Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 1, Pt. 2

GEOLOGY OFP CENTRAL WASHIIINGTON TERRITORY.
coal at Bellingham bay must be lightered on board of vessels, the water being shallow to a considerable distance from the shore.
The whole of this formation has been considered by geologists as tertiary, and the coal as not
belonging to the true coal. Be this as it may, its value for economical purposes is unquestionable.
Even that on the Cowlitz and Skookum Chuck, though inferior to the product of the D'Wamish
and Bellingham bay mines, was abandoned only from its not being accessible to tide-water.
A singular circumstance in connexion with this subject has been noticed at the southern end of
Whidby's island. A crevice in the earth exists there from which smoke constantly ascends,
rising undoubtedly from the burning of a bed of coal or lignite beneath. The clay around its
edge is said to be baked of a brick-red. It has been burning since the settlement of the country,
and is popularly called a volcano.
No scientific exploration whatever has been made of this region, nor even such an examination
of particular beds as to justify any opinion respecting their value. Such experiments as have
been tried indicate, that for steaming purpose the quality of the coal is very good, but to what
extent the beds can be worked is not settled. They appear on the edge of the water, most of
them not above the high tides of winter, and it would seem that they dip slightly in-shore, as
well as in a direction parallel to it. From the appearance of upturned edges of sandstone,
between high and low-water mark, it is conjectured that the coal extends beneath the surface ot
the bay; and that to the north of it, it will be perhaps found in place and in the natural position
of the strata. The formation commences at the Columbia river, where lignite or brown coal is
found in thin seams, and extends continuously northward to a great distance, the quality of the
coal improving in that direction. The most northern point, it is believed, where any discoveries
have been made, is at Beaver harbor or Port Rupert, on the northern extremity of Vancouver's
island. What was obtained here was merely surface coal, and was cut out by Indians with
hatchets. The company have now sunk a shaft at Nimo, on the eastern shore of the island, in
latitude 49~ 09', longitude 123~ 56', whence they obtain supplies for their steamers. The Beaver
harbor locality was abandoned as too inconvenient.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Capt. G. B. McCLELLAN, U. S. Corl)s of Engineers,
Commanding Western Division N. P. Railroad Exp. and Survey.
GEORGE GIBBS.
REPORT OF GEORGE GIBBS UPON THE GEOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF WASHINGTON TER RITORY.
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY,
May 1, 1854.
SIR: Herewith I have the honor to submit a report on the geological structure of the country
lying upon the route of the expedition under your command. It is much less in detail than
could have been desired, as the subject itself was subsidiary to others, and the observations were
necessarily for the most part confined to general features. Specimens of soils and of the prevailing rocks were collected, which by order of Gov. Stevens, will be turned over to Dr. John Evans.
The country around Vancouver, and thence back to the foot of the mountains, is gravelly and
poor, except that on some of the small streams there are narrow skirts of rich black soil. The
small prairies lying near the branches of the Cathlapoot'l are, however, exceptions. These
appear to have been formerly the beds of lakes, and retain, to some extent, a wet and marshy
character, the soil being clay. The Columbia bottom below Vancouver is of a fine, sandy loam.
Much of that on the immediate banks of the river is subject to overflow during the freshets a
double misfortune, as the deposits of the Columbia are not fertilizing, and the temperature of e
60 f