The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-11-03

Exteaitioa to tie 1eiis1v Stene.
ST LOUIS, SEPT. d.


of the rife regiment, 800 strong, embar-
ked at Belle Foutaine to ascend the Mis-
souri, river to the mouth of the 1clic7v
Stone. The expedition is commanded by
Lieut. Col Talbot Chambers. The Cap.
tains Martin, Magee and Ripley ; the
Lieutenants Shade, Clark, Kavenaugh,
Fields, and Francis Smith, 60 out with
their respective companies. II is inten-
ded that the expedition shall encamp du
ring the winter at the mouth of the Kan.
5e:; and. continuing its voyage in the
spring shall reach ITS point of destina-
ton in the course of next summer.
The Tellozv Stone enters the Missouri
in latitude IS degrees north; and in lon
gitude 27 degrees west from Washington
city. The intended post will be at its
mouth. The United States will then
have military establishment one thou
sand and eight hundred miles west of the
Mississippi and nearly one hundred
miles further north than the city of Que
5ec The officers carry with them the
seeds and grains which are expected to
thrive in that climate, that the post may
have aithIn itself some resource against
the failure of contractors Wheat, rye,
barley and oats, are expected to do we'll
there. They attain perfection even at
the earl of S kinks establishment on lake
Assinibain, three degrees further north.
The Mandan corn will find itself in its
own climate at the mouth of the Yellow
Stone. In fact all the grains, plants and
vegetables which flourish at Quebec or
Montreal may be expected to be raised
there, as the climate in that interior re-
zion of the North American continent is
known TO be near ten degrees milder than
in the same parallel on the Atlantic
coast
Our fellow citizen, Manual Lisa, SO
we'll known for his enterprise, will pre-
cede the expedition, to prepare the In
dams for its reception. He will quiet
their apprchensons by showing the be-
nevolent and humane intentions of the
American government and will silence
the British emissaries who shall repre-
sent the expedition as an act of war a.
gainst the Indian nations.
The establishment of this post will be
an era IN the history of the west II Car
ries the arms and power of the United
States to the ground which has hereto.
fore beer exclusively occupied by the
British North West and Hudson's Bay
companies, and which has been the true
seat of the British power over the Indian
mind. Now the American arms and the
american policy will be displayed upon
the same theatre. The North West and
Hudson's- Bay companies will be shut out
from the commerce of the Missouri and
Mississippi Indians the american ira
ders will penetrate in safety the recesses
of the rocky mountains in search of its
rich fur commerce yielding million
per annum will descend the Missouri !;
and the Indians finding their wants sup
piled by american tr ders, their domes
tic wars restrained by American policy.
will learn to respect the American name
The name of the 1-eLo1v Stone riOer
will hereafter be familiar to the American
ear. That a stream of its magnitude
should heretofore have been 80 little
known is a proof of the immensely of our
country How little has it been thought
that, 1890 miles up the Missouri, a river
was 10 be found equal in length and
breadth to the Ohio Yet such is the
character of the Yellow Stone, or Roche
,aune, as it was called by the French.
One of its branches, the Big Hoen, issues
from lake near the Rio del Nnte. on the
confines of New Mexico. and is naviga
81 tar many miles. The Tel20w Sfons
Itself issues from lake in the Rocky
mountains. 1t was descended by Capt
Clark on his return from the Pacific
ocean Re found it deep. rapid. and
navigable from the place where he struck
II 70 IFS mouth distance of $50 miles.
Below the junction of the Big Hoen the
width was usually from 500 to 800 yards,
and sometimes a mile. Innumerable
were the herds Of Buffalo, & other game,
which ranged upon it,-This abundance
of game is proof of the richness of the
country. In fact, the traders speak of
The face of the country upon the Ieilo1v
Stone, the serenity of the climate the
rapidly and clearness of the waters, IN