, 1853-07-09
From our steIIacOOn COrrespOndnnt
STEILAcooM, June %,
IEssRs. McELRoY & BEEBE:


and am rather inclined to the opinion b,t
by over-hauling a range of my memoryJ
10 use a nautical phrase, and calling out
few remarks from the many that find en-.
tered in my Journal may possibly in.
part something of interest TO you, as welln
the many readers of the Columbian.r4.
We left Steilacoom at A. NJ. of the lin
inst, in a canoe manned by three Indians
The tide was IN our favor, and we should
have made most excellent time to Point DE-.
fance, at the entrance of the Narrows,
had we not rested our oars so often. "a
blaze away at the bald.headed Eagles, th,
we saw watching their prey at interrslsd
every two or three hundred yards -Four
Intellectual shots were made by Lieu
Slaughter, with Col. Starling's 'crack' fowl.
ing piece, but ;he fifth one brought nobl,
bird 10 the ground. Her>was only wing.
broken, however, and twenty minutes, web
applied, were consumed in nkilling him quai.
At Point Defiance we purchased from lhs
natives three Salmon, just caught, and sin
alive and kicking" At p NJ. we run
our canoe ashore upon beautiful beach On
Vashon's Island and Immediately wentio
work to cook dinner. Mrs. Slaughter, d,
Lieutenanps wife, suparintended this branch
Of our arrangements, and with good appe
ttes we soon sat down 10 a most excelleh.
rcpas,. All O'Clock P. NJ we landed upon
Blake's Island, cooked and partook of a kn
rate supper, pitched our tents and turnai
in for the night By the way, the Lieut.
shot a blue grouse hen. Bright and eady
we were up and doing again, and afi
partaking of breakfast, of which the above
mentioned grouse formed part, we again
embarked IN our Cockle-shCll oi a cano,
and made straight wake on our couns
The wind was fair, and we glided along
right merrily. At P. NJ we sioppd
again in the vicinity of Point-no-Ponl,i
when in days not " Lang syne," BsarwH
killed by band of heroes from Slelt
COON. Here we cooked and ate moa
glorious Goldfish Chowder, got up , IN M
good old down East style. am certain
that Capt Howard even, who is deenedsz.
cellent authority in the matter of ChowdeR
would, had he been present, have pronoune
ed it as good as he ever partook Of, egenh
Diamond Cove. The next place thai We
grounded our cran at, after travelling ID
night, was Port Townsend. 1t was then
three in the morning, and of cOuFse, ~
hands were asleep, but at the a" first eaAp
friend Plummer responded and soon thFev
open his hospitable doors.
Before coming 10 Pugsls Sound, | bad
attentively read Wilkes very lucid descTip
ton Of it, and had conceived a pretty strong
Partially Tor Port Townsend. ,Feid NJ
find here, however, at this, my fouTihViil
so many improvements as ] hoped then
would be, or enough even, 10 indicate ihl
people have yet learned TO appreciate lhs
great advantages and many beauties that b
certainly possesses. However, ihe ffa
opinion that formed, have seen 10 god
reason for changing, and feel just as certain
now as ever, that there must eventually b.
at this point, town Of great importance b
the whole Of Washington Territory. Ny
highly esteemed and very hospitable friend
A. A. Plummer Esq, who took clan
here some thirty months since, and who hD
clung to it with commendable perseTesnn
through many dark days and disheartenlg
Circumstances, sustained only by an UNA
vering faith in its future greatness, is nor
about 10 reap the rewards Of his patienu
and good Judgment, in the realization Of hh
most sanguine hopes. People of The rigtl
sort are now coming in, and business Is lal'
ing a start In the person Of Capt. Wa
Webster, who is most emphaticaly ~
ahead business man, Port Townsend has jm
received great acquisition. Although boz
few days there, he is already known y
bis works, in the shape of good carri,y'
road, gently inclined, from the beach 10 The
top Of the blulf-a neat dwelling house %
the hill, beautifully situated with Paling
around It, and store near the, beach Wsi
filled withgoods. He is also engaged WIN
some twenty hands employed, in getingou
a cargo OF Ships spars, for the Bark Mi1
Adams, branch of business thathe perlso'
ly understands, and proposes to carry o
largely. A "new STORE" also, has llH
been opened BY the Puget Sound Tradig
Company" During my tary | became =.
quainted with the different members Of y
frm, and proved them to be gcntiementn
the truest sense Of the term. May succ~
attend them.
From Capt Harding Of The Bark May
Adams, we received very cordial invil''
lion lo.make his vessel our home duringon
tarry. We availed ouselves OF his kindnsn,
and to him and his very gentlemanly ~
officer, Mr.. Hart, our most grateful ih.n1
will ever be due. Messrs. Hastings 4 ~
lygrove we found busily engaged in geihnS
out a cargo Of Piles for the Brig Wsllng.
by, the sixth vessel they have loaded at''A
place.
They evidently have not forgotten .,
the hand Of the dilligent maketh risa
IN the way Of farming, they have d9ne y
little. Their gardens, however, are s,l
fine, and quite as forward as any n N
-..-LL.rha.l O.nirnr Ia indiannlIllnn. L