Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-07-07

ted States Typographical ers'neera. 10 Tie
4 Rocky mountains, in the latitude u the
! Platte and kaDzas Rivers, with view
to ascertain positions and localities, 20
! EXPLORE the country, and To make the
i Government fully acquainted with that
mote,ahd important point Of chr extern
ded territory, now becoming o' So much
more greater interest frols the extcution
/ of our traue to the northern parts of
Mexico and California, ard the settlement
growing sup in the valley Of theCoIumbia
river. The lire Of communicated now
followed bY emigrants, tsaeleszse aud
I travellers, 10 the Columbia AZ Calttoin'a
/ is upon tbs route, aud thrp1 The ltmouS
! South PassA-a depression 81 The Rocky
maintains "A the head of The river platte
which makesN cate IN l"a' eieFaltd
ridge, passabl, a state % na,uie, Tor
load cd Wagons, wa zen many Lave
passed through. TlIis A .h ns1 u 'nc
country on THIS ssdet we ,<,a, !, hosl',
talns culnes at very ans - '''' "
to cou piete our researches : .''l'i
to give more value to tia survt5 80
examination Of the Columbia river. rs
estuary, and the SURROUNDING country,
made By lieutenant Wilkes in his recrnt
voyage, and Of which full repurt has
| been made to the Government. These
two examinations will give Us all autheu-
tic and interesting view Of the important
country belonging to the L. States on
each side Of the Rocky mountains; and,
taken into connection with the great sci
entitic survey If Mr.. NicolIet, c0mmen-.
! cling at the mouth Of the Missouri river,
and extending north to the head OF the
Mississippi, and to latitude IS. and cn,-
ering ali the country IN the for1ss OF these
! two rivers, over an extent vi ten degrees
Of latitude, will shed much light upon
the geography and natural history of the
vast region west oil the Mississippi river.
{ The following is an article from the
! Missouri Reporter:
IMPORTANT EXPEDITION.
Lieutenant Fremont, Of the corps Of
Typographical Engineers. lelther -uu-
| der orders from the war department, "a
bout ten days ago, with party Of about
twenty men, ON tower to the Rocky
mountains. The object Of the expedition is
an examination Of that portion of the
the country between mouth Of the Kanza5
and the head waters of the great River
Platte, including the nayi gable parts If
| both these rivers. and of what is called
! the southern pass in the Rocky noun
tains. and the informed ate country,
with view to the establishment OF a
line of military posts from the frontiers
of Missouri to the mouth of the Colum-
bla river. This expedition is connected
with the proposition nows bei Cong
ress to occupy the territory about Co
lumbia river, Us proposed by Dr.. Inns.
bill. '~--
The great river Platte is the most di.
rect line of communication bttW cen this
1 country and the mouth OF the COiumb a,
and that route is known 10 be practical
| bie and easy. 1t therefore becomes i'm
portant to ascertain the general charac-
ter Of that river and the adj scent cuIutry.
aud the facilities il will lie likely to a.
ford i'll prosecuting The contemplated set
Elements in Oregon. This S5utd2,M Pass.
or depression in the Rocky mountains,
/ is near the source of tie extreme ives
tern braoch of the liver Platte, and az
tords an easy passage for Wagons and o.
] Their wheel carriages which have ire
! quently passed over the mountains upon
| that louie, without difficulty OF DELAY;
and it is Important taat the latitude Of
of this point should be ascertaued, as il
is established between the United States
and Mexico. by the treaty with Spain os
1919. Ii this pass should fall south Of
that line, (the 42d degree OF north lIti-
tude. it may become necessary to exam
Inc tIercouutry north Of it; the line of
| the Yellowstone, and the south branch Of
the Columbia, would, it is tEouahl, ailold
the next best route.
Lieutenant Fremont, though, has had
much experience in surveys ofthis kind.
having made the topograp hical survey of
the Des Alolns river, and having assisted
the scientific Mr.. Nicollet in his great
survey Of the country On the Upper Mis-
sissippi. lie is we'll supplied with iustru
ments for making as,rominal obSprva-
tons; for fixing TIE latitude and longl-
tude OF important paints; and Daguerre-
type apparatus, for taking views q I'M
purtant scenes along the route; and it
not obstructed III his operations by large
bonds Of wild wandering Indians, phich1
sometimes trouble small parties passing
through shat regloa- may be expected 10
impart much valuable information to The
Government and to the country.
Since the attention Of the county has
been directed to lhe settlement OF the
Oregon territory by our able Senator
(Doct. Linn) and by the reports Of those
who have visited that region IL person
the Importance of providing ample Seea-
rlty for the settlers there, and and q
opening safe and easy communication
from the western boundary Of Missenn
to the Columbia ri,cr has been unlfef-
sally admitted
The day is not far distant Shea, " Tie
General Government viii do its duty !"