Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-10-12
A CRUISE N TIE SARAH NEWTON,
On the PaciAc Coast.
NUMBER II.

On leaving the prairie we retraced
our STEPS over the same trail We came,
and having reached the brook where
we had left our boat We partook of
lunch Of cold meat and hard bread,
which We washed down with daught
Of the pure cold water of the brook.
and then started down the river-Wack-
anus steering, the two young fellows
rowing, and myself with compass, pen
Gil aud paper, noting the course of the
river, anI occasionally sounding with
an oar to ascertain its depth. The wa
ter is SO pure and transparent rs to rem
der the apparent depth deceptive. In
one instance when | supposed there
were but two feet of water found it
ten. There are no trout in the river,
but the same variety of salmon arc TAX
en- as run up the Quc-nai-ult, spring
and fall,-short, thick and very fat.
The Indians were expecting run to
commence in u couple Of weeks. Be-
sides salmon there is, ut the mouth of
the river, the greatest abundance Of
of smelts I have ever seen, and plenty
of tom cod, just like those taken in
Boston harbor. These tom cod which
we caught are the first of that variety
of fish have yet seen on the Pacific
They were very good fried, and re-
minded me strongly of many fishing
frolic 1 have had in Boston harbor
when tom cod constituted the sole bill
of fare. The Indians split and dry the
smclts Just as they do herring, notice
this also as being the first time have
seen Indians make business of drying
smclts for food, and it is significant Of
the immense quantity of fish in that Vi
cinity. The Indians take them by
means of large hand-nets; and it GER
talnly was lively scene to witness the
Indians, old and young, eager for their
food, surrounded by tlocks of gulIs, ca
giles, tish-l,awks and pelicans, which
hOvcred about. screaming and yelling,
all animated by Il common instinct, that
of satisfying the cravings of hunger.
The banks of the river that form bars
are covered with cotton wood, willow
and alder. Th, higher banks with
spruce and hemlock. The water dur
ing the rainy season, or during times of
freshets, must be high, as noticed same
very large trees at the mouth of the
river where they had been left on the
beach. I measured one of these trees.
and found ite25O feet long and eight
feet through at the butt. The roots
were attached, and spread out some 20
feet. To float this great tree and cast
it high and dry on the beach, required
a Tremendous high tide or freshet. l
should estimate that there are two or
three millions of feet of lumber in
the drift trees at the mouth of this
river and vicinity. These have been
thrown back from time to time by the
breakers on the beach. and have gradu-
ally formed natural levee, behind
which the river has forced it's way, and
empties into the ocean behind group
of rocky islets, which form breakwu-
ter, efoctually protecting the river from
any further iucroachments in that direc-
| ton.
The largest of these islands is called
Alek'istet. It is the most southern Of
the group, and is where the Quilletuyts
have q stronghold. The island is pre-.
cipitous on all sides, and inaccessible
except on the northeast, where steep
and difficult path affords the Indians
the means Of ascending to the summit,
which is from 150 to 200 feet above the
beach. The other islands are inacces.
sible. The whole group are, in fact,
immense rocks, composed Of sandstone,
quartz and conglOmerate. They have
evidently st some former period formed
peninsula connected with the main
land, to which they are now connected
by q narrow beach, which 10 covered 1t
high tide. l walked, or rather climbed,
in company with WackMmus. the Que-
naiult Chief, tn the summit If Alekistet
Island. It was . most difficult task.
The path was wet and slippery from
the early morning dew, and rendered
still moro % BY the slime Of thousands
Of slugs which were creeping tho cliff.
Nettles aboundsd, aud when reached
the summit, out Of breath and badly
stung by the villaimOus weeds. Thought
myself scarcely repaid for my trouble.
The surfaes Of the island 10 gently ands.
lating, aud about ten acres in siSe.. "A
PORTION is covsred with spruce and fir
trees, and the remainder hes bssn ussd
by the Indians for planting potstoes. |
When the tribs 10 at variance with the!
nsighborine Indiana. they retirs to tie |
top of this island. where they lisA aud |
an Autieely teeufs from their -foes.
The remains of their hakitations were |