3810.] to form a Colony at the Mouth of the Columbia.’ 
Serious are the restrictions, the em- 
barrassiments, and the perils, to which the 
cominerce of the United States. is ex- 
posed ; and their government, dissatisfied 
with the present, is looking forward to 
the future. But it does more than look 
forward.—It silently acts. It is prepar- 
ing for rendering the trans-atlantic: re. 
public more independent of Europe. 
Lhat its manufactures are rapidly ad- 
vancing, the official article inserted in 
the last Number of your Magazine, is 
sufficient to proves It is also laying the 
foundations fur a great extension of its 
foreign trade; and, in fact, forthe wider 
diffasion of the English language and 
literature: and such will be the progress 
of commerce, of navigation, and of lan- 
guage, that the same language, that of 
England and the American republic, 
will hereafter afford the singular instance 
of two opposite phrases, the riches of 
the East, und the riches of the West, 
meaning precisely the same thing.. : 
Though the republic of the United 
States is a severe sufferer from the pro. 
Jongation of the contests of Europe, the 
western hemisphere is nevertheless ri- 
sing in importance, Whilst a dark 
cloud is hanging over the fortunes of 
Europe, a new spirit of light, energy, 
and improvement, is diffusing itself 
through the immense territories of Spa- 
nish America: her example, and encreased 
activity, and the presence of the supreme 
government, are giving a stimulus to the 
arts, the industry, and the population, of 
Brasil, and will call forth some of its in- 
exhaustible resources. British capital 
and enterprise continue to enrich Dutch 
Guiana. Powerful causes are operating 
to render the United States a successor 
to the provinces of the Baltic, with re- 
spect to the supply of corn or flour, and 
to make Canada, in some degree, a suc- 
cessor to those provinces with respect to 
the supply of timber and naval stores; 
and the government of those States has 
recently adopted a measure, which will 
Jead to a memorable change in the com- 
plexion of human affairs. ‘That govern- 
ment, some time since, sent out two most 
inportant expeditions, which, I believe, 
have never yet been ‘announced ‘to the 
British public, and which are intended to 
act in concert—an expedition by sea, 
end another by land. 
The former set sail to the southward, 
for the purpose of doubling cape Horn, 
of traversing the Pacific, and reaching 
the Columtia. - The latter was to pro- 
ceed to the westward, to follow the Mis- 
s0uri, to cross the vreat ridge of mouns 
Monigty Mac, No. 206, 
tains, and to arrive at the same river by 
this long, though much shorter, route. | 
Captain Meriwether Lewis, of the 1st, 
regiment of United States intantry, was 
the gentleman who, under the appoint. 
ment of the executive governinent, 1m 
company , with lieutenant Clarke,wand, .y 
thirty-one other persons, followed the” 
Missouri, from its mouth to its source ; 
and, in the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, 
explored this new route to the Pacifice— 
a route never before traversed by civie 
lized man. It was on the 16th cf Oc- 
= 
tober, 1805, that they penetrated to the, 
banks of the Columbia; that river, at the 
point where they reached it, being nearly 
halt a mile broad. But they will not, 
in the present land-expedition, have the 
benefit of captain Lewis’s advice and as-= 
sistance, he having, it is stated, put an 
end to his life. 
The former expedition was prepara= 
tory. The design of the present is to 
settle a new colony, either in the bay of 
the Columbia, or, more probably, at its 
mouth, or on its shores; a colony which 
will hereafter conduct a vast trade with 
different parts of the East. ‘The maritime 
part of the expedition is conveying stores 
and necessaries for the settlement of the 
infant colony. 
A principal object in view is to open 
a communication between the Missourz 
and the Columbia; or, in other words, 
between the Atlantic and Pacific, with 
as short or as commodious a carrying- 
place over the mountain tract, as can 
possibly be found. The great obstacle, 
indeed, to an extensive intercourse be- 
tween the eastern and western sides of 
the North American continent, an ob= 
stacle which time only can surmount, 
and after all imperfectly surmount, 1s 
the intervening ridge of mountains, 
which is broad, and supposed to be free 
from snow only about three or four 
months in the year. These months, 
therefore, will hereafter be busy months 
for the transport of commoadities. The 
want of roads, of culture, and of popu- 
lation, time and industry will remedy. 
That the Anglo-Americans will hereafter 
carry on, across the Pacific, a vast and 
lucrative commerce with China and 
Japan, in spite of the present umid 
and jealous character of their govern- 
ments, can searcely be doubted ; but in- 
numerable reflections, which L shall ab- 
stain from entering upon, crowd upon the 
mind in connexion with the preceding 
fac tsi. HS. S. 
Nov, 20, 1810. 
MiMOIRS 
