, 1854-08-19
II For the Pioneer & Democrat.
New Route TO the Coast, etc.


New Route TO the Coast, etc.
Mn. EpToR:
Everything that tends to promote the
settlement Of this Territory and the deyel
opment Of its great and varied resources
must be Of interest to your readers, for the
prosperity of every section depends, more
or less, upon the facility of intercourse with
every other part With these facts in view
| am about to write you a short account
of a journey from Shoalwater Bay to Olym.
pia, lately made by party for the purpose
of opening a road and exploring the coun-
try. The credit of having first traverscd
this route, probably never before visited by
white men, is due to some enterprising citi.
zens living on the Cowlitz and Chehalis riv-
ers. Early in July, Messrs. Warbass,
Knight, Schaeiler and Glossy, loft the Cow
litz Landing and going westward about
fifteen miles to the Boisfort prairie on the
south branch of the ChehaliS, were Joined
by Messrs Roundtree and PeerSall Of that
place. Thence they went in canoes up u
more westerly branch TO the Wohache prai-
rie, where a few claims have been also ta-
ken. There they engaged Indian guides,
and leaving the Chehalis valley descended
the dividing ridge between this and the
Willopa valley. The trail across this ridge
was very obscure, as by the Indian report
it had not been used for twenty years-but
the guides found the way through, and they
reached the Willopa early in the morning
after leaving the Chehalis, the distance
being about eighteen miles. Reaching the
highest prairie on the Willopa, they discov-
cred herd Of ten fine elk feeding and lay
ing down like tame cattle. In few min
utes the sure rifles Of Roundtree and Pears
all had stretched four dead on the ground,
two Of them appearing to weigh nearly a
thousand pounds each, This great supply
Of provisions induced them to stay day
for the purpose Of drying the meat, for
they did not yet know where they were or
how long it would take TO reach the coast.
Leaving Elk prairie next day, they follow
ed down the river banks for about four
miles, when their guide not knowing the
route by land any farther, told them it
was necessary to make canoe and de-
scend by water. This new difficulty even
did not discourage them, though had they
known their nearness to the settlements, it
would have saved them the labor Of dig
ging out cedar log with axes, which took
nearly three days time, while their Indian
guides did not give the least assistance, but
returned to the Elk prairie to feast on the
Elk left behind. They were then only four
miles from the end of the route from the
bay as marked out by Mr. Geo. Gibbs,
now Of Steilaeoom, and the late Mr.. Brown,
of Shoal Water Bay. These two gentle
men started in December last to come
through to Olympia, but the rainy weather
and want Of provisions compelled them to
return, and Mr.. Brown soon after fell a
victim to the consequences Of exposure and
hardships suffered on that expedition
Starting again with the canoe, the party
followed the very crooked windingS Of the
river a day and half, when they suddenly
found themselves in front Of Mr.. Billiards.
house at the head Of tide water, and about
twenty miles by land from where they made
the canoe. There they took boat and
descended to the bay, reaching it on the
morning of the tenth day after leaving the
Cowlitz.
Several citizens of the bay had, some
time before this, fixed upon the next day
for starting to explore route to Olympia.
The arrival of six from the Cowlitz, and
their favorable report Of the country, in
duced all to attempt to open a road and
take a pack horse through. The two par
ties therefore assembled the same night at
Mr.. Woodward's, at the head of nayiga-
ton on the Willopa, so as to start early
the next morning. The new company con
sisted of Messrs. Seth Bullard, II. Wood
ard, Bush and Cushing, Of the Willopa,
with Capt. Russell and myself from the
bay, making twelve in ALL The Indian
guides had ran away soon after their arri-
val for some unknown reason. To get
through by land 10 where the canoe had
been made, we had to depend therefore on
the experience and sagacity of MIR Pear
sail, who has been for many years in the
ii. B. Co.'S service as guide and hunter.
After some delay at Mr.. Billiards. to pack
the horse, we started afoot. The first ten
miles was mostly through prairies, and the
narrow strips of timber between had al
ready been opened through, so that we
travelled it rapidly and about noon stopped
IA short time to rest before commencing to
cut through an unexplored forest. There,
to avoid a large bend in the river, we LETT
it and assembled hill to the northward
by which our guide hoped to strike a prai-
rie some miles off before dark But hav-
ing to cut through all the way, night over
took US OIL the bank of the river and in the
forest, but fortunately with good quantity