The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-02-18
A TRIP AROUND ALASKA.
BY EDWARD BAILEY.

land, Oregon, on the 22d, at 1874
P N, by rail-
l viii not describe a route so COM
mon, except to say that as we passed
over the rolling country of Oregon,
the oaks, so common in California,
began TO be mixed with cone-bearing
trees-frs, pine, etc.-which in
creased as We went north, till at last
no oaks were seen. The country,
too, became more smoky as we pro
ceeded, until, as we went through
Washington Territory, the smoke
became SO dense as to be uncomfort-
able, and all the grand, high old
mountains were blotted out. Shasta
made a grand show, but as we waited
at Tacoma we only obtained soil
tary glimpse of the top of Mt. Rain
Ter or Tacoma, which, seen by the
last rays of the setting sun, appeared
like a small, illuminated cloud, from
which it could only be distinguished
by Its permanence.
Arriving at Portland, we stopped
at the Esmonde House, but the I'M
promising appearance of things,
coupled with high prices, led us to
look farther, and we finally decided
TO stay at the St Charles, where the
table was not necessarily connected
with lodging and the prices were
moderate.
Portland is a place of $500 in
ha5itants, but having been settled
sometime ago it has an old time look;
the streets are narrow, the hotels are
out of date, although splendid new
one is being built.
/ had a letter from Mrs. Mills in
PRODUCING me to Hon. Mr.. Dolph
who gave me a free ticket to and
rom The Dalles" on the Columbia
river. which we visited on Tuesday,
the 22d. We went up the river by
rail. and first saw the noble stream
after going ten or twelve miles down
the willamette, on which Portland is
situste6
The railroad passed up the left
bank of the Columbia, and the
-Dalles" are about 100 miles above
the junction of the two rivers After
awhile the banks of the Columbia
become high cliffs, broken up into
fantastic Shapes, and more or less
covered with pine and other trees.
Poplar and cottonwood, and l think
sycamores abound on its immediate
banks. The two former are manu-
featured into excellent paper in
some mills along the river banks, for
which purpose the trunks and
branches are ground into a pulp.
The clear, crystal waters of the
river are peculiarly favorable for
this work There are also establish
ments for canning salmon. Some
of the villages along the banks, nest
ling at the foot of the tall cliffs were
very picturesque.
The railroad passes frequently
through tunnels, under spurs which
extend out from the cliffs quite to
the rivers, giving no place to go
around them.
About half way up TO the ''Dalles"
the Cascades" are passed. They
are q series of rapids more or less
steep. extending five or six miles
along the river, and giving variety
and beauty to the scenery as they
fash in the sunlight. There are
many beautiful, wooded islands in
the river; some of which are only a
few rods in extent. In most steep
places the cliffs are bare, revealing
the rocky strata. The prevailing
character of the rocks is evidently
volcanic, though some good sand
stone for building was seen.
We arrived at the Dalles about
noon, aud the heat was great. We
put up at the Umatilla House where
We were made as comfortable as the
case admitted at moderate cost. We
were IN full view of the river.
We did not see the 'Dalles" or
Nsrrows, from which the place takes
its name. The town contains pop
ulation of about 5000, and has the
appearance of a busy, growing place.
1t Is lighted by electricity, as l had
occasion to know, my watch being
stopped while l visited the works
where the willy fluid is made by
steam power.
AHA. N. on the oath, we took the
steamer D. S. Baker, a stern-wheeler,
as sil the river steamers are, for our
return TO Portland. There are some
advantages in going by steamer; you
can see both banks equally well, and
are less cramped than on cars.
At the Cascades We landed and
took cars which were waiting and
ran about six miles by land, and then
took another steamer below the Cas-
cades. which had come up to meet
Us: but we had to wait some time
which made it Z As when we arrived
IN Portland.
Once we stopped at paper mill
snd took on a cargo of paper which
was brought on board in rolls four
feet long and two and "a half feet
-.