Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-02-26
PICTURE OF OREGON.

The following synopsis, as 1t were, of the
great Oregon country, and region ofthe Rocky
Mountain, is taken from review of Parker's
recent work in the last namber of the knick-
erbocker:-
"Spread before youa map Of that portion of
the continent which stretches westward from
line with the Council Bluffs, on the Missouri
river, and with the above named work in your
hand follow its author in all his journeyings,
until you reach with him that iron bound coast
where mountain barriers repel the dark rolling
waves ofthe Pacific, stretching without interve-
ming break, for five thousand miles to the coast
of Japan. What vast extent of country you
have traversed! How sublime the works of
the Creator, through which you have taken
your way! We lack space to follow our au-
thor in the detail of his far wanderings; and
shall therefore attempt notice at large of the
volume under consideration, but shall endeav-
or to present, in more general view, some of
| its most prominent features.
"Mr. Parker was sent by the American
Board of Foreign Missions, and he appears to
have been eminently faithful to his trust, amidst
| numerous periIs and privations, which are re-
| corded not with vain boasting and exaggera-
| ton, but with becoming modesty and brevity.
His descriptions, indeed, are all Of them graph
| ic, without being minute or tedious. Before
| reaching the Black Hills he places before US
the prairies in immense seas of verdure, on
which millions of tons of grass grow up but to
rot on the ground Or feed whole leagues flame,
over which sweep the cool breezes, like trade
winds of the ocean, and into whose green re-
cess the feet deer, bright eyed, bound away,
with half whistling snuff, leaving the feetest
| hound hopelessly in the rear. The Bufaloes
herd by thousands together, dotting the land
scape, seeming scarce as long as rabbits, when
SURVEYED from some verdant bluff, swelling
in the emerald waste.
"Sublimer far, and upon more magnlh-
cent scale, are the scenes among the Rocky
Mountains. Here are the visible footsteps OF
God Far away yonder, the blue mountain
above mountain, peak above peak, ten thou
sand feet heavenward, TO the regions ofperpetu-
al snow, rise the Titans of that mighty region.
| Here the traveller leads his winding way
through passages so narrow that the towering
| perpendicular cliffs throw deep twilight
gloom upon his path, even at midday. Anon,
| he energies and 10 a cataract descends dis
tant, mountain, like belt OF snowy foam CIR
ding his giant sides. On one hand mountains
spread out into horizontal plains, some round
ed like domes, and others terminating like
cones and ABRUPT eminences, taking the form
of pillars, pyramids and castles; on the other
vast circular entertainments, thrown up by vol
canic fires, mark the site Of a yawning crater,
while below, perchance river dashes Its way
through the rocky passage, with deep toned
roar, in winding mazes, in mist and darkness.
Follow the voyager as he descsnds the 20
lumbia, to winds, rapids, falls, 1000 miles
from any whites, and amid tribes OF lndlans'
speaking the same language. Here for miles
stretches perpendicular basaltic wall three or
four hundred feet in height, there foam the
boiling eddies and rush the varying currents.
On one side opens view OF rolling Prairles,
through rocky vista, on the other rise the lal