walk of seven miles from the head of canal navigation would bring them to the head of a river flowing into Hood's Canal, the party determined to win fame by crossing the Olympics by this route. It turned out, however, that the current of the upper river was too rapid to admit of being navigated, at least by its present mouth, and the old mouth into the lake half a mile to the south was found to be dammed by drifts. Small, delicious salmon were found in the lake, and the party remained for several days enjoying the mountains, the lake, the splendid forest, salmon, strawberries, and freedom. This visit to the Olympics was the occasion of the formation of Lake City Town Company, which proceeded to plot six hundred and forty acres on the south shore of' the lake, where a summer-resort might very appropriately be located. It was even said that a railroad from the Strait to Gray's Harbor would be constructed at an early day, which would bring Lake City within an hour and a half of the Harbor,—namely, the Port Townsend and Quillayute. Quinault City, at the head of navigation on the Hamptulips Kiver, was also projected about this time, "on a beautiful elevation, with half a mile of river front and a mill-site." So easy is it to project enterprises and to dream of future fulfilment in this wilderness!
I also met at Hoquiam Ex-Lieutenant-Governor Gilman, of Minnesota, and his son, S. C. Gilman, who had passed a winter in quietly exploring the Olympics. They found three hundred and fifty square miles of rich bottom-land along the streams, and described the soil between the mountains and the ocean as well adapted when cleared to grazing, fruit-raising, or general farming. There were few prairies, and those small ones, but they found float-coal, croppings of iron, and quartz containing gold, silver, copper, and tin. They entered the mountains from the south and experienced little difficulty, while, by report, those who attempted to enter from the north or east were met by many and severe obstacles. That this is true is confirmed by the report of an exploration conducted under the auspices of the army, as well as by the failure of several parties from the Sound to effect a crossing from the east side. The Gilmans encountered dangers and performed feats of daring which to an ordinary tourist like myself seemed extraordinary, but which
