, 1860-06-08

Puget Sound is the southernmost division
Of the great bays opening from the eastern
end Of the Straits of Juan de Fuca is 6
collection Of inlets covering an area-ae
cording to Mr., Davidson, Of the coast sur
vey service-of fourteen miles by twenty
two. !. These inlets, in the order in which
they'come from the entrance, are Carr's
Cases Henderson's Budd's, Eds, Hem
mersly's and Totten's, all united by passages
forming many islands and peninsulas.-
Emerging from the Narrows, Carr's Inlet
opens out to the west with an entrance sew
en- miles wide, divided by two islands into
three channels. This inlet is thirteen mile:
long, with an average width Of two and Q
half miles, aud carrying depth Of watel
from the entrance to its head, in mid-chan
mel, of from 6fty to three .fathoms along
either shore, the soundings varying fron
thirty to two fathoms
Cases Inlet is the counterpart of Carr's
peninsula three miles wide, dividing the
two.
Henderson's Inlet is four miles long
with an entrance q mile wide, narrowing tc
fourth of mile at the head. Sounding:
from six to two fathoms.
Budd's Inlet is seven miles long, has an
entrance three-fourihs of mile wide; open
ing out 10 one and quarter miles for one
third its length, with soundings from nine.
teen to two fathoms
Eds Inlet is Eve miles long, has an
average width Of one-half mile, with sound
ings from twelve TO one fathom.
Hemmersley's Inlet has a length Of eight
miles, with an average width Of only.one-
fourth Of mile, and soundings from five to
one fathom.
Totten's Inlet is seven miles long, half a
mile average width, with soundings from
eighteen fathoms to three feet.
Above is briefly described the waters
constituting the SOHtherRmast tIoenty-tl0o
miles Of the vast inland seas of the north
western portion of Washington Territory,
which, stretching into the interior q dis
tauce Of one hundred and seventy miles
from Cape Flattery to 0lympia-covers an
area Of about two thousand square miles.
These inlets Of themselves constitute a
mass Of harbors superior to anything on
this coast south Of them. The harbor Of
San Diego, in California, of which so much
has been said as the terminus Of Pacific
Railroad, is very much inferior in oil re-
speets, as a harbor, to either Carr's or
Cases Inlets, and Pnget Sound proper,
made up Of this collection Of nlets, every
mile Of which is harbor, holds vast su-
perlority over the far famed Bay Of San
Francisco. But of these we shall have
occasion to speak hereafter.
Of these waters Com. Wilkes says -
AN these inlets are safe, commodious and
capacious harbors, well supplied with water,
and the land around them fertile. On
many Of the islands and peninsulas are to
be found slate aud sandstone, which, though
soft and friable in some places where it has
been exposed on the surface, will be found
suitable for building purposes" And to
repeat what we have quoted before from the
same authority: Nothing can exceed
the beauty Of these waters and their safety
Not a shoaI exists within the Straits Of
Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, Puget
Sound or Hoods Canal, that eau in any
way interrupt their navigation by a seventy.
four gun ship. The shores of all the inlets
and bays are remarkably bold, so much Sc
that in many places a ships side would
strike the shore before the keel would
touch the ground"
We commend these extracts, from the
Official report OF the officer in charge Of the
United States Exploring Expedition, to
the careful attention Of men on both sides
Of the continent who are constantly en-.
deavoring to impress upon the public mind,
and particularly upon capitalists and rail
road men, the fact (Y) that Puget Sound
Is worthless as a harbor for the terminu:
OF Pacific Railway.
Mr., Davidson, Of the Coast Survey ser
wee, in report Of these waters, says o.
f1get Sound: "The southern waters o.
THIS Sound are also within fifty-6ve miles
IN a direct line, Of the Columbia river, al
the mouth of the Cowlitz, forty-six mile;
rom Cape Disappointment, and within
twenty miles Of the waters OF the Chehali;
river, which runs into Gray's Harbor. =
Inc Importance of these close relations oI
the waters Of the Columbia river, Puget
sound, Admiralty Inlet, Gray's Harbor
and Shoalwater Bay, in view Of the pros
perlty OF the two Territories, must be mani,