The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-18

Fort Wrangel. and that is at Mary's
Island, where Is the first United States
custom house, on the thifd day at
o'clock p. m. after continuous voyage
of 625 miles. which Is twenty miles
across the boundary line in Alaska.
AS we steam up the Gulf of Georgia,
we delight our senses with the peaceful
stiffness of the wooded shores, whereon
the white man never trOd. Even in
this high latitude. night comes at last
and too soon. leaving us among various
islands, Texoda being the largest.
where are found immense deposits OF
iron, with exceptionally low percent
age Of phosphorus. For day and
half after leaving Victoria. we have on
our left the great island of Vancouver.
which Is 800 miles long and from forty
to eighty miles wide. Its area equals
tina, OF Ireland, which its climate close
ly resembles. 1t Is mountainous
throughout. The main range is con-
tinuation of the Olympic in Washing
ton state, cut in twain by the strait OF
De Fuca, and 1t shows many peaks
from 5000 to 5000 feet high. This island
Is heavily wooded and much of it unex-
plored.
Eighty miles from Victoria on the
steamers course and also reached by
rail, Is Nanaimo, a coaling station.
Here are extensive bituminous coal
fields and also at Departure Bay are
the wellington mines, where is su-
perior quality of bituminOus coal. DR..
George NJ. Dawson says these coal
measures fill a trough 1870 miles In
length along the east shore of Van
couver island" The Gulf of Georgia
- ~,,txI ,s,I duet sc
eastward, is the city of Vancouver, the
western terminus of the Canadian Pa
cific railway, which will describe on
our return passage, and where the
Queen stops to land passengers going
east on that road. On the Vancouver
Island the Crown mountains rise in a
noble line % peaks. Mt. Albert Edward
g. 96S feet, Alexander Peak 1884 feet.
Crown mountain 6100 feet; and north
ward, Victoria Peak 1850 feet above the
gulf. The 10O-mile stretch between
Active Pass and Cape Nudge, is the
finest part Of this inland sea. which is,
off the Frazer river, from forty to sixty
miles wide. The fresh water from this
river can be distinguished miles away
stripping and mottling the green water
of the gulf. The Frazer river is one of
the important rivers of British Colum-
bia. and empties into the Gulf of GeOr-
gia fifty-two miles above Victoria. The
Canadian Pacific railway runs along Its
left banks for many miles.
DISCOVERY BAY.
Daylight was tinting the landscape
when we awoke and soon we We're up
and promenadfng the deck, long before
sunrise in order not to lose any fine
scenery which was increasing in inter-
est as we proceeded northward. We
had resolved only to sleep when we
could not possibly see. consequently
some of us enthusiastic, passengers
slept but very little, less and less, each
day as we entered the Polar Province,
till our nights were only three or four
hours long. In answer to the first
question Of the passengers, Where are
we?" came the response, I'VE are ap-
preaching Discovery Bay" Soon we
enter the first of those wonderful river
like channels through which three
fourths Of our voyage will lie.
AS the steamer approaches this point
| every passenger IL on deck and natur-
| ally plans its course to be through the
broad open waters to the right. In
| stead II bears to the left and enters
4 a marrow passage not over q mile wide
| for a distance Of twenty-three miles
A picturesque waterway Overshadowed
| by noble mountains, rising from both
sides, with deep water, bold shores,
| and trees growing to their very sum-
nit This Discovery passage Is 141
miles north from Victoria, and lies be-
tween Valdes Island and the northeast
ern shore of Vancouver Island. At its
! entrance Is Cape Nudge, a peculiar
headland 25O feet high, also wooded
to the summit. So attractive is the
Queens broad promenade amid these
grand scenes, that the tourist takes
his camp chair and remains on deck
so that not mile of this matchless
scenery may be missed.
In order to get our bearing, first let
us lay the steamer on her course. The
following official bulletin posted up
daily will give the reader a correct
idea Of our position. the run and dis
tance made, and the run for the next
twenty-four hours. A bulletin was
courteously handed to the writer by
Captain Carroll at noon each day of our
outward and return passage. No. /
reads as follows:
| Alaska Excursion Season of 1895 mo H.
Daily Timetable 8. 8. Queen. Monday
]. Aug, A. 1895. Lat. at Noon. Fifty De-
grees, Twenty-elght Minutes. North
1 oN ANooh, isV iSe6IctS, seven NllIl-
utes, West. Distance run from Tacoma,
406 Miles.
We will sail through the following chan
nels during the next twenty-four hours
II not detained by thick weather, viz.
Johnston Straits, Goletas Channel, Chris
tie Passage. Queen Charlotte Sound, Fitze
Hughe Sound, Lama Passage, Seaforth
Channel, Mtlbank Sound, Finlayson Chan
mel, Hie-Kish Narrows, Graham Reach
Fraser Reach, McKay's Reach, Wright's
Sound, Greenville Channel, Arthur Pass.
age.
(Signed) James Carroll
| Commander
-'- SEYMOUR NARROWS.
As we proceed through Discovery
| Raw about midway the naSsa pa ex.