ran 



B 



. M . ... .1 



and Ike AUarrtic. and a. w mfcr from vegetable 



t in a kkftMT latitad. en UM AUantic coast than in tke basin of the 

 Tke ponds of New Orleans have been frozen so as to 

 n bore to kato or play on them* phenomenon that 

 . in UM MM latitude on the Atlantic coast 

 j SsfitiT-'mi i*** the /nirrior of Nort h A merit*. Since tke 



i of Louisiana by tke United State, in 1808, the government 



have sent oat esnnl expeditions to explore part of the extensive 

 regioo. between UM Mi.sis.irpi and the Pacific Ocean. The first was 

 tkatat Ike bead of which was Captain Men wether Lewis, with Captain 

 Clarke. Tke patty entered tke Missouri at St Louis, where it joins 

 tke Mi-.ippi. on tke 14tk of May, 1804, and by the lit of November 

 reached tke Mandan Tillage*, about 1600 mile* from St Louis, in 

 r !' 47 H. tat, and 99 24' 45' W. long, from Greenwich. 

 Here they lenMJaad till tke 7th of April, and during their stay com- 

 pleted, from UM information of tke Indians, a map of the country 

 between UM MheMiiiil and the Pacific from about 34* to 54 N. 

 ML TkayUM* continued tiMasoant of tke Miseonri, till, on the 18th 



\ : - i ' 



v 



river, they made their way on k 



ivigable point, about 

 i. Here, leaving the 

 the mountain*, when 



tkey racked a navigable stream, which led them into Lewi* Kiver, 

 from which they were carried into the main branch, the Columbia, 

 I proceeded down it till, on the 15th of November, they reached 

 Pacific, They remained on this coast till the 27th of March, 1806, 



i they Bet out un their return, and reached St Louu on the 23rd 

 of September. Meanwhile, in the latter part of 1804, Mr. Dunbar, of 

 Nateho, accompanied by Dr. Hunter, had sailed up the Washita Kiver, 

 which flow* from the north-we*t into the Red River, a few mile* above 

 it* junction with the Muaiatippi, ax far an to the hot-spring* in itn 

 vicinity, in 34* SI' 4' N. lat, 94 50' 45' W. long. A considerable 

 portion of the Red River iteelf had been before thin explored by Dr. 

 SibUy, of NatohKoches. In 1805, Lieutenant (afterward* General) 

 Pike wa* dispatched by the government on an expedition to explore 

 the upper portion of the Muauaippi. He nailed from Port St. Louiii 

 on the >th of August, and, after making hi* way to what were then 

 nnnsiiUrert the sources of the river, returned to Uje same place on the 

 30th of April, 1808. Soon after his return Pjke was dispatched on a 

 second expedition, to explore the country to the south of the Missouri. 

 He left St Louis on the 15th of July, 1806 ; and, Laving proceeded 

 up the Missouri till he came to its junction with the Great Osage 

 River, he entered the latter, and explored it nearly to its source. The 

 course of the Great Osage had been before this very imperfectly known. 

 He then crossed the country to the Arkansas, which he explored from 

 about 85* N. lat to its sources in 42 N. lat, a portion of which no 

 account had been previously given. The lower part of the Arkansas 

 was at the same time explored by a detachment from the main army, 

 conducted by Lieutenant Wilkinson. After leaving the Arkansas, 

 Pike continued bis progress to the westward till he came upon the 

 Rio del Norte, in New Mexico, where he was taken prisoner by the 

 HfmikH* L and detained for some months. He was, however, at 

 length released, and effected his return to St Louis by the 1st of 

 July, 1807. In the course of this expedition, besides the results we 

 kave already mentioned, the sources of the river Platte, which falls 

 into the Missouri, were discovered, parts of the river Kansas and of 

 the Platto were explored, and the general course of the Rio del Norto 



In 1819 another expedition was sent out in the same direction, 

 under Ike conduct of Major Long. This gentleman and his party 

 left PHteburg . in Pennsylvania, on the 5th of May, and sailing down 

 UM Ohio to its junction with the Missuwppi. ascended the latter river 

 as far as St Louis. They then proceeded along the north side of the 

 valley of tke Missouri to Council Bluff*, a position on the Missouri, 

 above UM junction of the Platto ; here they established their head- 

 quarter*, and eiamined a considerable part of the surrounding 

 country. A rtt*n>im*iit was also sent across to Fort Osage and the 

 Kansas village, farther to tke south. Another detachment having 

 returned down tke Missouri to St Louis, then ascended the Mississippi 

 as far as to tke Des-Moines, or De-Moyen Rapids, in 40 20' N. lat 



Meanwhile tke main body, proceeding to the west, reached the 

 Pawnee villagm on tke Loon Fork, a branch of tke Platto, from whence 

 directing tfceir route to the south they came upon the Platte, and 

 followed it westward till tkeir further progress was stopped by the 

 Rooky Mountains (about 104* W. long.), whence it issues. They then 

 took tkeir way in a southerly direction along the base of the moun- 

 tains, only occasionally ascending tke peaks, till they came t.. the- 

 * lUckment being sent up that river, ascended it for 

 to tk* spot where it leave, the mountain* ; while 

 " P*n? descended it to UM Mlnnal-ipl. The main body mean- 

 while directed tkeir way across UM country to tke south, till, after 

 *!"* to *" u * 1 bwrt '*<> miles, they came to a river, along the 

 ny of which UM prooseded 1 toT 800 miles, when they were told by 

 MM Indians that it wa. the Red River. But, having continued their 

 for MM hundred nuM* farther in the same direction, they 

 tkat tkis kntnrmntiun was wronr . 







was wrong, and tkat the river was the 

 into the Arkansas Upon this, without making 

 "ft *""* *1 WTW, they directed their uteps 

 on the Arkansas, tke pUo. where it had been arranged 



AMERICA. MS 



that their companions who had undertaken the descent of that river 

 hould wait for them. They arrived there on the 13th of September, 

 four days after the other party had made their appearance. 



In 1823 Major Long, accompanied by Messrs. Say, Keating, and 

 Calhoun, was dispatched by the government on an expedition to the 

 St Peter's River, which, flowing from the north-west, enter* the 

 Mississippi a few mile* below the Falls of St Anthony, in 45 N. lat 

 Setting out from Washington, the party proceeded by Wheeling, 

 Columbus, and the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, to the 

 Mississippi, which they came upon at Fort Crawford, about 43 N. 

 lat, 91* W. long. From this point they pursued the course of the 

 stream upwards along its right bank to the mouth of the St Peter's 

 Kiver, which Utter they then followed to its source in a small lake 

 called Polecat Lake, in 45 40' N. lat, 96 86' W. long. ; the distance 

 from the Mississippi by the route taken being about 500 miles, though 

 only 275 mile* in a straight line. Very near the Polecat Lake is Lake 

 Travers, the source of the Red Kiver, which the travellers followed 

 down to Lake Winnipeg, into which it flows. Fort Alexander on this 

 lake, in 50 46' N. lat, 96 25' W. long., was the ultimate limit to 

 which their journey extended. From this point they returned by the 

 Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake to Fort William on Lake Sup, IT T 

 thence round by the northern border of that lake to it* junction with 

 Lake Huron across the Huron to its south-eastern extremity and 

 finally, round the west end and along the south-eastern coast of Lake 

 Erie to the Fall* of Niagara. The extent of the whole region 

 traversed, or respecting which information was obtained, might be 

 bout 1300 mile* from oast-south-east to west-north-west, and it* 

 average breadth about 450 miles. 



Of the numerous recent expeditions, that of Captain Fremont, made 

 between the years 1842 and 1844, is one of the most important His 

 map and geographical researches embrace the immense tract of land 

 extending from the confluence of Kansas River with the Missouri, to 

 the cataract of the Columbia and the missions of Santa, Barbara and 

 Pueblo de los Angeles in New California, presenting a space amounting 

 to 28 degrees of longitude, between the 34th and 46th parallels of 

 north latitude. Other expeditions, surveys, and journeys were under- 

 taken by Abert, Wislizenus, Cooke, Johnston, Emory, and Stansburv. 

 " There prevails, throughout these North American works, a scientific 

 spirit deserving of the warmest acknowledgment/' says Baron 

 Humboldt of these undertakings. 



(The most important works of the more recent surveys and 

 explorations towards California and Mexico are : Report of tke Expe- 

 dition on the Upper Arkataat, in 1845, by J. W. Abert, 1 vol. 8vo., 

 Washington, 1846; Report of the Examination of Kev Mexico, in 1846 

 and 1847, by J. W. Abert, 1 voL 8vo., Washington, 1848; Memoir of a 

 Tour in Northern Mexico, connected with Col. Doniphan't Expedition, 

 1846 and 1847, by Dr. Wislizenus, 1 vol. 8vo., Washington, 1848; 

 Report of Lieut.-Col. Cooke, of hit March from Santa Ft, New Mexico, 

 to San Diego, Upper California, 8vo., Washington, 1848 ; Journal 

 of Capt. JohnHan of a March from Santa Ft to San Diego, 8vo., 

 Washington, 1848; Fremont's Geographical Memoir vpon Upper 

 California, an Illustration of hit Map of Oregon and California, 1 vol. 

 8vo., Washington, 1848 : Xote* of a Military Reconnaiuancc from Fort 

 Learenworth, in Miaouri, to San Diego, in California, including part* 

 of the A rkantat, del A'orte, and Oila Riven, 1 voL 8vo., Washington 

 and New York, 1848; Capt Stansbury's Expedition t UK (,'rcat Salt 

 Iiote of Utah, and Lieut Gunniaon's Mormont in thr Vallfi/ of Ike 

 Great Salt late, Philadelphia, 1852.) To these successive expeditious, 

 sent out by the government of the United States, are to be added 

 those of the English by Back, Rae, Richardson, and other*. Sir John 

 Hichardson in his 'Journal of a Boat- Voyage through Rupert' > Land 

 and the Arctic Sea, in Search of the Discovery Ships under Command 

 of Sir John Franklin,' London, 1851, has given a general account of 

 the physical geography of British and Russian North America, which 

 contains a great deal of valuable information. This information 

 enables us to lay down, for the first time, some of the leading 

 geographical features in North- Western America, namely, the country 

 between the Mackenzie and Behring's Straits. Very little was known 

 previously respecting that region ; and in most recent maps a large 

 river was to be seen running parallel with the Mackenzie, its upper 

 course being formed by the Lewis and Francis Rivers, its middle 

 course by the Yukon, and its lower course by the Colville. But the 

 information collected by Sir John Richardson from the English 

 traders and Russian authorities, ha* shown that the Yukon and 

 Colrille are not connected with each other; and that the former 

 flow* into Bchring's Straits, and the latter into the Arctic Ocean. 



The Lewis and Francis Rivers join in 61 80' N. lat, 130 W. long., 

 ..11. 1 then receive the name of the Pelly, from a trading post built 

 there by Mr. R. Campbell, which U elevated 1400 feet above the sea. 

 From this post the Pelly takes a northerly course, and being augmented 

 by several large affluents from the westward, become* a river of great 

 magnitude, which is known to the native tribes who speak dialects of 

 the Dinne or Kutchin language by the name of Yukar. It ha* been 

 navigated by the trader* from Campbell'* post to two days' sail below 

 the junction of the Porcupine, where it was found to take a westerly 

 direction towards Norton Sound. The natives who frequent its banks 

 lower down have brought letters from the Russians of Norton Sound 

 to the Hudson'* Bay traders, and carried back replies, and from 



