The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-03
ia river to. Fort Vakcooser. Ito

| Columbia river to Fort Vahconser. liz
miles. and up the Willamette to Port
land, IL miles. Small steamboats, run
up the Columbia to the Cascades, SO
milfs above Fort Vancouver. At this
place there arc falls for four or FIVE
miles, which impedes the navigation. A
portage arouI d the falls is necessary, and
a town called Cascades was built at that
place. This place was burned lately by
tibe Indians. Above the Cascades, or
fails. the river is navigabic to the Dali
les. SO miles further. Sd nfrs=aa Tr
By f.rfilt greater portion of Walla-
mette Valley is prairie, with heavy bod
les If timber on the wafer courses. The
mountains are also heavily timhered.-
Within the valley are a number of high
hill and ridges, some of them connected
with tie neighbornfg momntaits, while
others are com letely solated, These are.
ia ON places covered with groves of
tin btr. AID in other places with grass,
The soii-i is If good quality to their sum-
mirs, and :afms aud houses are fre
Yuently seen perched on them, more than
oie thousand feet above the country be-
low. OIe IF these bills, or Buttons
Mnui tair. as it is called, stands nearly
III the centre If the velley, ard is fifteen
mules in length from norsh to south, ard
ever one thonsapd two hundred feet
high. rs Summit Is. destitute of trees,
ezcor' a itw scattering osks, and here
ard here = tall fir. One of these last
srstds rearftht highest point, aud being
I'VE hundred fee, high. ard without
hrat ch.s for some fifty feet from the
grosl d. ~ straight as an arrow, pre-
So Is a singular aud prominent object.
Frtm The top of Buttons Mountain the
,ien Of the surrounding country is of
TIE gra, des, description Away to the
/, orth, three tall, snowy peaks are seen,
tie farest rot less than one hundred and
y FIVE miles distant. These are in
Washington Territory. On the south
side Of the Columbia is the Hood. 1t
ISIS fr"m tie SUNNI Of the Cascade
nc g.the dark evergreen forests,
10 the height rf eighteen Thousand sew
IN hundred and fifty feet above the sea,
aLout three hundred feet above the
OF perpetual snow. ISL
In August. 1853, two men, Messrs.
Dyer and Lake, assembled to :he top
) several others made the attempt at the
time. but, failed to reach the sum
nit, Among these was an Indian, who
Sent almost TO the top. but coming to a
l.lacc where a stream of hot air issued
from a crevice III the rocks, he became
{afraid) ard refused to 60 any
IartLer. Tley fond hot air issuing
many places, giving evIdence of
r.at internal heat. The viow from the
,ummir was very Offensive; but, on ac
ont If xii me vo!d, IVES rot enjoyed
il" The txtcui that could have been de-
,frtd. To the south of this peak is
VI cunt il ffctson. ard still farther South
near the NJ per rnd of the valley, are
he Three Sisters, connected by a high,
Ituy ridge. The Calspooa Mountains
II the head Of the valley, arc also in
,ebt ard the Coast Mountains, from
lie s@nie point 10 fEc Columbia River, |.
mbracing a circuit of rot Ices than
80 miles. BESIDES ibis. our beautiful
lies Ike an iuimel Sc map spread
MT more than a thousand feet below,
,irh It's vide prairie and dark forests,
nd inwis, villages. farms and farm
ar,Ises. bright, sparkling sheets of water
dark, "rcrgcrtn forest, and
yellow fields If grain among the
,rceu prairie. All these. taken togrth
r, all liz sight from one sro', make one
file grardest. most extensive and nIcsi
sights it has ever been my lot
q heLold. But must close-so, fare
ell.