374 Expedition of Major Long and Party. 



procuring a Geological survey, to be made of the whole re- 

 gion, contiguous to the great canal, and of all 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. 



1 1 . Expedition of Major Long and party, to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. 



We have recently perused, with great satisfaction, the 

 narrative of the expedition of Major Long and party to the 

 Rocky 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. The 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 it 

 would be unhappy to exhibit the subject in a stale less per- 

 fect than that which it assumes in the narrative itself. 



We 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- 



