much contracted, in consequence of the rapid shelving of the bank, that soon drops off into deep water. The shore rises abruptly to a height of 200 feet, and on the top of the ascent is an extended plain, on which Fort Nisqually is built.

CASE INLET

extends to within two miles of the waters of Hood Canal.

HOOD CANAL

extends for a distance of 40 miles in a south-west direction, and then turns to the north-east for 10 miles, approaching the waters of Puget Sound, with an average width of 2 miles. It contains several good harbors, viz., Port Ludlow, Port Gamble, Suquamish, and Scabock Harbor, and Dabop Bay. On the east side of Admiralty Inlet, as well as at the head of De Fuca Strait, and the waters within the Gulf de Arro as far as Point Roberts, in latitude 49° north, there are many fine harbors and bays, formed by the islands and projecting headlands, viz., Commencement Bay, Eliot Bay, [Port Gardner, Port Susan, Holmes Harbor, Penn Cove,] Hornet Harbor, Strawberry Bay, Billingham and Birch Bays. Those within the brackets lie within Whidby Island.

THE NAVAL ARCHIPELAGO,

between the Canal de Arro and Ringgold Channel, offers many fine anchorages. The Gulf of Georgia and

Johnson Strait are not well adapted for navigation, in consequence of the rapidity of the tides, and the many sunken rocks at the northern outlet. The harbors within them, both on the main land and Vancouver Island, are useless, on account of the great depth of water and the perpendicular banks. Not a shoal exists within the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, or Hood Canal, that can in any way interrupt their navigation by a seventy-four gun ship. The shores of all the inlets and bays are remarkably bold, so much so, that in many places a ship's side would strike the shore before the keel would touch the ground. Some few of them have creeks emptying into them, with water sufficient to turn mills. These creeks have all extensive mud flats at their entrances, with fertile prairies at their heads and along their banks. The spring tides rise 18 feet; those of the neap, 12 feet, affording every facility for the construction of dry docks, &c. The country on all these salt water inlets is said to be remarkably healthy. The winter is represented to be mild, and but of short duration, and the channels and harbors are never obstructed by ice.

The climate is said to be unusually mild and even in temperature for so high a north latitude. The country near Puget Sound abounds with fine timber, and its waters with excellent fish.

Olympia is the capital, situated on Budd's Inlet, at the head of Puget Sound. Other principal settlements are Cowlitz, Pacific City, Nisqually, &c.

The government consists of a governor, a Council,

and House of Representatives. The governor is appointed by the president of the United States for the term of four years; the legislative assembly is elected by the people. Every white male inhabitant 21 years of age, and a citizen of the United States, is a qualified elector.

This territory was separated from Oregon in 1853, and constituted a distinct territory.

CALIFORNIA.

CALIFORNIA has recently become one of the United States. A part of the country was discovered as early as 1542, by a Spaniard named Cobrillo; and its northern section was visited for the first time by foreigners in 1578, when Sir Francis Drake, then at the head of an expedition from England, gave to this region the name of New Albion. The Spaniards planted colonies upon its sea coast in 1768, from which period, until 1836, the territory was a province of Mexico. In the latter year a revolution occurred. The people, after having frequently compelled the Mexican governors and other officials to abandon their posts, declared themselves independent, and undertook to organize new political institutions. Several weak and ineffectual attempts to regain absolute control were made from time to time by the Mexicans, until the year 1846. In July of that year the port of Monterey, a central point on the Pacific coast of the state, was seized, in the name of the United States, by a naval force under Commodore Sloat, who at once unfurled the American flag, and established a provisional government. At that epoch, the administration of the affairs of the territory was in the hands of a civil governor and a military commandant, both natives of California, but holding commissions from the President of Mexico. In 1848 the discovery of a