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14 B GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA

torta), and the Pacific yew (Tazus brevifolia). In addition to these
the alder (Alnus oregonia) grows to a large size, often having a dia-
meter of from 12 to 20 inches, or even larger; the willow (Salix scouleriana),
is often of fair size, and the Oregon crab-apple (pyrus rivularis) grows
along some of the inland streams and also on the beaches, and forms a
great impediment to travel, owing to its spiky or thorny character.

Among berries, the most abundant seen by us were the Sallal (Gaul-
theria shallon), the Salmon berry (Rubus spectabilis), especially plenti-
ful and laden with large yellow and red berries, the Elderberry (Sambu-
cus racemosus), the Dogwood (Cornus occidentalis), Honeysuckle (Loni-
cera involucrata), and the wild currant (Ribes). Throughout the forest,
progress is greatly impeded by thickets of Sallals and Salmon berry, by
a thick growth of the Devil’s club (Zchinopanax horridum), and by large
quantities of the rank skunk cabbage (Lysichiton kamtschatcense), the
fleshy succulent roots of which are a favourite food of the bears, and
whose leaves sometimes measure 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 undergrowth of shrubs and ferns,
that often occur in great clustering bunches and are almost impossible to
penetrate. Through many centuries of decay large numbers of huge trees
have become embedded in the soil which is probably largely composed of
decayed vegetation; the usually very rough ground surface is often covered
with large prostrate tree-trunks from five to eight feet in diameter, which
lie in all directions and are thus practically impassable. Upon these fallen
trunks, numerous examples of wonderful forest growth are seen in the
presence of large cedars or other trees which grow entirely from the up-
per surface of the fallen timber, the huge roots of the latter growth clasp-
ing the trunk beneath, The newer tree sometimes has a diameter of four
to six feet and a height of 200 feet; the prostrate log, when cut into, is in
many cases apparently quite sound in spite of the long interval that must
have elapsed during the growth of the newer tree.

The whole of the island west of Masset inlet in the northern half, and a
line drawn through the valley of the Yakoun river and lake and thence to the
shore of Skidegate harbour east of Slate Chuck creek, is occupied by ig-
neous rocks, and is exceedingly rough, with many mountains, whose peaks
rise to elevations of 2,000 to 5,000 feet above the sea. Some of these are
cone-shaped and snow can be seen in their summits for the greater part of
the year. These hills are all densely wooded, except where occasional patches
of heath appear along the sides on their upper portions, It may easily be
imagined that the whole of the country in this direction is exceedingly hard
to traverse or to prospect.