CHAPTER I
QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS

Orr the Western coast of Canada, at a varying distance
from the mainland, but roughly parallel to it, a
persistent ridge rises from the floor of the Pacific and
its genesis is probably connected with the forces which
produced the great mountain ranges farther to the East.
The Southern extremity of this ridge forms the Island
of Vancouver; proceeding Northwards there is then a
gap of shallow sea 140 miles wide. Between North
Latitudes 52:0 and 54:0 the Queen Charlotte Islands
occur and are evidence of the same ridge. There is
then another gap about 30 miles wide, and we then come
to the Prince of Wales Island in South Alaska.

The Queen Charlotte Islands for administrative
purposes form part of the Province of British Columbia.
The group is said to comprise some 200 islands, but the
two most important are called Graham and Moresby,
the former being 84 miles long and the latter 70 miles;
then come those known as Louise, Lyell, Burnaby and
Prevost.

The channel between the group and the mainland is
called Hecate Straits and its width varies from about
30 miles at its Northern end to about 80 at the South.
The nearest land opposite the North-Eastern extremity
of the Charlotte group is, however, Stephen’s Island,
which is about twenty miles to the West of Prince
Rupert, the terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Rail-

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