The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-02

'N"'N ~ 'P'' III ZIG CdCe or Coo, Hone.
the thortrh route. When .he Ruff ms ,ii,coyer-
ed the inspofhhiii'y OF procuring = pafTsye thro,
the frozen ocean to China ard the eajf ro,o
OF Am, they formed the project of opening ar
'nsenor communication by rivers and pottapes
through the heart OF Tartsry. They conveyed
their nmodities over land to China or To The
itra'ts ct behring, whence they paiied over
to the adjacent iflands or the American CONT.
nent. In the fame relation does tie Atlantic
coat OF America fand with refpet9 tote Paci.
Tic: Rather than undertake a long and ,.itan,
voyage around the fouthern extremitits of Af,i-
Cd anh America, perhaps the Atlantic nhabi-
tants may hereafter find it to be their interrR to
pats directly through the land 10 the P.c;fc
coae. II is in this point Of view, .hat the tour
OF Mef'rs. Lewis and Clark TO the welt appears
70 me TO he tranght with multitude of itnpor
TAM eVehts.-Lst us trace iome of theft interior
communications as far a. our materials will
permit us.
"Whatever courfe Gays McKenziel may he
taken from the atlantic, the Columbia is the
line OF communication from the Pacific Ocean.
pointed OUT by nature, as it is the only ma viga-
ole river In the whole extent of Vancouver's
minute iurvey OF that river: its banks ALTO form
the hrit level country in al, the fouthern ev;en,
Or continental coat from Cooks entry, and
consequently the mott northern titua,ion for co.
onlzaton and fuitable to the reidence Of a civil.
lizeh people."b)
VI the courie, dimenlons and accefiibty Of
this river, no accurate accounts nave vet been
exhibited. The following are perhaps the moi
material facts which have been collected hy
Vancouver and Mckenzie.
COLUMBIA RIvER.--Among the m.
merous chains of mountains, which in
terieet that part Of North America, which
i,es TO the wet of the Miliiflippi, the laR.
though by no means the leaf, is that immruG
tidge OF mountains, which dips in the North "a,
runs nearly S. L. and begins to he paralitI
with the coat tie Pacific ocean, from Cook ~
entry to the Columbia river In ,hcfe
inow-clad mountains rites the NIilIuuri.
which flows into the Gulf Of NIex;co
the river Melton. which is loft in HndGen's 81
Mackenzie's river, that discharges itielf in the.
north lea and the Columbia, which emptiss !
INTO the Pacific Ocean. " 1t is the ex.en,ioris,
or theie mountains 10 far fouth on the fcs-coa(l
shat prevents the Columbia, from 6ndips a:
more direct courte to the f:ea, as it runs OBJ
iique.y with the coat upwards of riebf der,c.,
Of latitude before it mingIes with the O,can.'
tvs formed by the confluence of two rivers. that
Hue from their mountains, both of ,uem ex
treneiy rapid and continuing 10, till they unite
'helr currents, forming ffrean about 10
yards IN breadth. (22o.) The rapidly Of this
''CpStcGt SHOjc COuriS is indeed
icarceiy inferior to that Of the MiliiHinpi, even
IN the tpring feaion. In one part of it, (M'Kep-
zieiays)the currentranmoret han6 miles hour.
IN another part, he fays, it took people an
honr 10 paddle Canoe half mile. A, its
mouth, the current of the river is 70 flronr
as to render 1t very difficult for vene TO enter
even with the afiiftance OF the tide But this
is not the only impeachment, which it offers TO
the feamen. There are Breakers at its entrance
extending almolt from one cape 10 the other
which endanger the fafcty of the vefiel
wren the water is not perfectly trnoo:h.
lie loundings at its mouth are not more than
! or fathoms, though higher up, its banks APP
proach nearer to each other, and il is in fome
places 9 or 10 fathanssIr (Yaacouyer's chart y
"hat sthe extent of this river it is impoiliblt
to afcertaIn from the obfervations of McEeny;.
But throughout its whole extent it is ipterfner-
led with tails and rapids, which of courC. mnI-
uPiy the number of portages and the trouble of
tranfportation
II is icarcely neceHary to remind the reader
.hat M'kenZle's route in 1898, is very differcnt
from that OF our own travellers. M'kcnIie G.,
cur on his tour from Fort Chipewyan on the
I-@Ae OF inc HIS navigated that Lake, de-
ice''ded the Unjgah or Peace River, croled the
ROCK mountalDs, & aftera fhort portagcoyerthe
LiSh land which iepara:es the fource of 'racout-
che Iefle or Columbia river, and Up;irab ar
Peace river, he embarked ON the former &, mr.
, fued it to its mouth.
bnt TINS is not the only route, which M.Ken-
Z'e has laid down for a commercial cormun;-
cation with the native tribes of the wen. He
ooieTves that "by theie waters that difcharee
themieIves into Hudfos'S bay at port Melton.
IL Is propotcd to carry on the trade TO their
iource, at the head of the Safkatchjwine river
which rites in the rocky mountains, not 81 de.
grees OF longitude from the Pacific ocean. The
Columbia flows alto from the came mountains.
both OF them are capable of receiving flips at
their months, and are navigable throughout for
boats" (295.)
The route to Canada through the lakes Is
pronounced by this traveller to be inferior to ei
.heT OF thoie two other routes. ssThe traa of
UaniPoTt occupies an extent from to 4ooo
miles, through Upwards of 60 large frelh water
lakes and numerous rivers, while the means of
transportation are flight bark canoes; -Beides,
'ilat thoie waters are intercepted by more than
zoo rapids, along which the articles ofmerchan.
DIS are chiefly carried on mems backs and over
i9o carrying places, from % PAGES To Is
miles IN length, where the Canoes and cargoes
proceed by the fame toifome and perllons o.
pcrations."- (2o5.)
= Whether the route which we fhal pofTefs nv
means OF the MIilouri is more or leis advant,-
geous than either of tbote rontes pafrg thronph
the Britifh pofeiIions, we have no certain data