The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-03-27
lb,6

arc alone sufficient to render any attempt
at cultivation IN this region entirely fruit
less and great portion Of the surface
- moreover SO strongly inpIegnaled with
salts OF various kinds, that plants could
not flourish IN 1t, even were Il suftlClenCy
Of heat and moisture regularly supplied.
In this region, nevertheless, are situa,-
cd the sources Of all the principal branch
rs of the Columbia, the northerumost of
which rises near the saith parallel, and
the southernmost near the Add they, Of
course, receive their waters from the
mountains, as very little can be furnished
by the valleys. There are also many
lakes In this part of America, some of
which communicate with the Columbia
the others have no outlets, and their wa
tiers are therefore necessarily salt. The
largest of these collections Of salt water,
IS that called by the Indians Lake Youta,
and represented on the old Spanish maps
as Lake Timpanogos situated in one of
the valleys or holIows produced by the
Interlockng of the Snowy Mountains with
the other chains, near the Rocky Noun
tains. Very little is known as to the ex-
tent and position of this lake, except that
1t is very large, that it is surrounded by
high mountains, and that it receives on
its northern side a considerable stream,
called Bear River.
The Northern part Of the upper region
of Clarke River is less barren than that
which has been ust described the val
lies arc wider, the rains more frequent,
and the soil is freed from salt by the nu-
merous streams which traverse it.
The country East of the Rocky Noun
tains, for more than two hundred miles. is
almost as dry and barren as that mmcdi-
ately on the Western side offering no
means of support for a population, except
in the vicinity Of the rivers which flow
through it from the great chain into the
Mississippi The interposition of this
wide desert tract between the productive
regions of the Mississippi and those of the
Columbia, must retard the settlement of
the latter countries, and exercise power
full influence upon their political destnies
On the Columbia and its branches the
only settlements hitherto made in Oregon
are located. At the distance of one hun
dred miles from the Pacific, on the North
side of the Columbia, stands Fort Van
couver, the principal establishment of the
Hudsons Bay Company west of the
Rocky Mountains. In the delightful val
ley of the Multnomah, which enters the
Columbia twenty miles from Vancouver,
is settlement Of American citizens under
the direction of Methodist Missionaries :
it is said to be in prosperous condition.
A large body of emigrants sailed from
New York to this place toward the close
of 1889. Astoria, the first settlement
made by the Americans in 1911, is on
the South side of the river, eight miles
from its mouth it consists at present of
only single house occupied by the Hud-
sons Bay Company and called Fort
George.
The Columbia River for twenty-five ,
mile from the sea, varies in width from
one to seven miles. 1t enters the Pacific |
between two points of land, seven miles I.
distant from each othcs. From each Of
these points sand-bar runs into the wa
ter above which the waves of the Paci- |
tc on one side, and the torrents of the F.