, 1860-07-13


: over which Lopez bay can be seen. This
bend is called shoal light and has from six
to ten lathomS for a mile ont, with lete
sandy bottom. In md.chlnnel rise the
Bird Rocks about forty feet high, consist.
ing Of three small rocky islcts very close
together, and running in north direction
They are somewhat pyramidal in form, aud
during the summer show yelowsh on nc.
count of the parched grass and the color
Of the rocks. Abreast of them, on the
western side, is narrow opening between
two low rocky heads Of Lopez and Deca.
tur islands. Inside is line of islets rang
ing from the north head and making the
channel run towards the south. This bar
rier is called the Lopez chain and the en-
trance of the Lopez pass. Several large
islands are found inside. Vanconyer'S boats
evidently were in this bay, as bis charts
gives a good general idea of it. X
"Af'er passing Deception island on the
east the face Of Fidalgo island is high, pre-
ciptous and bare for two or three miles in
a northwest direction. This is called Sares
Head. 1t then sweeps to the north, chang
ing to the westward until abreast Of and
two miles from Belle rock In this deep
bay, and lying well off shore, are, first:
Williamson's Rocks, a cluster of rocky
islets about forty feet high, with deep water
close around them. Half mile northward
Of them is Allan island, which is about
three quarters Of mile in extent, and
about 200 feet high, with its southern face
partly bare. North OF Allan island,
and separated from it by channel quar-
ter of a mile wide, is Burrows island, one
and half miles long, southeast aud north
west, by half a mile in width. The island
is several hundred feet high, and has a re-
markably fat top, is Wooded and may be
seen from the Strait of Fuca. At the
eastern end of the passage, between the
last two islands, is a small one, called
Young island Through all the channels
formed by these islands, good depth of
water exists, and no dangers have been
discovered.
''rhe breadth Of Rosario strait at Belle
Rock is 81 miles, but it is soon contracted
| by James island on the western side and
opens into a channel, n. NE, called the
Bellingham channel, which is about two
miles wide at its entrance. A small chan
mel runs from it, more to the eastward,
along the north shore Of Fidalgo island,
and leads into Padilla bay. Upon Fidal,
go, rises Mount Erie to height Of 1850
feet, covered with woods, and presenting a
q It appearance from certain directions.-
james island consists of two heads, mile
apart, aud 25O feet high, but connected
by narrow ridge.
"Just beyond James island(is an open
ing on the west, between Decatur island
and Blakely island, and on the east ehalf
a mile up the strait, appears the southwest
point Of Cyprus island. On its western
side, and mile and q quarter from its
southwest point, is found snug little har-
Dor called Strawberry bay. In this
bay, excellent, ,anqb qborage is found in from
six to ten fathoms, muddy bottom. Good
fresh water is plenty here. A high white
cliff is seen to the south Of the harhor,
from the shores of which rise rapidly the
Lake mountains to an elevation Of l,525
feet, and among whose peaks We found two
large sheets of fresh water. These peaks
are very noticeable from the Strait of Fuca,
and being connected by comparatively low
ridges with other hills OIL the island, they
present saddle-like appearance from the
southwark and westward
Abreast Of Strawberry island the chan
mel contracts to width of one and half
miles, where the bold rock face of Blakely
island rises to height of between 900 and
900 feet. At the north end of
Blakely, two miles above Strawberry isl.
ald, two channels lead to the westward
around Obstruction island, which lies be-
tween Blakely and Orcas islands"
"When in the narrowest part of Rosa
rio Strait, a very marked, perpendicular,
rocky peak is seen to the north over the
low point Of Cyprus, and soon shows rising
abruptly from the waters edge to the height
Of $50 feet To the n. Il. of Cy-
prus is Sinclair island. Three miles from
Sinclair island lies Orcas, on tue northwest
side of the strait. 1t is large island with
a mountain 1870. feet high near its south
ern end. The point stretching furtheresl
and coming down to the water is Point
Lawrence.
When upon this same mid channel course,
the island ahead is Lummi island Its
southern half is very much higher than the
northern, and attains an elevation of 500
feet. From Point Lawrence, along
the north face Of Orcas, the shore is rocky
and preciptous, and rises by two or three
plateaux to Mount Constitution, which is
less than q mile in-shoro and 1891 feet
= high.
"West southwest of the north end oi
Lummi island, and four miles distant, are
three islands very close together, called
the Malta group. A mile and half to
the westward OF them lies the Sucia group
consisting of one large and six small isl
ands, with reef of the north side OF the
group, and beautiful harbor mile long
and half mile wide opening to the east
and carrying from ten to fifteen fathoms
sticky, muddy bottom. To the westward
Of this group lies Patos island, aud much
smaller one close to its S. w. point Tive
or three miles n. NE. of Lummi islanC
opens shoal bay, backed by low marShy
L. L -sal