The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-01-04
SNOQUALMIE FALLS.


agara OF tue Northwest Thi, is as
sumlng li.t.e too much for them. q
they are cxce.ied by utners III width
aud volume of water, though few ex
ceefi- them in attitude Their actua
height - 210 leet, au9 their width from
2D 10 81 feet, according u the season
ot the year Daring the spring fresh
cts they cccppy the full breadth Of the
canon, and that Is about the latter fig
ure. Having heard their beauty de-
picted in the most glowing language by
those who had visited them, | resolve esl
+ 10 test the accuracy IF their descgip
/ tion I; 70, .1on l .~.ei@a pnyat
Sound. ! mad Preparations for my
Journey Having learned that | could
reach them by either land or water, |
selected the latter route. as It promised
the greatest amount Of novelty and ad-
venture. FOR I va, h pas through re
gions seldom visited by white men, and
nercf by mere tourists. Taking
pa-sageat seattle ou the steamer that
carries The weekly mail 20 the hamlc,s
along Possession Sound suI tdc Islands
of the Washington Archipelago, found
hotni>h city, q lnere hanltul Of houses
that looked n though they we're drop
ped on the riyef-bank IN shower Of
rain. Here engaged two Indians and
n canoe TO take me 10 the falls, some 80
miles distant
Known. that | could obtain no pro-
visions Along the route, placed a sup
ply of crackers, bacon, and tea aud sll-
gar, IN the canoe, and 10 prepare them
for use teapot aud frying pan The
commissary stores Of the Indians were
limited to dried clans. strung together
as dried apples are III New England,
ard small quantity Of smoked beef.
We started for our destination early In
the morning III order 10 have as much
daylight as possible in GRO sing num-
Der OF turbulent whirlpools known to
the Indians as .StDoIum Unck, or Strong
Water. which we should have to pass
the first day.
After leaving the hamlet, We saw
few houses. aud those we did see were
the rough. mud -plastcrcd cabins OF ,he /
hardy pioneers. Our onward course
required the most careful attention of
the h"atmen. and we often passed be-
tween hugh crags. around whose base /
the waters boiled and whirled in "A /
scething mass Of foam, aud III other +
places the current WAS 81 swift that we !
were compelled u hug the shore and /
Use poles AMI the pendent houghs of /
trees 10 make even The most sna.i-like ,
advance Alter the first day we met /
no signs of human habitaiions, and the /
only indications of life abou. us were
ile.9 she 9GsaSpa d shNrie sgsst pQSes 81 tss
the wildcat and panther. This dron
ing solitude seemed oppressive for not
a word was uttered by the reddish ye!-
low statues that mechanically Piled
their paddles from morning till night,
except 10 answer an affirmative ques-
tlon by an occasional gruut Ugh, or
one ~ two monosyliabes We were
compelled 10 land every night, 10 cook .
oar food and make camp. oar bed
was formed Of the sot,est spot we
could find under the shade OF a tree, .
aud our only shelter VA, single /
blanket.
BY noon Of the third day Ae came 10
"a series ot hoIstcrous toaming oddies,
that extended over a distance oi seven
miles. and 10 pass these We hac 10 ply
pole and paddle with the utmost vigor.
By making herculeau efforts. We man
aged 10 crawl over them III eight hours
hat. once past. We hal tranquil water,
j.ntil we came within hearing of the
deep roar of the fall, which were now
two miles distant The large space
over which they can be heard l. due 10
the acoustic properties Il the surrouud-
in- woods, and the echoS of the low
rocky hills beyond them. The reS1n-
auoc of these forests /, something mar
,clous. and nn first acquaintance rather
startling. as .u ordinary tone ~ con
ycfsa,ion i, h,ar,! several yard~ away,
u laugh ring IN vlbIatory Hnduiahons
ior distance of RI least An eighth OF a
miic, whi,c the scream of the Wild cat
is audible "A mile off II j. this echo
ny characteristic of the trees that
c,u,es thc fall flowing through Wooden
regions - IL hard over >uch large
area as thry are, ~ we ind That the
Snolualmic Falls. with only Z tlthc oi
the vulum, ot the Niagara, arc heard
many Lines tile distance the latter are.
Havtug found al farther progress 10y
water checked hy masses ut trarroCN
" which wcrc hurled testt het ,n the Will
-, eontl~iou ~ pushed cur canoe
aslor, and made "a comfortable cucamp-
iaeut II laughs for our >ri,c> under tiia
umbrage ct spreading spiuce that