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Show 6 WASHINGTON TERRITORY, ITS MATERIAL This range is covered with a dense growth of Fir, Cedar and and Pine timber; and Coal, Iron, Copper, Silver and Gold are known to exist within its buried depths, though little prospecting for minerals has yet been done. The highest peak of the range is Mount Olympus, which rises to the altitude of about eight thousand feet, and is situated well to the north. A hundred and twenty miles east of the Olympic mountains is found the Cascade range. The Cascade range is a continuation of the Serra Nevada range, which passes through California, and blends with the Rocky mountains in Mexico. All of the range north of the southern boundary of Oregon is known by the name of Cascade, a title derived from the stupenduous cascades, or rapids of the Columbia, as it forces a passage through the bassaltic wall of the eternal hills. · A short distance to the north of the Columbia Mount Adams looms grandly up, having an altitude of nearly' nine thousand feet. Further to the north, and mounting to the starry decked heavens, the spotless robes of Mount Ranier dazzle the eye with their brilliant beauty, and, as we gaze upon them, fill the soul with emotions of awe and grandeur. ':rhis peak rises to the height of fourteen thousand nine hundred feet, and when seen from the west, presents to the view three distinct points nearly equal in prominence, and bearing a relation similar to the points of an acute angled-triangle. · Its base is very large, and the ascent seemingly quite gradual, yet the restless foot of man never trod its crowned peaks; the starry banner, our pride, our boast, our glory and our renown, has never been fanned by the summ.i t breezes that play around her white robed head ' notwith - standmg several attempts have been n:.ade to scale the snowy walls, and win the laurel wreath awaiting him who mounts the the summit of the towering mass. Still to the north is seen the towering white of Mount Baber, a conical peak about twelve thousand feet above the sea level. This range bears in a direction .slightly west of north, having as des~ribed, several snow capped peaks, and being sundered by a number of passes or gorges, sufficiently low to be made practicable tborouO'h- ~ . b 1ares. The western slope IS very much diversified with bill and dale, giving rise to many very interesting lakes and rivers. A dense growth of coniferous trees cover this entire slope save in a few localities, where prairies are found · and in th~ vall~vs bordering the streams, which latter are w'ooded with annuais. The eastern declivity is very different, having no timber, save in RESOURCES .AND CLAIMS TO EMIGRATION. 7 certain broken or uneaven localities, those scattering and cf an inferior quality. Still to the east, a hundred miles or perhaps a little more, is the Blue mountain chain, a spur or branch of the Cascade mountains, bearing north·easterly aud south-westerly, and connecting with the Salmon river mountains in Idaho. These are off shoots from the Rocky range, and with the Blue mountains form a massive chain that bestrides the States and Territories of the mild Pacific, with the great back bone of America,-Rocky mountains. This chain separates from the Cascade near the Southern boundary of Oregon, and crosses the southern boundary of Washington, but a short distance west of the south-east corner of the Territory. Its length in the Territory is about seventy miles; general altitude, three to five thousand feet. Distance from base to bas~, twelve to twenty miles. The snow usually disappears in May, and the entire mountain, summit and slope, at once becomes richly clothed in a mantle of green. A scattering growth of yellow or mountain pine adds much to the exceeding beauty of these romantic mountains. In the northern and east~rn portion of the Territory, there are many buttes and · spears of mountains, but there is nothing more that assumes the character and proportions of a mountain range. CHAPTER III. PUGET SOUND. Under this title, the public is accustomed to consider all that · body of salt water extending inland from Cape Flattery, and the point on Vancouver Island, opposite the cape. This is a mistake. Within these limits are situated the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, Admirality Inlet, Hood's Canal, and Puget Sound. The Strait extends from Cape Flattery east one point south, a hundred and ten miles, having an average width of ten miles. It is free from sunken rocks, reefs, and all obstructions, with one exception, and presents an open field to arriving and departing vessels. Duncan rock, the exception above referred to, bears north 33° west, magnetic, · from Tatoosh Island, and is distant 2,078 yards. The Strait is bounded on the north by Vancouver Island, and on the south by Washington Territory. ·Several good harbors are found on the American side, while the English, or northern side is bold and rocky, with no good harbor until |