The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-09-06

WAsHrNeroS, Aug. =, ls47.
The Proposed Territorial .aequisitons by Treaty-.d
Glance at the Territories Of Upper Calyornfs and
New Merieo- The Wilmot Propiso-The way it is to
be done for.
It Is expected that with peace between the United
States and Mezico shall acquire at least the terrific
riss of New Mexico and Alta California to the 36th
degree north latitude. When we get anything as .
present. 1t il well enough to take 1t without examine
tion and be thankful; but article acquired in the
way Of trade win Justify inspection before and after
the scquisition Voyagers to the Pacific borders Of
Upper California, have represented always that that
country Is complete FL Dorado where the inhabitants
need clothes such the deiciousness climate
and where their Is the spontaneous fruits Of
prolific and int xhsustibo soil. To extent, these
sccoants borne out by the truth but when applied
found to be fictitious and visionary.
Parallel to the Pacific coast but at intervals trenchng
upon the Sc. shore there runs high range call ~ Sierra
this range of mountains leaves to the Of
from 100 to 100 miles wide But here the lateral
mountain ridges verge of to the sea- that 1t only
the immediate borders Of the rivers Joaquin the Sa
cramento, and the RE dc los Amerosnos thsr tr
all uniting in the bay Of Francisco that are at for
purposes Of cultivation This viii apply from the latitude
the coast up to 4ad the u boundary by treaty With
Spain
new boundary from the Rio Grande shall acquire
territory the Pacific embracing the harbor and
M saa ns 0sy ssn b % and the bay
adapted to agriculture. The residue Of the territory
We shall acquire, embracing all Of California, east
of the snowy mountains to the Rocky Mountains,
and all of New Mexico thence to the Arkansas and
Texas lying between 36 and AZ degrees North
aud embracing in its widest part twenty degrees Of
gitude comprshendng area Of 100000 square miles,
or territory equal in surface to nine such States as
New York. desert OF volcanic ruins good nothing,
excepting little slip the borders Of the Rio Grsnds
cultivated by irrigation from the river.
At the outset of this war it was believed, and
tAalv hail. hat fhn af EoIi<c
of which we had heard much from navigators
touching the Pacific coast embodied territory
many millions of people. The explorations of Fremon
and the march Of General Kearny have dspeled the
~ axe mudrsd Si US
Taos In New Mexico to the Sierra Nevada looking into
the Pacific and the fertile valleys between and OF 400
miles North aud South waste of mountains Of
barren rocks and plains Of scorching sands Between
Taos and the most distant United States settlements
there Is Q continuation resumption Of the desert.
traveller describes 1t length and We make an extract
from him. He says =:
The Indian country as far as the Council Grove 400
miles from the line hs Arkansas line) is perhaps US fine
tract Of country rs eau be found in the world there
is rather scarcity Of timber but in soil and
be superior The Council Grove rs 1t il called IL
the ancient site of proud and mighty city. 1t is
situated on the main White river, whicn here
in circumference, and contains than hundred
mounds halt Of which than times large
those Of Vucennes those in the centre In the
form OF square, many containing surface Of more
than two some in the form OF triangle and Others
perfectly round Here the Pawnee, Arapahoe, Canaan
che, Loop and Eutaw Indians, all Of whom war
with each other meet and smoke the pipe year IN
peace. Every person and every thing held sacred
for many miles around this peaceful grove This
tom has been handed down for many centuries among
the red men, and here their chiefs and great
brought from hundreds Of miles around
| The numerous camps every where to be around
here convince the traveller that this is the
great rendezvou Of Thousands annually From hence
onpards for 500 miles westward toward Taos there
nothing be but eternal DESERT without so
tary stick Of timber to cheer the eye There is nothine
hnfh n dvifh hrvuif
this the whole prares are covered and an excellent
| substitute"
rie or buffalo range, extending northwsrd along tho
flank Of the Rocky Mountains to the British
and Southwark nt0 Texas. But this In desert
Of California There there IL no grass for buffaoes
nothing but sands and rocks and rivers flowing deep
channels worn through their walls Of bssst But In
GLIDING the American DESERT you have from the Coun
Gil Grove, desert journey to the inhabtabe California
on the Pacific, Of upwards Of . thousand miles; with
mile In width intervening to diversity the gene
desoaon Of mountains Of volcanic rocks and plains
OF sand wild and scsnty grass
The little piece of along the Pacific to which
have referred, 10 thus described by Col Fremont,
the very best authority in the world We extract
his Journal Senate doc IVA 244 Of his explorations
| in oregon and California In ls43-4:-
| "MARcH q, ls44-We continued our road down the
Rio de los Amercanos) through the same surprisingly
beautiful country entirely unequaed for the pssturAg
of stock by thing had Our horses had
now become strong that they enabled to carry
u.s. Zone half Of them been eaten or starved in get
ting thsrs) and We travelled rapidly, four miles
hour; four OF US riding every alternate hour Every
few hundred yards We came upon little band Of
deer ~ &c.
Again. same page -
From the upland we descended into broad groves on
the river consisting Of the evergreen and species
of white oak with large tufted top, and three to
feet in diameter &c. See also the tine description of
Capt Suffers place the river page GAO
On his return from Capt. Suffers, Col Fremont hay
ing recupersed his exhausted and having been
Piled by Captain Suffer with provisions and animals
continues for four I'VE days to be In raptures with
the beauty Of the country ito treos grass water wild
horses cattle, elk, deer, wild fowl &c. So But page
81 he begins to tell u different story:
"ArnII iO.-To-day made another long journey Of
about 40 miles, through country unnteresting and
fiat with very little grass and sandy SOIL in which
veral bra inches crossed had lost their watern &C.
He had not yea crossed the mountains or turned
them He was still in the IL Dorado, between the ST.
ezra Nevada and the sea coast On the l4th of April
he gets to the pass and then he elucidates distinctly
the character and divisions Of the country have
As we reached the summt of this beautiful pass and
obtained view Of the eastern country, Ia glimpse Of
the miles desert from the outer range OF the San
| Francisco mountains to the Rio Grande) ut
that here the place to take leave Of all such
pleasant scenes as those around u.s. The distant noun
| tsns now bald rocks again, and below the land
| had any color but green, F" SO.
1--WE left here the Of the bay of San Francisco;
and, though forced upon them contrary to my inten-
TONS cannot regret the necessity Ito escape starva
ton this side) which occasioned the deviation II
made we'll acquainted with the great range of the
Sierra Nevada of Alta CALIFORNIA; and showed
broad and elevated SNOWY ridge was continuation of
the cascade range Of Oregon between which and the
there is still another and lower range, parallel
to the former and to the coast and which be called
the Coast Range 1t also made me well acquainted
with the basin OF the San Francisco bay and with the
two pretty rivers and their valleys the and
the San Joaquin which tributary to that bay &C.
Col Fremont says, that 1t also proved to him that
| that bay completely mountain bound, shut In
upon the from the interior country by the sierrs
| Nevada range.
Having got the Colonel on the eastern side Of this
basin Of San Francisco, let what he says fur
ther Of the country thence to the Rocky Mountains -
On the 18th April he came small salt lake. At night
| they were obliged to encamD without grass On the
2Sd several half starved Indians came into camp On
the Path he mentions tornado (or days Journey OF
sixty miles, without water.
april as The country had now assumed
the character Of elevated and mountainous desert
It's general features being black rocky ridges poid ana
destituee Of timber, with sandy basins between
For number OF days same sort Of country, men anu
animals, suffering from want OF grass ana water r..
MAY I2-Camc to little oasis where they halted Tor
several DAYS to recruit mules and men The Co