The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-20
future am overwhelmed in contemplation OF the go-
rious destiny which awaits our happy Union.

future, overwhelmed IN CoulchpdlOu Ol
rious destiny which awaits our happy Union
Additional.
Since reading Mr.. wley's speech we have been for
tunae enough obtain copy OF Col Fremonts ''Geo-
praphical Memoir upon Upper California in illustration
of the Map OF Oregon and California" Twenty thou
sand of each have been ordered by the Senate to be printed
II bespeaks the wonted industry and sagacy OF this
erprising man 1t comprises 81 pages, and is only the
avant courier of the larger work which is in his con
temptation This memoir is itself very interesting, and
shows us the peculiarites beauties, and value of Upper
California The maritime portion of the country is said
to be even superior in soil and climate to those of the
boosted Italy We must content ourselves with making
few extracts
SIERRA NEVADA.
This Sierra is part of the great mountain range which,
under different names and with different elevliions but
with much uniformity of direction and general proximity
TO the coast, extends from the peninsula OF California
Russian America, and without gap in the distance
through which the water of the Rocky mountains could
reach the Pacific ocean, except at the two places where
the Columbia and Frazers river respectively find their
passage This great is remarkable for lis length,
It's proximity, and paralelism to the coast, It's great
elevation, often lofty than the Rocky mountains,
the region of perpetual snow Rising singly, like pyra
mids, from heavily tmbered pateaux, to the height OF
fourteen and seventeen thousand feet above the sea-
these snowy peaks constitute the characerizng feature
of the range and distinguish from the Rocky noun
tains, and all others on our part of the continent
That part of this range which raverses the Alta Cali
forna is called the Sierra Nevada (snowy mountain J.
in itself implying great elevation, 1t is only
applied in Spanish geography, to the mountains whose
submits penetrate the region OF perpetual snow 1t
grand feature of California, and dominating one, and
must be well understood before the structure of the
country and the character of its different divisions be
comprehended 1t divides California into two parts,
and exercises decided influence the climate, soil
and productions of each Stretching along the and
at the general distance of $50 miles from it, this great
thu InIs oh.
vapor, which sweep the Pacific ocean, precip-
tales their accumulated moisture ertliZng rains and
SHOWS upon ITS western Hank and leaves cod and dry
winds 10 pass on to the east Hence the characteristic
differences of the two Representatives. fertility and
superb vegetable kingdom side; comparative bar
renness and cold on the other.
The two sides of the Sierra exhibit two distinct eli
mates. The state OF vegetation, in conneXion with some
thermomerca observations made during the recent ex-
pong expedition to California, will establish and illus
trate this difference In the beginning of December 1915
crossed this Sierra at latitude 800 II 2" the pres
en usual emgrant pass at the head ofthe Salmon Trout
vaons at each base and in the same latitude deter
mine the respective temperatures the two bases being
respectively the lcesern about 500 and the eastern about
1000 feet above the level of the and the Pass 200
feet The mean results of the observations were, on the
eastern side, at sunIise 90 at noon, 44o at 800
the state OF vegetation and the appearance Of the country
being at the same time (second week of December) that
of confirmed winter the rivers frozen over, on the
ridges annual plants Dead grass dry and deciduous
stripped their foliage AT the base the mean
temperature during corresponding week was, sun
rise 800 and 500 the of The atmosphere
and of vegetation that of advancing spring grass fresh
and green, four to eight inches high vernal plants in
bloom the air soft and all the streams free from
Thus December, on one side of the mountain, was
winter; on the other it was spring.
\ THE GREAT BASIN.
| East OF the Sierra Nevada, and between it and the
Rocky mountains is that anomalous feature in our con-
tnen the GREAT BASIN the existence of which was ad
vanced as theory after the second expedition and is
now established geographical fact 1t is a singular
feature: basin OF some five hundred miles diameter
every way between four and five thousand feet above
the level OF the shut in all around by mountains
with it's own system of lakes and rivers and having nc
connexon whatever with the sea. Partly arid and
sparsey inhabited the general character of the GREAT
BASIN that of DESERT but with grelt exceptions there
being many parts of very fit for the residence of civ
lZed people; and OF these parts the Mormons have late
Iy established themselves in of the largest and best
Mountain s the predominang structure of he interior
of the basin, with plains between-the mountains wood
ed and watered the plains arid and sterile The interior
mountains conform TO the law which governs the
of the Rocky mountains and of the Sierra Nevada
ranging nearly north and south, and present very uni
form character of abuptness, rising suddenly from
row base of ten to twenty miles, and attaining an eleva
ton of to five thousand feet above the level of the
country. They grassy and wooded showing snow
onthe summit peaks during the greater part of the year
and aording small streams of from five to fifty fee
wde which lose themselves, some in lakes, The
dry plains, and in the belt Of auva soil the base
for these mountains have very uniformly this belt of alu
Won, the wash and abrasion OF their Sides rich in ex
cellent grass, FERTILE and light and loose enough tc
absorb small streams Between these mountains the
winch receive ana deserve the OF desert
Such the general structure of the interior of the Gea
Basin Asa.ic than American in its character ant
much resembling the elevated region between the Cas-
plan and northern Persia The rim of this basin il
massive ranges OF mountains, OF which the Sierra Neva
da on the west and the Wah. satch and Timpanogos
chains the east, the most conspicuous. On the
north, il separated from the waters OF the Columbia By
branch of the Rocky mountains, and from the gulf
California on the south, by bed of mountainous ranges
Of which the existence has been only recently determined
Snow abounds on them all some, in their lofliel
parts the whole year. with wood and grass; with cop
OTIS streams OF water, sometimes amounting consdera
Bile rivers flowing nwards, and forming lakes or sinking
in the sands. Belts benches of good auvion are usu
ally found al their base.
MARITIME REGION WEST OF THE SIERRA NEVADA.
West of the Sierra Nevada and between that noun
tain and the the second grand division of Cafo
MIA, and the only part to which the name applies in the
current language of the country is the occupied and
inhabited part, and different in character-so divided
aboveas to constitute region to itself, with struc
ture and conguralona SOIL climate and productions
OF its and northern Persia may be referred to as
some type OF the former, Italy be referred to
some point of comparison for the latter North and
SOUTH this region embraces about ten degrees of la
tude-frOm 800. where it touches the peninsula OF
California, to 400, where il bounds on Oregon Fast
and west from the Sierra Nevada to the sea- i,
will average, in the middle parts, $50 miles; in the
northern parts, 2O0givng of above one hundred
thousand square miles. Looking westward from the
summit of the Sierra, the feature presented the
long, low, broad valley of the Joaquin and Sacramento
rivers-the two valleys forming ohe-fve hundred miles
long and fifty broad lying along the base of the Sierra
and bounded to the west by the low range of
of timber indicate the streams and bright spots mark the
intervening plains Lateral paralle