Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 April 1891 — AN UNKNOWN LAND. [ARTICLE]

AN UNKNOWN LAND.

A ImMm of tk» VHM S total Smr Washington has her great unknown land like the interior of Africa, says the Seattle Fret*. The country shut in by the Olympic? mountains, which includes an area of abont ( 2.6oo miles square, has never, to the positive knowledge of old residents of the territory, been trodden by the foot of man, white or Indian. These mountains rise from the level country within ten to fifteen miles of the straits of San Joan de Fnca in the north, the Pacific ocean in the west. Hood's canal in the east, and the basin of Quinanlt lake in the south, and rising to the height of 6,000 to 8,000 feet, shut in a vast unexplored area. The Indians have never penetrated it, far their traditions say that it is inhabited by a very fierce tribe, which none of the coast tribes dared molest Though it is improbable that such a tribe eould have existed in the mountain country without their presence becoming known to the white men, no man Las ever ascertained that it did not exist White men, too,- have only vague accounts of any white man having ever passed through this country, for investigation of all the edaims of travelers has invariably proved that they have only traversed its outer The most generally accepted theory in regard to this country is that it consisted of great valleys stretching from the inward slopes of* the mountains to a great central basin. This theory is supported by the fact that, although the country around has abundant rain, and clouds constantly hang over the mountain tops, all the streams flowing toward the four points of tho compass are insignificant, and rise only on the outward slope of the range, none apE earing to drain the great area shut in y the mountains. This fact appears to support the theory that the streams flowing from the inner slopes of the mountains feed a great interior lake. But what drains this lubeP It must have an outlet somewhere, and as al£. streams pouring from the mountains rise on their outward slope, it must have a subterranean outlet into the ocean, the straits, or the sound. There are great discoveries in store for some of Washington’s explorers.

A gentleman named Drew, now r®r siding at Olympia, states that he has climbed to the summit of the eastern range from Hood’s canal, and looking down could see great valleys stretchiug toward the west. A party of railroad prospectors claim to have penetrated the interior, but could give no account of it. and appear only to have skirted the outer slopes ten or fifteen miles from Hood’s canal. A party of United States soldiers are said to have traversed the country from Port Towuseud, but no data is obtainable as to what they saw. Numerous attempts have been made to organize exploring parties, but they have invariably fallen through, the courage of the projectors oozing out at the last moment. There is a fine opportunity for some of the hardy citizens of the sound to acquire fame by unveiling the mystery which wraps the land encircled by the snow-capped Olympic range.