Day 14 - Mound Island to Village Island

Broughton Archipelago is a magical village of islands. We’ve been able to explore in the calmest of waters, and the gentlest of breezes. The resulting glassy reflection on the surface of the sea seems to highlight the sense of Life in everything around here. The birds and the fish may be the spirits who populate the area most obviously today, but the signs of human existence here for thousands of years are obvious.

Today we traveled up Indian Channel and through Village Channel. Our destination was a bay on Village Island, the site of ‘Mi’Mkwamlis (Mamalilaculla). A thriving First Nations community once lived here, in the early 1900s there was even a schoolhouse.

We came by dingy in late afternoon, when the sun had once again burned though the clouds and was low enough in the sky to cast a slightly orange glow over everything. The remains of an old house peaking out of the treetops, and several beams in the sand at odd & upright angles were our first glimpses. We found a set of stairs, and followed a beaten path through nettles and thimbleberry bushes to the massive remains of a longhouse – a huge cedar log held upright by 2 other enormous old trees. Just beyond that lurked the skeleton of a house, doors open and receiving the full force of the environment surrounding it. Further up the path was a fallen, decaying totem, tipping down a hill and towards the beach. It seemed to depict some sort of alligator type creature near what used to be the top, which made us all scratch our heads a little.

Some beach combing on the broken glass and rusted engine parts beach, and towards another old building we could see tucked away in the forest. Closer inspection revealed the old schoolhouse, peeling green and white paint on a cement foundation, overgrown with trees. A path from there lead to another beach, where the ribs of an old dock still poked out of the water.

Crab and more salmon for dinner, a full day and an early night.

Day 13 - Mound Island

Today was our first complete day without picking up the hook. We didn’t go anywhere today. We slept in late, the new crew went fishing in the afternoon, and Cap’n Adam did some splicing for his new bumper line. New bumpers got put out, too - they look great!

The crew returned with a Dream Fish, a kind of cabazon. Traditionally it was only served to the chief’s family and medicine men, as it was rarely caught and considered special. It had thick, hearty & delicious meat which we enjoyed breaded and fried.

I returned to the island to take some pictures in the evening light. Another one of those situations where pictures don’t quite do it justice, but there is a palpable energy to this place. Long flat sections where longhouses probably stood, circular arrangements of rocks where a fire-pit probably stood, and huge mounds of broken shells. The path around the rest of the island was rudimentary at best. We didn’t find the thousand year old tree we read about, giving up the hunt with raw and bloodied ankles from so many thistles and thorns.

Day 12 - Spout Islets to Mound Island

We awoke to seclusion in our bay, and cloudy skies. The boys went fishing as morning turned into afternoon. The girls relaxed and prepped some food in anticipation of fresh protein. Successful they returned, and we had a great salmon lunch before we hauled up the anchor and headed to our next spot.

We crossed Blackfish Sound between Hanson and Swanson Islands. On glassy calm waters with the sun returned to its blue sky, we watched in awe of a school of Orcas swim before us. In the far distance, two Minke whales blow-holed their presence to us, too.

Before long we were at Mound Island, we anchored in a bay between it and Harbledown Island. Our guidebooks told us that here was the site of an ancient settlement, with middens and evidence of longhouses. It is also a popular spot for kayakers, and as we threw the anchor down a small motor boat did the same, closer to shore. People with tents and a dog hopped onto the beach and set up camp.

We dingied to shore and checked it all out (more on that in tomorrow’s blog entry). The four of us later tried to fish in the dingy as the sun was going down, with no luck. Back to the boat for the second barbequing of salmon for the day, several more beverages, and deep sleeps.