, 1880-04-01

tremc end Of QuimpGr Peninsula on the
Bay OF Port Townsend, and right in tile
cool draught of the main nrial currents
sweeping to and from the sea. it is usually
favored with a fresh and lnvigomtlng
breeze that drives sway all dangerous i'm
purities. There has never been case OF
diphtheria known to originate here, nor
has any case brought here ever spread
The bay Of Port Townsend which the city
overlookS is about , > miles wide by about
! miles long, every part of which affords
good anchorage in from to 20 fIthOmS OF
water, aud secure shelter 70" vessels. Its
location geographically makes it probably
a more Important body Of water for the
requirements of commerce than any other
arm Of the Sound, because it is right in
the ange formed by the Straits OF Fu@
and Admiralty Inlet, and where vessels
inward bound with far wiud, must gen
orally stop aud wait Tor tow. as the wind
that brought them up the Straits usually
dies out here. or they have head winds in
the Inlet. And so with outward bound
vessels. They may have fair wind out,
as far rs the entrance to our lnrbor, where
t often dies out, or they encounter head
winds IN the Straits, which obliges them
to lay to or beat out at considerable peril
Consequently, vessels inward or outward
bound, always calculate on making Port
Townsend bay to wait tor tow or favor
able winds to take them on. AS high as
3S large vessels have come to anchor in
front of our city OH one wind, unable to
proceed further rom the causes just NEIL
toned.
1t is also important as being the last
and most convenient harbor between the
United States and British Columbia. Also
ms being the first really good harbor from
the ocean. The Custom House, being
here, makes IL necessary for all vessels
from, or bound to. foreign port, to come
here TO enter or clear; hence it is the us
ual destination of all foreign ships bound
to the territory, which lay here tor weeks
Sometimes whiting orders aud the town
gets the benefit OF their patronage, which
is no small matter as most OF them outfit
here for the retsm voyage thereby leaving
from one to five thousand dollars each.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Co. makes
Port Townsend its head quarters for PIT
get Sound, and three large steamships ar
rive there from, and depart for, Sun Fan
cisco every month. Port Townsend is
also the starting point Of the Alaska mails
and regular steamer runs from there to
all Of the principal places in Alaska, and
back once a month. 1t is also the end of
the daily mail route from the east and
daily steamers from up the Sound con-
meet there with scmi-week'y steamers
from Victoria, b. G. 1t also has weekly
connection by steamer with New sDunge-
uess, Port Angeles, EIwah. Pisht, Hoko,
Neah Bay and Qulrut in Clallam county,
with San Juan. Friday Iarbor Lopez
Island, East Sound and other points In
Sab Juan county. and Sehomc, Whntcom,
Saamish, Semiahmoo and other points in
Wha'com county, also daily ferry con-
Meeting with Island county.
The Government keeps a revenue cutter
stationed in the harhor, willie on the west
side of the bay, about three miles from the
city, is Fort Townsend, beautiful place.
where one or more companies of U. s.
troops are always garrsoned.
Port Townsend is the principal market
and shipping point ofthe adjacent coun-
ties. and thousands OF tons of grain, wool,
potatoes. hides, cheese and other products
are exported from its wharves every year.
The business portion OF the city is built
upon lowe level, triangular gravel spit
OF about thirty acres in extent, knswn as
Point Hudson. At the base of this spit
rises an almost perpendicular bluff to the
height OF about seventy-fye feet. The
Hill Is natural oval and fertile prairie
and great enough in area for the building
of a large city, where stand the principal
residences with their suburban gardens,
public school buildings and U. s. Marine
hospital. The view from this evergreen
grass-covered plateau and from nearly
every door and window of the pleasant
homes thereon Is simply magnificent.
Almost beneath your feet, nestled under
the bluff, by the waters edge, are the bus
iness houses, while beyond is the broad
beautiful harbor with Its shipping. TURF
ing to the right, the Military garrison
with Its neatly arranged grounds and
white quarters set I'm n baclsOroInd of eV-