, 1859-01-28

To Persons Desiring to EmIgrate 10 Ore
EOn and Washington Territories and to
the Fraser river and COlVille Gold
Mines.
The following highly interesting letter of
Lieut.. JOHN MULLAN of the army, and Off
Ger in charge Of the construction of mill
tary roads in tue territories Of Washington
and Oregon, We find published in the
Washington Union of late date, aud it is
with pleasure we transfer it to our columns
The Importance Of the subject upOa which
the letter dweIls, and the ability with which
it is treated, tue invaluable suggestions,
ETC., is sufficient apology fer its appearance
in our columns at this time.
Although our territory bGs now entered
upon the sixth year of its existence, aud
has siucc its organization, been rapidly fll-
ing up with au industrious and hardy popu-
lation, who have grown opulent with scarce
ly an exeFtion-whose abode is 10 country
unsurpassed in the fertility of her soil, and
unequaIed in the midness of her climate
q country rich in many Of the precious
metals, with coal fields, whose extent is
yet involved in mistery; within whose
boundaries is situated the finest, safest, aud
most extensive harbor in the world, which
for years has received the shipping Of not
only our own people, but Of almost every
nation on the globe. Situated, we say, In
a country presenting oil the elements for
; future presenting all the advan
tages, both commercial, social and political
which cau make people happy. Is is not
surprising strange that the existence oI
: such country is known to scarcely any
t other than our Immediate relations OF
friendh. 1t is high time eur citizens stepped
forward and claimed distinct existence
for themselves, separate from that Of Ore
+ gon, with which our territory has gene
s rally been confounded-and truly glad we
!. are that SO able man as Lieut.. NJ. has
taken the matter in hand. His knowledge
+ of the country and its advantages, is per
! hAps greater than that Of any other man il
ljt-and so far as we are able to pass judg
ment upon it, from our knowledge aud ex
perence, obtained from q six years resi-
, deuce therein, we can assert with the full
est confidence, that more accurate and
: trsthlul description Of eur territory has
never before been laid before the public
We hope our readers will first carefully
e aud attentively psruss it themselves, anC
then give it circulation by sending it tC
their friends iu the States By this course
0 alone, can We expect to bring our territory
prominently into notice, and add materially
a to its speedy and early settlement:
WAsHINoroN, d. c.,
December Is, 1858.
In order to lay before those who from
= time to time have made inquiry regarding
: the character of the country beyond the
Rocky mountains, and particularly the
= gold fields on Fraser ana the Colombia
! rivers, take this means Of circulating such
information as have in my possession and
, that would seem to be necessary for the
] purpose.
The territories Of Oregon and Washing
, ton lie between the latitudes AZ and 49-
the Rocky mountains on the east and the
? Pacific ocean on the west. This whole re.
D gisn is divided by the line Of the Cascade
range Of mountains, running north and
: south, aud about one hundred and fifty
, miles from, and parallel to, the coast. This
line marks the climate and the general
5 character Of the country in the most dis.
f tinctiye manner To the west of this
range the country is well lorested, princi-
f pally with the fir, pine, and oak, the soil is
Of extreme fertility, the climate mild and
pleasant, and the inducements and invita-
tions to settlement scarcely surpassed by
/ any section in the West. The country to
the east Of this range, though differing in
general features from that to the west, yet
| possesses advantages so peculiar to itself
that it has already attracted to new and
dourishing homes many hardy and indus
trious emigrants.
Owing to the fact that the Hudson Bay
Company had established their principal
trading station west Of the Cascade range,
it was natural and necessary, for the pur-