374 Expedition of Majer Long and Party. 
procuring a Geological survey, to be made of the whole re- 
gion, contiguous to the great canal, and ofall the interesting 
tracts in its vicinity, extending from Albany to the Falls of 
Niagara. For this purpose, he has employed Professor Amos 
Eaton, with the aid of several assistants, and their task is al- 
ready advantageously commenced. Mr. Eaton is well known 
to the public as an active, industrious, and faithful observer, 
and we look to a happy issue of this great enterprise, which 
we trust will be honourable to all concerned.—Ed. 
11. Expedition of Major Long and party, to the Rocky Moun- 
eee. ' tains. ested abet 
We have recently perused, with great satisfaction, the 
narrative of the expedition of Major Long and party to the 
ocky Mountains, by order of the government of the Uni- 
ted States. This narrative is contained in two large octa- 
vo volumes, illustrated by an atlas with maps, geological 
sections, and perspective views. e happy and success- 
ful execution of this arduous enterprise reflects equal honor 
upon the government who patronized, and upon the gentle- 
men concerned in the expedition. 
Their commission included the geographical and physic- 
al features of the country, the details of Botany, Zoology, 
Geology and Mineralogy, the condition of the native tribes, 
the climate, and in short every thing which could be inter- 
esting, either to science or politics, This difficult task was 
most ably and faithfully executed, and if it were consistent 
with the design or limits of this work to attempt an analysis 
of the volumes in question, we should find the task very dif- 
ficult, because it is scarcely possible to abridge the interest- 
ing and important details with which they abound. . ' 
_ A successful generalization may indeed be exhibited, with 
respect to the geological features of the country; but 1 
- Would be unhappy to exhibit the subject in a state less per- 
fect than that which it assumes in the narrative itself. 
e perused with no small regret the account of the vast 
sandy desert which, for the distance of five hundred miles 
from the feet of the Rocky Mountains, presents a frightful 
waste, scarcely less formidable to men and animals, than 
the desert of Zahara; and we contemplated with admira- 
