New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-27


the middle Of the pfsn and runs west, IN latitude
49, to the Pacific bre-king through the coast
mouL iSgs, aGd forming at lts mouth oonsider1-
t.e bay, known sr Grsys hmbor.
The gr-,t feature of the country s Puget Sound
which runs along the central line of the western
division Of The Territory - miles southwark from
the Straits Of Fuca in latitude i--. lis length, how
ever, .ng over hundred miles II We follow lts
bends Near the mouth OF the sound an arm
called Hoods Canal breaks on aud runs south
veytw ar, A distance of forty miles, the prns and
runs eastward fifteen miles, to within mlles of
one of the arms of Puget Sound. The lower part
of what i. now called ;" Puget Sound, IN the con-
mon usage of the Territory. is pat down on tho
maps ~ Admiralty Inet;' but that name y
never used in the country. Pneet Sound ls from
one 10 three miles wide: Iood- Canal - from one
f. two miles wide. and both throughout their en-
tire length have from forty feet to an unmeasured
depth Of water. These great natural canals are
fun of deep. secure hsrbors, and not less than fifty
could be found to accommodate the Leyathan,
which can find only bali dozen harbors on our
Atlantic coast and in Europe. From the mouth Of
the sound westward 10 the ocean j. sixty miles by
the Straits of Fuca which are twelve miles wide.
Northward from the mouth at the sound. extend
ing nearly to Latitude Age Is an archipelago. con-
tairing about fifty islands the largest-Whidbe
I.aud-beiug thirty miles long by three wide.
A very small part of the western division of the
Territory s drained by the Columbia, the only
tributary stream of any size being the COwlitz,
which rises near Mount 81. Helens, run' sixty
miles eastward. and then turning due south. runs
thirty miles 10 the Columbia. Northward and
westward Of the bend of the COwltz several
streams arise which form the Chebals Improperly
called "Chickeeles" BY Wilkes River. which flows
west and empties into the Pacific. The only other
large stream. are those which flow down from the
SHOWS Of the Cascade Mountains and empty into
Puget Sound, on the eastern side of the principal
Oi which, commencing AT the southern end of the
sound and going n0r,hward, are the NsqUaiy,
Peyallup, Dwamish, snohomish, and Skaget.
The coast range is low, except in the northern
part of the peninsula, west OF Hoods Canal, where
n considerable portion of the Olympian range il
said to rise to near the limit of perpetual snow.
Along the Columbia il arrange of hills never eY-
cccding eC0 feet iu hight. The ordinary hg.t oi
the Cascade Mountains in Washington Territory is
5000 feet or one mile, the ridge being very Iit,Ie
below the SHOW limit. Ia the range, however,
there are four peaks Of volcanic origin, all covered
with eternal snow. They are Mounts Baker,
Rainier, ii. Helens and Adams. Wilkes says
Rainier is ~ $40 feet high, and ST. Helens {, $50.
Blodqett in his Ciimatology, says 81. Helens is
r. go feet high. AID Baker II 800. Mount Adams
does not exceed 1900 feet in hight. All rise ab
ruptly and solitary from the mass of lower noun
talns Baker ana st. Helens are active volcanoes;
that is, they smoke lltile
The greater portion Of the soil of the Territory
is poor only little of it being ft for tilage. In
the western division, there are, in round numbers,
about 500 townships (cach miles square, OF land.
of which only 10 townships, or 80, 900 acres are
prairie land. There inay be 30 townships of alder
and vine maple land very good for tlaee, bat need
inc t. be cleared. The other 400 townships are
covered with dense fir forests. which could not be
cleared now ior 500 acre, and, II cleared. would
rot offer good soil TO the cultyatOr. Sixty town
ships have been surveyed, extending from the
sound southwark to Vancouver; and contracts
have been made for surveying 40 other townships,
chiefly in the valleys of the Chehali- aud WIilapah,
and along the lower sound.
Most of the soil about the head of the sound is
grayelly and poor-yery poor, not fit for cutiya-
tiOn, but furnishing the best natural road To be
fUund in the world. The largest boGy or rlch soil
is in the vicinity Oi Seattle but IT Is covered with
heavy timber and exposed to the depredatons of
hostile Indians There is also n considerable
amount of good land in the valleys of the Chehali-
the Cowlitz, the Nillapah, Skokomish, and in the
bottoms of all the streams east of Puget Sound.
The climate of Puget Sound is marked by an
even temperature and large amount of RAIN. The
following figures show the average temperature at
Steilacoom, in latitude AZ 10, compared with
New-YOrk, in 4Oo ~:
s,s.'SGSR':s S:m Ssls.........s & q 81 1851 ISL
Steacoom, though six and half degrees fur
thcr north, has warmer Winters than New York.
The heat of Summer is not intense. There is
seldom an oppressiyey hot day, and the nights are
always cool.
The rain figures stand thus:
spipg. Summer Autumn. Winter. Yea.
SltsiaSsSGR...:....ini Sswa So1R.......n u 10 ia4s
m. p;r1 oh az, ,sIn
COON rs Ut New.York during the Summer, twice
ms much during the Winter, and ten inches more
in the entire year.
TIE chief tree of the Territory is the yellow 6r
1t grows 10 be 275 feet high and SIX feet through,
and is found in great abundance 1t is the chief
supply of the saw-mils. lis wood is strong and
durable, but not fine grained, and the lumber made
from il is only used for rough purposes. II IS good
for ship building except that It does not bend well
but is liable to break. The red fir is abundant,
and is usually larger than the common run of the
yellow fir hut it is not of much value because u
the roughness of ts grain. White fir is abundant,
but its wood is of 20 value. Spruce is abundant
on the coast. Its wood is not so good as that If
the yellow i.r. Red cedar of large size is found
on the river bottoms, and it il tine chief material
used in finishing houses in tine T, :ritOry Near
the mouth .Of Puget Sound good white pine is
found. Yellow fir lumber Is worth Sl5 per
tDOusand III Oiyuiiid, clehT cedar, CO. HbIle
pine, $50 Alder IS common tree ana grows on
moist, rich soil; and the alder land is rcckoned
to be the best in the Territory. The vine maple Is
peculiar tree OF bush-which, IL is hard to deter.
mine. II is species of maple that grows about
twenty feet high, with stems and boughs that in-
tertwine with each other Ike vines. Oak ,s Fare,
the tree grows neither large, tall, nor straight;
but It's wood is very tough. Ash Is found along tie
streams and cottonwood or Balm of Gllead, as
il is called is abundant IN the bottoms of the Cow
litz, and the Columbia a0oye the mouth Of the
C1whtz. Most OF the praries are cOyered with
fern, which s also very common in the cultivated
E.l-l S-.r...l s. L.. -Lr.-l..-.