Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-12-23

PldutS, ana all common fruits found in the II
States. Every thing produces well. For some
days our time was divided between visits on
The farm, to the mills, herds, the dairy. the
stores, the ships in the port, the school. etc.
IL OF course gave US great satisfaction to wit.
mess these fruits of civilization which we sun
posed our eyes had looked upon for the last
time when we passed the frontier line Of our
Town land. Doctor McI.aughlin's farm is the
largest on the Columbia river, and produced
last year, 1900 bushels of wheat, 1000 Of
|peas, 1900 of barley, 1900 Of oats, potatoes
mot gathered, corn but little. His horned cat
Tie are $50, swine 400, with from 200 to 400
horses. He has also a saw-mill and flour
mill.
mr.. Spaulding mentions, that nearly all the
Ichiei factors, traders, and clerks, at Vancouver.
are members either of the Episcopal or Pres
Ibytarian church, and that chaplain Of the for
mer church had just arrived from London. An
Iappeafed decidedly favorable to missionary
efforts! The laboring men are principally
French Catholics from Canada"
Our lreaders will observe, that the place
which IS thus described as producing FIGS. o.
ranges, demons, and cotton plants, is near north
latitude 45o; the ATTITUDES Of Michigan and
Maine, the coolest and most banner portions
of the United States. What makes the differ
ence! One is on the eastern, and the other
on the western coast Of the United States.
The same difference exists between the whole
eastern coast of the United States, and the
shores of Europe. France, Spain, and IlaIy,
which produce the olive, the orange, and the
vine SO exuberantly, are in the latitude Of the
northern part of the United States, where the
climate is very different. One is on the east
ern and the other ON the western shore of the
ocean.
! But, our readers need not suppose, that be-
cause it is 50 delightful at the mouth Of Co
lun,bla, the same features prevail in the inter.
mediate country. Just the reverse is the fact.
From the forks OF the Platte river to within
three hundred miles Of the Pacific, distance
OIL 200 miles, barren, sandy, rocky Zahara,
iIntervenes, with scarcely water and grass O.
Inough TO supply the trayelerat night The
Snake, and Lewis Rivers run through, sand
plains, in groves cut through the solid rock
from loo to 500 feet deep. Unless this des-
Iert is interrupted by fertile lands on the head
waters of the yellow Stone, it will elIectually
stop the progress Of the states west.
The following great natural curosities are
not the least which exist in our country:
Bnsaitic Rorks md Nutu,ul .Soda Fountain,
"lhe geological structure of the earth, ex-
lceot tract OF beautiful granite, tlro which
we Travelled for a few days near the Black Hill,
aud one or two specimens on Snake River, is
one and the same, viz; basaltic. 1t would
seem thatthe entire Rocky Mountains, extern
ldlng even to the Pacific Ocean, have been
lthrownup from the bowels of the earth by in
ternal fires. The country Of the Columbia
River, especially, isa beautiful specimen. The
blufts on either side rise to the height of 100
to 200 feet, in benches ofpertect flutes, close
fly piled, all perpendicular, with the exception
oftwo small piles which, observed in passing
from Wallawalla to this place---one horizon
tai, the other oblique. For one whole day,
while passing the Blue Mountains, two days
from Wallawalla, we were upon cut stone, or
stone broken by some natural agency, and re-
senbllng very much continued heaps of such
broken stone as is prepared for covering roads
in the States. This days travel injured the
feet of our animals more than the whole Jour
ney besides. In fact. we found but little diff
ficalty till we reached these mountains. Most
OF our animals made the whole journey with
ont being shod. We drove wagon TO Snake
Fort, and could have driven it through but for
the fatigue OF our animals We expect to get
II at some future time.
The whole face of The country, from Fort
William, at the foot Of Black Hill, till within
six or seven days travel Of Wallawalla. is CO.
tyered with The mountain sedge, a species Of
wormwood, with fbrous stalk Of the size Of
aman's wrist, and from three TO four feet high,
having dead appearance. No creature, be-
llieye, eats this bitter herb. unless compelled
by hunger. This sedge was some obstruction
to the wagon, though but little to the pack
horses.
"'Thrce days before we reached Fort Hall
we passed what seems to me one Of the great
est curiosit.es in the world---a natural soda
fountain Of unknown extent, having several O.
penings. One Of them is about fifteen feet in
diameter, with no discovered bottom. About
twelve feet below the surface are two large
globes, on either side of this opening, from
which the efervescence seems 10 rise. Howe
yer, stone cast in, after few minutes, throws
the whole fountain into violent agitation. A
mother OF the openings, about four inches in
diameter, is through an elevated rock, from
which the water spouts at intervals of about
forty seconds. The water is, in all it's proper.
ties, equal TO any artificial fountain, and is
constantly foamiDg and sparkling. Those who
visit this fountain drink large quantities OF the
water, with good effect to health. Perhaps in
the days when a railroad connects the waters
of the Columbia with those Of the Missouri,
this fountain may be source Of great gain 10
the company that shall accomplish such no. !
BILE work, if they are beforehand in securing it.
For am sure, if visitors can come from the /
Far East to see the Niagara Falls, they would
not value few days more to visit the West,
and see the Great Soda Fountain Of the Rocky
Mountains.
"Within few days ride Of Salmon Falls,
we passed three grand shoots Of water, where
small rivers rushed from the perpendicular
bluff, and fell from height Of about 500 feet
from the surface of the earth, and 300 from the