Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-02-23
From our Port Townsend Correspondent
sequim Prairie, Washington Territory.

may interest few of your readers to
know something about the clay Of the
land in Clallam county-the most eX-
treme northwest county in Washington
Territory, and consequently the remot-
est portion of the domain Of the United
States.
l left Port Townsend on the 18th of
January. in company with friend,
who had invited me to pass a couple of
weeks with him on Scquim Prairie.
We proceeded in canoe without let
or hindranee to Sequim Bay, or Wash
ington lIarbor. as the charts have it,
where we made our first landing. Sc
quinn Bay is between Port Discovery
and New DungencSS, and is one of the
very best harbors on the Pacific. Its
entrance is protected from the heavy
seas in Fuca Straits 10y bar or spit,
ironing nearly two-thirds of the way
across its mouth, making a complete
brcakwater. behind which Il feet could
lay at anchor, and ride out any gale
that might blow from the heavens.
From the landing. a good wagon
road of two miles over bottom. COW
cred with belt of fir, brought us ont
on the open plains of Sequim Prairie.
The prairie is situated south of the vii
lagc of New DungcnesS, from which it
is separated by belt of timber and
gently rising country, ovcrwhich good
wagon road of three miles in length
gives the settlers another outlet. by
which the products Of their farms can
be conveyed to the coast, to be convc-
nicnt for water carriage to Victoria and
other markets on the Sound.
The prairie or bottom land extends
from Sequim bay, in north-wcstcrly
direction, some ten miles. terminating
in PERCEPTIONS bluff. which forms Il
portion of the eastern shore OF the har-
Dor of Old Dungencss or Chorbour", as
it is now called: the width of the prai-
ric varies from two to seven miles. Per-
haps one-half of the whole of this area
is open grass land, and the remainder
forest. say perhaps, because as yet
this section of country has not been
fully surveyed, consequently am una
bic to state the exact proportion of for
est and pasturagc. On tine north sid
of the prairie is d bluff hill, some forty
or fifty feet hi gh, forming a ridge of
several miles in length from the top
of this ridge is one Of the most beautiful
landscape views have ever seen in this
country. Immediately at the foot of
the bluff the level prairie commences,
dotted here and there by the farms of
the settlers, which look in the distance
like mere garden patches.
Across the prairie, which at this point
is about two miles wide, the eye meets
the line of forest growing to uniform
hei ght from the level bottom. Beyond
and above the forest of the plains rise
the foot hills Of the Olympic Sierra, all
dcnscly covered with heavy timber, and
above these hills the sharp crags and
snow covered summit of the Olympic
range Of mountains rise, towering far
above the clouds.
During the spring and early part of
summer, when vegetation is most lux
uriant and the variegated carpet of flow
ers in full bloom, the scenery is enchant-
ing and fully warrants the cncomiums
bestowed upon it by Vancouver, who
writes in his narrative of his cxplora-
ton on the northwest coast in 1892 of
the country about Dungeness: "To
describe the beauties Of this region will
on some future occasion be very CRATE
ful task to the pen OF the skillfnl pane
gyrist. The serenity of the climate, the
innumerable pleasing landscapes, and
the abundant fertility that unassisted
nature puts forth, require only to be
enriched by the industry of man, with
villages, mansions, cottages, and other
buildings, to render it the most lovely
country that can be imagined, while the
labor ofthc inhabitants must be reward
cd in the bounties which nature seems
ready to bestow on cultivation
The open plains of Sequim prairie
afford excellent pasture for stock, and
already the settlers have large herds of
cattle, whose condition showed the su-
perior quality of the feed. Those that
| saw were i'll better order than any I
have seen the past year in this portion
OF the territory. Stock raising at pres
cnt pays better than any other product
of the farm; but as soon as experienced
farmers with sufficient means will COM
mcncc systematic method of agricul-
ture, the soil will yield abundant har-
vests. TO make tho land of Sequim
prairie produce to its entire extent, the
system Of sub-soil plowing must be
adopted; in fact deep pIowing is the
host for new lands at ali times, and is