Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-03-16

From the Philadelphia. Press we copy
the following. contributed by Colonel David
Taggart, United St1tos Paymaster, whose
headquarters is at Portland, Oregon:
SITKA, ALASKA, Nov. -, 1871.
Leaving NanaimG at four O'Clock on the
bright afternoon OF November 18th, we
steamed out again into the Gulf of Georgia,
thence through Discovery Pass2 &c, in
which are Enclayton Rapids. impossible
save 'rH the tide, and Johnston and
Broughton Straits. into Queen Charlotte's
Sound. As the wind blew gale outside
and the water was rather "lumpy,n before
entering Sound We anchored for the night
at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver Island, in
latitude % degrees ~ minutes Starting
again before daylight, we were across it by
nine O'Clock. II is twenty-five miles wide
this and Mi,bank Sound, of less width, he
ing the only opposed communications irtb
the ocean IN ran Of one itOUSGRd miles
from Cape Fi1ttDy 20 Sit!a.
For the greater portion Of the voyage
our course LAY through channels from
quarter to four mites wide, completely lock-
ed up in mountains Of great elevation
You can fancy yourself at all times navi-
eating beautiful lake, like Seneca or
Champ plain, with surroundings much more
grand aud picturesque.
Passing from Queen CharlOttc's, we en-
tered Fitz Hugh Sound in latitude old
5jm thence through Lama Passage and
Seafurth Channel into Milbank Sound at
! 52d 2lm, where we again felt the roll of
ocean. Crossing that, our course lay
Through Finlayson and Grcnville Channels.
varying in width !lam 500 yards to Two OF
three miles. Here for more than 200 miles
we had scenery as far surprising that of
Lake Champiail or Lake George in all the
attributes OF grandeur and beauty, as the
subiimity of the Sierra Nevada exceeds
that of the Al,cghanics, a1d macb more
than tbs. fany waters on earth can at
ford more interesting and lovely voyage,
! will avail mysei! Of an early leave Of alb
scnce to visit them. Mere word pictures
cannot represent ii, and greater than Par
rhasius would be lac whose pencil could do
II justice, At every point it has the APP
pearauCt Of a mountain lake of almost un-
tatnomabe depth, but constantly varying
in outline and surroundings. The waters
( have the dark blue Of the ocean, and in
many places, in channels less than half a
mile wide, the lead has failed to reach the
bottom. On both sides are mountain peaks
of every form of fantastic ruggedncss, vary
ing in altitude from 1900 to 1900 feet, and
except where the Piutonic rocks crop out,
covered to the waters edge with fir. hem
/ lock and cedar. The pine proper is entire
/ " wanting north of Victoria. and the trees
on these thin-soiled activities lack the
vast growth of those of Oregon and Puget
Sound, and wen they might, for they grow
almost on the bare rock. These magniti-
/ cent upheavas have their bases from 300
/ to l 900 feet below the surface of the water.
/ Their almost perpendicular sides are scar
/ red at innumerable places with the path of
! the avalanche, and beautiful cascades, from
/ fountains never polluted by human touch
/ or tread, come bounding in mist-wreathed
/ splendor from the wild canons. Like CO.
/ lossal tents in crowded camp Of giants,
/ such as in the olden time gave battle TO
/ the gods, stand these vast peaks, one be-
/ yond another, as far as the eye can reach,
/ hemming us in on every side. When we
/ passed the trees were covered with freshly
| fallen snow, and locked as if
ETERNITY had sloiqcd its years upon them,
Aud the dread Winter of their age had come"
/ Early on the morning of the 10Th we en-
! tered the little Bay of Fort Tongas in 54d
! 40m, and were once more on our own do
main. Until recently it was occupied by
! the United States as military post. 1t
/ is on a small island of three hundred acres,
separated from tine mainland by very
narrow channel. Here and at Fort Wran-
gel, one hundred and fifty miles further,
are good buildings erected by the Govern
ment for troops. Those at Wrangel have
been sold 10 an Indian trader bearing the