, 1860-08-17

COUNTRY ON THE CHEHALIs, W. T.-Rev
n. Doane, in communication to the p.
ci6c Chsistian AdrOcate, writes thus Of n.
country on the Chehalis:
"Here we foHnd Mr.. TAYLOR n Ron,,..
preacher, recently from Clacknmas copr,o o'
Oregon, and little colony of his peo,i,
enough to hold six ciaims.
They are located in fine section of co,.
try on the north side of the Chehali.
Crossing a rich bottom of two hnndr.5
yards we came to beautiful lake. 9oo ~,
in width, and several miles long, runD;"~
east and west, parallel with the CbebsI;s
river This was probably once the bed ~
the river. Canoeing this lake, we crosss5
similar bottom land, about 200 yards n,
fine prairie on which these families ~.
located
"These bottom lands are very rich and
covered with salmon bushes, vine monio
alder, elder, &C., susceptible of being clear,
ed at little expense. The prairies are n
little gravely, but Of rich, alluvial soil Re-.
yond these prairies there is on abundance
Of good timber for all practical purposes
The water in the lake is, Judge, Ten or
twelve feet higher than that of the Chebo.
lis, and fed as it is by perennial streams
from the north, it furnishes excellent nd.
vantages for milling or running machinery
Of any kind The country on the north
stretches away to the elbow and lower arm
of Hoods Canal, and l am told is inter.
sperSed with prairies, and is eligible for set.
tlement and cultivation. Much of the land
on the lower Chehalis is subject to occa.
sional oTerlows in the winter, when very
high ocean tide, which flows twenty miles
up the Chehalis river, occurs al the time Of
a great freshet. These blended waters
spread over portions of the country; but
receding, they leavefa rich deposit, SO that
some speak of this as no objection; but
should always prefer to live OF terra frmd,
entirely above the watery elements, unless
| were in the valley of the Nile. However
as these overiows come only in the winter
and in most places do not come once in
several years, and as on nearly every half
section there are elevated portions suitable
for building, this is not so great an objec-
tion as some suppose.
The ChehaIis, on the whole, think is
decidedly the richest valley l have seen on
this coast, and is destined at no distant day
to sustain dense population, and WELD a
potent influence in oil those things which
make people great and respected. Be-
tween this place and the upper Chehalis
there is drift in the river so that no water
craft was ever known to pass without max
ing a portage until few days since. Mr.,
Davis, proprietor of the mill at Claqunto,
cut through this drift and took down
craft Sufficiently large TO carry one hun
dred barrels of four thus demonstrating
the prncticability Of navigating this river
in the summer season.
"The steamer Enterprise, formerly Of
Oregon, was employed last year to run on
he river. Sic made her trips to The
mouth Of the Chehalis. But she was too
large for the trade and the river But
Smull steamer will doubtless be soon en-
ployed TO run from the ocean to Claquato,
u distance of one hundred miles.
The population Of Chehalis county,
which embraces the lower part Of the river
aud bay country, has increased about twen-
ty-five per cent, exclusive of garrison Of.
soldiers, since / visited these parts last fall.
There are eighty voters now in the county,
but not single mail. route"