“Lake Nares flows through a narrow curved channel into Bove Lake (Schwatka).  This channel is not more than 600 or 700 yards long, and the water in it appears to be sufficiently deep for boats that could navigate the lake.  The land between the lakes along this channel is low, swampy, and covered with willows, and, at the stage in which I saw it, did not rise more than 3 feet above the water.  The hills on the south-west side slope up easily, and are not high; on the north side the deep valley already referred to borders it; and on the east side the mountains rise abruptly from the lake shore.

“Bove Lake (called Tagish Lake by Dr. Dawson) is about a mile wide for the first two miles of its length, when it is joined by what the miners have called the Windy Arm.  One of the Tagish Indians informed me they called it Takone Lake.  Here the lake expands to a width of about two miles for a distance of some three miles, when it suddenly narrows to about half a mile for a distance of a little over a mile, after which it widens again to about a mile and a half or more.

“Ten miles from the head of the lake it is joined by the Taku Arm from the south.  This arm must be of considerable length, as it can be seen for a long distance, and its valley can be traced through the mountains much farther than the lake itself can be seen.  It is apparently over a mile wide at its mouth or junction.

“Dr. Dawson includes Bove Lake and these two arms under the common name of Tagish Lake.  This is much more simple and comprehensive than the various names given them by travellers.  These waters collectively are the fishing and hunting grounds of the Tagish Indians, and as they are really one body of water, there is no reason why they should not be all included under one name.

“From the junction with the Taku Arm to the north end of the lake the distance is about six miles, the greater part being over two miles wide.  The west side is very flat and shallow, so much so that it was impossible in many places to get our canoes to the shore, and quite a distance out in the lake there was not more than 5 feet of water.  The members of my party who were in charge of the large boat and outfit, went down the east side of the lake and reported the depth about the same as I found on the west side, with many large rocks.  They passed through it in the night in a rainstorm, and were much alarmed for the safety of the boat and provisions.  It would appear that this part of the lake requires some improvement to make it in keeping with the rest of the water system with which it is connected.