Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/490

 470 WASHINGTON (TERRITORY) of the strait of Fuca are Whidby and Camano islands. Bellingham bay opens into Rosario strait. Puget sound extends S. into the terri- tory from the E. end of the strait of Fuca, 80 m. in a direct line, and abounds in excellent harbors. (See PCOKT SOUND.) The principal harbors on the strait, proceeding W. from the sound, are Port Discovery, Squim bay or Washington harbor, New Dungeness bay, Port Angeles or False Dungeness, Clallam bay, and Neah bay. Puget sound and the strait of Fuca, with its connecting waters, furnish a coast line of several hundred miles. The chief river is the Columbia, which drains the whole of eastern Washington. It enters the territory from British Columbia, and pursues an irreg- ular course to the Oregon border, whence it flows W. into the Pacific, forming the boundary between Oregon and Washington for about 800 m. It is navigable throughout the territory, with occasional interruptions from rapids. (See COLUMBIA RIVER.) Its chief tributaries from the east are Clarke's fork, which crosses the N. E. corner of the territory from Idaho, the Colville, the Spokane, the Snake, and the Walla Walla, which empties into the main stream near the Oregon border. The Snake flows N., forming the 8. portion of the Idaho boundary for 80 m., and then entering Wash- ington flows W. 150 m. to the Columbia. It is navigable to the Idaho border. Its chief trib- utaries in Washington are the Palouse from the north, and from the south the Tukanon and the Grande Ronde, which crosses the 3. E. corner from Oregon. On the west the Colum- bia receives the Nehoialpitkwn, Okinakano, Methow, Chelan, Wenachee, and Yakima. On the north the chief tributaries are the Klikitat and White Salmon E. of the Cascade moun- tains, and the Washongal, Cathlapootle, Lewis, and Oowlitz W. of them. The Cowlitz is 100 m. long, and is navigable by steamers for 24 m. The principal streams that reach the Pa- cific coast, besides the Columbia, are the Willo- pah, emptying into Shoalwater bay ; the Che- halis, into Gray's harbor, after a course of 80 m., three fourths of which is navigable by steamers; and the Quinaielt and Quillehute, further N. The Skokomish empties into the head of Hood's canal, the W. branch of Puget sound. The Des Chutes river flows into the S. extremity of the sound, which as we pro- ceed N. receives on the east the Nisqually (80 m. long), Pugallup, Duwamish (navigable for 80 m.), and Snohomish or Snoqualmie, 40 m. from the mouth of which occurs a fall of 270 ft. ; light-draught steamers ascend nearly to the fall. N. of the Snohomish are the Stila- gahmish, Skagit (100 m. long), and the Nook- sahk or Lummi, which empties into the N. end of Bellingham bay. The principal laftes in western Washington, none of them large, are Washington and Union near Seattle, Amer- ican near Steilacoom, and Whatcom in What- com co. In eastern Washington Lake Chelan is the largest body of water. The principal geological formations in western Washington are the Cambrian and Silurian, eozoic, creta- ceous, and tertiary. The N. E. corner is of eozoic and tertiary age. The central and S. E. portions, comprising the greater part of the basin of the Columbia, are volcanic. Anthra- cite and bituminous coal is found in various parts of western Washington, and mines are worked near Bellingham bay and Lake Wash- ington, which yield bituminous coal, and ship an average of 500 tons per day. At the head of the south fork of the Yakima river occurs a conglomerate containing gold in small pro- portion. The bars of the Columbia and its tributaries above Priest rapids, and particu- larly in the neighborhood of Fort Colville in the N. E. part of the territory, have been profitably worked for short periods. The total yield of gold to 1868, according to J. Ross Browne's "Resources of the Pacific Slope," was $10,000,000 ; but this estimate is believed to be much too large. Since that date the yield has steadily declined, the average pro- duct having been less than $800,000 per an- num, and the product in 1875 only about $82,- 000. The climate of western Washington is equable; in eastern Washington it is subject to greater extremes. In western Washington the year may be divided into the wet and dry seasons. The former lasts from November to March or April, during which period drizzly weather prevails; the latter, covering the rest of the year, is not absolutely dry, showers being not nnfrequent. The mean temperature of western Washington, derived from observa- tions taken near Steilacoom (lat. 47 10') for four years, is as follows: year, 50'8; spring, 49; summer, 63-3; autumn, 51-9; winter, 89; coldest month (January), 88 - l; warmest month (July), 64*9. The average precipitation of rain and melted snow in the same vicinity, derived from observations for six years, is aa follows: spring, 11-19 inches; summer, 8-85; autumn, 15-83; winter, 22-62; year, 53'49. The least rain fell in July (0-34 inch), and the most in December (9'92). Immediately along the Pacific coast the rainfall is much greater. The thermometer occasionally reaches 90 in summer, but the nights are always cool. Snow rarely falls to a great depth, and lasts but a short time ; but little ice is formed. Grass remains green nearly the entire year, and flowers are often found in bloom in midwin- ter. The climate of eastern Washington is much drier, the average annual rainfall in the Walla Walla valley being only 18 inches. The mean temperature here is as follows ; spring, 52 ; summer, 73 ; autumn. 53 ; winter, 34 ; year, 53. Further N. toward the British boundary the winters are several degrees colder. The country is healthful. Western Washington is for the most part densely wooded. There are some prairie tracts. The soil is generally fertile, and in parts very rich. In eastern Washington timber occurs only on the mountain slopes, which are covered with