that it makes business. He will remind you of the pilotage of all the incoming and outgoing vessels, and that it brings in a great deal of money. He will point to the villages growing up on the north side of the river, and tell you they bring trade; that the men employed at Knappton, in making cement, lumber, etc., spend their wages in Astoria.
If you inquire what back country it has to support it, he will point to Clatsop, and the valley of the Nehalem, south of it; and tell you, that it is but seventy miles into the great valley of Western Oregon—the Wallamet; and that a railroad is to be built into it from Astoria, through the coast mountains. He mentions, besides, that there are numerous small valleys of streams running into the Columbia within twenty miles, which are of the best of rich bottom-lands, and only need opening up. This is the Astorian's view of his town, and we know nothing to the contrary. Indeed, from inquiry we are convinced that there are in the neighborhood of Astoria many elements of wealth, both mineral and agricultural, which only require time and capital to develop.
Having satisfied ourselves of the material prospects of the town, let us take a friendly guide, and go upon an exploring expedition on our own account. We want to go on foot around the point, by the trail through the woods: but, no; our guide says we must not attempt it, tho trail is in such a condition! "It is low tide, and we will go by the beach."
By the beach we go, then, stopping now and then to fillip a jelly-fish back into the water on the end of our alpenstock. A beach, indeed! we had always thought that sand, or fine gravel, at least, was essential to that delightful thing in Nature—a beach. But here are
