, 1876-04-08
Trip ci-sIn auOiaomis.h Blown the
Eastern sStlOre Os Ghc @GuAnd to
the siEil il auG Back.

J
/ very indefinite Ideas Of the routes Of trave
used in going 10 and from places situate :
/ linle of the usual routes Of travel, while {,
Eastern people the irregular shore line 0
the Sound, as well us the general absence y
good roads makes circumsiantial accoaGt
' - tie methods Of travel from poin. tC
,,u,,.t of rs great interest to them rs any
thi>S .so that can he related. Therefor
wihou. i,."thcr apologs we lay before on.
readers. this account of u trip taken las
w,cl; to LII Coaacc, tho Skagit and s'lll@
pupn,ish P;yei. ~ well as y description -
the country there risi,-d. The heavy tim
her ot the Sound rrgion III 'kes 1t exceeding
" difficult to travel frO,N ,.olns to pom
without using cannes or stewn..H 1Ie"
deal. Few roads being opened ~, s'ca"
cr5 and canoes to great extent SNNh th'
place Of other modes OF conveyance. $sp,
ciaIly is this true in the newest rCgionS
Nl,vre the rivers are oftrntimcs the only
highways used, . cedar canoe being the
baJyy Of the early scttlcr How 10 kSndic
such cano, is one Of the first things u
learn On this trip I tried most "f the
nludcS of conveyance in use here.
Leaving here Monday, March 81, 1876
wcnt to Lowell in canoe, left canoe AT
Lowell, tuuk steamer "Zlphyr' for Priest
Peint, from there walked across the trail IA
T'uMlip. At Tulalip took steamer Libby
This boat is the reguiur mail boat from
Seattle to Sehome, stopping NJ MuklIico
TUhlp, Cuupeyi'le, Utsalady, La Conner
and somc times Other points near the route
rriny the main mail route from Seattle .oI
all points on the eastern side Of the S0Ond
north of Seattle, except for the SnoiinmlS'
River. which route 10 served hg the Zephyr.
The Libby is quite an old side whce
stcamcr, has done great deal oi service
and is quite slow Yet owing to the skill
and courtesy OF her officers she gives mucl
hatar satisfaction than many newer and
swiiter craft Her master Capt. Brannor
universally bears the name Of being II care
ln. skilltul and experienced officer, as vel
as Il courteous, ohliging gentlemen, who
will do al TO .acGOmmodnIe that the circum
stances of the slip and route will allow
Alter leaving Tuh,iip fIarhor, We tumrc
uorthward or down Sound rs it is called
touching nt Holmes EIarhor, CoupcviIIe
and Covvlnnd nn Whidhrys Island thence
50 Utsalady. The mill town situate at th'
north end OF Camauo's Island. The route
OF the Libby" being Le,wcen Whidhcy
anil Camano's Island.
The Utsahdy mill property is now il
bankruptcy. Is to BE sold, we are intormei
on the 25th of April. Until oitcr the sale
anil new hands start up business everything
will be Gull there.
This il the nearest point OF this steamer
! route to the S3tilMgummish River, some eigh
miles distance; passengers, mail aud sreigh
having to be sent 10 that river 10y smal
boat. We lay ut Ussalndy until near morn
| ing. then started for La Conner situate ol
the Swinomish Slough. The channel %
this slough is shallow, narrow and yer,
difficult 70 follow, and keep clear Of th'
Ats, bare ut low water. We waited unit
! near morning so us to have daylight ant
| high water to aid us in getting over tn
! flats get notwithstanding every prccaution
lust after passing the Islands at the eater
alce cf the slough. We stuck fast in th'
mud, on a point of the flats, about ten fee
out of the chnnncl Tbe steamer had Il
stay there until Wednesday morning. whel
the high tide ilontcd hrs off The passen
g.rs going to La Conner tArceiourths Of
mile distant in small boats. Reaching there
about eight o'clock a. ~, Of Tuesday
| March 2Sth. La Conner is the buSines
centre for the extensive agricultural rcgio'
known as Swinouish Flats. Here til
Libby" also leaves mail, freight and pas
scngers for the Skagit River.
Tuesday afternoon ! left La Conner il
company with d. E. Gage, proprietor OF th
store at the forks of the Skagit River 70
that plncc, distance about eight miles, thrc
miles from mouth Of slough, five miles up til
north iork Of Skayit River. The win'
blew so strong. the mail boat did not ven
ture up until the next day. Beshes Nj
Gnge and myself we had gentleman livini
on the river, and an Indian and his clootc
to help us. Our canoe was very large, s
we were in n0 danger, only il required som
work to 90 against wind and tide over h
flats: as soon rs we reached the river I'll
tide turned in our favor, and we were sle
tered from the wind, so passed easily u
the river. When within two miles OF th
Forks we got out OF the canoe, walking tn
rest of the way, on good road, stoppc
over night Mt Mr.. Cages place. Next dn
went up to Skagit Jam, found my OF
friend John Campbell ut his stare thcr'
also number Of pen, whom he was aiding
mos, Of them old friends trom the Snohc