Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-08-30
Vol. 5--NO. A9--VyhOIe No. 2j7.

II has been known 10 measure seven leel VI
length, with prop,rtionablc length of head.
The grain or berry is remarkable for its round,
plump form. The small Canada corr comes to /
pertcctlon oats likewise grow well ; Irish po-
,atoes are of fine quality, and yield abundant
". The streams never freeze over, nor does |
the snow ever cover the ground more than three
or four days at any one time during the winter
The open or prairie valleys are small 4; almost
all the uplands are covered thickly with the
loftes, frs The earth is thcky covered with
bors, underbush. and the male fern, called by
some brake. 1t grows in many places up to the
shoulders
This seems to be the testimony OF all who are
in ,ha, particular part of the country. Anthem
tic information OF the nature and character OF
this widespread territory will soon be laid be-
fore the public. on the reports OF the various ex-
ploring expeditions under Captain Fremont
notice of these forthcoming documents has
already been published in the Democratic Re-
view. which gives digest Of the most interest
inc PARTICULARS contained in them. The insu-
rerable obstacles to military march from the
United States 10 Oregon which were supposed
to exist, have vanished before these expeditions
! The distance, counting from the interior of Mis-
souri, TO the tiIe.waier in Oregon, is only about
! two thousand miles; the mountains are easily
| passed the whole way is practicable, even in
a state of nature, for carriages and artillery;
an abundant and nutritious grass furnishes food
! 1 4. r, al. .,,l f,r 10 la,
dians, it is on proof ,hn, twenty-five men, with
| rifles and howizer. may move in safety, IN
| spite of the hostility Of my tribe. Captain +.
C zines to the conclusion that Oregon IL the most
impregnsble country in the world
"In ,raversing the region from Missouri to
| the Rocky Mountains, an abundance ofthe most
nutritious grass is found at almost all seasons o.
the year. snperscding entirely the necessity of
transporting feed for the sustcnnncc of the cat.
tie and horses which il may be necessary To take
with at expedition. After passing the noun
tains, The product is equally prolific and nutri-
tioue, though ofa different Species called bunch
grass, to which pertains the property Of second
growth, sprnging up vigorously in autumn at
ter the failure ut the spring shoots. 1t seems
| to be universal on the western slope of our con
,ncnr, NJ the butiaograss is on the esstsrr
slope Of the Rocky Mountains and was fouut
efficient for the sustennnce of their horses, e
ven in the dead Of wnter-in the cold months o
December, January, and February in the dcel
gorges and on the lofty peaks ofthe Sierra Ne
:nha (sl,nwy mountains of Caitornia,) whcl
the wind had blown the snow from some expo
scd point, or the sun had melted it in a cove, o
their own large fires, built of colossal pines an
, ccdars, lad melted "a circle in the deep snow a
4 bout the camp.
=, The Rocky mountains, whose very name in
: duccs ideas of impasssbliy, are shown TO be nc
l.. The formidable barriers supposed. Captain Ere
>. mon, crossed them at four different places; in
+ stead Of being desolate and impassablc, the
g are shown To have many excellent passes, c
: which the South Pass is the finest and to Ell
). bosom beautiful valleys, caves and parks, wit
. lakes and mineral springs, rival'ing and surpa
o sing the mos, enchanting parts of the Alpin
v regions in Swiizerland The Great Salt LAX,
/. one of the wonders of nature, and perhaps witt
II out a rival in the world [heing y saturated solr
IS ton of salt, OF hundred miles dameter,) is fc
i. the first time revealed to our view. by one VIII
II has surveyed lis shores and navigated itH WI
g tors. The bear river valley, with It's rich DO
: toms, fine grass, wslled-up mountains, he
!. springs, mineral springs, soda fountains, voc;
u nc rock volcanic crater and saline eilllre
cence,, snd four thousand and FIVE hundred teC
% above the sea, is for the first time described
>. The same nj the Sierra Nerddq-oi the rive
: Sacramento and San joaguin, which cons,itu
a the water OF the bay of San FrcnciSco---ar
~ the same of the Great Desert and its Arab il
IN habhuuts, which lies south pf the latitude ofth
v. bay, md extends many degrees east towards Il
1. Rocky MouutGirs None of these objects hay
,e hercto'oy" been described by any traveller
- The Bcnclcnrrr river, which has 4 pav
ne on SO many maps, and ~hose course is trace
a rom the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific,
ii. declared to have no existence but in the mag
IT. natinn of writers and map makers. or the 9
m ographical discoveries md descriptions the mc
ed striking is that of the Great Basin, or vast in,
C, rior PLAIN, which lies between the Sierra Ne,
e. da and the Rocky Mountains, east and We st, a
raj between The Blue Mountains and Wqhtatch
ire tie south and embracing an area of five or
hundred miles lii diameter. The elevation
IN the Sierra Nevada, being more lofty than