Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-02-04
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD,

The NORTHERN RoUTE.-Gov. Stevens has pub
lished the following in regard to the northern route
which lie surveyed;
The geographical Importance of the region of
country between the Basin of the st. Lawrence the
head waters Of the Mississippi and Puget Sound,
its adaptation to settlement its railroad routes lis
emgrant roads and the nomadic tribes within its
borders will be the subject of the following articles
Resting on the two great rivers of the eastern and
western coast, the Missouri and Columbia, il con-
meets by nayigable stream with Hudson's Bay
and the Arctic Ocean. Between the upper trbu-
taries Of these two rivers the Rocky Mountains are
broken into spurs, filled with beautiful and fertile
valleys, furnishing several good passes much lower
than the southern passes, and one being by baro-
metric measurement more than 1900 feet below the
South Pass The head of navigation of the Mis-
souri, is only about 700 miles from the waters of
Puget Sound, inexhaustible in its lumber, it's coal
aud its fisheries and in this distance there is one
long reach OF the Columbia nayigabe for steamers
From this head of navigation in 200 miles and
in ten days, the emigrant reaches that beautiful
valley in Washington Territory, at the base of the
mountains which even the honest and simple
minded Flathead Indians have filed with cattle.
and raised wheat and potatoes for their own use
Through this valley all the Indians from the Cas-
cades to the Rocky Mountains, pass on their way
TO the vast Buffalo plains between the Missouri and
Yellowstone, where with the Crows and Blackfeet.
they lay in their stores Of meat and robes and which
has been the scene of many sanguinary conflicts.
The best natural wagon roads connect the head oi
navigation of the Missouri with the fertile yoIlevs
along all the streams issuing from the Rocky Monn-
tains to the head of the Yellowstone-valleys so
mild cattle need not shelter in winter rich in bnf
falo grass, abounding in wood, and the water Of
the purest quality, and game, buffalo, elk, deer.
bghorn antelope, black bear in the greatest abnn'
dance. The passes yearly traversed by the
Flathead Indians between Christmas and New
Years on horseback, and March is the fayorite
month for breaking up Of the buffalo hunt by tbe
Washington Territory Indians, and their return
across the mountains to their homes on the mains
and in the valleys of the Columbia river and ;ts
tributaries. From the head of navigation of tbe
Mississippi TO the head Of navigation of tho Mis-.
souri, through the territory Of Minnesota and the
region occupied by the Asseneboines the Grosven.
tres and the Blackfeet tho emigrant will find grass
ever every mile of the route, and water never a,
q eater distances than fifteen, and scarcely ever a,
greater distances than ten miles. Myriads of bnc
fao occupy this vast region and their numbers bs y,
not rensiby diminished, though 1000 Red Rive,
hunters eeoh on his fast buffalo horse, four month,
each ear pour death in their ranks, and thew ar,
almost the only subsistence Of some 25 900 Indians
Four routes within the Territory of Washingtor
are pursued by the Indians in passing from m,
valley at The western base Of the Rocky Mountain
to the plains and valleys between the Corn
dElcens and Cascade Mountains. The Cmu
d'Elecnc Mountains, an extension of the Blu,
Mountains II Clark's Fork Of the Columbia, nor,l