Cruisings in the Cascades. A narrative of travel ... hunting and fishing, etc

Front matter

CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES. A NAURATIVK OF Travel, Exploration, Amateur Photography, Hunting, and Fishing, WITH _P_.IA_ CHAPTERS ON HUNTING TITE GRIZZLY HEAR, TOE BUFFALO, ELK, ANTELOPE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT, AND DEER; ALSO ON TROUTINC! IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS; ON A MONTANA ROUND-IT?: LIFE AMONG TOE COWBOYS, ETC. By Q. O. SHIELDS, ( "coquina" ) AUTnOR OF " RUSTLINGS IN TOE ROCKIES," " IIUNTING IN THE GREAT WEST," "THE BATTLE OF THE BIG HOLE," ETC. LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON Limited St. Dimstiin's ijousc Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E. C. 1S89 PRINTED n Y HAND, McNALLY & COMPANY. cnrcAGO, u. s. a. The articles herein on Elk, Bear, and Antelope Hunting are reprinted by the courtesy of Messrs. Harper & Brothers, in whose Magazine they were first published; and those on Buffalo Hunting and Trouting are reproduced from "Outing'' Magazine, in which they iirst appeared.

" Come live with me find be my love. And we will all the pleasures prove That hills and valleys, dales and fields, Woods or steepy mountains, yield." — Maiiowe. " Earth has built the great watch-towers of tb£ mountain.:, and they lift their heads fur up into the sky, and gaze ever up ward and around to see if the Judge of the World comes not." — Longfellow, PEEFACE. And now, how can I suitably apologize for having inflicted another book on the reading public? I would not attempt it but that it is the custom among authors. And, come to think of it, I guess I won't attempt it anyway. I will merely say, by way of excuse, that my former literary efforts, especially my " Rustlings in the Rockies," have brought me in sundry dollars, in good and lawful money, which I have found very useful things to have about the house.

If this volume shall meet with an equally kind reception at the hands of book buyers, I shall feel that, after all, I am not to blame for having written it. THE AUTHOR. Chicago, March, 9 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

The Benefits, Mental and Physical, of Mountain Climbing— A Never-failing Means of Obtaining Sound Sleep and a Good Appetite — The Work to be in Proportion to the Strength of the Climber — People Who Would Like to See, but are Too Lazy to Climb — How the Photograph Camera May Enehance the Pleasures and Benefits of Mountain Climbing — Valuable Souvenirsof Each Ascent — How " These Things are Douein Europe" — An Effec'ive Cure for Egotism.

Chapter II

The Cascade Mountains Compared with the Rockies— Characteristics and Landmarks of the Former — The Proper Season so" Cruising in the Cascades — Grand Scenery of the Columbia — Viewing Mount Tacoma from the City of Tacoma — Men Who Have Ascended this Mysterious Peak — Indian Legends Concerning the Mountain — Evil Spirits, Who Dwell in Yawning Caverns — The View from the Mountain — Crater Lake and the Glaciers— Nine Water-falls in Sight from One Point. .

Chapter III

The City of Seatt'e— A Booming Western Town — Lumbering and Salmon Canning — Extensive Hop Ranches — Rich Coal and Iron Mines — Timber Resources of Puget Sound — Giant Firs and Cedars — A Hollow Tree for a House — Big Timber Shipped to England — A Million Feet of Lumber from an Acre of Land — Novel Method of Logging — No Snow in Theirs — A World's Supply of Timber for a Thousand Years. CONTEXTS.

Chapter IV

Length, Breadth, and Depth of Puget Sound — Natural Resources of the Surrounding Country — Flora and Fauna of the Region — Great Variety of Game Birds aud Animals — Large Variety of Game and Food Fishes — A Paradise for Sportsman or Naturalist — A Sail Through the Sound — Grand Mountains in Every Direction — Tbe Home of the Elk, Bear, Deer, and Salmon — Sea Gulls as Fellow Passengers — Photographed on the Wing — Wild Cattle on Whidby Island — Deception Pass; its Fierce Current and Wierd Surroundings —Victoria, B. C— A Quaint Old, English-looking Town. 42

Chapter V

Through English Bay— Water Fowls that Seem Never to Have Been Hunted— Rifle Practice that was Soon Interrupted — Peculiarities of Burrard Inlet— Vancouver and Port Moody — A Stage Ride to Westminster — A Stranger in a Strange Land — Hunting for a Guide — "Douglass Bill " Found and Employed — An Indian Funeral Delays tbe Expedition. 53

Chapter VI

The Voyage up the Frazier — Delicious Peaches Growing in S:ght of Glaciers — The Detective Camera Again to the Front — Good Views from the Moving Steamer — A Night in an Indian Hut — The Sleeping Bag a Refuge from Vermin — The Indian as a Stamping Ground for Insects — He Heeds Not Their Ravages. 59

Chapter VII

A Breakfast with the Bachelor — Up Harrison River in a Canoe — Dead Salmon Everywhere — Their Stench Nauseating — The Water Poisoned with Carrion — A Good Goose Spoiled with an Express Bullet — Lively Salmon on the Falls — Strange Instinct of this Noble Fish — Life Sacrificed in the Effort to Reach its Spawning Grounds — Ranchmen Fishing with Pitchforks, and Indians with Sharp Sticks — Salmon Fed to Hogs, and C/sed as Fertilizers; the Prey of Bears, Cougars, Wild Cats, Lynxes, Minks, Martins, Hawks, and Eagles. CONTENTS. 11

Chapter VIII

The River Above the Rapids — A Lake Within Basaltic Walls — Many Beautiful Waterfalls — Mount Douglas and its Glaciers — A Trading Post of the Hudson Bay Fur Company — The Hot Springs; an Ancient Indian Sanitarium — Anxiously Waiting for " Douglass Bill"— Novel Method of Photographing Big Trees 75

Chapter IX

An Early Morning Climb — A Thousand Feet Above the Lake — Fresh Deer Signs in Sight of the Hotel — Three Indians Bring iu Three Deer — " Douglass Bill " Proves as Big a Liar as Other Indians — Heading off a Flock of Canvas Backs — A Goodly Bag of these Toothsome Birds — A Siwash Hut — A Revolliug Picture of Dirt, Filth, Nakedness, and Deca3red Fish — Another Guide Employed — Re;idy on Sh°rt Notice — Off for the Mountains 82

Chapter X

Characteristics of the Flathead Indians — Canoeists and Packers by Birth and Education — A Skillful Canoe Builder — Freighting Canoes — Filling Canoes — Traveling Canoes — Two Cords of Wood for a Cargo, and Four Tons of Merchandise for Another — Dress of the Coast Indians. 89

Chapter XI

Climbing the Mountain in a Rainstorm — Pean's Dirty Bl inkets— His Careful Treatment of His Old Musket— A Novel Charge for Big Game — The Chatter of the Pine Squirrel — A Shot Through the Brush — Venison for Supper — A Lame Conversation: English on the One Side, Chinook on the Other — The Winchester Express Staggers the Natives — Peculiarities of the Columbia Black Tail Deer 97

Chapter XII

The Chinook Jargon; an Odd Conglomeration of Words; the Court Language of the Northwest; a Specimen Conversation — A Camp on the Mountain Side — How the Indian Tried CONTENTS. 102 107 to Sleep Warm— The Importance of a Good Bed when Camping— Pean is taken 111— His Fall Down a Mountain- Unable to go Further, We Turn Back— Bitter Disappoint ment • ...

Chapter XIII

The Return to the Village— Two New Guides Employed— Off for the _ Iouutains Once More — The Tramp up Ski-ik-kul Creek Through Jungles, Gulches, and Canons — And Still it Rains — Ravages of Forest Fires— A Bed of Mountain Feathers — Description of a Sleeping Bag; an Indispensable Luxury in Camp Life; an Indian Opinion of It.

Chapter XIV

Meditations by a Camp Fire — Suspicions as to the Honesty of _ Iv Guides; at Their Mercy in Case of Stealthy Attack — A Frightful Fall — Broken Bones and Intense Suffering — A Painful and Tedious Journey Home — A Painful Surgical Operation — A Happy Denouement 113

Chapter XV

The Beauties of Ski-ik-kul Creek; a Raging Mountain Torrent; Rapids and Waterfalls Everywhere; Picturesque Tributaries — Above the Tree Tops — The Pleasure of Quenching Thirst — A Novel Spear — A Fifteen-Pound Salmon for Supper — The Indians' Midnight Lunch — A Grand Camp Fire — At Peace with All Men 118

Chapter XVI

Seymour Advises a Late Start for Goat Hunting; but His Council is Disregarded — We Start at Sunrise — A Queer Craft — Navipating Ski-ik-kul Lake — A " Straight-up " Shot at a Goat — Both Horns Broken Oil in the Fall — More Rain and Less Fun — A Doe and Kid — Successful Trout Fishing — Peculiarities of the Skowlitz Tongue; Grunts. Groans and Whistles — John lias Traveled — Seymour's Pretended Ignorance of English CONTENTS.

Chapter XVII

En Route to the Village Again— A Water-Soaked Country—' 'Oh, What a Fall was There.My Countrymen!"— Walking on Slippery Logs— More Rain— Wet Indians—" Semo He Spile de Grouse" — A Frugal Breakfast— High Living at Home— A Bear He did a Fishing Go; but He was Caught Instead of the Fish, and His Skin is Bartered to the Unwashed Siwashes 132

Chapter XVIII

John aud His Family "At Home" — Au Interesting Picture of Domestic Economy — Rifle Practice on Gulls and Grebes — Puzzled Natives — " Phwat Kind of Burds is Them?" — A day . on the Columbia — The Pallisades from a Steamer — Photographing Bad Lands from a Moving Train. 142

Chapter XIX

Deer Hunting at Spokane Falls — Ruin Wrought by an Overloaded Shotgun; A Tattered Vest and a Wrecked Watch — Billy's Bear Story — The Poorest Hunter Makes the Biggest Score — A Claw in Evidence — A Disgusted Party. 146

Chapter XX

A Fusilade on the Mule Deer — Two Doos as the Result — A Good Shot Spoiled — View from the Top of Blue Grouse Mountain — A Grand Panorama ; Lakes, Mountains, Prairies and Forests — Johnston's Sto'y — Rounding Up Wild Hogs — A Trick on . the Dutchman — A Bucking Mule aud a Balky Cay use — Falls of the Spokane River. ...... 153

Chapter XXI

Hunting the Grizzly Bear — Habitat and Characteristics — A Camp Kettle as a Weapon of Defense — To the Rescue with a Winchester — Best Localities for Hunting the Grizzly — Baiting and Still-Hunting — A Surprise Party in the Trail — Two Bulbeyes and a Miss — Fresh Meat and Revelry iu Camp. CONTENTS. 181 213

Chapter XXII

Elk Hunting in the Rocky Mountains — Characteristics of the Elk— His Mode of Travel— A Stampede in a Thicket— The Whist'eofthe Elk, the Hunter's Sweetest Music— Measurements of a Pair of Antlers — Saved by Following an Elk Trail — Tbe Work of Exterminators — The Elk Doomed.

Chapter XXIII

Antelope Hunting in Montana — A Red Letter Day on Flat Willow — Initiating a Pilgrim — Sample Shots — Flagging aud Fanning — Catching Wounded Antelopes on Horseback — Four Mule-Loads of Meat ' 194

Chapter XXIV

Buffalo Hunting on the Texas Plains — A " Bull Train " Loaded with Skins — A Sensation in Fort Worth — En Route to the Range — Red River Frank's Mission — A Stand on the Herd — Deluged with Buffalo Blood — A Wild Run by Indians — Tossed into the Air and Trampled into the Earth.

Chapter XXV

Hunting the Rocky Mountain Goat — Technical Description of the Animal — Its Limited Range — Dangers Incurred in Hunting It — An Army Officer's Experience — A Perilous Shot — A Long and Dangerous Pursuit — Successful at Last — Carrying the Trophies to Camp — Wading up Lost Horse Creek — Numerous Baths in Icy Water — An Indian's Fatal Fall — Horses Stampeded by a Bear — Seven Days on Foot and Alone — Home at Last 236

Chapter XXVI

Trouting in the Mountains — Gameness of the Mountain Trout — A Red Letter Day on the Bitter Root — Frontier Tackle and Orthodox Bait — How a Private Soldier Gets to the Front as an Angler — A Coot Interrupts the Sport, and a Rock Interrupts the Coot — Colonel Gibson takes a Nine-Pounder — A Native Fly Fisherman — Grand Sport on Big Spring Creek — How Captain Hathaway does the Honors — Where Grand Sport may be Found CONTENTS.

Chapter XXVII

Deer Hunting in Northern Wisconsin — On the Range at Daylight — The Woods Full of Game — Missing a Standing "Broadside " at Thirty Yards — Several Easy Shots in Rapiil Succession; the only Fruits Shame and Chagrin — Nervousness and Excitement Finally Give Way to Coolness and Deliberation — A Big Buck at Long Range — A Steady Aim and a Ruptured Throat — A Blind Run Through Brush and Fallen Trees — Down at Last — A Noble Specimen — His Head as a Trophy 280

CHAPTER XXVI II.

Among the Pines — A Picture of Autumnal Loveliness — Cordial Welcome to a Logging Camp — A Successful Shot — The Music of the Dinner Horn — A Throat Cut and a Leg Broken — A Stump for a Watch-Tower — The Raven Homeward Bound — A Suspicious Back — A Mj'sterious Presence — Dead Beside His Mate— Three Shots and Three Deer. 288

Chapter XXIX

A Typical Woodsman — Model Home in the Great Piue Forest — A Lifetime in the "Wilderness — A Deer in a Natural Trap — Disappointment aud Despondency — " What, You Killed a Buck!" — Sunrise in the Woods — An Unexpected Shot — A Free Circus and a Small Audience — A Buck as a Buck' r — More VenUon 296

Chapter XXX

Cowboy Life— The Boys that Become Good Range Riders- Peculiar Tastes and Talents Required for the Ranch— Wages Paid to Cowboys — Abuse and Misrepresentation to which They are Subjected — The ' ' Fresh Kid , " and the L mg-Haired " Greaser" — The Stranger Always Welcome at the Ranch — A Dude Insul'ed — A Plaid Ulster, a Green Umbrella, and a Cranky Disposition— Making a Train Crew Dance — An Uncomplimentary Concert— No Sneak Thieves on the Plains — Leather Breeches, Big Spurs, and a Six-Shooter in a Sleeping Car — Fear Gives Way to Admiration — The Slang of the CONTENTS. Range — The " Bucker," and the " Buster " — The Good Cow- Horse — Roping for Prizes — Snaki_g a Bear with a Lariat— A Good School for Boys — Communion with Nature Mak s Honest Men 304

Chapter XXXI

AZIcntana Roundup — Ranges and Ranches on Powder River; Once the Home of the Buffalo, the Elk, the Antelope; now the Home of the Texas Steer and the Cowboy — The Great Plains in Spring Attire — A Gathering of Rustlers — " Chuck Outfits"to the Front — Early Risers- -Taming an " Alecky " Steer— A Red-Hot Device— Branding and Slitting— The Run ou the Mess Wagon — "Cutting Out" and "Throwing Over" — A Cruel Process. ...

Chapter I

" Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery." — RUSKIN. .OR anyone who has the courage, the a hardihood, and the physical strength to endure the exercise, there is no form of recreation or amusement known to mankind that can yield such grand results as mountain climbing. I mean from a mental as well as from a physical standpoint ; and, in fact, it is the mind that receives the greater benefit. The exertion of the muscular forces in climbing a ' \ high mountain is necessarily severe; in fact, it is more than most persons unused to it can readily / j endure ; and were it not for the inspiration which the mind derives from the experience when the ascent is made it would be better that the subject should essay some milder form of exercise. But if one's strength be sufficient to endure the labor of ascending a grand mountain peak, that extends to or above timber line, to the regions of perpetual snow and ice, or even to a height that gives a general view of the surrounding country, the compensation 2 MOUNT HOOD. must be ample if one have an eye for the beauties of nature, or any appreciation of the grandeur of the Creator' s greatest works.

Vain, self-loving man is wont to consider himself the noblest work of Clod, but let him go to the top of one of these lofty mountains, surrounded by other towering peaks, and if he be a sane man he will soon be convinced that his place in the scale of creation is far from the top. Let him stand, for instance, on the summit of Mount Hood, Mount Tacoma, or Mount Ba ker, thousands of feet above all surrounding peaks, hills, and valleys, where he may gaze into space hun dreds of miles in every direction, with naught to ob struct his view, face to face with his Creator, and if he have aught of the love of nature in his soul, or of appreciation of the sublime in his mental composi tion, he will be moved to exclaim with the Apostle, "What is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that Thou visitest him?"

He will feel his littleness, his insignificance, his utter lack of im portance, more forcibly perhaps than ever before. It seems almost incredible that there should be men in the world who could care so little for the grandest, the sublimest sights their native land affords, as to be unwilling to perform the labor necessary to see them to the best possible advantage ; and yet it is so, for I have frequently heard them say : "I should like very much to see these grand sights you describe, but I never could afford to climb those high mountains for that pleasure ; it is too hard work for me." And, after all, the benefits to be derived from mountain climbing are not wholly of an intellectual CllUISING-S IN THE CASCADES 20 MOUNT TACOMA. character ; the physical system may be benefited by it as well.

It is a kind of exercise that in turn brings into use almost every muscle in the body, those of the legs being of course taxed most se verely, but those of the back do their full share of the work, while the arms are called into action almost constantly, as the climber grasps bushes or rocks by which to aid himself in the ascent. The lungs ex pand and contract like bellows as they inhale and exhale the rarified atmosphere, and the heart beats like a trip-hammer as it pumps the invigorated blood through the system. The liver is shaken loose from the ribs to which it has perchance grown fast, and the stomach is aroused to such a state of activity as it has probably not experienced for years. Let any man, especially one of sedentary habits, climb a mountain 5,000 feet high,' on a bright, pleasant day, when " Night's candles are burnt out and jocund d ly Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops."

There let him breathe the rare, pure atmosphere, fresh from the portals of heaven, and my word for it he will have a better appetite, will eat heartier, sleep sounder, and awake next morning feeling more refreshed than since the days of his boyhood. Although the labor be severe it can and should be modulated to the strength and capabilities of the person undertaking the task. ISTo one should climb faster than is compatible with his strength, and halts should be made every five or ten minutes, if need be, to allow the system ample rest. In this manner a vast amount of work may be accomplished CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES in a day, even by one who has had no previous experience in climbing. The benefits and pleasures of mountain climbing are much better understood and appreciated in Euroie than in this country.

Nearly every city of England, France, Spain, Germany, and other Euro pean countries has an Alpine, Pyrenese, or Hima layan club. The members of these clubs spend their summer outings in scaling the great peaks of the mountains after wliich the societies are named, or other ranges, and the winter evenings in recounting to each other their experiences; and many a man, by his association with the clubs and by indulgence in this invigorating pastime develops from a delicate youth into a muscular, sturdy, athletic man in a few years. The possible value of mountain climbing as a recreation and as a means of gaining knowledge, has been greatly enhanced, of late years, by the introduc tion of the dry-plate system in photography, and since the small, light, compact cameras have been constructed, which may be easily and conveniently carried wherever a man can pack his blankets and a day's supply of food.

With one of these instruments fine views can be taken of all interesting objects and bits of scenery on the mountain, and of the surrounding country. The views are interesting and instructive to friends and to the public in general, and as souvenirs are invaluable to the author. And from the negatives thus secured lantern slides may be made, and from these, by the aid of the calcium light, pictures projected on a screen that can only be excelled in their beauty and attractive ness by nature herself. GLACIEKS ON MOUNT TACOMA.

Chapter II. Ach

succeeding autumn, for years past, has found me in some range of mountains, camping, hunting, fishing, climbing, and taking views. The benefits I have derived from these expedition., in the way of health, strength, and vigor, are incalculable, *and the pleasures inexpressible. M}T last outing was in the Cascade Range, in Oregon g^and Washington Territory, where I spent a month in these delightful occupations, and it is with a view of encouraging and promoting a love for these modes of recreation that this record is written. ".I live not in myself, but I become Portion of that around me; and to me High mountains are a feeling, but the hum Of human cities torture." The Cascade Range of mountains extends from Southern Oregon through Washington Territory, away to the northward in British Columbia.

In width, from east to west, it varies from fifty to one hundred miles. It is the most densely-timbered range on the continent, and yet is one of the highest and most rug ged. It may not possess so many ragged, shapeless crags and dark canons as the Rocky Range, and yet everyone who has ever traversed both accords to the A VIEW IN THE CASCADES. Cascades the distinction of being the equal, in pictur esqueness and grandeur, of the Rockies, or, in fact, of any other range in the country. As continental landmarks, Mounts Pitt, Union, Thielson, Jefferson, Hood, Adams, St. Helens, Tacoma, Baker, Stuart, Chiam, Douglass, and others are unsurpassed. Their hoary crests tower to such majestic heights as to be visible, in some instances, hundreds of miles, and their many glaciers feed mighty rivers upon whose bosoms the commerce of nations is borne.

Mount Jef ferson is 9,020 feet high; Mount Adams, 9,570; Mount St. Helens, 9,750; Mount Baker, 10,800, Mount Hood, 11,025, and Mount Tacoma, 14,444. There are many other peaks that rise to altitudes of 7,000 to 9,000 feet, and from these figures one may readily form something of an idea of the general height and beauty of the Cascade Range. The foot-hills are generally high, rolling, and picturesque, and so heavily tim bered that in many places one can not see a hundred yards in any direction. Higher up the range, how ever, this heavy timber is replaced by smaller trees, that stand farther apart, and the growth of under brush is not so dense; consequently, the labor of travel is lightened and the range of vision is extended. The geological formation in the Cascades is varied. Igneous rock abounds; extensive basaltic cliffs and large bodies of granite, limestone, sandstone, etc., are frequently met with, and nearly all the table lands, in and about the foot-hills, are composed of gravel drift, covered with vegetable mold.

The Cas cades may be explored with comfort later in the fall than the Rockies or other more eastern ranges, the winter setting in on the former much later than 28 on the latter, although the winter rains usually come in November. September and October are the most pleasant months for an outing in the Cascades. * * * It was late in October when my wife and I started from Chicago for a tour of a month among the bristling peaks of the Cascades and the picturesque islands of Puget Sound. A pleasant ride of fifteen hours on the Wisconsin Central Railroad to St. Paul, and another of three days and nights on the grand old Northern Pacific, brought us face to face with the glittering crests and beetling cliffs that were the objects of our pilgrimage. As the tourist goes west, the first view of the range is obtained at the Dalles of the Columbia river, from whence old Mount Hood, thirty-five miles distant, rears its majestic head high into the ethereal vault of heaven, and neighboring peaks, of lesser magnitude, unfold them selves to the enraptured vision.

As the train whirls down the broad Columbia river, every curve, around which we swing with dazzling speed, reveals to our bewildered gaze new forms of beauty and new objects of wonder. So many descriptions of the scenery along this mystic stream have been writ ten, that every reading man, woman, and child in the land must be familiar with it, and I will not repeat or attempt to improve upon any of them. To say the most extravagant representations are not exaggerated, is to speak truly, and no one can know how beautiful some of these towers and cliffs are until he has seen them. The train arrived at Portland, that old and far famed metropolis of the North Pacific coast, at half past ten o'clock in the morning, and after twentyfour hours pleasantly spent in viewing its many points of interest and the snow-covered mountains thereabouts, we again boarded the Northern Pacific train and sped toward Tacoma, where we arrived at six o' clock in the evening.

Here we passed another day in looking over a booming Western city, whose future prosperity and greatness have been assured by its having been chosen as the tide-water terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway. Tacoma is situated on Commencement Bay, an arm of Puget Sound, and has a harbor navigable for the largest ocean steamships. The vast forests of pine, fir, and cedar, with which it is surrounded, give Tacoma great commercial importance as a lumbering town, and the rich agricultural valleys thereabout assure home pro duction of breadstuffs, vegetables, meats, etc., sufficient to feed its army of workingmen. Rich coal fields, in the immediate neighborhood, furnish fuel for domestic and manufacturing purposes at merely nominal prices. All the waters hereabouts abound in salmon, several varieties of trout and other food fishes, while in the woods and mountains adjacent, elk, deer, and bears are numerous; so the place will always be a popular resort for the sportsman and the tourist.

The chief attraction of the city, how ever, for the traveler, will always be the fine view it affords of Mount Tacoma. This grand old pinnacle of the Cascade Range, forty-five miles distant, lifts its snowmantled form far above its neighbors, which are themselves great mountains, while its glacier-crowned summit rises, towers, and struggles aloft ' til — " Round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its head;" and its crown is almost lost in the limitless regions of the deep blue sky. From the verandas of the Tacoma House one may view Mount Tacoma until wearied with gazing. The Northern Pacific Railway runs within fifteen miles of the base of it, and from the nearest point a trail has been made, at a cost of some thousands of dollars, by which tourists may ascend the mountain on horseback, to an altitude of about 10,000 feet, with comparative comfort; but he who goes above that height must work his passage.

There are several men who claim the distinction of being the only white man that has ever been to the top of this mountain. Others declare that it has been ascended only twice; but we have authentic information of at least three successful and complete ascents having been made. Indian legends people the mountain with evil spirits, which are said to dwell in boiling caldrons and yawning caverns — " Calling shapes, and beck'ning shadows dire, And airy tongues that syllable men's names." Tradition says their wild shrieks and groans maybe heard therein at all times; and no Indians are known ever to have gone any great distance up Mount Rainier, as they call it. White men have tried to employ the native red men as guides and packers for the ascent, but no amount of money can tempt them to invade the mysterious canons and cliffs with which the marvelous pile is surrounded.

They say that all attempts to do so, by either white or red men, must result in certain destruction. Un doubtedly the first ascent was made about thirty years ago, by General (then Lieutenant) Kautz, and Lieutenant Slaughter, of the United States Army, who were then stationed at Steilacoom, Washington Territory. They took pack animals, and with an escort of several men ascended as far as the animals could go. There they left them and continued the climb on foot. They were gone nine days, from the time of leaving their mules until they returned to the animals, and claimed, no doubt justly, to have gone to the top of Liberty Cap, the highest of the three distinct summits that form the triplex corona; the others being known as the Summit and the Dome. The next ascent, so far as known, was made in 1876 by Mr. Hazard Stevens, who gave an account of his experiences in the Atlantic Monthly for No vember, of that year.