The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-11-27

miles. 1t maintains an average distance
from the Mississippi river exceeding 1000
miles, and has the same distance from the
beach of the Pacific Ocean; it forms,
therefore, continuous summit crest par
allel to and midway between them. All
the varieties of formation which distin-
guish the mountain chains of the CONT
nents, here follow one another, or are
blended in groups, and exist on Titanic
scale Of magnitude. Mesas exist, being
mountains Of immense base, and perpen-
| dicular walls, whose SUBMITS have the
level surface and smoothness of a table !;
Butes, which are conical peaks wrought
into perfect symmetry Of contour by the
corroding power of the atmosphere /; LA
nos, being mesas of inferior elevation pro-
longed outward as promonitories protrud-
ing from the mountain TANKS, and sepa-
rating from one another to descending
rivers Canons, chasms walled in on eth
er side with mural precipices of mountain
altitude; Bayou, or parks, valleys scoop
ed out Of the main dorsal mass of the
Cordillers, within which they are encased,
| each as an amphitheatre. This mountain
crest, exhibiting all these varieties of pro-
| file, has, when seen against the horizon,
the resemblance of saw or ceck's-comb,
whence the sobrique Sierra the continu-
GUS mass on which they rest resembles a
chain of links, or cord with knots, whence
the name Cordillera Thus Is seen the
expressive definition wherein the first Eu-
ropeans, the Spaniards, our predecessors,
have compressed this supreme mountain
feature of our continent, Cordillera de 10
Sierra Madre!
To bring the mind to an easy and IA
miliar understanding of this subject, en-
bracing so many details, it is necessary to
ascend on to the summit crest at the 10th
deg, to follow its sinuous edge to the
South, to skim from point to point of the
serrated profile, and, from its elevation, to
extend the vision outward on either flank
to where it subsidies into the general
| foundation of the Continent. From such
position the eye continually overlooks
the "Plateau of the Table Lands" on the
west, the "Basin of the Mississippi" on
the east. The average elevation of the
crest is IL, 900 feet above the sea, that Of
the broad pediment, from whose longitu-
dinal axis It rises 6, 1000 feet; the breadth
across is 800 miles: 80 stupendeus in area
bulk and solidity, is the mass of the Sier-
ra Aadre! Every one has built cord
houses in childhood; having second sto-
~ over the center of such a structure, IL
Illustrates cross section Of the Sierra Ma
DIRE in its primeval form. This regularity
of form has disappeared under the corrod-
ing influences of the atmosphere operating
during countless ages, and the abrading
powers of a thousand rivers, carrying
down their attritions to the sea what is
left presents an immense labyrinth OF
mountain SUBMITS, undermined and chan
neled, to profound debth, by the yawn-
ing gorges of the streams.
Advancing, then, along the mother crest
in the direction indicated, the whole east
ern flank of the 43d deg. of latitude, and
109th deg. of longitude, (the South Pass, }
is striped with the rivers which converge
to form the Missouri proper and the yell
low-stone. These are the Milk River, the
Missouri, the Wisdom, Jefferson, Madison
and Gallatin forks, all converging into the
Missouri the Yellowstone proper, the
Wind, Pokeagie and Powder Rivers, all
converging into the Yellowstone. These
rivers, each having its complement of af-
fuents, are ali Of great length and pour
down an immense volume of waters. A
very small proportion reaches the sea, fol-
where they debouch from the mountains
at the lowest altitude, these waters are
consumed by evaporation, rising to quench
the thirst of the arid atmosphere and sur
face of the great prairie ocean. But down
tho western flank, within the same limits
descend rivers of equal number and mag
nitude, and traverse the elevated Basin oil
the Columbia; these are the Columbia
proper, the Cottonais, the Flatbow, Pend.
GRIZZLIES, Spokan, Salmon and Snake Riv-
ers. These rivers have a more immedi.
ate descent to the sea than those upon
the east; the mountain spurs between
them are therefore more numerous, abrupt
and of greater altitude. 1t is easily dis
cernible that over this serrated crest
whence so many rivers radiate as from 9
single knife edge, there are many depres,
sions or passes, having every variety Of
altitude and accessibility. The gorges
which lead outward from these passes, all
eventually converge to the Missouri and
to the Columbia.
The more southern portion Of THU
mountain crest, where it divides the wa
tiers of the Yellowstone and Snake riv.
ers, and is seen from the great road of the
South Pass travelled by our people, hal
the local name of "Wind River Mount.
ain" The mountain crest, curving to tn,
east, and describing semi-circle, envel
ops the whole basin of the Yellowstone
as in eul-de-sec, and subsiding gradually
in altitude, disappears upon the banks o
the Missouri river. 1t is by the peculiar
CONFORMATION that the mountain cres
practically disappears, and leaves the opel
depression of the South Pass, into which
we gain access by the Sweetwater on thu
east, and by Snake river on the west
passing, by this means, completely around
the arc described by the Wind Rive
Mountain crest.
A similar confguration to this exists, OF
q small scale, in the Alps dividing Francs
from Italy, which may be mentioned herr
on account Of the aptness of the illustra
ton and the familiarity with which his
tory has for twenty centuries invested it
1t is where the Alpine crest, under tn,
successive names of Savoy Alps, Noun
st. Denis and Maritime Alps, sweep
around in q regular arc from Geneva 4
Genoa, and thence subsiding into the Ap
pennies, bisects Italy lengthwise to th,
sea. Within this arc is embraced the ba
sins of the Pc, called once Ligoria, bu
now Piedmont. Around this arc marched
the armies of Prennus and Hannibal
those Of the Romans passing into Gau
by the plain of the Rhene; and here, al
80, still pass the armies and people o
France, and the modem Europeans.
j Upon Snake river is developed the mos
northern of the Parks. As this river de
sends from the Sierra Madre, it debouch
Is into and biseets an immense plain o
the most novel and remarkable features
This is the Lava Plain. 1t is an eliptica
, bowel embraced between the Salmon nv