OF THE NORTH PACIFIC 31

copper ore in his hand. The assayer examined them,
and almost immediately a company was formed to
explore the region from which the native said the
specimens were obtained. This ‘lode was traced across
certain small islands of the Queen Charlotte group, and
finally a mine was located and became known as the
property of the Queen Charlotte Mining Company.

H.M.S. Virago, commanded by Captain G. H.
Inskip, visited Virago Sound and Massett Inlet during
the year 1853, and charts of these waters were made.
The Hudson Bay Company opened a trading post in
the same year at Massett. Between the years 1860 and
1862 H.M.S. Alert and H.M.S. Hecate charted much
of the Eastern coast of the islands and also carried out
soundings of the Hecate Straits. In 1865 Mr. Pender,
Master, Royal Navy, surveyed the channel which
separates Graham Island from Moresby Island, and his
chart it is believed is in use even to-day.

A coal deposit at Cowgitz in Skidegate Inlet
having attracted some attention, Dr. Richardson of the
Geological Survey of Canada was sent there in 1872 to
examine the formation, and his report was printed in
the Report of Progress 1873.

The great Dr. Dawson (afterwards Sir George, and
Director of the Geological Survey) visited the islands in
the Summer of 1878 and spent three months in a rapid
reconnaissance of the principal members of the group.
He published an interesting memoir on his trip.

Archdeacon Collison, who recently died at Kincolith,
was the pioneer of mission work on the islands, and he
established himself at Massett in 1876. Prior to his
arrival the Rev. William Duncan of Metlakatla had
from time to time sent native teachers to the Haidas.
The Archdeacon had in those days to usually make the
journey from the mainland to the islands by native