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Updated: June 15, 2025
Coming closer he saw the name, "Pipesville," printed on the door, and knew that this must be the "summer home," as it was called, of San Francisco's beloved minstrel, Stephen Massett, otherwise "Jeems Pipes of Pipesville," singer, player, essayist and creator of those wondrous one-man concerts dear to all the countryside.
Amongst other avocations he was a concert-giver, a comic reader, a tragic actor, and an auctioneer. He had the good temper and sanguine disposition of a Mark Tapley. After the golden days of California he spent his life wandering about the globe; giving 'entertainments' in China, Japan, India, Australia. Wherever the English language is spoken, Stephen Massett had many friends and no enemies.
He is also a distinguised brave, but never fought with his own people, and has always been friendly to the whites. On one occasion he risked his own life to release the captain and crew of a small vessel, the "Susan Sturgess," which had been made captive by the Indians of Massett.
The Ya-koun River, the largest, rises in Ya-koun Lake, and flowing northward empties into Massett Harbor, twenty-six miles south of Massett. It affords uninterrupted navigation for canoes about a mile and-a-half, and beyond to its source, by means of small dug-outs and numerous portages. The Naden River, rising in Eden Lake, and discharging into the head of Naden Harbor, is next in size.
There is, of course, no difficulty in obtaining an abundant supply of rain water, which is much used for drinking purposes at Massett. It not being my purpose to elaborate upon the various resources of the island in this hasty sketch, but simply to indicate, as requested, the general results of my examination of that portion thus far traversed, the foregoing is respectfully submitted.
Mountains rising very precipitously from one to four thousand feet above the sea, generally thickly covered with the prevailing woods of the island, extend from Skidegate Channel northward for about forty-five miles, the country gradually sloping all along the north portion of Graham Island from fifteen to twenty miles from the coast south-ward The summits of this mountain range are generally from five to eight miles from the sea shore, the long western arms of Skidegate and Massett Inlets reaching to its eastern base.
Massett is the shipyard of the Hydas, the best canoe makers on the continent, who supply them to the other coast tribes. Here may be seen in all stages of construction these canoes which, when completed, are such perfect models for service and of beauty.
The bottom lands of the west coast, which might be brought under cultivation by expensive clearing, are limited to comparatively small tracts at the heads of inlets, their sides being generally precipitous and rocky. Portions of the low lands along the north coast of the island, on Virago Sound and Massett Inlet, being comparatively lightly timbered, might be reclaimed, for agricultural purposes.
Down Massett Inlet we paddled and sailed for thirty miles, through great flocks of wild geese and ducks, several of which were soon added to our provision supply.
I have measured several spruce trees, and also red cedars from thirty to thirty-three feet in circumference, the finest specimens having been found on Skidegate and Massett Inlets. With the exception of those localities, I have seen no place upon the islands, where the available quantity of these woods is sufficient to warrant the erection of mills for their manufacture for exportation.
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