I 
53 
ciflc Ocean, the Strait de Fuca and the Gulf of Georgia; it 
contains about 70,000 square miles in area. 
Topography. The topography of this region presents ro¬ 
mantic scenery, lofty, snow-clad mountains, broken hills, green 
valleys, bleak prairies and verdant marshes. The range of 
mountains traversing the Pacific slope, known as the Sierra Ne- 
vadas, extend through this territory on a north and westerly 
course and assume the name of Cascades, from the numerous 
streams issuing from and pouring down the gorges in that 
range. These mountains form a continuous divide, through 
which some abrupt chasms are found ; high, frosted domes, soar¬ 
ing up, are visible. Baker, Ranier, St. Helen’s and Adams’ 
attain lofty altitudes ; Mount Hood boasts the highest elevation. 
The Olympic or coast range, runs parallel with the shore ; this 
lofty crest rears high in the region of clouds, a self-sustaining 
beacon, affording a reliable land-mark to mariners. In October, 
1870, we had a plain view of this mountain from the barque 
“ Scotland,” Capt. McLellan estimating his vessel 100 miles 
distant. “ The river of the west ” drains this territory ; it pur¬ 
sues a meandering course from the north, and finally to the west, 
and forms a portion of the southern boundary. The broad val- 
ley, sandwiched between the Cascades on the east, and the 
Olympic mountains on the west, forms the plateau margining 
the Mediterranean of the north-west coast, known by the gene¬ 
ral name of 
Puget Sound. This deep blue sea extends from Cape Flat¬ 
tery, the north-west angle of the territory, and pursues an 
easterly course for nearly eighty miles ; thence in a south-eastern 
direction for about sixty miles to the Narrows, and flows to the 
southward for nearly thirty miles to the falls of Tumwater, the 
head of navigation. Mr. James Lawson of the coast survey, 
has carefully computed the shore line as follows: 
Strait de Fuca, - 
Rosario Strait, Canal de Haro and the 
161 miles. 
Gulf of Georgia, - 
- 
627 “ 
Admiralty Inlet, 
- 
- 
324 “ 
Puget Sound proper, 
- 
- 
280 “ 
Hood’s Canal, 
- 
- 
192 “ 
Total shore line, - - - 1594 “ 
Climate. The climate of this valley varies in different sec- 
