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Show 8 WASHINGTON TERRITORY, ITS MATERIAL rounding the south eastern point of the Island. N eeah Bay and Dungness are fair harbors, while Port Angeles, and Port Discovery, are most excellent ones, secure at all times. The waters of the Strait now separate, a part flowing north and east through Rosario Strait, between Vancouver and Whidby Islands, being divided by many small islands, richly clothed with verdure, and then again divides, following to the north-west into the Gulf of Georgia, and round to the east of Whidby Island through Deception passage, and again uniting with the waters of Admirality Inlet. The other branch of the Strait bears in a south-P.asterly course a hundred miles, having a general width of twelve to fifteen miles, and being dotted with numerous islands, some quite small; and others of greater dimensions. A great many most excellent harbors exist on either side of the Inlet. The waters of the Iulet suddenly contract into a narrow volume of a mile in breadth, and force, as it were, a passage through the solid hills of sand stone, when they again, as suddenly, open out into a broad and beautiful sheet, named Puget Sound. This is Puget Sound proper, bearing nearly east and west, and extending some thirty miles west, and as many south. A great many bays and arms extend into the land, making fine harbors; in fact, the Sound is all one vast harbor, safe and secure. Twenty-five miles south of the junction of the Inlet and Strait, is an arm of salt water extending south-westerly a distance of forty miles, with an average width of four miles. This is styled Hood's Canal. It also presents several good harbors. No winds occur sufficiently strong to damage sea going vessels, when above the Strait. Sometimes outward bound ships , are compelled to lay to when they encounter a northerly wind, though very rarely. The navigation of Puget Sound, is considered safe and easy at all times, and few vessels are lost. No Pilots are needed, and it is hoped no legislative body will ever impose on the free navirration and commerce of the Sound a Pilot tax. Governm:nt has constructed Light houses at suitable points on the Sound and Straits, as follows :-Tatoosh Island, at the entrance of the Strait of Fuca, Fixed white light, Ist order; elevation, 162 feet, L~t., 48° ~3' 1~" N_., Lon., 124 °. 43' 50" W. New Dungeness Spit, FIXed wh1te hght, 3d order; elevation, 100 feet, Lat., 48° 11' 45" N., Lon., 123° 07' 30". Fog bell, Blunt's Island, the at I RESOURCES AND CLAIMS TO EMIGRATION .. 9 eastern termination of the Strait of Fuca, and entrance of Rosario Strait; Revolving white light, 4th order; Elevation, 90 feet, Lat., 48° 19' 01" N., Lon., 122° 50' 01" W. Admiralty Head, on Whidby lsland, Fixed white light, 4th order; Elevation, 119 feet, Lat., 48° 9' 21" 6, N., Lon. 122° 40' 8". These waters are much more extensive than is generally supposed, being, in the language of the late Gen. J. J. STEVENs, "equal in extent and share line to the Mediterranean,-infinitely surpassing the Mediterranean in the safety of the navigation, in the number, capacity, and security of their harbors, and equally with the Mediterranean, having obstructions neither from ice, nor from dense and dangerous fogs." CHAPTER IV. SHOALWATER BAY AND GREY'S HARBOR. Directly under the forty-seventh parallel of north latitude · is the entrance of Grey's Harbor, a small port, safe and good for vessels of light draught. A number of small streams empty into the bay. Shoalwater Bay is fifteen miles to the south of Grey's harbor, and offers a good anchorage, and safe harbor for vessels drawing less than eighteen feet. ' CHAPTER V. COL UMBlA RIVER. The Columbia river rises in the Rocky mountains, and :flows through north-western Idaho, entering Washington Territory near the north-east corner thereo£ Its course is thence very devious, approaching the forty-ninth parallel, it crosses and very soon recrosses and enters our own dominions, bearing southerly, westerly, southerly, south-easterly, and finally turns to the west, and, having traced the eastern base of the Cascade Nets, vainly in search of a place through which to discharge its weight of accumulated w·aters, it gathers strength, and as if in defiance of nature and her eternal hi~ls, rends the towering mountains in one giant effort to be free. The various rapids, falls, cascades and whirling depths with which the river abounds, the stupendous rocky walls that hem them in, the heaven piercing, snow capped peaks that overlook the elemental war beneath, form a picture of B • |