Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-01
WASHINGTON
COpious Extracts from the
Official Report of the
Governor for the
Year 1855.
OUR GEOGRAPHY, MINtRAlocy.
FISHERIES. RAILROADS. CON-
MERGE, LANDS CLIMATE.
COUNTIES, ETC,


IMPORTATION ~ MIN sAASh.
In the columns following will be found
the greater part Of the annual report Of
Gov. Squire, recently submitted to the
Territorial Legislature:
GEOGRAPHY.
For the benefit of the intending i'm
migrant and tourist | venture to repro
duce the brief geographical skesch con-
tanned in my last report;
Washington Territory is boanded IN
the north by British Columbia on the
east by Idaho. on the south by Oregon,
and on the west by the Pacific Ocesn;
or, according to notes from the Surveyor
Generals office, as follows: beginning
at the month of the Columbia River near
the l24th deg. west longitude, thence up
the middle channel of the Columbia to
the intersection of the 46th deg. of north
latitude. thence along said +6th parallel
to the middle channel of the Snake
River: thence down said river to the
mouth OF the Clearwater River; thence
north along the llIth deg. west longitude
to the 49th deg. OF north latitude; thence
west along the 18Th parallel to tue main
channel of Canal de Hsro, west of l23d
deg. west longitude; thence southerly
and easterly along the middle channel
Of Canal de Haro and the straits of Juan
de Fuca to the Pacific Ocean; thence
along the eastern shore of the Pacific TO
the place of beginning; thus com prIsinR
an area of 1884 square miles, of which
3ll4 are water, leaving $50 square
miles of land surface, of which 1t Is es
timated that about 1900 600 acres are
IN timber lands, 5,0O0, 900 acres rich allu-
vial bottom lands, and l0,0o0, 900 acres
are prsiries and plains. The Cascade
range of mountains extends across the
entire Territory north to south, dividing
il into two sections. of which the east
ernmost 10 much the larger, and renders
direct communication between the two
sections in the middle and northern por-
tions of the Territory imprseticable ex-
cept during the su inner season, when
the Snoqualmie and other passes are
frequently travelled by herdsmsn driving
their cattle to the Sound. Ordinarily
Communication 10 carried ON by way of
the Columbia River and the railway in
Oregon which follows it's southern bank,
This difficulty of communication will
be overcsme as soon as the Cascadr
branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad
is completed.
The fertile, cereal producing prairie
lands and plains are situated in the
eastern part, and nearly all the rich sllu-
vial bottom lands are in the western
part of the Territory.
The scenery of the Cascade range is
indescribably grand, sffordiRg views of
such colossal peaks as Mount Baker,
Mount Rainier, (IR6iap, Tskhoma)
Mount Saint Helens and Mount Adams.
Another beautiful range of mountains
of lesser hight, called the Olympic, lies
aleng the cogst between Puget Sound
and the Pacific, affordiHg a delightful
prospect from the Sound and its vi
ciuity.
The picturesque a,tr .ctions of this
country, with Its glacier covered mouH-
tains, its waterfalls, its msjestic winding
rivers, with their preclpitous bluffs, its
mighty expanse of inland island. dotted
sea, its deep, broad, forest bordersd
lakes, certainly furnish new and
interesting field for the tourist and the
artist.
The great Columbia River. rising in
the vast water shed Just north of the
eastern part of the Territory, receives
the oopious waters of Clark's Fork, |
flowing fresh from the Rockies through |
Lake Pen d'Oreille, then the Oksnogan |
and other considerable streams, making |
It's great bend to the westward, and |
thence flowing southeasterly. 10 joined |
by its great affluents, the Yakima and |
Snake Rivers, thus trsvsrsiDg the entire |
eastern section referred to; then tiews |
aleng the southern border of the Terri |
tory, reoeiying the Lewis aud Cowlitz |
Rivers west Of the Cascade range, and |
empties into the Pacific Ocean. Ii affords |
great facilities for commercial traffic. |
and abounds IN delicious fish.
Just north of the mouth of Columbia /
River 10 Ssoalwatsr Bay, which has |
good entrance from the ocean and is full |
of shoals and fats. The latter are GOV
cred with oysters. thousands of baskets |
of which are annually skipped to vari-
Gus cities of the Pacific coast. Herring.
dogfsh. balibut and sturgeon also there
abound.
Twenty five miles further north is
GrsyAs Hsrbor, having an excellent en-
trance from the ocean. bordsred with
extensive aud valuable forests OF DIR aud
cedar, receiving the Chehalis River
from the east and the Humptulup.
Wishkah and the Hoquiam Rivers from
the north, which drain great fertile
valleys.
1t is desirable that improvements be
made bv the Geaeral Government in
Gray's Harbar. go as to allow the easy
and safe passage of vessels of heavy
draught from the Pacific Ocean to the
mouth of the wishkah and Chehalis
Rivers. Large mills have been baiit
and pew Industries are sprineing into
existence on these waters, that oan b.
largely ben fitted at comparatively
small expense: and the people in this
vicinity have lately prepared 4 petition
to Congress soliciting these Improve
ments.
PUGKT SOUND.
Puget Sound is a great. deep. inland
sea extending nearly 200 miles from tt e
ocean, having a surface of about 300
square miles and a shore line of about
1884 miles, indented With numerous
bays. harbors and inlets, each with its
peculiar name, and contains numerous
islands inhabited by farmers, herdsmen,
lumbermen and those engaged in quar-
ryiBs lime and building stone.
Admiral Charles Wilkes has described
this pride of Washington Territory as
follows:
Nothing can surpass the beauty of
these waters AID their safety. Not q
shozl exists within the Straits OF Juan
de Fuca, Admiralty Bay or Hoods Canal
that can 10 any way interrupt their nav
iestion bs scventy-four gun ship. i
venture nothing in saying that there IL
no country IN the world that possesses
vsfers equal to thess; they cover IN ares
of about 400 square miles; the shores
Of all its iuless and bavs ars remarkably
bold. so III ueh 30 that a ships side would
strike the STORE before her keel would
touch ground
The coontry by which these waters
are surrounded 10 remarkably saiubri-
ozs. and affords every advantage for she
accommodation of q vast com mercial
an military marine. With coHvenience
for decks and Q great many sites for
towns and cities, a. ell times we'll sup
piled With water. aud capable of being
well provided With everything BY toe
country, which 10 we'll
adSyted for agriculture.
Ihe Straits OF Juan de Fucs are IS
miles IN length. and have an average
width Of IL miles. At the entrance
eight miles in width no danger ex
lists, and Is may be safely nsviRated
throughout.
- 49,. a..