Washington telegraph., 1845-02-26
From he Cincinnati Chronicle.
LIEUT.. FREMONT'S EXPEDITION
TO OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.


The recent expedition Of Lieut. Fremont,
under the direction Of the War Department,
is one Of the most daring and romantic a.
mong the achievements of modern travel
lers. II was not merely an expedition to
Oregon, but it was the crossing of the
great North American Andes, in the midst
Of winier.-a feat far exceeding the passage
Of the Alps, by the ancient or modern war
riors.
In the annual report of the Typographical
Department there j. brief sketch Of this
Journey. IL has none Of its romance, but
contains an outline of what was done,
which may he enough TO excite an interest
in the narrative, which we hope Lieutenant
Fremont will hereafter give TO the public
This officer left West Port, Missouri, on
the st Of June. 1s43. His route from there
was first to the mouth of the Kansas; thence
up that stream to the Republican Fork
which was pursued TO Longs Peak. This
with two other lofty SUBMITS, are spurs or
shoots from the gigantic range Of the Rocky
Mountains. Longs Peak is called from
Colonel Long, now of the U. States Topo-
graphical Corps, who was At the head Of the
most important and advantageous exploring
expedition which had visited that country
since the day of Lewis and Clark This
peak il enormously stated in the Topo-
graphical Report and enormously printed
in the maps. at IL, 500 feet in height. Its
real height is $4,000 feet. This we have
from Col. Long himself who surveyed it.
The head of this peak, with those of its gi-
ant neighbors, rises above the regions of
perpetual snow. and their frozen brows defy
the melting rays ofthe warmest sun. Here
1t. Fremrnt arrived on the 4th Of July
On the 1ith he was at the Arkansas River
AZ The mouth Of Fountaine qui bout. He
crossed the Mountains at the South West
Pass. and descended into the valley of the
Mexican Colorado. This is one of the
most remarkable spots on earth. Here. at
an angle Termed by line dividing Mexico
from the United States, an1 the head waters
Of the Arkansas, in the midst of the North
ern Andes, are the fountain springs and
branches Of some Of the greatest rivers in
the world. Not far from each other, are
the head waters of the Yellow Stone:
which flows into The far-rolling Missouri;
the Arkansas, which joins the mighty Mis-
sissippi; Lewis's River, flowing into the
Columbia, and the Colorado of Mexico.
rolling it, waters into the South Pacific.
With barren plains on one side. vast ranges
/ OF mountains on the other and frozen sum-
mi;s above. the traveller here contemplates
the geographical key Of the North American
Continent
On the 81 of September, Lieut.. Fremont
reached the great Salt Lake Of Northern
Mexico, and spent a week in surveying il.
On the lsih OF September he reached Fort
Hall, and on the Goth OF October, Fort Nez
Pcrces. On the iih Of November he was
at the Missionary Station Of Dallas, on the
Columbia. This was the Northern termi-
nation Of his journey on the territory OF the
United States. On the 26tlI Of November
he commenced the bold project Of returning
amidst the seventies of winter. There was
then heavy fall Of snow, and the thermom-
ctcr was degs. below zero. In the course Of
few days he found himself between the riv-
er Aux Chutes and the Cascade Mountains.
Here vast parallel ranges Of mountains con
I tinued to run Southwark. and he continued
to traverse their Western base, till on the
/ lO;h Of December he was nj Hamaiii Lake.
This was probably about the 43d deg. OF
\ North latitude and AZ deg. of West longitude
/ from Washington. This was a region OF
great discovery aud extraordinary interest.
v His animals were, however, entirely worn
down, AMI there was no prospect Of getting
East. lie then determined TO cross the
Sierra Merida or great California Noun
tains, which lay between him and the Bay
Of San Francisco. He did so; and the
cold month Of February was consumed in
crossing the SHOWS ofthcse lofty mountains
These SHOWS were from five 10 twenty feet
deep. Ear,y in March he descended from
icy regions TO the perpetual spring of the
Valley Of the Sacramento. BY the Mexi
cans he was received and treated with grea
hospitality. At the end of March he pro-
ceeded up the valley Of the joaquin River
recrossing the Sierra nj a very bcautifu
pass to the South. On the 31st of Apri
last, he took the Spanish road from Pueblo:
de los Angeles TO Santa Fe. Arrived agair
al the Colorado, he proceeded North East
passed the Euta Lake and encamped a
Browns Hole. June 9TH, 1874. Crossing
The Colorado, he again passed the Rock,
Mountains, and proceeded to the Norl
Fork of the Nebraska. On the 3Oth O
Of July reached Bcnt's Fort, and on the 81 5
Of July returned to the mouth Of the Kan
sas River.
Such is an outline Of one of the longes
and most adventurous explorations Of ou
times. That part of the Expedition whicl
relates TO the passage of the Californian
Mountains-ihe return 10 the Colorado
and the survey Of that River, must have pc
cn,iar interest, and will be new TO the pub
lie mind. The government deserves credi
for the zeal with which il has pursued
Ges graphical discovery.
An Irishman abou, marrying Southern