GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON. 35 



into the Blue Mountains, and thence, go northward, to the upper part of 

 the Boise or Reed's River, through the valley of which, they regain the 

 Lewis, at the Hudson's Bay Company's post of Fort Boise ; there they 

 cross the Lewis, and thence, strike over the country, through the beauti- 

 ful valley called the Grand Round, to the confluence of the Walla-Walla 

 with the main Columbia, five hundred miles from Fort Hall. Those on 

 foot, or on horseback, find more direct lines of communication between 

 these two places. 



Below the Walla-Walla, the obstacles to the passage of wheel carriages, 

 are, at present, such as to preclude the use of them almost entirely ; and 

 the numerous rapids and whirlpools in the Columbia, render the voyage 

 down to the Falls of that river, exceedingly dangerous. Near the termi- 

 nation of the cascades, or lowest falls, is Fort Vancouver, distant two 

 hundred and fifty miles from the Walla-Walla, and one hundred and 

 twenty-five from the Pacific : and six miles below that Fort, is the mouth 

 of the Willamet, in the upper part of the valley of which river, the 

 American settlements are mostly situated. 



The passage across the Continent, through the British territories, is 

 much longer, and more circuitous : it is effected, as already said, chiefly 

 in canoes on the rivers and lakes; the rest of the journey being performed 

 on foot, or in some places, on horseback. The traders of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company, leaving Fort Vancouver, ascend the Columbia and its 

 northern branch, alternately on the river, and along its banks, about eight 

 hundred miles, to the Pass in the Rocky Mountains, near the 52d degree 

 of latitude. Thence, they cross, by land, five hundred miles, to Edmon- 

 ton, on the north branch of the Saskatchawine, which river they descend, 

 to Norway House, near the northern extremity of Lake Winnipeg, distant 

 not less than twelve hundred miles from Edmonton. From Norway 

 House, they go, either to York Factory, on Hudson's Bay, distant about 

 eight hundred miles, or through Lake Winnipeg, the Lake of the Woods, 

 Rainy Lake, Savannah River, and other connecting waters, to Fort Wil- 

 liam, the great depository of the Company, at the north-west extremity of 

 Lake Superior, about eight hundred miles from Norway House, and nine 

 hundred from Montreal. Another route from the Rocky Mountain gap, 

 to Fort William, passes along the south branch of the Saskatchawine, the 

 Assinaboin, and the Red River country; but the portages are so much 

 longer, that it is little used for transportation of articles across the conti- 

 nent. 



Thus it appears that the distance to the Lower Columbia, from the 

 frontiers of Canada, is about twelve hundred miles greater than from the 

 westernmost point in the States of the American Union. The journey 

 through the British territories, is indeed performed at present, in less 

 time, by the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, than the caravans 

 of men, women and children, from the United States, employ in their 

 passage along the Platte, and the Lewis : but the road for the latter will 

 be constantly improving, and the journey must annually become less in 

 actual distance, and much less laborious and tedious ; whilst the more 

 northern route will forever remain in its present condition, scarcely pass- 

 able by any, except the hardy and experienced traders, and voyageurs of 

 the British Company. 



