Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1845-03-08

- A""ia. nc french were
then iaassers ofthe Canadas, ana were dailv
extending their discoveries to the interior
OF North America. The existence, of =
chain Of great lakes stretching westward
being aseeftained, lie belle, ed that an inland
passage to China might be discovered by
means OF these lakes andsthe. ri, ers flow
ing from them tothe Poetic ocean, (Stod-
dart. Full Of this IDEA, he left Montreal
about the year 1861, lin the hope Of immorr-
talizing himself BY opening to his country
new and direct route to The commerce. OF
the East-lndies. Parting from his friends
eight miles above Montreal, the last word
he said to them was, China, and the SPOT
retains the name La (nme) ever since.
But death arrested him in the valley Of the
Mississippi, having met on the banks of the
Arkansas the fate which Columbus had So
narrowly escaped, that Of being as sassinated
by his own followers, who had not courage
to follow him any further 1i'ssA q ~ 1
The Eneli h, of all others the most ava
ricious of the India trade, also turned their
views to the discovery Of wcstcrnipassage
10 Asia. A passage round The American
continent, above lludson's bay, was for a
long time favorite object with the En-
glish government, and Still occupies its at
tention. Numerous squadrons have been
ht'en out, and repeatedly attempted the
passage, sometimes from the northwest,
by Behring's, straits sometimes by the
northeast, through Hudscn's bay and Da-
Wis straits. The multiplied Efforts to dis
cover this passage show the value which
the English place on the discovery of a d.
rect route TO Asia. But they have not con-
fined themselves to sea VOYAGES. Taking
up the idea of La Sale, they have sought
an inland passage by means of rivers and
lakes This PROJECT was entrus,edto Me-
kenzie. Confined 10 the northern parts
OF our continent, he could only prosecute
his discoveries north OF the heads of the
Mississippi and Missouririyers. He was
confined to high northern attitudes, but sue
ceedea in Showing the existence of water
communication, with few portages, from
Hiidson's bay, ner,h latitude %, to the Pa
cltic ocean, III north latitude as. The Mis-
sIssiopi. the Peace river, the Columbia, and
some lakes, formed tie means Of this com
munication; and little useful as it would
seem to us iii latitude so high, it WAS yet
deemed = discovery OF great moment by The
English. Mckenzie received the honor of
knighthood ior his enterprize; the British
fur traders Immediately began to export
their fuss TO China by the direct route of
the Columbia, and the privilege Of lavisat-
ing that river for ten years has lately been
secured to them by treaty. -
Tie Missouri river, above the Mandan
villages, was yet unknown. From the
mouth Ct The Mississippi, a man OF Genius
Projected lis diScnv .<y Err f-oe, ssrS ssa-
re.,- do Oaivrufrtru, governor-general OF
Louisiana, planned an expedition to the
sources Of the Missouri, and thence to the
Pacific ocean. He obtained the approba-
ton Of Charles w., King of Spain. A
liberal compensation was offered by the
King, and the Baron announced an addi-
tional reward of three thousand dollars to
the person who should first see the great
ocean. The expedition was undertaken
by Don Jaques Clamorgan, ali enterprizing
citizen ofSt. Louis, who prosecuted it some
distance up the Missouri, at great expense,
but without accomplishing the views OF the
Spanish Government. t.x .s.r
A few years afterwards Louisiana chang
edits master. The eyes Of Mr.. jefferson,
taking the direction OF so many eminent
men, were turned upont the Pacific ocean,
and under his auspices the labors oil Lewis
and Clark have demonstrated the existence
OF a water communication, with few por-
tages, through the heart and centre Of the
republic from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The rivers Columbia, Missouri, and Ohio,
form this line, and open a channel to Asia,
short, direct, cheap, and exclusively Amer
lean, which ihvites the enterprise Of Amer
lean citizens, and promises to them splen-
did participation in the commerce OF the
East.
vi. PRACTicAB1L1TY OF THIS ROUTE.
The new route will consist Of four parts:
Il. A sea voyage across the north Pacific
ocean. 2. A river navigation up the Cc-
lunbia. 9. A land carriage. across the
Rocky mountains. 4. A river navigation
descending the Missouri.-The practicable
iiy of each will be briefly considered -l7s
Il 1.-The voyage acrossihe Pacific. This
I would be neither long nor difficult. The
Pacific ocean, between Asia and America,
is moi broader than the Atlantic between
Europe and the United States, and vessels
} often sail between these in Is or 20 days
The navigation Of the Pacific is almost en-
tirely free from danger. Its name indicate.
its peaceable and tranquil character. 1t il
called pacific because comparatively fre'
from the storms and tempests: which agitat,
other seas. ;; The most inconsiderable ant
: crazy tarks may navigate it in safety
Vessels Of sixty tons (not half the size o
. those which navigate our rivers have re-
peatedly crossed it in safety. The British
] have many vessels upon it -engaged in TIL
lar trade between Asia and Amerida:Th
expense of manning "a ship on this seaf ]
also inconsiderable. The voyage being al
most direct east and west, and but it'll
danger to be apprehendedp from tempests
J few more hands are wanting than sptheien
to set The sails at the ofnnenccrdent, and I
) take them down at the termination, Of III
! voyage Steamboats, especially would b
, well adapted to the navigation Of this placi
: ocean, and when acknowledged, wonl
r have he-comsined advantage Of steam pow
or and sails.