, 1882-07-07

miles Of shore line, hundreds OF beau-
tiful islands and bays, deep water
everywhere, and abound5 in lish and
game. Whidby's island extends ON
our left for nearly forty miles, its i'm
mediate shores thickly wooded, but
containing considerable openings,
with prosperous settlements III the
interior. On our right Ports Ludlow
and Gamble, the locations of the most
extensive saw-mills on the coast, are
soon passed. When nearing the en-
trance to Possession Sound, the
steamer Idaho, from Port Townsend,
is seen heading for Port Madison, an
important lumber manufacturing and
ship building place, seven miles to
the southwest; next the Sandy Point
lighthouse and the little village of
Seaport opposite, when Seattle, the
principal city of the territory, comes
IN full view. 1t is well built, upon a
commanding slope on the northeast
shore of Elliott bay, and contains a
population of about 5000 The Ter
ritorial University, occupying prom
inent central situation, Is fine, I'M
posing structure. Running along
side of the new wharf of the Seattle
Coal Company, and receiving forty
tons of coal, at 1870 o'clock P. NJ, are
off again. now for the island of San
Juan, seventy miles in a northwestern
ly direction. Returning almost to
Port Townsend, and from thence sail
ing northward, at & o'clock this morn
ing we We're opposite Smith or Blunt
island, heading for the middle chan
mel, between San Juan and Lopez
islands The view from this point is
one of exceeding grandeur, embracing
the loftiest submits of the great
mountains on both the American and
Columbia shores, the San Juan group
of islands, the city of Victoria and a
vast wilderness of gigantic forest
growth on every hand. Sailing with
in sight of Friday Harbor, with the
island of Shaw on our right, at 9:3O
O'Clock A. NJ. we land at Eureka, lit,
tie opening, with a wharf, lime kiln,
and half a dozen houses, on the north
side of the famous island of San
Juan.
THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS.
The San Juan group of islands,
some thirty in number, composing
the county of San Juan, w. T., con
tain an aggregate area Of about $50
square miles. They are situated be-
tween the waters of the Gulf of
Georgia and the straits of Juan de
Fuca, the island Of Vancouver, Brit.
ish Columbia, and Whatcom county,
Washington Territory. They have
an average elevation of about $50
feet, not including Mount Dallas, Of
San Juan, with an altitude of 1,0S0
feet, and Mount Constitution, which
rises $500 feet above sea level from
the island of Orcas. A thick growth
of fir, cedar and spruce, covers most
of their surface, extending down to
the bluff, rocky shores. Though bet
ter adapted to grazing than agricul-
ture, they comprise considerable areas
OF good farming lands The soil of
the uplands is generally a light san
dy or gravelly loan, peat and black
loan, with clayey subsoil prevailing
on the bottoms. All the cereals and
roots commonly grown in the terrific
ry west of the Cascade range, flourish
finely. Apples, plums, cherries, straw
berries, and other small fruits, of ex-
cellent quality, are raised in abun-
dance. The climate is moist, mild,
equable and healthful; the summers
too cool for corn, tomatoes, melons,
peaches and grapes, though the for
mer are grown in a few sheltered,
warm situations. Water of good
quality is easily obtained everywhere.
The forests abound with deer, otter,
coon and mink, and the surrounding
waters with salmon, halibut, bass and
other excellent fish. There are no
beasts OF prey nor poisonous reptiles,
and but few mosquitoes. OF these
islands ten are settled--San Juan,
Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur, Wal
dron, Shaw's, Stewart, Speiden and
Henry, with population of $50 peo-
pie, of many nationalities, chiefly
Americans, English, Canadians, Irish
and Scandinavians. A few Indians
still inhabit their shores, but are
peacefully inclined. An examination
Of the county records, through the
kindness of Judge Sherer, county
auditor, shows 1886 acres of improv-
ed lands, property assessed at SlSl,
1862, including 10000 sheep, 5000 head
of horned cattle and 1,UO0 horses.
Those portions best suited to agri-
culture, are already occupied, though
much available timber land is still
open to settlement under the home
stead and pre-emption laws. lmprov-
ed farms are valued at from s. to $50
per acre. San Juan island, the larg
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