The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-23


regret that our space will not permit us to give
more than brief notice oft.
Lieutenant Herndon, with his companion in ad-
venture, Lieutenant Gibbons, and unaccompa-
MED by any escort, set out on his important
mission across the Cordileras in Peru and Bo-
livia. Arriving in sight Of the Amazon, he de-
termined that the party should be divided,
and that Lieutenant Gibbons should pursue his
journey through Bolivia, while he, with no one but
Peruvian, resolved to undertake the main stream
ITSELF Thus accompanied" says lieutenant
Maury, in an interesting letter published 4 yester-
days HERALD, che descended that river on RATS
and in 'dug-outs through distance of three thou
sand five hundred miles," Lieutenant Gibbons,
in company with q sailor lad named Richards,
whom Hemdon had engaged in Lima, visited
Curzco, and passed through the Inca country.
Richards, when asked by Lieutenant Maury what
struck him with the most force on his trip through
the valley Of the Amazon replied that the most re-
markable thing was "that such O country as that
OF the Amazon should in the middle of the nine
teenth century be wilderness" Since this interest
has been manifested in the opening of this river to
commerce and navigation, the people living along
It's banks have aroused from the lethargy in which
they have heretofore existed to true sense Of the
tural advantages and the many sources Of wealth
with which their land abounds. Peru and Bolivia,
and other countries through which the Amazon runs
have exhibited sincere desire to improve those
natural advantages, and to develope the resources
OF the soil. Our functionares there are alive to the
Importance of this subject They regard" says
Lieut.. Maury, "the opening up Of the Amazon to
navigation trade and settlement, Of the great
questions OF the age; and we may rely upon it that
they will do their duty if we will do ours. We may
state here as Of the results of the enterprise dis
played by our government and the people, that Peru
is about to proclaim the freedom Of the seas for her
Amazonian water courses-that she is organizing
territories herethat she has placed in the hands Of
the executive 100000, for the purpose Of encourag
ing emigration and settement-that Bolivia has been
thrown open to the commerce Of the world and that
a prize Of $4,000 has been offered to the first
steamer that arrives there from the ocean. What
vast field Is here opened to the rapidly extending
commerce of our country-and what debt do we
not owe to those through whose intrepidity and
genius has been explored and laid open to our gaze?
Though conducted by two men, who assisted only
by few natives picked up their route this expe-
dition though q wild and traskess land was more
successful than tho most sanguine could desire.
Lieut. Hendon intends publishing the result Of his
explorations, embracing many valuable statistics Of
the country, and adding most important contribu-
tions to the hitherto unknown geographical charac-
ter of the country. Some time previous to the expe
dition of Lieutenants Herndon and Gibbons, an
other was projected by Count DOrserey, French
officer; but owing to the murder Of the Count while
on his journey it had to be abandoned. Lieut..
Herndon, however, undismayed, traversed almost
alone nearly four thousand miles in his explorations
and returns safe with fund Of most valuable infor
nation.
PARKER's EXPEDITION BEYOND THE ROCKY NOUN
TAINS.
The journey OF the Rev. Samuel Parker beyond
the Rocky Mountains, although not made under the
patronage of the general government was neverthe-
less none the less important to the public. The
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-.
sions, in the year 1885, sent the Rev. Mr. Parker on
an expedition to the Rocky Mountains the main OBJ
ect Of which was to ascertain by personal observa-
ton the condition and character Of the Indian ma
tons and tribes and the facilities for introducing the
gospel and civilization among them The route Of
this pioneer lay up the Missouri and its tributaries
following nearly the same path tred by Lewis and
Clark some thirty years before, and extending be-
yond the Rocky Mountains. This reverend explorer,
in speaking of the character Of this region of terri
tory, says" The country here described is sui &C.
ners everything is found on large scale. Its lofty
and perpetual snow-topped mountains rising 10000
feet or more the trees Of the forest the wide ex-
tended prairies; plants Of enormous growth and the
results of volcanic agency which you meet in almost
every direction render the whole of ever increasing
interest to the traveller" This expedition revealed
geology. One discovery Of great interest was the
basaltic formations on the Columbian river, supposed
to be the result of volcanic action.
HOLINESS SURVEY OF THE ARoosTooK TERRITORY.
It was not until within few years that the interior
Of the State Of Maine was made known to the world.
As late as in 1888 that portion Of the State known as
the Aroostook territory was unexplored. During
this year, however, the government commissioned
Ezekiel Holmes to survey this territory and to report
thereon. The orders Of the government were that
the expedition should be made with special reference
to the settlement Of the country, and for water
communication between the Penobscot, Aroostook
and Fish rivers. The result of this exploration was
report favorable to the settlement of the country
and the acquisition of a geographical knowledge of
the course of the waters of Maine.
SANTA FE EXPEDITION.
Among the important private expeditions which
are worthy of record are those once made over our
southwestern territory, called the Santa Fe expe-
ditions. These expeditions were made for the pur-
poses of trade and added in their day to Me faci-
ties of communication with the interior of the south
west territory. The first Of these expeditions
started from New Orleans about 1s41, and made
tour through Texas, across the great southwestern
prairies and the Camanche and Caygua hunting
grounds. They suffered severely from want of food
and from the attacks Of the Indians and were finally
captured and taken to the city of Mexico as prison
ers of war. They were finally released, and re-
turned againto the traficking expeditions between
New Orleans and Santa Fe
FREMoNT's EXPEDITION.
Among all the exploring companies ever fitted
out by the United States government there is none
which is more prominent in the magnitude of its
preparations in the extent of its travels or in the