The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-18

where vet reached on our voyage.
this contracted channel at
ebb tide the water rushes with great
from nine to fourteen knots
an hour. according to the tide. which
varies, spring tide being thirteen feet
and the average. eleven feet. The Amer
lean man-of-war, Saranac, was sunk
here on the shoals twenty years ago
OS70 and never heard from. This cur
rent Is a veritable maelstrom and would
hold any ordinary steamer in check;
and while the Queen Is powerful enough
to stem the tide, Captain Carroll plans
to reach here so as TO pass through
on "easy tide"
We arrive at Chatham point. the en-
trance to Johnston Strait, at snoon.
This strait is fifty-five miles long and
from one and half to three miles in
width. This passage is romantic in the
extreme. On the right is Thurlow ISL
and. and further on Hardwick Island,
wooded with fir. On the left is the
Prince of Wales" range. the highest
peak, Mt. Albert Edward. rises 6,96s
feet above the waterway that washes
it's base. 1t is not free from snow.
traces of 1t, together with rivulets, ex-
tend down the mountain side, saw 1000
to 5000 feet. Soon we come to a group
of thousands of islands, from mere
rocky points, a few feet square, to those
large SUBMITS Of submerged noun
tains. Their multitude and variety,
with the bold shores of the strait. and
the ow-covered peaks, form a series
of pictures which we tourists on this,
the thirteenth day of August, can
never forget. AS we emerge from
Johnston Strait and the beautiful
archipelago. with Hanson. Comorant
and the beautiful islands on the right,
we enter Broughton Strait. with NAL
colin on the left. This strait is fif-
teen miles long and varies from one to
two miles in width. Here is Alert Bay,
with Indian villages and a large sal
mon cannery, and Il mission. Opposite,
on Vancouver Island, is a remarkable
conical peak. called Mt. Holdsworth.
TYPICAL INDIAN TOWN.
The Indian village of Alert Bay and
it's salmon cannery, which we sue
cussfully photographed, are located on
the south side of Cormorant Island.
Here is a tribe of say $50 Kwakinth or
graded people living on the coast, and
Notwithstanding the efforts Of the mis-
sionaries, they remain largely In Pa
ganism. Here the tourist gets his first
sight of totem pole" the most south
erly one known to have been erected on
the coast within ten years. 1t is seen
in front of the chiefs house at the
head of the bay. Here is a native
burial ground. where the graves are
quantity decorated with flags and
rudely colored carvings. Much might
be said of this Nimkeesh tribe, which
may appear later under the paragraph
on "Our CopperS Skinned Neighbors."
Nine miles beyond, on Vancouver
Island is Fort Rupert, once an old
Hudson Bay company post, but now
an Indian agency. 1t was built in 1S49
and strongly defended. because of the
frequent aggressive visits of the native
Haides and the northern tribes. Be-
yOnd this archipelago is the narrow
king Come" Inlet, which has an 49,
mile long wall of jagged snow-peaks
Then comes Mckensie Sound, whose
vertical walls almost shut out the sun
light from the flooded gorge. Contin-
uing on its course, our steamer enters
Goletas Channel, where are hundreds
Of small Islands, among them Hope
and Galino. On the latter is a spire
of rock crowning a promontory 1,2O(
feet-a quarter of a mile-vertically
Oh, such scenes, too picturesque anG
too grand for my feeble description
This whole region is an artists para.
dise.
FITZHUGH SOUND.
We, now at D. m.. bid farewell tC
the great Vancouver Island which has
been a breakwater for over 300 mile:
from the swells of the Pacific and eros.
Queen Charlotte sound, which is simpl!
thirty-five mile gap in the island bel
between Cape Commerell and Cape Cal
vert. Here we look westward over tn,
broad expanse Of the ocean,and for twt
hours feel the gentle swell and some
times the roll of the sea. enough how
ever, 20 send the weak and nervous t
the seclusion of their staterooms, unit
we meet the waters of Hecate Strai
and pass under the lee of the grea
Calvert island and enter the land
locked Channel of Fitzhugh sound.
AS we approach the entrance of FitZ
hugh sound we have soundings which
indicate great depth of water and su
perb scenery on the mainland, which in
creases In grandeur as we near it; tn,
| nearer hills being densely covered will
coniferous trees to their submits
while the more distant mountains ar,
covered with snow. Chief Engince
Alison, of the Queen, says: ION tn,
mainland off Queen Charlotte sound
are several inlets and cataracts, among
them Belize, Seymour and Smith. Th
former Is the strangest piece of glacia
yx I'M n q ir M
straggles by many deep cuts to the foo
of Mount Stephens. 1t holds mael
strom nearly twice the strength of Sey
mour Narrows that we have jus
passed. At 'Nakwakto Rapids the eb1
tide races out at a speed of fifteen t,
twenty knots an hour. There are sew
| eral Indian villages along these canyon
but it is only for a few minutes at a tim
that canoe can pass the rapids t,
reach them. This reversible tidal cat
aract is the most remarkable place o
the kind on the coast"
SAFETY COVE.
Fitzhugh sound is the first in the lin
of channels separating the Columbian
| archipelago from the main land o
British Columbia. (The reader shoul
realize that we are still in Englisl
waters). This channel is a smooth riv
err that runs thirty miles due north be
tween mountain banks. that almos
pierce the clouds. Just within it's EN-
trance Is Safety Cove" on the shores o
Calvert island, mariners refug
since 1857. Here canoes and steamer
rest when fog. storm or darkness pre-
vent their crossing the sound A littl
incident occurred here which I vii
briefly mention. In August, 1885, tn
Pacific Steamship company's steamer
| Ancon, broke her main cylinder on he
way southwark and was anchored Il
the cove for zen days. while Captain
James Carroll, now commander of tn
Queen, made the 221-mile voyage t
| Nanoimo in life boat In four days an
returned with help Meantime tn
passengers made It gala season Of ad
venture and exploration and regrette
leaving.
| On this island is Mount Buxton,
sharp.polnted peak, S.430 feet above tn
channel. From Fitzhugh sound to tn
end, OF our journey to Chilcat bay tn
route IL one continuous chain Of laby