Fuca and the Gulf of Georgia to the south narrow into Admiralty Inlet;
the inlet penetrates the very heart of the Territory, cutting the land
into most grotesque shapes, circling and twisting into a hundred minor
inlets, into which flow a hundred rivers, fed in their turn by myriads
of smaller creeks and bayous--a veritable network of lakes, streams,
peninsulas, and islands which, with the mountain ranges backing the
landscapes on either hand, can not fail to be picturesque in the
extreme. Here on the placid bosom of this inland sea, the pleasure
seeker can enjoy all the delights and exhilarating influences of ocean
travel without its inconveniences. No sea sickness, no proneness to
reflect on "to be or not to be," but, amid the bracing breezes, the
steady, easy glide of the commodious steamer over pleasant waters,
takes him through scenes as fair as the poet's brightest dreams. This
"Mediterranean of the Pacific" throughout its length and breadth is
adorned with heavily-wooded and fantastically-formed islands. The giant
firs are the tallest and straightest in the world. Here the "Great
Eastern" came for her masts, and here thousands of ships obtain their
spars yearly.

To repeat, the scenery is indeed something unsurpassed. A ride over these
placid waters, in and out, around rocky headlands, among woody mountains,
along beautiful beaches and graceful tongues of velvety meadows--all
'neath the shadows of towering, snow-clad peaks, is a delight worth days
of travel to experience. It enraptures the artist and enthuses even
ordinarily prosy folks. There is no single feature wanting to make of
such places as Tacoma, Seattle, and Port Townsend, the most delightful
and agreeable watering places in the world. Surrounded by magnificent and
picturesque scenery, with beautiful drives and lovely bays for yachting
purposes, with splendid fishing and sport of every description to be had,
with a climate that would charm a misanthrope, why should they not become