Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-06-18


through volcanic chasns an mountains of rock, is
wholly unnavigable for any species Of craft. This
river was discovered by Sir Alexander Mackenzie in
1913, settled by the Northwest Company In 1906,
and soon covered by their establishments from head
to mouth No American or Spaniard had ever left
track upon this river its valley. Our claim TO it,
as far as can see, rested wholly upon the treaty with
Spain of 1919; and her claim rested wholly upon
those discoveries among the islands, the value of
which, comforting claims upon the continent, it has
been my province TO show in our negotiations with
Russia in 1924. At the time that we acquired the
Spanish claim TO Frazers river, it had already been
discovered twenty-sx years by the British had been
settled by them for twelve years; known by
British name; and no Spanard had ever made track
on its banks New Caledonia. Western Caledonia,
was the name which it then bore; and it happens
that an American citizen, native of Vermont, re-
specially known TO the Senators now present from
that State, and who had spent twenty years of his
life in the hyperborean regions Of Northwest America
in publishing account of his travels and sojourn
ings in that quarter, actually published description
of this New Caledonia a British province at the
very moment that We were getting it from Span and
without tie least suspicion that it belonged to Spain
speak of Mr. David Harmon, whose journal of nine
teen years residence between ATTITUDES Al and 50 in
Northwestern America, was published at Andover, in
his native State, in the year 1890 the precise year
after we had purchased this New Caledonia from the
Spsniards i read not from the volume itself, which
Quarterly Review, January number, 1922 as reprint
ed at Boston article WESTERN CALEDONIA.
The descent of the Peace river through deep cham in
the Rocky Mountains first opened passage to the adventu
above mentioned into the unexploed country behind
them, to which they gave the Of New Caledonia
uame however, which, being already occupied by the
Austria might sdvanageousy be changed that Of
Western Caledonia This passage lies latitude SO degrees
30 minutes Mackenzie had crossed the Rocky chain many
Yeas before in latitude 541 degrees and descended large
river flowing to the southwark, named TacOuche Tesse,
:.
empty itself about Birch's bay of Vancouver latitude
40 degrees whereas the mouth Of the Columbia lies in 46
degrees 10 minutes. Another river called the Caledonia,
(FTazers river holding parallel the Tacouche
fesse (COlumbia) falls into the the Admiralty
Inlet Of Vancouver in latitude Is degrees and forms natu
boundary between the new territory Of Caledonia and
the United States falling in precisely with line
the parallel with the lake Of the Woods and leaving
about two degrees Of latitude between and the Columbia
close 10 the s0uthenmOst Of the Russian settlements The
length therefore, will be about 500 aud the BREADTH from
the to the Pacific from $50 to $50 geographical
miles.
The whole of this country in fact ntersected
with rivers and lakes, that Mr. Harmon thinks oDesxih
part Of its surface be considered The largest
Of the latter yet visited is named Su1rs lake. and sup
posed TO be about 400 miles in circumference. post has
been established its margin in latitude "a degrees 80 mn
I25 to
ward Of this is Fazes lake. about eighty ninety
in circumference here, too post was established in 1906
McLeods lake the shore of which for, has been
built in latitude % degrees north, longitude 24 degrees west
The waters Of this lake fall into the Peace rivers those
selves into the Pacific and probably pointed
out by Vancouver Point EssngtOn, had occasion
observe former article. The immense quantity Of
salmon which annually visit these lakes
whatever Of their communication with the Pacific; and the
absence of this fish from McLeOds lake. makes il almost
equally certain that its outlet The
river flowing of SuaT lake passes through popuous
tribes Of the Naeoe who say that white people
dwelling between them and the SEAL which fully
proved by the guns iron potts. CLOTH tar and other articles
found in their possession.
Most of the mountains OF Western Caledonia are clothed
with timber trees to their very SUBMITS consisting princi-
paly Of spruce and other kinds of fir BIRCH poplar
cypress, and generally speaking all those which found
on the opposite side of the Rocky Mountains. The large
animals common TO North America such buffalo, elk
moose reindeer bears, &c., in this
territory but there scarcity Of the beaver, OTTER VOL
VERNE marten foxes of different kinds and Of
fur animals, any than Of wolves, badgers and pole
America are plentiful in western Caledonia cranes visit
them in prodgOus numbers, do swans, buzzads geese,
and ducks
This is the account given by Mr.. Harmon of New
Caledonia and given of it by him at the exact mo-
ment that purchasing the Spanish title to it
Of this Spanish title, of which the Spanards never
heard the narrator seems to have been profoundly
ignorant the Spaniards themselves; and made
his description of New Caledonia as of a British
possession without any reference to adverse
title than if he had been speaking of Canada. So
much for the written description now let us look at
the map, and see how it stands there. Here is map
"a "a 40 map-which will show the features of
the country, and the of the settlements upon it.
Here is Frazers river, running from 30 deg 10 40 deg.
and here Is line of British posts upon it, from Fort
Mcleod, at IFS head, to Fort Langley, at its mouth
and from Thompsons Fork, on one side, to Stuart's
Fork the other. And here clusters of British
names, imposed by the British, visible every where
Fort George St James, Simpson, Thompson, Frazer,
Mcleod, Langley, and others rivers and lakes with
the same names, and others; and here is Deserter's
creek, so named by Mackenzie, because his guide
deserted him there in July, 1893; and here is an
Indian village which he named Friendly, because the
people were the most friendly strangers that he had
ever seen; and here another called Rascals' village,
so named by Mackenzie fifty three years ago, because
its inhabitants the most rascaly Indians he had
ever seen; and here is the representation of that
famous boundary line 81 40 which is supposed to be
the exact boundary of American territorial rights in
that quarter. and which happens to include the whole
of New Caledonia, except McLeod's fort, and the
half OF Stuart's lake, and spring. which is left to
the British, while we take the branch which flows
from it, This line takes in all rivers lakes, forts,
and villages. See how it goes Starting at the sea,
II gives us, by quarter of inch the map, Fort
Simpson, so named after the British Governor Simp-
son, and founded by the Hudson Bay Company. Upon
what principle we take this British fort know not
except it be the assumption that sacred right
and title being adjusted to minute, by the aid of
these 4O minutes, so apposltely determined by the
emperor raul cnarer 10 fur company IN 1879, to
be on this straight line, the bad example of even a
slight deviation from it at the start should not be
allowed even to spare British fort away up at Point
Mcintyre, in Chatham sound. On this principle we
can understand the inclusion, by quarter of an inch
on the map of this remote and isolated British post
The cutting in two of Stuarts lake, which the line
does runs is quite nelligible it must be on the
principle stated in of the ifty-four-fory papers,
that Great Britain should not have one drop of our
water; therefore we divide the lake, each taking
their own share of its drops. The fate of two forts,