Observatory Inlet is an

inlet An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In ...

on the

North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, an urban area and major division in the parish of Saint John * North Coast, Barbuda, an administrative district of Barbuda Australia * New South Wa ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. It is a northward extension of Portland Inlet, other branches of which include the

Portland Canal Portland Canal is an arm of Portland Inlet, one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is approximately long. The Portland Canal forms part of the border between southeastern Alaska and British Columbia. The name of the enti ...

. The entrance of Observatory Inlet, from Portland Inlet, lies between Ramsden Point and Nass Point. Ramsden Point also marks, to the west, the entrance of Portland Canal. Observatory Inlet was named by

George Vancouver Captain (Royal Navy), Captain George Vancouver (; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Uni ...

in 1793, because he set up his observatory on the shore of the inlet, at Salmon Cove, in order to calibrate his chronometers. His two vessels, HMS ''Discovery'' and HMS ''Chatham'', stayed in Salmon Cove from July 23 to August 17, 1793. During this time a boat surveying expedition under Vancouver himself explored Behm Canal. Vancouver also named three headlands at the entrance of Observatory Inlet: Maskelyne Point, for

Nevil Maskelyne Nevil Maskelyne (; 6 October 1732 – 9 February 1811) was the fifth British Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811. He was the first person to scientifically measure the mass of the planet Earth. He created '' The Nautical Al ...

, the

Astronomer Royal Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the astronomer royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the astronomer royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The Astro ...

, Wales Point, for William Wales, the mathematical master who sailed with

James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...

, and Ramsden Point, after the famed

mathematical instrument A mathematical instrument is a tool or device used in the study or practice of mathematics. In geometry, construction of various proofs was done using only a compass and straightedge; arguments in these proofs relied only on idealized properti ...

-maker

Jesse Ramsden Jesse Ramsden Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE (6 October 1735 – 5 November 1800) was a British mathematician, astronomy, astronomical and scientific instrument maker. His reputation was built on the engraving and design of dividing engine ...

Geography

Observatory Inlet has two main arms, the northwest and longer one being named

Hastings Arm Hastings Arm is a fjord on the British Columbia Coast, North Coast of British Columbia, which is the northwest arm of Observatory Inlet, one of the two main branchings of Portland Inlet, the other being the better-known Portland Canal, which forms ...

, fed by the Kshwan River, and

Alice Arm Alice Arm is the east arm of Observatory Inlet, which itself is an arm of Portland Inlet, on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, near the border with the American state of Alaska. The abandoned settlement and steamer landing of Alice ...

, an east arm, fed by the Kitsault River. Hastings Arm is approximately in length, and runs on a nearly true north–south axis, Alice Arm is approximately in length and bends sharply, running on a roughly northeast–southwest axis. From their merger to the mouth of Observatory Inlet is approximately in length, running south-southwest to its merger with the Portland Canal just southwest of Nass Bay, which is an arm of Observatory Inlet and the saltwater outer estuary of the

Nass River The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Nass Bay, a sidewater of Portland Inlet, which connects to the North Pacific Ocean via the Dixon Entrance. Nass Bay joins Portland I ...

. Of many islands in the inlet, Granby Island and Brooke Island are located at the intersection of the Hastings and Alice Arms. Granby Island and Granby Bay are named for

Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Co. was established by charter to operate in the Boundary Country, Boundary region of southern British Columbia. Primarily involved in the mining and smelting of copper, the conglomerate became a publ ...

, which built and operated the mining town of

Anyox Anyox was a small company-owned mining town in British Columbia, Canada. Today it is a ghost town, abandoned and largely destroyed. It is located on the shores of Granby Bay in coastal Observatory Inlet, about southeast of (but without a land li ...

, located on Granby Bay.

Settlements

At the aperture of Nass Bay is the community of Arrandale on its southern point, with the community of

Ging̱olx Ging̱olx (; Gingolx or Kincolith) is a Nisga'a, Nisg̱a’a village located at the confluence of the Ksi Gingolx and Nass Rivers in British Columbia, Canada. The village population is approximately 400 people. Ging̱olx is one of four Nisga’a ...

(Kincolith) located on its northern shore just inside the bay at the mouth of the Kincolith River. Also entering the Nass estuary just to its east is the Iknouk River. The smelter

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

is located on the west side of the inlet at Granby Bay, which marks the beginning of Hastings Arm. The locality of

, which is a former steamer landing and on the west bank of the mouth of the Kitsault River, is located at the head of the inlet's Alice Arm projection. The former mining town of

Kitsault Kitsault also known as Chandra Krishnan Kitsault is an unincorporated settlement and private town on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, at the head of Alice Arm, Observatory Inlet and at the mouth of the Kitsault River. The local ...

is located due south of Alice Arm, on the far side of the inlet's shoreline. With no rail nor road connection to the rest of British Columbia, these mining towns relied on shipping through Observatory Inlet. Adjacent to the community of Alice Arm, but on the east side of the Kitsault River, is the

Nisga'a The Nisga’a (; ), formerly spelled Nishga or Niska, are an Indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The origin of the term ''Niska'' is uncertain. The spelling ' ...

village of Gits'oolh (formerly Gitzault Indian Reserve No. 24).

References

External links

*{{BCGNIS, 36897, Observatory Inlet Fjords of British Columbia North Coast of British Columbia Inlets of British Columbia