PATOS ISLAND, (Gourd Island of Captain Wilkes.)—SUCIA GROUP, (Percival Group of Captain Wilkes.)—MATIA GROUP, (Edmund's Group of Captain Wilkes.)-BARNES, CLARKE, AND SISTERS ISLANDS.

This chain of islands lies at the south end of the Gulf of Georgia, and forms the breakwater which divides it into the two channels which surround the Haro Archipelago. Their combined area is about two and one-half square miles. The sandstone, which is the principal geological formation, is too soft to be valuable as a building material, and in the places where it is exposed to the action of the waves it is worn into deep hollows.

ORCAS ISLAND, (Hull's Island of Captain Wilkes.)

Orcas island lies immediately south of the chain of islands already mentioned as breaking the continuous flow of the waters of the Gulf of Georgia into the Straits of Fuca, and to the north of Shaw's, Lopez, and Blakely islands. It is bounded on the east by Rosario Strait, and on the west by President's Passage, which separates it from San Juan Island. It is the largest and, with the exception of San Juan, the most valuable island in the archipelago. At its northern end it is about four miles wide, and then runs off towards the southeast and southwest, making its greatest width from east to west about thirteen miles, and its greatest length from north to south about nine miles, containing an area of about fiftyfive square miles.

There are two main ridges of mountains trending in a general direction a little east of south, and west of north, which are in many places exceedingly precipitous and rugged. The eastern range, bordering on Rosario Strait, is much the higher, Mount Constitution, its highest peak, having an elevation of 2,500 feet. The highest peak in the corresponding western range is Turtle Mountain, 1,600 feet in height.

Between Point Thompson, the northeastern point, and Point Lawrence, the most eastern point, the shore is so rocky and inhospitable that anywhere along it even small boats would fail to find a safe harbor or anchorage. From Point Lawrence to Obstruction Passage the coast is much less bold, and contains several little bays, into which pour rivulets from the mountains, watering small but beautiful valleys.

There are two large bays and one small one on the southern side of the island. Ironsides Inlet, the most eastern, is the largest. It is about a mile wide, varies in depth from five to fifteen fathoms, and extends about seven miles into the island, within a mile of its northern end, thus nearly cutting it into two. Guerriere Bay, about three miles to the westward, is about three miles in length and a mile and a quarter in width, and has a depth of from five to fifteen fathoms. Both of these bays are excellent harbors. There is a small triangular bay known as Fishtrap, extending a short distance into the southwestern end of the island, with its greatest depth ten fathoms.

Within Ironsides Inlet, particularly toward its northern end, are several beautiful spots of agricultural land, and good timber, having the advantage of being immediately adjacent to an excellent harbor. Streams having their sources in lakes in the mountain gorges empty into the bay. One of the most pleasing prospects in this region, and especially along the shores of Orcas Island, is the 'frequent recurrence of beautiful cascades.

A stream of water, after traversing for several miles a beautiful valley containing some very good meadow land, empties in Guerriere Bay near its head. The largest stream on the island empties into Fishtrap Bay. The land.in this vicinity is beautifully located and well adapted to agricultural purposes.

Between this place and the extreme western point of the island there is scarcely a locality of agricultural value; but leaving this and travelling towards Point Doughty, after passing one mountain range, we enter a region where the land becomes level, and the soil rich and productive.

There are some few localities-one or two on Ironsides Inlet, and one at least on Guerriere Bay-where there is excellent water power, but the timber is not of the best quality at those points, as the Indians, and white men too, in search of deer, have, from time to time, fired the forest, thus greatly injuring the growth of the trees. Doubtless, hereafter, when the more desirable lumber of other localities, especially on the adjacent shores of Puget Sound, has become somewhat exhausted, mills will be erected on these beautiful harbors.

A very important feature of this island is the excellent pasturage which exists on the mountain slopes. The grass is green during every month of the year; and on the south side of Mount Constitution eveh, almost to the very summit. Sheep, goats and cattle placed upon the island would thrive and multiply, without the necessity of special care, as there are no beasts of prey to molest them. Deer and elk are the only quadrupeds of the larger species on the island, and a few years ago these were very numerous. The latter are now rarely seen, and the former are year after year rapidly disappearing before the approach of the white man, and in a few seasons will not be seen upon the island.

While the lower lands present the character of alluvials, the mountains are composed of trap syenite and quartz and afford no valuable stone for building purposes.

A deposit of coal is found near Point Doughty, at the northwest end of the island, similar to that at Nanaimo, on Vancouver's Island, and at Bellingham Bay, on the mainland. The extent of this deposit is not known, but, should future explorations make as favorable developments as are anticipated, a railroad of three or four miles could be easily constructed that would convey the coal to the excellent harbor of Ironsides Inlet.

SHAW'S ISLAND.

Shaw's Island lies south of the west end of Orcas Island, from which it is separated by Harney Channel, and is bounded on the east by Frolic Strait, separating it from Lopez Island; and on the south and west by President's Passage, separating it from San Juan Island. It contains about eight square miles. It is of very irregular shape, and its shores are indented by numerous small bays. In its interior there are no prominent peaks, though the surface is uneven and much broken by hills and valleys; the latter are small and generally very swampy, and are rendered almost impassable by thorny bushes everywhere heaped up in tangled masses. In many places it is almost as difficult to traverse the higher ground, owing to the undergrowth, which consists mainly of small pines and firs. The timber, consisting of fir and cedar, is small and scattered. Here and there are small patches of arable land which, in the aggregate, would hardly exceed 300 acres on the entire island.

OBSTRUCTION ISLAND.

This is a small island between Rosario Strait on the east and Ironsides Inlet on the west, and is separated by narrow passages from Orcas Island on the north, and Blakely Island on the south.

BLAKELY ISLAND.

Blakely Island lies immediately south of Obstruction Island, from which it is separated by a narrow passage, and is bounded by the same bodies of water as the latter on the east and west, and is separated by Thatcher's Pass from Decatur Island on the south. This island in its general shape is nearly square; (it is a little longer from north to south than from east to west.) It rises from the water almost like a pyramid, its highest peak, which is about 1,050 feet high, being a little north of the centre of the island. It contains about 63

square miles, and throughout its extent is mountainous and rugged, presenting but few localities of even very limited area which might be profitably cultivated. Its shores are all more or less precipitous and rocky. The timber has been much injured by frequent fires, and for this reason there are no inducements for lumbermen. At least in one place (perhaps in more) there is excellent water power. Grass flourishes on the slopes of the mountains. Near the centre of the island is a beautiful lake of crescentic form, about two miles in length, and four or five hundred yards in width; its outlet is a rapid stream of considerable force which empties into a small bay on the southwestern side of the island.

The only profitable purpose to which this tract of land could be placed would be that of grazing In this particular it possesses the advantages enumerated on Orcas Island.

DECATUR ISLAND.

Decatur Island lies immediately south of Blakely, from which it is separated by Thatcher's Pass; it is bounded on the east by Rosario Strait; on the south and west by Macedonian Crescent, a bay lying between it and Lopez Island.

The area of this island is about four square miles; its extreme length from north to south being about 3 miles, and its width about two miles. In its general shape it is quadrangular, resembling Blakely Island. About one-fourth or more of its area is low land, well adapted to cultivation. On its eastern side there is a harbor well protected by its natural configuration from the prevailing southerly winds, and a small island known as James's, immediately adjacent to it in Rosario Strait, leaves it only exposed to storms from the northeast, from which quarter violent winds very rarely blow in this region.

The shores are generally abrupt and precipitous; those on the north being recky, while those on the south are composed of alternate layers of sand and clay, and their bold bluffs show the continuous action of the waves, which for ages have been violently dashing against them. Evidences of land slides of limited extent, which have occurred apparently very recently, give further proof that the billows are gradually changing them to such an extent that in a few more years their contour will be so much altered that their present topographical features will be no longer recognizable.

Several small streams empty into the bay mentioned as existing on the eastern side of the island, and in this vicinity there is much good cedar timber, which, growing in the low and moist lands, has escaped the repeated fires which have swept through the forest.

The abundance of deer always found upon this island is evidence of its valuable grazing properties.

LOPEZ ISLAND, named after Lopez de Haro, (Chauncey Island of Captain Wilkes)

Lopez Island is bounded on the north by Frolic Strait and Ironsides Bay, on the east by the Macedonian Crescent and Rosario Strait; south by Rosario Strait, and west by Little Belt Passage and Ontario Roads, which separate it from San Juan Island. It is very irregular in shape, being characterized, especially on its eastern shore, by deep indentations, which in their formation seem to follow no regular law. Its greatest length from north to south is about ten miles; its greatest width from east to west about four miles, and it has an area of about twenty-eight square miles. At its southern end the land rises into a mound which is nearly five hundred feet in height, known as Watmaugh Head, and is a very prominent landmark for vessels in the Straits of Fuca. The southern coast is abrupt and broken, while to the north there are land-locked bays and beautiful harbors. A body of water lying to the west of Blakely and Decatur

islands, and bounded on the south and west by Lopez Island, called the Macedonian Crescent, is an extensive and well-protected harbor. This bay is studded with small islands covered with verdure.

In many places on the eastern side of Lopez Island the shore is rocky, but on its western side, the soil being alluvial, by washing away it has become in many places high, perpendicular bluffs. The interior of the island contains much level land well adapted to cultivation, and near its centre is a prairie of nearly a square mile in extent; there is also a smaller one near its northern extremity. As on the other islands mentioned, the timber has been much injured by fire. There are scarcely any trees of large size upon the island except in a few low and swampy places. It is not very difficult to traverse much of its extent, especially about its centre, but near the northern end tangled bushes and fallen timber render it a difficult matter, with great toil and trouble, to accomplish more than a mile an hour.

There are permanent streams of water in several localities, and in many places, where the land might be too rocky for profitable cultivation, there is always good grass. Upon this island alone of the entire group was found any positive evidence of the existence of beasts of prey. Wolves are numerous, and of the largest species known to exist on our continent. Why they should be found here and not on Orcas and other islands of the archipelago, is somewhat remarkable. Formerly there were a few of these animals on San Juan Island, but in a very short time after its occupation by white men they almost entirely disappeared, and are now no longer any annoyance to flocks. So it will be on Lopez after a few persons have taken up their abode there

One-third of the area of this island, perhaps, might be subjected to cultivation, but the greater part of this is still covered with trees, which it would require much labor to clear away. Much of the remaining two-thirds, although rocky, is covered with grass enough to support many hundreds of sheep and cattle.

On its eastern and southern sides there are good fishing grounds, where the Indians yearly take great numbers of salmon and halibut. At one of these localities, on the castern side, there exists a small but very shallow bay, into which empties, perhaps, the largest stream of the island. At this place the Hudson's Bay Company formerly had a small trading station.

It appears from a report made by Captain Alden, of the United States navy, that in 1853 an American citizen took up a claim on this island for the purpose of getting out timber, and that Governor Douglas, of Vancouver's Island, forced him to take out a license from the British government, and demanded that when his vessel took the timber away she should clear at the Victoria custom-house.* When the exciting subject of the occupation of San Juan island by United States troops, in the summer of 1859, was under discussion in the Vancouver's Island Legislature, Mr. Pemberton, one of the members, proposed that British troops should be landed on Lopez Island.

[36th Congress, 1st session.--Senate Ex. Doc. No. 10.]

Message of the President of the United States, communicating, in compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 9th instant, the Correspondence of Lieutenant General Scott, in reference to the Island of San Juan, and of Brigadier General Harney, in command of the Department of Oregon.

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of War, with accompanying papers, in answer to the resolution of the 9th instant, requesting the President to communicate to the Senate the official correspondence of Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, in reference to the island of San Juan, and of Brigadier General William S. Harney, in command of the Department of Oregon." JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, January 30, 1860.

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 25, 1860.

SIR: In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 9th instant, referred by you to this department, I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of the correspondence with Lieutenant General Winfield Scott and Brigadier General William S. Harney, in reference to the recent difficulties at San Juan Island, together with all other papers of interest in possession of this department relating to the subject.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The PRESIDENT.

JOHN B. FLOYD,

Secretary of War.

List of papers relating to the recent difficulties at San Juan Island, accompanying the report of the Secretary of War of January 25, 1860.

1. Mr. Marcy to Mr. Stevens, July 14, 1855.

2. Same to Mr. Crampton, July 17, 1855.

3. General Harney to Colonel Casey, July 18, 1859.

4. Same to Captain Pickett, July 18, 1859.

5. Same to General Scott, July 19, 1859.

6. Mr. Drinkard to General Harney, September 3, 1859.

7. General Harney to General Scott, August 1, 1853, enclosing petitions of citizens at San Juan.

S. Same to the Adjutant General, August 7, 1859, enclosing letters

a. From Colonel Casey, July 31, with enclosures from Captain Pickett;

b. From Captain Pickett, August 3, covering correspondence with Captain Hornby;

c. Proclamation of Governor Douglas;

d. Reply to same, August 6;

e. To Captain Pickett, August 6;

f. To commander of the Pacific squadron, August 7; and

g.

To General Clarke, August 7.

9. Same to same, August 8, 1859.

10. Mr. Drinkard to General Scott, September 16, 1859.

11. General Harney to same, August 18, 1859, enclosing lettersa. To Colonel Casey, August 8;