this valley is well-forested, rolling and hilly country,
the bulk of the surveyed area being timber limits.
Eastward is slightly rolling burned-over country
with second-growth timber and thick underbrush,
with intervening areas of tundra. Kumdis Island
has no great irregularity of contour. Long, low,
well-timbered ridges alternate with lightly forested
lower areas. The north contains some open country
underlain with hard-pan; there are grassy tide-
flats liable to flood at extreme tides on the east and
coarse gravel on the western shore. The island is
deficient in running water, having only a stream 4
feet wide, the outlet of Kumdis Lake. From Port
Clements and Graham Centre a road extends to
Meyer Lake, which is about 8 miles long. The old
Mexican Tom Trail, wet in places, is the only route
at present crossing the island. It extends from
Port Clements to Tlell. Meyer River, winding from
the lake to Hecate Strait, is little below the surface.
The country contiguous to it and the Mexican Tom
Trail is fairly flat, seldom over 100 feet above sea-
Jevel. Smaller creeks in this vicinity, draining to
Hecate Strait, have deep, rather narrow valleys.
Much of the area was burned over fifty or sixty
years ago. Several patches of timber were left;
the remainder is second growth, with stretches of
muskeg between the patches.

SOUTH-EASTERN DISTRICT.

From Tlell south the coast is fairly well settled.
Near Tlell is an old ranch which has about 250 head
of cattle. The general topography between the
Yakoun and Tlell Rivers is slightly rolling. Timbered
areas skirt the coast and streams, the remainder
being covered with second growth, with alternating
tundra country. Tlell Valley was originally covered
with big cedars, but only patches of fire-scarred and
down trees remain. Soil in the valley is alluvial.
In parts the upper river is between steep banks; in
others it spreads out in numerous ramifications and,
owing to log-jams, overflows in places after heavy
rains. Near the forks is an open stretch, 5 by 3
miles in extent, subject to inundation when the
river backs up after rains from a big log-jam north
of it. Other than in this part most of the settle-
ment is near the coast, the largest settlement being
in the vicinity of Lawn Hill and between there and
Haida. There are stores and post-offices at Tlell,
Lawn Hill, and Haida. A wagon-road skirts the
shore from Skidegate to Tlell, with branches ex-
tending from Lawn Hill and Haida. Clearings on
lightly timbered land and reclaimed muskeg are
cultivated and good results obtained. Settlers here-

8