The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-16
CD. clsl;slslrer.
RICHMOND, lob .AUGus7, 1906.
MISSOURI AND COLUMBIA RIVERS.

HiooCCih AND COLUMBIA RIVERS.
In laying down the commercial connection
which may hereafter fulfill Between the caNern
and TIE Wcitern oceans, or the il,orteit route
WHICH the American travellers mayat the pre-
Tent ilne be purifying towards the wcr, it is pro
per to bring before ctr readers Tome or the diff
hcu,ics Of iuch a trade and inch q tnnr when
carried on through the Mil'0uri ard the Column
ba rivers. In what part OF the Rocky nour
tans or what degree of latitude each of thofe
rivers takes it rife, has never vet been deter
mined By travellers, nor is it indeed very natc
nal to the pre.cnt explanation. /. is fuf.ici
emf that we recoileet the account of MsKenzic,
drawn partly from h;s own obf-ryatior. and
partly from the REPRESENTATION Of the natives.
that the Coiuzbiz river runs nearly ioutb
throughout its whole courfc, and is therefore
nearly parallel with the ocean and that Van
couver places its mouth in the 18th degree of
lat. With refped to the Miaouri, If is enough
TOR us TO recolleet that according to Cap. Clark,
Fort Mandin is III the 18th degree of Lax. and
that the river Beyond its falls changes its courG
ana boldly verges towards The foutb. Pottine
the'e facts together, it IS not altogether impro-
oaoie that the month of the Columbia and tine
mead or the Miiiouri are nearly in the fame de-
gree o! LAT. and that the d'itance of the Mi.iour
TO the neareh navigabIe point on the Colu,,b;, !.
n
the ocean. Should this idea therefore Ne cor
rect, the main branch Of the Columbia cannot
afford 10 the TRACER or traveller, whole rout is
from the MiHcuri to the ocean, all that facility
OF communication which he might have expe,q
ed. 1t is polliblc that fIch 4 connection may be
formed by fomc OF the Gna!!er branches of the
river, which rife in the Rocky RIDGE. much
nearer TO the head waters of the Mi(Iouri bat
TOE ex'tence aud the extent or fuch firearms are
as yet merely matters oi Ejaculation NJ slS,nyie
not having defended the river fo low. or Van.
codvrr Attended 1t III high. as to filcprs. ;,s -
rious branches.
Should no .uch branches exif and bouId
all tAe dreams. which rife in the Rocky nom.
tains. be ike the Columbia, foutherly in their
couric, aad nearly parallel with the ocean. the
lde1 OF communication by water between the
riiiouri and the lea, is not therefore to he aban
doned. ihe Rocky Ridge which iends OF 70
many rivers towards It's northern ey,remity i;
lad t" extend much farther to the C,uih thsn
The month Of the Columbia. Are we to finn
pole that nature has been lefS hountiful to the
inhabitants OF the tunth than 10 thofe who live
farther to thr north Are there no rivers emp
tying into the ia between The mouth of the
Columbia aad the PeniniiJla of California
VIII ii have their origin in tbs Rocky Ride
more coni'gu"us and convenient 10 the head
waters ofihc Miiinuri than To tn. reareh n,,i ~.
on the Columbia! But idea, of this kind, the
not unworthy ct modeit confederation. are ft;u
to be ranked among the dreams and foecuIati
ons OF the ciolct until they have been confirm
ed by actual obiervarion. TO thefe obfersati
ons therefore, we mutt have recourfe, If we
would determine the evidence and extent of
any tuch communication. No one has more
completely examined TIE coats of the Pacific
III theic attitudes than Vancouver, aud to the
voyages of Vancouver we muit therefore refer
for the beit Information which is to he found
OH this iibietf.
This correct navigator traverG.d the whole
COAT from the mouth of the Columbia fou.h to
the milton of St. DOMINGO " the outheromoG
vi the Spaniih ittiiewerts in fTeH-Aibion," in
the Soth degree of latitude. Throughout this
whole fpace, there was not any inlet OF the Tea
or itream or ileih water from the land, the
bearing and extent of which he did not a,temot
to exu"re. The rcfat of therc obiervations is
already before the pub!ic. In this whole C;De
OF coat, he difcOvered tut Jingle river which
was wids and iteep enough at lis outlet TO de-
itrVr ms notice, or TO proinila an exteuiive in
rt Info the innercoantrv, and even this river is
not 'poken al III the moi favourable terms.
he "'eot'ons II AZ a riq'ni-f rmotvinp into bay
IN 'ath"ce So 81, longitndc 1892 43I. 50 This
appeared 10 be the Target How Of water into
the ocean we had yet feen, excepting that of
Columbia river but the hreqkers that extend
ed acrols its entrance, feer1-d TO preclude the
poiiio'hty Gifts being naviga1le even for boats
In the Spaniih charts it is called Rio de s..
Bailrdo,' vol. 2. 447. Whether this river r.
les IN the Rocky Mountains near to the head
waters ofthe MbIouri {; whether there are anv
othernV complying into the ica which the for
gintiS of the weather prevented Vancouver
from obierving, or whether the Columbia river
is tillto be confiered as the oniv means of
communication between the Mififl,poi and the
lea remains for future travellers to determine.
NO doubt the tour Of Mefrs. Clark and
Lewis, will flied additional light upon this Gu
rions fuhitd.
How far thefe enterprifns travellers will If.
Fit US in extending The fur fyade of tb, ;ztcr;.
or, was the iecond branch Of this difeuGioo
which we propoied to invelgate bur if is
unneceiiary aud perhaps improper a. prefent 70
go into it at any length. Such rs feel anxious 10
anticipate the progrefs OF events would do well
to refer to the preliminary memorial and con-
Gliding reflections in Nj. Kenzie's travels or
ihe fl'r trade for feseraI interefing views Of
this fu'j,1.
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