THE RIVER OF THE WEST.
Ill
a land of wonders, which the tireless
iron hone renders accessible to the fee
blest in health and the poorest in purse.
The tide has turned, and the lover of na
ture now bends his steps toward the Pa
cific, bringing with him the tourist from
across the Atlantic, to view marvels and
beauties of nature such as are not to be
Been in the Old World. '
Having come to the Pacific coast by
one of the hot, dusty and cheerless
routes to the southward, and having vis
ited the points of interest in California,
the tourist may return by the more en
joyable routes leading eastward from
Portland, and view the enchantments of
the Columbia. Taking, at 8an Francis
co, one of the fine iron steamers which
ply bet ween that city and Portland, he
sails for forty hours along tbe coast of
California and Oregon, the Nova Albion
of Sir Francis Drake, and arrives off the
mouth of the Columbia, just after pass
ing the picturesque light house on Til
lamook rock. Crossing the heaving bar,
midway between the bold promontory of
Cape Hancock, and Point Adams, the
low, sandy extension of the south bank
of the river, the steamer enters the
stream, and, passing through tbe white
winged fleet of salmon boat, is soon se
cured to the dock at Astoria, ten miles
above the bar. The view from Astoria
across the broad estuary of the Colum
bia, filled with the darting sails of the
salmon fleet, to where Cape Disapjioint
ment juts far out into the ocean, is one
never to be forgotten.
Leaving Astoria, the steamer rounds
Tongue point and ascends the river be
tween high and verdant banks, the fir
clad mountains closing in on the stream
on either hand. For miles the eye roves
over high mountains and endless forests,
catching, here and there, a glimpse of
some beautiful, snow-covered peat Tbe
steamer passes numerous canneries, saw
mills, wood landings, fishing boats, river
craft of all kinds, towering cliff, wood
ed islands, and a multitude of natural
objects which claim the traveler's con
stant attention, until, ninety miles from
the sea, it enters the Willamette, and as
cends that stream twelve miles, to Port
land, the social and commercial metrop
olis of the Pacific Northwest, a bustling
city of about forty thousand population.
Several days may bo profitably spent
in Portland. A trip should lo taken to
Robinson's hill, on a bright, sunny after
noon, where can be had a grander view
of snow-capped mountains, hills, ralleys
and rivers than can Iw found elsewhere
in the world.
From Portland eastward, tho tour i it
has tho choice of ascending the Colum
bia in one of the fast river steamers, as
far as The Dalles, whoro connection is
made with the train, or he may journey
tho entire distance by rail, and view the
scenery from the car window. The for
mer is, by all means, preferable. At
seven o'clock iu the morning tho steam
er backs from the dock and drops rapid
ly down the Willamette to its mouth,
and turning eastward, begins the ascent
of the Columbia. At this poiut is pre
sented a remarkable sight Five snow,
clad peaks, dressed in roUtt of eternal
white, glistening in the morning sun,
call for the deepest admiration.
From this point, the scene of beauty
and grandeur pass before tho observer
in one continuous procession. Now on
this side and now on that his eye is li
rected, and before he is through fcaziug
upon one object, his attentiou is attract
ed to another. He passo, in succession,
the Pillars of Hercules, Rter rock,
a basaltic mass of queer formation, ris
ing abruptly from the water s edge; Cmm
Horn, a towering cliff of rock a thousand
feet high, around which the river runs,
washing its very base, and down wkme
castellated sides, where spires and mina
rets have bn carved by the elements,