The Hillsborough recorder., 1853-07-13

ssfefN Surveying expeditions Nhle'
have been nTsanized. under the auth
rity y : iaW passed It tie lasi sessiol
ol C0ngress, Wifh 4 EIeH 10 the selel,
ten Of The best route for railroad CON
manlcation between fhe Atlantic and
Pacific portions of the territory of the
United States:
-Four expeditions. amply appointeo'
and under the command of skiIfal and
experienced officers. are already IL
the held, and The report af their opera.
tions. sweeping the whole area of our
territory between the Mississippi. and
the Pacific. may be expected by the
first Of February next. The expedi-
tions are intrusted 20 chosen officers
Of the corps Of engineers and Of top0-
graphical engineers. to whose science
and skill The success of aur army in
Mexico was so largely attributable. Ii
lis probably not too much to saw that no
military organization in the world can
produce corps more adequate TO the
successful conduct Of such a work.
The firsf Of these expeditions is un-
der the command of Major Stevens,
late OF the engineer corps. and now Co
vernon of Washington Territory. and
has for Is object to survey the region
stretching from the Upper Mississippi
to Puget's Sound. II proceeds from
ST. Paul's. in the Territory Of Nine
sofa. To the Great Bend of the Missau-
RI river thence on the table land be-
tween the Missouri and Saskatchewan
rivers to the most available pass in the
Rocky Mountains. surveying the best
passes in the Cascade range, and in the
Rocky Mountains from the 49th parallel
TO the head waters Of the Missouri. IL
is part OF the object of this expedition
to determine the capacity Of the whole
region Of its survey TO supply, and Of
the Missouri and Columbia rivers TO
transport the materials for the propos.
I'd railroad. We learn that satisfac-
tory report has already been received
rom Majar Stevens. giving assurance
that he is already engaged IN his one-
rations FAR beyond the Western frontier
# the United States. He expected to
cave st. Paul's before the first Of
Iune.
A second expedition, under the COM
nand Of Lieutenant Whipple, is to sur
'ey the region Of our western territory
ldjacent to the parallel of So degrees
Z will proceed from the Mississippi
long the headwaters at the Canadian,
ross the Rio Pecos and enter the val.
ey Of the Rio del Norte near Albu-
Iuerque; thence through. Walkers
Ass, in the Rocky Mountain 10 the
'acific, at soine point on the coast of
southern California near San Redro,
los Angeles, or San Diege.
A third expedition, anoer the COM
land Of Captain Gunissoa, will pass
lrodgh the Rucky Mountains near the |
eadwarters OF the Del Norte, by way
the Heurfano river, into the valley |
{ the Green and Grande rivers; thence
'estwardly along the Nicollet river OF
le Great Rusin; thence north to the
AXE Utah, surveying on a return route
he best passes of the Wasatch range
trough the coal basin into the forks Of
he Platte.
A fourth expendition is to operate in
alifornia. Its field is the region west
the Lower Colorado to the Pacific.
his expedition starting from Penicia.
! California, will examine the passes
the Sierra Nevada from the San Jo-
Iuin and Tulare valleys, together with
e whole country southeast Of the Tu.
re lakes, to ascertain the hest route
tween Walkers pass, or any other
acticahle passes in that region. and
e mouth of the Gila. and from that .
int to the Pacific at San Diego,
Each of these expeditions is instruct.
and fully prepared to subject the
gion assigned to il to careful scien- ;
lc survey, having reference not only
the examination Of its capacity for
route, but also to all that NAV
rtain to a thorough geographical !
owledge of the country. including !
t only its topography, but its climate, !
|, and productions. 1t is obvious
t such surveys, apart from their main
ect, must Contribute very largely to
more accurate scientific knowledge ;,
this vast western ,lanain OF the UEi- 4
States. The appropriation made i
the last Congress for these surveys T.
ounted to the suia Of one hundred \,
fifty thousand dollars, and it is in I
ded strictly to confine the expenses
all the various expeditions to that
cunt. u
Ii,
Hon. Kenneth Rayner. m