TOPOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL FEATURES 457 



coast covered by the reconaissance. These are lake Crescent, situated at 

 an elevation of 550 feet in the foothills 7 miles inland from Port Cres- 

 cent ; Ozette lake, which lies in the lowlands of the central western portion 

 2 miles from the coast, and Quinaielt lake, about 20 miles inland from 

 the mouth of the Quinaielt river. 



The whole country below timberline, which in this region is at an 

 elevation of approximately 5,500 feet, is heavily timbered with hemlock, 

 cedar, spruce, fir, etc. Between the larger trees is a dense undergrowth of 

 devils club, sallal, brakes, ferns, and vines, which offers an almost im- 

 penetrable barrier to ordinary progress. 



The country is sparsely settled, the few settlements being located in the 

 lowlands flanking the mountains, and all, with two or three exceptions, 

 being situated on the coast. Excluding several short logging roads, no 

 steam transportation is carried on in the northwestern part of the 

 peninsula, all of the freighting being done either by pack animals, wagons, 

 or the steamers which ply between Seattle and the ports along the strait. 



Geology 



the olympic mountains 



Previous knowledge of the region. — Little is known of the geology of 

 the central portion of the Olympics because of the inaccessibility of this 

 inner country. Mr Gilman,* in referring to the Olympic country in 

 general, says: 



"The country rocks of the mountains are syenite, gneiss, quartzite, proto- 

 gene, crystalline and chlorite schists, slate (hard black flinty to soft green 

 talc), shale, sandstone, trap and basalt." 



Dodwell and Eixon,f who examined the Olympic forest reserve, say that 

 "no granite (except a few boulders), slate or porphyry has thus far been 

 discovered on the reserve." 



No sign of vulcanism, either in the rocks or in the pebbles of the 

 Quinaielt or Queets rivers, was seen by Mr H. S. Conard, who visited the 

 southwestern portion of the range in 19024 



Probable composition. — From evidence obtained by the writer along 

 the western end of the peninsula and by Mr Chester W. Washburne in the 

 Soleduc River canyon south of lake Crescent, it appears probable that at 



* National Geographic Magazine, vol. 7, 1896, p. 138. 



f Professional paper, U. S. Geological Survey, no 7, 1902, p. li). 



% Science, N. S., vol. 21, March 10, 1905, p. 392. 



