Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-05-24
Oregon Territory--Its ENtent--Ets
SOii-.Its Productions.

At tins time, when the Oregon terri
tory is justly exciting SO much of the
attention of the people, it seems not
unwise to draw sketch of the situa.
ton, climate and other advantages OF
that region of the United States west
of the Rocky Mountains now claimed
by Great Britain.
First then as to its extent-always
assuming that we are speaking Of the
country between the 42d 18th parallel
of north lattudc-on the east it skirts
500 miles along the Rocky Mountains,
on the south 400 miles along the Snowy
Mountains, on the west 700 miles along
the Pacific Ocean, on the North $50
miles along the North American pos
sessions Of Russia and England. This
area or immense valley contains $780,.
900 square miles-capable undoubtcd-
ly of forming seven states as large as
N. Y, or forty states Of the dimensions
of Massa, husetts.
Some Of the islands on the coast are
very large-suficicnt to foIm State
by themselves. These are situated
north of the parallel of As. Van Cou
ver's Island. go miles in length and
so in bredth, contains 10000 square
miles-an area larger than Massachu-
sets and Connecticut. Queen Char
LOFTS or rather Washington Island,
$50 miles in length and 30 in breadth,
contains 1000 square miles. On both
of these immense Islands, though they
lie between The high parallels of 4s
and 81 degrees, the soil is said TO be
well adapted to agriculture. The
straits and circumjacent waters abound
in fish of the finest quality.
The region between the parallels OF
~ and ~ degrees, is undeniably a.
splendid and desirable country. II
possesses that variety of climate and
productions so necessary to form de-
sirable whole--consisting OF prairie
and woodland upland and lowland, in
rich prolusion and variety. The forest
trees are gigantic-from Is TO SO feet
in circumference, and from 100 TO over
300 in hight! This may seem incrcd-
Iible, but these facts are vouchcd by cv-
cry traveller from the time of Lewis
and Clark to the present day. The
trees are principally dimes, ccdars and
frs. To farmers in the Atlantic States
this may seem strange growth OF tim
Der for fertile soil. Mr.. Farnham,
who spent some months there, and who
describes with great power but perhaps
with some exaggeration, remarks Of the
country north and between the Column
bia river and the starts Of Juan dc Fuca,
that "thc forests are so heavy and so
matted with brambles. as to require
the arm of Hercules to clear farm Of
100 arcres in an ordinary lifetime; and
the mass Of timber is so great that an
ATTIC mpt to snbduc it by girdling would
result in the production Of another for
est before The ground could be olsen
numbered of what was thus killed.
The small prairics among the woods
are covered with wild grasses, and are
useful as pastures. The soil of these,
like that of The timbcred portion, is n
Vegetable mould, 3 or 10 inches in
thickness, resting on a stratum of hard
blue clay and gravel"
The Columbia takes its rise in the
Rocky Mountains, as high as The 5ih
paralel-and in its various windiags
ltraverses "A distance of fifteen hundred
miles. 1t enters the Pacific Ocean at
latitude Of 46 degrees. fraze's river
1850 miles in length enters the strait
Juan de Fuca OF the 49th parallel
One hundred and fifty miles south Of
Columbia, the Umpqua river enters
the Pacific. The stream is about ore
hundred miles in length-at its mouth
,hree-fourtbs of mile wide with Is
feet of water on the bar-ihe tide sets
IN for 80 miles-above that II is UNI
navagable on account Of falls and rap
ids Forty miles south Of the imp
qua, the Klamet river in latitude AZ.
iOl enters the Pacific. lis length is
II5o miles. Mr.. Farnham remarks, as
something peculiar, ''thc pine and cedar
disappearing upon this stream and in
stead OF them arc found myrtscoustrees
of small size, which. when shaken by
the least breeze. diffuses delicious ira
GRANGE throughout the groves"
On the south side of the Columbia
there is more prairie than woodland
This is said to be the finest agriculsur-
al section in Oregon. The trees Eplne
and CEDAR on the uplands are OF the
same enormous size as they are on the