The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIRS:

EXPEDITIONS OF GOVERNOR STEVENSON
AND LIEUT. BEALE.
A correspondent of the New York Daily Timms
furnishes the following interesting particulars of
these American exploring expeditions
" The steamer St. Ange arrived at St. Louis on Au-
gust 27, from the Upper Missouri River. She was
chartered to take up supplies of provisions and goods
for the trading ports on the Missouri, which are occu-
pied by the firm of Harvey and Primeau. She left
St. Louis on the 7th of July. She has made the trip•
in more than ordinarily good time in consequence of
the longer continuance of the spring freshet. I learn
from the officers the following particulars :
" Governor Stevenson arrived at Fort Union, at the
mouth of the Yellow Stone on the sth of August. So
far, the party has proceeded without difficulty, and
with a celerity beyond their expectations. On the 7th
the governor and party, with the ample outfit which
had been prepared for them, left for Fort Benton.
They were in high spirits, and anticipated a rapid and
successful termination of their expedition. Captain F. S.
Everett, bearer of dispatches from the governor to the
government, came down upon the St. Ange, together
with eight of the employees, whose terms of service
had expired. Governor Stevenson divided his party on
setting out from the border. The northern division un-
der Lieut. Donelson, proceeded on a line a little south of
the 49th parallel ' • the southern one, under Lieutenant
, followed generally the line of the Missouri
River. The two parties have no doubt sufficiently ex-
amined the country to give a fair topographical account
of the territory between the Missouri and our northern
boundary. I have been unable to ascertain satisfactorily
the exact route on which the governor purposes to tra-
vel beyond Fort Union. Lewis and Clark ascended the
Jefferson or middle branch of the Missouri to its source,
thence over the crest of the Rocky Mountains to Lewis's
fork of the Columbia ; thence over another mountain
range into the valley of Clark's fork of the Columbia;
thence to the mouth of Traveller's Rest Creek, one
of its western tributaries, and thence up that creek
and over another range into the valley of the Koos-
koosie, an eastern branch of Lewis River, and on-
ward, in canoes, to the Pacific. On their return they
retraced their onward route to Traveller's Rest Creek,
where the two adventurers separated. Captain Lewis
proceeded eastward through the North Pass, and thence
down Maria's River, and via the Great Falls to the
mouth of the Yellow Stone. Captain Clark moved in
a south-eastwardly direction to the vicinity of the
sources of Jefferson River, and thence across Gallatin
River, and through a gap in mountains into the valley
of the Yellow Stone, and down that stream to its
mouth, where he rejoined his energetic companion.
Both of them found excellent natural waggon roads—
the one through the North Pass being decidedly
preferable. We have no account of any pass in
the mountains north of the line of Captain Lewis's
travels, until we ascend to the head of Peace River, the
great feeder of Slave Lake, discovered by Sir Alexander
Mackenzie in 1773. The river has its source within.
twenty-five yards of the head spring of the northern
branch of the Columbia. The only passage yet made
between those two points, so far as I am informed by a
white man, was that ofFather de Smedt, a pious and
zealous catholic missionary, who resided for a time with
He
ee
crossedFlatheads on
mountains,the
northernen
hisb returnranchct
thee St.
Columbia.euls
near the sources of Maria's River, over tremendous bar-
riers, cut up by deep gorges, I incline to think that no
pass can be found south of the 49th parallel, and north
of the North Pass. Our own traders and trappers have
long since satisfied me that, with the exception of the
gap found by Clark, none other will be found south of
that place. The land route, then, either for emigration
or railroad, on our northern territory is through the
North Pass.
" But when the valley ofClark's River is reached, where
will Governor Stevenson then proceed ? He cannot find
even a road for carts south of the mouth of Clark's River.
There is an immense and unbroken spur on the Rocky
Mountains extending from the sources of Lewis River,
where it unites with the main chain a little west of north
to the mouth of Clark's River. Through a fissure of this
chain, that stream rushes with great difficulty, as it has
been nearly dammed up by the falling in of an overhang-
ing cliff. Northward and westward it continues to tra-
vel, how far no one can tell. Looking at the map, one
would say that Governor Stevenson could and should al-
low the line of Clark's River to its northern bend, and
hence westward to Puget's Sound; but this is probably
impracticable. The only person who has published any
account of this river was Major Pitcher, an experienced
trapper and trader, and subsequently Indian agent, who
descended it in batteaux in the year 1820. He kept a
journal of his travels, which he afterwards placed on the
files of the State Department, where I had the pleasure
of reading it some years since. He says that, for whole
days together, he floated down its swift current, be-
tween walls of rock several hundred feet in height, and
that these walls were so smooth and unbroken, that for
three nights he and his companions could not find a ledge
even broad enough to sit upon, and were actually com-
pelled to stand up, leaning against the wall, to sleep.
Such is the only account we have of what we would na-
turally suppose to be a spacious valley. The upper por-
tion of this river waters a very fertile and beautiful basin,
enclosed by a gorgeous panorama of mountains. Major
Pitcher did not, however, diverge very far from the line
of the stream, and it is possible the Governor may find
a fissure near the northern bend through which he can
strike for the Sound. If he does find such a pass,
I undertake to predict that through it must ultimately
be constructed the American commercial railroad to
China and the Indies. From New York it will be at
least six hundred miles shorter in distance than any
road leading to San Francisco from St. Louis or Mem-
phis can be. Temporary causes, however, will occa-
sion the construction of the first road on a more southern
line.
" I have just received the latest newspapers from Santa
Fe. Finnegan, about whom rumours of revolution have
been set afloat, was killed in an affray between Mexicans
and Americans, which occurred at a ball where the two
races were intermingled. The consequences are not
likely to be as serious as was apprehended. In relation
to the accident which occurred to Lieutenant Beale and
party, I cannot do better than give you the following
extract from the Santa Fe Gazette :
" ' Information reached us a few days since from
Lieut. Beale, by Mr. Cosgrove, of his party. Mr. C.
states that the party got on rapidly and well to Grand
River, a distance of three hundred miles from Fort
Massachusetts. They found the river very high, and
the crossing bad, owing to the muddy condition of the
valley bordering on the river, to the distance of some
miles or more in width. This mud had been left by the
receding of the river, and was half-belly deep to a horse
over the entire extent of the valley ; this made the
process of digging a canoe, which had to be done
in the mud and water, tedious and unpleasant. The
work was, however, accomplished, and the crossing
commenced, and the two first loads crossed in safety ;
but in crossing the third load, which contained
nearly all the provisions and ammunition of the party,
the canoe was capsized, and everything turned into the
river and lost—leaving barely enough to subsist the
party until they could send back to Taos for a new
supply. Seven of the party returned to Taos—among
them Mr. Riggs, banker, of Washington City ; a supply
of provisions, &c., was obtained at Taos, and two of the
party, with a renchman, whom they took back as
guide, returned to Lieut. Beale. Mr. Riggs, with three
others, obtained an outfit at Taos, and took the Salt
Lake route to California. This unfortunate accident
will detain Lieut. Beal twenty or twenty-five days longer
' than he expected to be in reaching California. Mr. Cos-
grove says the route from Fort Massachusetts to where
• they struck Grand River, passes through a beautiful
country, well watered and timbered, and lands suscep-
tible of being settled onto a very considerable extent. He
thinks the route entirely practicable for a railroad.' "

THE NEW COMPULSORY VACCINATION ACT.—This act,
already noticed, was
s,
passed on the 20th August, and it
is directed that within six weeks, parishes or unions, if
needed, are to be divided into districts, for the purposes
of vaccination, and places appointed, giving increased
facilities for the vaccination of the poor. The six
eeks
o
will expire at the end of the present month,
DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM William w
(1811), Master, R.N.,Blisrthinst atßain
died B
nA.iN the.—the
Grange, Romford, Essex, aged 82. He was the' earliest
steam captain between London and Edinburgh. In his
career in the navy Sir William served in the Centurion
in the expedition to Dunkirk in 1793 ; capture of French
frigate Duguay Trouin, off the Mauritius, in 1794 ; and.
served on shore at the capture of Trincomalee, Battioa-
ice, and Jaffnapatam, in 1795. Was present in the
same ship at the capture of Banda and Amboyna, in
1796 ; and in many boat actions while blockading Ba-
tavia, in 1800 ; and slightly wounded while cutting out
some vessels at Sourabaya, 1801. Acting master of
Caroline at capture of Dutch frigate Maria Riggers-
bergen, and a brig, and destruction of shipping in Bata-
via Roads, 1806 ; and in the same year slightly wounded
at the capture of a Spanish galleon. Master of Sybil.
from 1812 to 1815, and captured several privateers.l
Published, in 1817, a " Treatise on the Variation of
the Compass."
GREAT WESTERN AND NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAIL.
WAY.—An alliance between these companies has been
suggested similar to the alliance between the Great Wes-
tern and Shrewsbury and Birmingham and Chester Rail-
ways, and to project a junction line either from Wediiisa.
buiy or Bilston through Cannock Chase to Colwich,
fifteen miles, with a line of five miles to the Warrington,
and Altrincham and Manchester, so as to give the Great
Western Railway an entrance to the north.
BANKRUPTCY LAW REFORM IN SCOTLeD.—A meet-
ing took place on Tuesday, at noon, in the Council
Chambers, Paisley, consisting of the Provost and magic.
trates, and members of the Town Council, of the Faculty
of Procurators, and of merchants and manufacturers of
the town, for the purpose of discussing the
.principles
the
ed pArodymisinioisntsraotifonLoerfd
Bankruptcy
37 ,bnildl for proving
procvingin
Scotland, and at which Provost Phillips presided. John
Gilmour, Esq., barrister-at-law, who is now in Scotland
the purpose
.of
attendedh e aring
tshueg gmeesetito4
by the desire of Lord Brougham and the promoters of
fl'itrsthp
banydin7iitanitoionns.o Mr. Gilmour having explained the bill,
his lordship's bill, for
Mr. John Dunn, writer, moved, "That this meeting
approve of the principle of the bill intituled 'An Act to
improve the Administration of Bankruptcy and Insol-
vency in Scotland,' introduced during the last session of
Parliament by Lord Brougham, as a great improvement
on the existing law of bankruptcy, and resolve to sup-
port the same, and to use their efforts to have it carried
into a law. And for this purpose, and for considering
the details of the measure, and offering such suggestions
as may appear desirable, a local committee be ipv.r ap-
pointed." The motion was carried by acclamation, and
the committee was nominated.