The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1838-10-18

nsyings. until you reach with thar IRON
bound eoasi, where mountain barriers re-
pei The dark rolling waves Of the Paei6c.
which stretches. without an intervening
island. Eur Eve thousand miles, 10 The
coast Of Japan. What . vast extent Of
country you have irssersed! how sublime
the works "i the Creator through which
You have taken your way.
We lack sPsee 10 follow our author in
the detail Of his wsndeIihgs. and shall
mi therefore attempt q noliee al large af
the Snlame under consideration. but shall
endeasor u present. in a general view.
some 0I@,s more prominent features.
Mr.. Parker was sent out by the Amer
lean Board Of Foreign Missions: and he
appears In have been eminenIly faithful
u his trust, amidst numerous perils and
prIEaIIons. which are recorded. moi with
vain blasting and exaggeraliOn. but with
mndes.y aud breSiIy. Ills descriptions,
indeed. are al Of them graphic. without
being minute or tedious. Before reach
ing the Black Hills he places before US
the prairles, railing in immense seas Of
veIdure. on which millions Of tons Of
grass grow up but 10 rot 0n the ground.
or feed whole leagues Of that lame, over
which sweep The cnal breeZes. like the
trade winds OI the ocean, and into whose
green recesses frightened anIelopes bonnd
away With hali.whislIing snuff. leaving
the leelesl hound hopelessly in the rear.
There herd the bulialaes. by thousands
together. dating Ihe landscape. seeming
scarce SD large as rabbits when survey
ed At distance from some verdanI bluff.
swelling up 10 the emerald waste. Sub
liner lar. aud upon more magnificent
scale, are the scenes among the Racky
Mountains. Here are the visible foot
steps Of God! Wonder. mountain above
mountain. peak sbnve peak. ten thousand
feet hssvenward, To regions Of perpetual
snow. rise the guardian 1'ilans of that
mighty region. Here The traveller Iresds
his winding way through passages so mar.
row that the towering perpendicular cliffs
throw 4 dim twilight gloom upon his
path even at midday. Anon he emer-
yes. and Ia! cataract descends distant
mountain. like belt Of snowy foam, Cir
ding its giant sides. On one hand. noun
lains spread out into horizontal plains,
some rounded like dnmes. and others ter
mina,ing in sharp cones and sbrup. emf
nences. taking the forms Of pillars. pyra-
mids, and Castles; on the other. vast cir
cular embsnkments, thrown up by yolca-
mic 6res, mark out The site Of yswning
crater; while Gar below, perchance. rive
er dashes away through narrow, rocky
passage. with deep-soned roar in wind
ing mazes. in mist and darkness. Fol-
low The voysger as he descends the Co.
Iumbis. subject to winds, rapids and falls.
two hundred miles from any whites, and
amidst tribes of stranger Indians, all
speaking different language. Here. for
miles. stretches a perpendicular balaslic
wall. three or four hundred Zee, in height;
lh-re foam the boiling eddies. and rush
the varying currents; on one side opens
view Of rolling praries, and through .
rocky vista on The other. rise the far-un
mountains. mello~eL in the beams Of the
morning sun. Now the traveller passes
through forest Of trees, standing in their
natural position in the bed Of the river,
twenty feet below The waters surface.
Passing these, he comes to group of isl.
ands lying high IN the stream, piled with
the coffin canoes Of the natives. filed will
their dead. and covered with mats ant
split plank. lie anchors for awhile a
a wharf Of natural bssalt, but presently
proceeds on his way. gliding now in So
Tenn silence. AND now interrupted by iht
roar of distant rapid. gradually grow
ing on the ear, until the breaking wa,el
and fealhery foam arise to the view. Paus
ing under rocky cavern, by The shore
formed Of semi-circular masses which
have overbrowed the stream Tor ages.
d" frowning terrible, impossible TO climb.
he awaits the morning. listening during
the nigh. watches to hear the distant cliff
-" reves berate the sound
or parted fragments tumbhng from on high
Such are The great features Of The mis-
sionsry's course until The boundary Of IN,
" far west" is reached. aud he repose.
for time from his long aud toilsome jour
uey.
Oar author gives US many details in re
laiion TO the Indians Of the Oregon Ter
! riinry. their habits, manners. &c. Sine,
1929 seveu-eighths Of the Indian popu
la,ion, below the Falls Of Columbia. W,
are informed. have been swept away By
disease. principally fever-and.ague. in
creased partly by intemperance, but great
ly augmentedby their mode Of lrea,men.
Ia the burning stage Of the fever they
plunged themselves into the river. an
continued in water until the heat was al
layed. and rarely survived the cold stag,
which followed" So many and so sud
I den were the deaths which occurred ,ha