so far as they have l«en examined. On the iiortii shore, from .V'asset to Rose point tlicrc is n(jthin,',' but aaiid, gravel and bjulders with the exception of the rock outcro{)s at Tow hill, and at two places between this point and the entrance to the inlet. The sands are most dangerous places, as regards navigation, on the whole island. The sand dunes on the former extend northward for some miles and form a long area of shalL.ws upon which, in any but a souti, wind, tremendous seas occur. There are occasional gaps in the sand of the spit, through which Iwats can pass at certain stages of the tide m calm weather, but at other times boats and canoes rarely make the attempt and much delay is often experience, 1 before a safe passag,. can be effi>cted. During our trip round this point we were delayed for ten Hays in the high-water harbour at Tow hill owing to the impossibilitv of launching a b.mt in the surf that broke all along the shore, ami manv lives have l)een lost in the attempt to rounrl the spit, or through Imw^ caught in heavy weather on this part of the coast. Indications of ice movement were observed at only one place around the island. On the shore two miles west of Skidegate post office striiv were seen having a direction of N. W E. or in the line of Skide-ato channel, the result prohibly of IfKjal ice movement from the hiiih hilK to the west. ii GRAHAM ISLAND TERTIARY. ■2:\ II ':« i Tlie Tertiary roc-ks of Cii-Hliiiin island are (livi.sil)li' into twn parts, viz.; the sedimentary, comprising sandstones, shales and eoin;iiiineratos, with occasional between Skidegate and Lawn hill on the south, and at Skonun point, about four or live miles east of Masset entrance. These rocks are also seen on the north shore of Tow hill, underlying the trap rmks which form that headland, and on the shore of Yakan point, two miles west. On the east coast no riM k expins occur in tlie shales. The rocks are seen in two ledges situated alxmt a fourth of a mile apart and located on the Iwach at about lialf tide. At the more westerly the dip is N. 75' E. < 15°, but in the more easterly this dip swings round to N. 40' W. < 25". The sand- stone iiere carries a \m\ of lignite of fairly go. Tin thickness of the lignite varies at different points, but at one place is at least four feet. The bed dijjs northward and if the formation is regular should not reappear inland, but from the stat^-ment of the Kev. Charles Har- rison of Masset, that lignite occurs in the flat country south of the beach at this place, it is possible that other deposits exist or that the bed seen on the beach is repeated by a fault, of which nothing definite can now be asserted ov.ing to the absence of rock exposures. The matter could be te.sted at small expense by hand boring as the place is easy of access from Mr. Harris(jn's farm, and the whole country in this direction is low. The four-foot Ix'd continues along the shore for several hundred yards with a course of N. 65° E., the average dip of this portion being N. 25° W. < 30°. At the most easterly point of the outcrop the dip changes, through gradual curving of tlie strata, to \.50" W. < 15°-20'. Under the mass of Tow hill, which stands at the west side of the mouth of Hiellen rivei', theie is at low water a good outcrop of shales, the position below the mass of igneous i-ock which forms the liili being well seen. These shales are brown and grey and are directly capped by the b*. . ud trap, the surface of the shales appearing as if denudetl before the trap overHow. They are somewhat altered along the con tact, the reddish tint lieing changed to gr<>y with a hardening of the contact layers. Ten feet west of the direct capping of the trap the shales become almost black and contain a thin band of greyish sand- stone and a conglomerate made uj) of p'bbles of volcanic rock in a gritty paste, interbedded with which there is a thin sheet of black diabase. Inhind, these rhe determinations were made by Dr. J. F. Whiteaves and are as fol- lows :— (Rep. Prog. 1878-79, p 87, B.) Gasteropoda. Mnngefia ? ii\\ itidt. One worn specimen. A^assa, sp. Unlike any of the living species on the N.W. coast. Ltnuitia? Hi>. Test exfoliated. Trochka or Galtrus. Test exfoliate*!. Crypta adimca, .Sby. One specimen; undistin^ i.shable from the living species. Mr.Gabb(Pal. Cal.,vol. 2, p. 82) says that this shell occurs in the Pliocene and Post Pliocene of California. Lamdlibranch lata. Solen, sp. One fragment of a large species. Sil^ua, possibly the young of S. pa/ula, Dixon. Two examples. ilannlata, Con., and S. falcata, Old., but smaller than either. Several spcvimens. Macmna tioiiUa, Conrad. Two or three specimens. According to Gabb (Pal. Cal., vol. 2, p. 93) this recent species occurs also in the Upper Miocene, Pliocene and Post Pliocene of California. Mercenaria. Mr. \V. H. Dall thinks this shell is closely related to hi.s M. Kennicotli, from Alaska. iiatoii-! 2G n GEOLOniCAL SURVEY OP CANADA W.: Chione, sp. indt. Two specimens. Tapeg sluminea, Conrad. The most abundunt shell in the collec- tion. It is abundant, in a living state, on the N.W. coast, and Mr. Gabb says that in California it is found in the Post Pliocene, Pliocene and Miocene. SiMtdomHS. Species undistinguisliable. The outer layer of all the specimens, which are not numerous, is entirely 3xfoliated. Cardium. One exfoliated valve. Appears to resemble C. islan- dicum. Cardium. Several valves of a species which may be referred to C. Man lum, Gld. Area microdonta, Conrad. An extinct species, found so far only in the Miocene and Pliocene of California. Two specimens. A.fimia. Possibly a form of A. pittnhi, Conrad, but Imrely dis- tinguishable from the smooth form (var. Subobxoleta, Carpen- ter) of the living A. aeptentrlnnaha, Middendorf, of the N.^' coast. Four single valves. I ■ >,*>' THK CRKTACEOU.S OR COAL-BEARINf. ROCKS The Cretaceous roc>" . the island comprise a considerable thick- ness of shale, siinf' .le and conglomerate with thin limestone bands, the measurement of which, in the faulted condition of much of the strata and the absence of good sections, it is difficult to calculate. The Cretaceous rocks have an exposed breadth along the north shore of Skidegate harbour of aVwut ten miles, namely, from the point west of Skidegate post office, or what is known as the oil works, to the old Cowgitz anthracite mine. Northward, they extend along the eastern Hank of the mountain range, composed of pre-existing igneous rocks, probabij to the mouth of Masset inlet, where the village of Jtasset is situated ; but since the greater portion of this area is covered with timber and soil, and expo sures are almost entirely absent, the exact line of demarcation cannot be definitely determined beyond the fact that they do not ap[)ear to occur west of Masset inlet, with the exception of a small outlier near the south end of North island, at the extreme noi-thwest corner of (iraham island. The most northerly outcrops of this formation seen in the interior of the island were certain exposures of sandstone on the Yakoun river, ab97) by Dr. C. F. Xewcomb. These collections were examined by Dr. J. F. Whiteaves, an.l the results of his work were published in several bulletins on " Mesozoic fossils" from 1S7.J to At Skidegate village, there is a large area of igneous rocks compris- ing diatmse, felsite, agglom.Tate, etc , which have been described by Dr. G. .M. Dawson as ..Ider than the Cretaceous. These rocks extend "from the point northeast of the Indian village as far west as the point bevond the oil-works at the iH.st-oftice, a distance along the shore of about three miles. These are probably the ..Idest rocks on the island, unless we except certain small areas of sandstones, shale and limeston,- which occur on several islands in Skidegate harbour, and uU, near the we.r entrance of Skidegate channel. These may \>e of Triassic age. The structure of the sandstone, shale and conglomerate, which are the rocks of the Ci-etaceous formation along tlie coast west of the oil- works point, is quite simple. These r.K.-ks lie in the form of two syn- chnes, separated near the mouth of the Honna river by a low anticline which extends from the shore nortliwest uj) tlie valley of that stream. The lower beds which rest on the igneous rocks on the east side of this Imsin are somewhat coiirse sandstones with interstratiliee.ls, this part of the shore is somewhat rough ; but going west the sandy beds gradually decrease, and shales with occasional bands of ochreous dolomite c.me in and extend beyond »he mouth of the Honna river. The dip of these beds, for a mile oi more west of Maple islaiui, is west, or varies a few degrees to th.. n«ith or south, at angles of five to ten degrees. Approaching the small point a .|uarter of a mile east of the Honna gradually inclines to the north and at one place is N. 10' E. < 7' it m H i 28 n OEOl.OOICAL SURVEY OF CANADA 1l! lii: 1 nliiiwinj,' tlip presence of a lowantieline. In this stretch several dikes of fine-j,'raine(l (liaba.se rut the strata in ii direction of N. oi)^-'')'' E. These dikes arc fr.>iii two to three feet thick and sometinvs stand up as walls along the Ijeach. Aii]iroaeliinj; the mouth of the Honna, which enters the harbour inside Lena island, the dip of the shales, which, on the small point east, is to the north at an aai,'ie of ;W decrees, fjradually swings round to southwest <.'iO°-40\ A fourth o( a mile west of the mouth of iho i-iver, near the commencement of the Narrows separuting Lena island from Graham is'and, a heavy mass of conglomerate comes ii! and forms high hills to the north ami a roujih shore for some hundred yards westward. This rock also api>ears on the west side of Lena island. It separates the lower series of shales, just descriljed, from what lias Iteen called the "upp.'r shale anil sandstone .series" by Richaru .on and Daw.son. It conforms in dip with the underlying shales and is an integral part of the series. In the lower part, it contains beds of icrey grit which, l)y the addition of pebbles, soon pas.ses into c(m;;lomerate proiier. The pebbles in this rock are of all sizes, and comprise granite, dia- base, sandstone and shale. The conglomerate extends along the shore past the Narrows for half a mile, and then passses up into the uppe- series. The rocks of this upper series closely resemble pp bay about one mile from the edge of the con- glomerate belt the shales, which have been di[)i>ing uniformly to the southwest, show local foldings, and are probably near the centre of tlie synclinal just mentioned. A short distance farther on, the dip chanjtes to the east and continues thus to within a short dis- tance of the .Slate Chuck, where the conglomei'ates of the Honna area again appear. As els,' where, the slates are cut across by dikes of basalt, and traces of fossils are seen at several places. The conglomerates east of Slate Chuck contain well-roundetl pebbles o^ igneous rocks and fragments of slate, and a re evidently the equivalents of the large area of these rocks seen at the Narrows, forming here the under portion of the shale synclinal. Mixed bands of slate and con- glomerate with intrusive dikes extend iheuce along the shore to a point several hundred yard.-: west of the creek, where they are much faulted. At the mouth of a small creek half a mile west of Slate t.I.L8 GRAHAM ISLAND 29 U Chuck creek tlie black uiid grey slmles are Hoiiietimes niucli iru.sliefiH'd in the slate Ijy a Victoria fimipany, and tin- material is h1.,jj,.'i| in the ruu^h to tliat place and there nianufacture given : — "Slate Chuck creek is, during the summer months, a small but rapid Htream, ancl ii; hiijli wat^'r rarely e.xeeeds thirty feet in width. From tiie temperature and colour of the water, as also fj'oni the comparative shortness of the stream and the I'apidity of its descent, the chii-f source of the water supi>ly is evidently the melting snow that caps the hisjh ridges on botli sides of the valley. "This valley is one of the many short in(ientati in places quite undisturbed. Generally there is a band of agglomerate between the slates and the underlying diabase rock." This rock was analyzed by Dr. Harrington from samples brought by Mr. Bichardson, in 1872, and found to be a hydrated silica of alumina ORAIIAM IHLAXU .11 H and iron, witli ii l.irge |H"iifiit)ig.« <.f carlx.nareoui iimttor, tlio conip.. ■sit inn U'inj; : — **'''" «.7M Alumina 3B )H Peruxidv of imii . ^ ^ J^"'" ' . '■■.".".'...'.'".'.'.'.'.'. tr«0P, Mafpimi* .... Water CarlHinacoiiis iimtttr 1«H) 51 A similar ciirlxmaceous shale or rock is rt-ported t)y Kichiu.is.m as o.currinj; in Wilk.-s' tunn.-l at the C'owj;it/. mine. The shales and assoc-iatwl r.H.ks just deserilM^d as o<-currin in the Hkide;,'ate shore seition are eontinuous northward along the valley of the Hwina river. jirolMihiy as far north at least as the head of Ma.sset inlet. They a\J, occuj.y the aiw east of the Yakoun lake and river. West of the Cow- gitz coal mine they are not seen except as a small Ijasinshaped area along the shores of Long Arm. which e.\ten(ls north from Ski.legate channel as a somewhat deep inlet west of the rid!,'e on whicirthe Cowgitz mine is situated. These rocks rest against the igneous rocks of the west half of the island which r:;:» in a great series of hills to elevations of over 4,000 feet above the sea. They continue uj. the west shore to aliout the middle of the island, when the hills gradually die down and the rest of the area to North island is comparatively low or broken by scattered ele\ations. A similar seiies of hills rises ea«t of JShite Chui-k creek and include the Slate Chuck mountains, the Nipple, Mount (Jenc- vieve, etc., with elevations up to ;},GOJ feet. This area of igneous rocks terminates northward in Mount Etheliae, L>,.-)4() feet" high, situated several miles southeast of Yakoun lake, from the sunnnit"of which, on a clear day, an e.xtensive view which includes a large portion of the nortiiern half of the island, can ite obtuineut four miles, the hilU rise stet-ply, ami the trail orif^st's the eastern tlank over a mass i^f conj,'loru( rato, whith is pnilmhlya part of the ridge s«>n <»n the shore west of lloiuia eanip. In several of the small streaiuM that cross the trail h'tweeii this and Camp Holiertson, ;:rey sandstone and shale, usually dipping' at ii li.w angle, are exposed, the angle of dip raivly exceeding ten de^'rie'. On the trail from this cimp to Yakoun lake, similar rocks are seen on several streams which tlow nortliwartJ, and a rirlge of aniygdaloidal trap crosses the trail a short dlstante before the lake is reached. Xear the point where the trail strikes tlie shoro are outcrops of a coarse yellowish grit which extends along the shore for several hunilre'emble the coarse yellowish grey sandstones of the Nanaimo coal basin. Going south along the east shore of the lake from the end of the trail, these grey grits are exjiosed for a fourth of a mile. They here overlie hard, bluish grey, i;,'neous-looking rocks that arc probably a spur from the hill range to the south, wIi'TO similar rocks are seen on Mount Etheline. South of this tlier • aiv small outcrops of black shale containing a little shaly coal, witli outcrops of a lianl, tine-;^i..ined, green diabase, which are part of the underlying series. Still further south, and near the southeast angle of the lake, there is a small basin of coaly shale in which occurs a small dei>f)sit of ifiipure anthracite. This was prospected some years ago by a small shaft sunk to a depth of about six feet at a point KtO feet from the lake shore. The rocks passefl through were a mixture of crushed black shale and irregular stringers of impure anthracite coal which does not apjiear to be of economic value. Further we-it, between the shore of the lake and Rennell sound, along which a trail, through what is called the Rennell Sound pass, was partially cleared some years ago, small patches of fossiliferous Cretaceous shales occur, resting on the igneous rocks. Fossils from lhe.se deposits show them to t)elong to the upper part of this formation. They have been determinea l.vel. The lountry t(. the north, through which the Yakoun river Hows to Masset inlet, is low, out is bounde.! by hi^h ImIIh -i »hurt di«- tance west of the lalv ami Htream. Oecasionul hnlges of saiid.stone otitprop along the river, and at a jxiiiil aU.ut midway U-twec-ji the lake and the inlet the voleanies appr.Mi.-h in a large spur from the main mass. The contact of the sedimentary r.^ks with the igneous is, there- fore, not far distant from the west Uink of the slivam. On tlie inland bays or lakes at the heml of Mas,set. inlet, the igneous riK-ks are ev.-rywhere exfK)seenetrable to one on f )ot. The only iiidiiation of sedimentary rocks in the area west of the river is a small "iitcrop of Tertiary shales with traces of lignite, recorde.1 by Dr. Dawson as occurring on the Mamin river, a tributary of Ts.Kwkatli liike, and already referre imptslinifiitN fruiii fHlh-ii tiiiiU-r and ,<.i-ub. The wniiill xtrfniiiw an- fr<-i|U(>ntly alinoNt iiii|HiMiuili|f, owiiiK to iHtulders and drit't tiinhfr, anil nivnt can- is re<|uiititf to \>\v- vent scriiiUJH acfidents in tniNt'rnin;; tln'st'. The NandNtonc and nliale which, with iM'caNional oiit<'ro|M of i^ni'oux, are the only riK'ks swn in thifi part of thi- island, are Niinilar in many renjiects to those Rcen alonj; the Honna mIioi-c. FoNNilM, j^vnerally poorly pn'served, are Mwn in »oint> of the IkhIn, and indicate the gen- eral hori/on of the formation as Upjier Crt'tan-ous. The con>,'lonH'rate on thf trail to Camp Kolx-rtson proliably rrprcHi-ntH the northern extension of the «iniilar i-ocks seen on the shon- near the iiiuuthof the Honna, where there \n an apparent anticline which shouUi carry these rtx;ks northwest on their strike, or in the ( Camp Robertson above sea level. The distance from the shore b\ this trail is not far from eight miles : and the path is in places in vei \ bad condition. The Wilson camp can be reached by trail from Camp Robertson. ,i dist^ince of about nine miles, or by following up the valley of tli- Honna from the four-mile camp direct. Taking the route from Can i. Robertson, the trail first passes over the Robertson ridge tothenorti , and then descends somewhat rapidly for COO feet in a mile and a Imlt to the valley of the Kast branch of the Yakoun. It then jia.s.-.PH.uif -; a comparatively low area, till it meets the main trail from the moutli ' t the Honna direct to Camp Wilson, and then rises abruptly to top ■ t a ridge 960 feet high, or a little above the level of the oilier can r. m.iM ne, similar to the r■ brtjok, still on the same course, another stream is cn>s8e ii n\ ^ rspd to N. 40 E. )S.") .showinj; a .sharj) anticline and pn. i.-.iile fault. From tills, do ii '^^^ loani to 'he ( Falls hrook fur several hundred yards, the falls Iji'in;^ aljout half a mile ahove the forks of tiie stream. From this fork, down to the fork of Anthracite brcM>k, the jirmailini; I'ock is the ordi- nary i^wy sandstone showing; plant stems occasionally. These rocks are much broken i\\> and anj;U's of dip aie hij^l;. At the forks of Antiuacite brook bluish shales occur, and in a distance of fifty yards the dip of these is only ei;;ht decrees to the northeast. The shale contains numerous black, round(>d concretions, haviiif{ a central jxiint of iron ])yrite. The dips are irrcfjular, and hard, Viroker;, altenMl, sandstones and shale extend for 100 yards to black and ^'rey shale with a S.W. dip 40. Thence down the stream for some distance outcrops are lacking, the banks beini; low. The descent from the mine to this place, a distance of about one mile and a half, is nearly 400 feet. The bed of the stream is in places choked with drift trees and boulders of :;reen con glomerate, rendering walking both ditlii-ult and dangerous. Where the rocks are exposeil they are usually much disturbed. •Just below a small brook from the left bank, which rises a short distance north of Camp Robertson, heavy beds of hard green conglom- erate outcrop, witli well banded, grey sandstone, di|)ping S.W. <: oO', the di|) changing in oO yards to S. GO' W. < .'J-") and, a fourth of a mile farther, to N. < f cat os seen in the tunnel at the eastern limit of the coal outcrop. Between Camps Rol,ert3on and Vv^iison but few rock,s show on the trail. On the crest of the ridge north of the former an outcrop of grey sandstone is seen, but with this exception nothing was observed till the top of the next ridge between the east branch of the Yakoun and W .Ison camp was reached. Jlere, in the bed of a s.nall brook Igneous roc-ks, apparently of the underlying series, are exposed, and seem to md.cate that a division exists b3tween the .seams of the two camps. On a brook that crosses the trail a short e. more favourable than in the case of the Robertson seam, while the (lualitv of the coal is much sui)erior. The thickness of this seam, as measured in tl "1 driven in from the brook is 17| feet, with a parting of six ,- • one foot of sandstone, the upper iK'nch sliow- ing 1l' ff. 4 in. c .il. Tlie dip of the coal in the lower part of the outcroji, or south end r)f the tunnel, is N. 10 E. < l') . This is near the line of the fault. The dip at the edge of the fault is X. E. • : 8.") , but at the inner end of the tunnel has become much less, in this way resembling the outcrop of tlie Robertson seam. It is impossible from surface indications to determine the exact value of this coal seam. It has lieen opened at one place only, on the north side of Wilson creek, by a tunnel and small shaft. The seam itself is of larg' ensions and the quality of the coal is excel- lent. It can be traced in a eoui-se S. 4.'? E. from the opening for alxiut .seven chains to another small tunnel, lieyond wliich it has not been located. The underlying rock is a grey siindstone and the over- wall appeiii's to be practically the same ; l)ut in the creek on which the f>pening is made, and a short distance below, there is a heavy out- crop of dark grey shale. In the creek also, forty iet't above the upper tunnel, is a bed of rather coarse conglomerate, of a brown-grey colour, resembling the conglomerate .seen on tlie brook three miles to the m 40 B OEOLOGICAL SURVBY OF CANAIiA m; 4:: HoutJK In character the c.al ,.f this g.a.n doe, not r. scnble that of the KolK^rtson camp an' ""g A measured line was run from No. 1 shaft to the entrance of the tunnel on a course of 127^ for 2... feet. Another shaft, to the south of the camp alK,ut 1<5 feet west of shaft No. 1, found no coal, prob- |ibly l^,„,, to the ...uth of the line of fault whi^h c-n 1.- traced fron, the first shaft into the tunnel on a course 8. 65° E. The tunnel at the east en.l of the outcrop was driven on a course of . 6 degrees for 82 feet, or at an obli.ue angle to the run of the coal and later, was continued on a ...urse of .V for al.,„t GO feet In the latter course, at 10 feet, the lower .seam was struck, the angle of dip at lK,ttom being ,:, degree.s, indicating .-. fault: the dip speedily de- nned and ,n a distance of 1 1 feet was only M deg..,., ,he coal and shales being much crushed. The thickness of this seam of coal and shale IS about 12 feet 6 inches of which the a.nount of coal will total about 8 feet A large part of the seam near the outcrop is badly broken up, the coal and .shale being crushed together. In General .Imracter t!.:s lower seam corresponds ,,uite clo.sely with the^ower iwrtion of the seam disclosed in shaft No. 1. The second or upper seam as seen in the tunnel is separated from the lower by about eight fee. of shale. The dip of .V decrees in the upp T part of the lower seam decrea.se o 1G° at the Ix^ttom of e ..pper .seam, the measures flattening out rapidly. The inner end of IIX::"" "" '^ -Hed owing to water, but the seam as Coal *'^* Iiielif s Shale piirting ^ ^ Coal 1 •■■ 5 I? 42 n f;EOt.O Shaft No. 1 approach each other, and the shale partin;; l)ecomes much less. This feature is seen in a small shaft and tunnel No. .'!, nearly midway. Hero the dip of the coal at the en- trance of the slope is N.15°E.<37°, ajjreeing with thatof the top of the lower seam at the tunnel, with a hunch of coal next the foot-wall, but this jiart of the seam was not proved at a lower depth. Then come black and brown shales to the Iwck of the tunnel, a distance of alxtut IT) feet, when the tunnel turns to the light and continues for 15 feet more. This is in coal, the thickness of which could not be ascertain- ed, but 30 inches could lie seen. The dip apjx'ars U) incline to the east, and decrea.ses in angle, so that it appears the principal excavation here in N'\ .'? is alxive the lowt^r seam seen in the tunnel, and pene- trat^'s the upper seam without passing through it. It thus tends to Lonfirm the identity of the two seams at this camp. In view of the fact that a considerable sum of money has Ix'en spent at this place, it is to ht- regretted that its expenditure has not been carried out on a more scientific Imsis, since far more intelligible results as reganls the structure of this part of the field should have been obtaine'. the coal seams that have already been located. It will be .seen from the above remarks that a large area of coal exists both at the Robertson and Wilson camps. The extension of the seams at either place can onlv be ascertained by borings, but it seems probable that the Holx?rtson seams form a basin separate from the Wilson area and bounded on the east by the high ridge between the two camps. This would indicate a strong probability of finding seams in the valley of the East branch of the Yakoun. East of the outcrop of the Wilson .seam, the regularity of the measures, in so far as they could be seen, indicates conditionsfavourable to the occurrence of coal, but in the absence of exposures such probability can only be assumed. The extension of the Koliertson .seams in the valley of the Honna is also quite probable. The .sandstone and shale, where seen in that area, between the mouth of the Honna and the creeks which flow west into the Yakoun, are com[)aratively undisturbed though the lack of fi Ki.i.a «RAIIAM ISLAND 13 II exposure, her,, also interferes with the determination of ,hi.s ,,n.U..|„ Aon the north shore of .Ski,h.,ate harlx^ur, east of the Cow^it. i^; he IS also „„ extende.! area of the .shale«, etc.. of the eoal f ',..,. tiT -md while outcrops of coal itself are not diselo,.] at the sulfa.- ~, poss .le that the anthraeite of the Cow«it. mine should 1. ound n a less altere,! condition at some ^nt l.tween this pla.e and the .«neo„s r.K.k.s west of Hkide^ate. This also is a matte. ,o I. d tt "'in<-d l.y judicious borinK o,Hirations. iJardsT'JT"' f 'f"^'^-"i»- i« "I- « very important one as egaids he fu ure development of this c^I iiel.i. There are onlv three pes where these can be found, vi... Is,., at Skide.ate on the sout -nd l.> «ay of .Masset inlet on the north, and .iid., from Rennel Miund on the west coast. "innui In the ,i.sent practically unsurveyed condition .,f these termini hut tie can 1. .ud as to .-hoice of route, hut in any .-ase a railway will lm^ e to \>o hu.h ,n order to reach a seaboard. The conditions for the occu. rence of li,<„ite in e,.o„o „ie quantities ■•".n the Tertiary rocks of the eastern ,K.rtion of the island are' ."'1; .a "urahle. The,, are no shipping. p<.rts available on the eas s e while the presen..e of the lignite itself has only In-en ascertained on 1 e -th shore east of Masset below high water niark. The statem nt however, made by Hev. C.Harrison to the elTeet that the i . i^ uantity or quality can be ascertained. In fact, to dc-rmine actual ' ..n htions in this respect, u systematic series of In-rings will have to be -nade under proper direction at well selected spots. The analysis of the coal from the Kolx^rtson seam shows it to .liffcr .M a marked degree from that of Camp Wilson, From a s,.cime , ev ^'-.ned by Dr. J T. Donald of Montreal the following'resu It wes C.\.\ip RonsuTsox, LowKii .Skam, KHir.. Moisture Vol. com .]■'■* Fixid carljon . ■>•> 'J.t Ash... •»>*■«• 211. ,H5 100. (Vj An analysis of the coals from the seams at Camps Rol^rtson, .Ison and Anthracite, from samples furni.si.ed Dr. G. M Daw'n C tlH>h,.,stexplorerof thearea Mr AV \ u i . "■ iu- i^awson by results:- ■ K"^--ts'>"' «"ve the following lirii 44 B (iEOLCKilCAL SUHVEY OF CANADA Water. Vol. C'umlmnt. Ki\i 1 Wl 4 77 8.J "li 8!l (i C9 A sample from Camp Anthracite inland gave ;— Water Vol. c-oiidi . . Fixed carbon. Ash 100. 1 W 1,52 8.(19 8IP.07 3.72 100.00 As for the probable occurrence of coal in the Cretaceous area outsi.l." of the territory possessed by the Victoria syndicate, which controls soin-' 30,000 acres to the east of Yakoun lake, it can only be said that there is no apparent reason why seams of coal wliich may be the exten.si m eastward of those already known to exist on the property of that com OKAIIAM IRLANII 45 H paiiy, limy not t-xiMt. OwinR however to tlio dirtiiulty of oliliiinin^ outtTopH over the greater portion of the district, such pxplomtion to iU'tre the Cr«>t«ceous rocks were seen "utside of the principal urea whi' xtends across the eastern ccntn> .f the island was an isolated (>u i the southeast corner of North island. Here, shales and sandhli'i.is with congloinerdtes, precisely similar to the sediments seen along the north side of Skidegate channel in the vici- nity of the Honna river, are exjwsed along the s'-ore for nearly a mile. They dip generally S. 5(r K. < IW-iO" with a roll midway to where the dip is changed for 100 yards to N. 60' K. At the northern end .' the basin the shales pass bi'ncath a mass of coarse greyish conglo- merate which exactly resembles that at the Narrows west of Honna, and which there marks the Imse of the upiHT series of shales and sand- stone of Richardson. These conglomerates contain pebbles of granite, hard fine-grained dialMse; hard altered slate, cjuartz etc., with inter- stratified beds of coarse grits. These l^s extend southeastward to the eastern entrance of the main channel Ijetwecn the two islands but here they are l)adly mixed up with the later Tertiary eruptive rocks. In this area their distribution has been defined by Ur. Dawson, (Rep, 187S-79.) No trace of coals was seen in this area, which is very limited, and apparently of no economic importance. IGNEOUS ROCK.S. The rocks of tl^' west coast, and in fact of the greatest portion west of a line drawn ti.nn the mouth of the Honna to Masset, are includey island, tiiices of (•"PfHT woru olw..rv.-il lit Novi-ral [yiiiitH. The iiiiiicml v/eiilth of th»« mivivH liowev.'f ap|K-iirH to Im> Hiimll, ami nothing of im|H.rtan<-.' wm seen in .iny part of the inland. These n^kn (K-tupy tlio Mouthern ;Mjr tion of the wostt-iii lialf of the inland to the vicinity of Hippa iithind, when the country ^■oom,.H Krats or Livers of cme ftsit to eighteen inches thick, while the upper part is of the columnar variety to tlie toj) of the exposure. The columnar form is well seen at a number of places along the northern half of the west coast, and at some jwints on the southern sea-boa- . is along the western entrance of 8kidegate channel. In the if 'in ; i Mas ,et inlet, volcanic conglomerates are met w. h, fre- quently interbeddeil with columnar trap Hows, and at one island near the lower end of the inlet expansion the rocks contain mass-s of obsi dian. The northern portion of this inlet expansion, fi-om the entrance past the Big island to the head beyond the Ain river, shows frequent exposures of the later diabise, whicii cuts across the Pre-Cretaceous igneous rocks and forms large masses. In places these beddefl newer volcanics strongly resemble at ^ distance roughly bedded sandsUmes, but their crystalline character is easily recognized on closer inspection. No minerals of economic importance were seen in the rocks of this newer series. On the west shore of the island between Frederick island and Tiahii point, a distance of about ten miles along the coast, these rocks art- well exposed and form a very large portion of the shore. An inter- esting occurrence in this locality is the presence of thickened petro- leum, now in the form of a viscous tar which fills cavities in the blackish diabase and which, when the rock is broken, can be drawn out into strings. There are no indications of sedimentary rocks any where in the area. About ten miles in length of this part of thecoist was taken up as a mining district during the pa.st summer (1905), the objecc being a .search for petroleum. The preliminary investigation-- were not attended with any great measure of succe.ss. m I