Scientific Lectures. 285 



Prof. ISTewbeiTY, on coming forward, was warmly greeted with 

 applause. He said ; 



Ladies and Gentlemen. — Some of you are aware that it chanced 

 to me to be connected with parties sent by the Government to 

 explore the proportions and topography of our own territory in the 

 Far West. You know, perhaps, that our Uncle Samuel, as we some 

 times call him, rather irreverently, has added \qyj largely to liis pos- 

 sessions, by purchase and otherwise, and that he has acquired it with 

 such rapidity that he has been somewhat ignorant of what he has 

 acquired, and it has been the object of the Governinent td send out 

 parties to determine what their character was in regard to topogra- 

 phy, mineral resources, &c. This series of explorations has been 

 kept up for many years ; and if the present acquisition of territory 

 should go on we may suppose it will continue for years to come. 

 For about live years I was connected with parties sent out by the 

 war department, for the exploration of our Avestern territory. 

 During the five years of exploration there w^as very much that was 

 interesting in our experience, and a great deal that w^as very severe 

 and trying ; and I have selected as the most interesting portion of 

 the western exploration that which relates to the exploration of the 

 great plateau which lies between the Sierra E^evada and the Rocky 

 Mountains, or at least one portion of it. 



This territory was explored by two parties with which I was con- 

 nected ; one of which, called the Colorado expedition, had for its 

 object the determination of the navigability of the Colorado river. 

 At that time we were carrying on war wdth the Mormons, and our 

 army was in a vicinity slightly settled. It was then necessary to 

 trans])ort all the supplies to our army 800 miles by land, over from 

 the east or the west. It \yas thought possible that the Colorado 

 river, which was a large stream running from the interior of the con- 

 tinent, might be navigable; but this river was almost entirely 

 unknown, both to our citizens and to the trappers, or to the Mexicans. 

 There were various reports in regard to it — that it w^as an uncanny 

 river, a very singular river, and that it was reported that there had 

 been parties who were traveling and exploring in that region, who 

 had come to its banks and had seen the water for days, and yet 

 parched with thirst. 



The report of the first expedition sent out by the war department 

 to explore the course of the Colerado has been published, and has 

 been, doubtless, seen by most present. Of the later Colorado expe- 



