The name Bones Bay is believed to have derived from a visit by a boat, believed to be
HMS Amethyst, carrying
Lord Dufferin, then
Governor-General of Canada, and his wife which carried the viceregal couple on a voyage up the coast to
Metlakatla in 1876. According to one of the crew, a Patrick Riley, the
Amethyst crew performed regularly as a troupe of "minstrels", white people made up in
blackface, who provided entertainment for shipmates and visitors, and the name likely commemorates a performance in these waters.
Minstrel Island and nearby
Sambo Point nearby are related names. Another version of the name comes from the founder of the Bones Bay Cannery, Jack Dorman, who is the namesake of nearby
Dorman Island. ==See also==