The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-17
A G ON PLETE
HISTORY OF KANSAS,
Firs. Discovery by the French to
the Close Of 1857.
CHAPTER I.
By tn . Editors.

frs Acarfsos 81 TIE rzzTEe sTA1E
Kansas Territory lies between thirty
seren and forty degrees Of North dati-
sude, and between ninety-four and one
hundred and FIVE degrees of West lon
Situde from Greenwich. 1t is two
hundred miles wide. and seven hundred
long, containing one hundred and for
ty thousand square miles, and twenty
two millions four hundred thousand
acres.
Until recently, Kansas has been TO
the American citizen an unknown or a
forbidden country. In early times it
was considered a wilderness, or as
geographers had it. "the great Amer
lean DESERT" of no immediate use, and
too far away to be Of any practical vel
ue at any future time. The fact that
it came into the possession of the Uni
ted States unexpectedly, and almost
accidentally, created an Indifference
about it, in the public mind, which
enabled the few, who understood its
value. to appropriate it to any use they
might consider proper. AS the States
have filed up with inhabitants, they
have crowded upon this frontier, till.
finally, the paper barrier set up for its
defence. could no longer Withstand the
rising tide, and so have given way,
and the human food is now pouring
over it with rcsistless and unconquer-
able force
Westward the Star Of Empire takes its
way"
was a prophecy of the poet. but to us
it has become q living reality.
More than half a century ago. when
the West was only seen in the dim dis
tance, and it was still in doubt wheth-
er it was a sandy desert or a fertile
plain. the government sent out an ex-
ploring expedition to the Pacific
Ocean, under the direction of Capts.
Lewis & Clark. The first official in
formation concerning Kansas, we find
in their journal. as follows -
in passing up the Missouri river,
on the 25th of June 1904, We reached
the river Kansas, $40 miles from the
Mississippi. This river takes its rise
in the plains between the Arkansas
and Platte rivers, and pursuesa course
generally East, till its junction with
the Missouri, which is in North lati-
tude thirty eight degrees thirty-one
minutes here it is S40f yards wide,
though it is wider a short distance
above the mouth. The Missouri is it.
self about five hundred yards in width ::
the POINT of union is low and subject
to inundation for two hundred and IF
ty yards /; it then rises a little above
high water mark. and continues so, as
far back as the hills. On the south
of the Kansas the hills, or highlands,
come within mile and half of the
river; on the north of the Missouri,
they do not approach nearer than sew
eral miles; but on all sides, the coun-
try is fine. The comparative specific
gravity of the tive rivers are, for the
Missouri, seventy-eight, the Kansas,
seventy-two degrees; the waters ofthe
latter have very disagreeable taste.
On the banks of the Kansas, reside the
Indians of the same name, consisting
OF two villages, one at about twenty,
the other forty leagues from its mouth,
and amounting to about three hun
dred men. They once lived twenty
four leagues higher than the Kansas,
on the south bank of the Missouri, but
they have been reduced and banished
oy the Sauks and Ayauways,* who,
being better supplied with arms, have
an advantage over the Kansas, though
the latter are not less fierce and war
like than themselves. This nation is
now hunting in the plains for the buff
falo, which onr hunters have seen for
the first time.
For many years no further informa-
tion was received by the public, ex-
aspting incidentally from hunters and
trappers.
Mr. Jefferson was the only Amcri-
can Statesman who realized the impor-
tance of this vast country, and its fu-
ture value to the United States. and
not knowing whether it vas sandy
waste ors fertile prairie whether it
could be inhabited by the millions, IN
generations yet to come, or must re-
main forever dreary solitude, he de-
terniaed to remove these doubts BY
the only reliable method within his
reach, and, as 5 preparatory measure
to its purchase or conquest, fitted out
az exploring expedition across the
continent, to examine its climate, ge-
ogfaphy soil. and natural productions.
WITH ITS capabilities and resources gen.
orally.
Ina private message in January,
isVS, Nj. Jefferson recommended an
ppfepriation for defraying the ex-.
sasss Of this expedition, which was
esfdingly made, and the enterprise
e-eee under tie direction Of Captains
ssia and CLARK as before indicated.
'sss rai.bly oasvss.