The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-24
Inland Navigation Of sorthwestern Anne
stea.

Inland Navigation Of sorthwestern Anne
rtea.
From the n Y. Rveaiax Post.
II an American were asked TO num-
Der and name the great river systems OF
his continent, he would probably specify the
Mississippi, the 81. Lawrence and the CO.
lumbia, with their respective Tributaries.
These, he would say, setting aside the Hud.
son, the Susquehsnna and the smaller
streams Of the Atlantic coast, are the large
rivers which drain the three agricultural d.
visions OF the continent-the central, the
northeastern, and the western. Such d.
vision Of the United States and the Cansdas
Is well enough, bat Of the continent it is
lacking in ono particular. 1t leaves out of
account the magnificent northwestern areas
ofthe continent, and the gigantic river sys-
TEN by which they are watered and drained.
The great fact Of these areas Is this !:
North OF the latitude Of Milwaukee, and
West OF the longitude Of Lake Itasca, the
source ofths Mississippi, is cultivable and
inhsbitable area, a. large a. ell the States
east OF the Mississippi taken together--an
area Of more than 100000 square miles
Hall million square miles OF this immense
agricultural district lie this side OF the
Rocky Mountains. II has river system Of
In own. Its base Is Lake Winnipeg, . lake
200 and thirty miles long and forty wide,
about the size Of Lake Erie, and connected
with two smaller s-Winnipegoos and
Msnitobs,-which, taken together, areabout
halt as large as Like Winnipeg. All three
are enclosed in the trapezium, the four
sides Of which ere latitude SO degrees and
81 degrees, and lopgitudes SO degrees
and l0l degrees. Into this centrs
lake THE final outlet Of which is by
Katchewan and Nelson rivers into Hudson
Bay flow two principal tributaries, the
Saskatchewan from the base Of the Rocky
Mountains, at the extreme west; and Red
river from the undrained plateaus between
the head. waters Of the Mississippi and the
grc,t bend Of the Missouri, at the extreme
south. The Saskatchewan has two branches,
which unite In latitude SO deg. and longi-
tude los deg, one third the distance from
Lake Winnipeg to the Rocky Mountains.
The southern branch Of the Saskatchewan,
which takes It's rise 10 the Rocky Mountains
near latitude 40 deg, 1.-THE international
irontier) andlongitude II deg, flows nearly
east. till, in longitude l07 deg, it defects
greatly to the north TO join the northern
branch Of the Saskatchewan. This northern
branch takes it rise in about the same lon
gitude ~ the southern branch, but in lati.
tude SO deg, and flows 10 a nearly south.
eastery direction till, in longitude lot deg,
10 EN- nj nnswo al Tut rtk MI that,
united with the southern branch, 1t pours its
waters into Lake Winnipeg forming at its
mouth the Grand Rapids, three miles in
length. Excepting this obstacle, which is
not insuperable, the main and upper Sas
katchswan is navigable by steamboats, in q
direct line more than seven hundred miles,
and by the course Of the stream nearly
double that distance--that il, to the Ed
monitor House, within sight Of the Rocky
Mountains (lat. 81 deg, long, lib l-3 deg).
The South Saskatchewan is equally well
navigable, il is said, to Chesterfield House
in about the same longitude. This river
alone drains q fertile valley Of 363.00
square miles. The Red River OF the North,
the other principal tributary of Lake Win
nipeg, flows almost exactly north along the
parallel Of longitude 81 deg, from latitude
l6 deg 30 min, tho head Of steamboat navi-
CATION, two degrees and half this side OF
the international boundary.
From this point in Minnesota, therefore, a
steamboat might sail northward, down Red
River and through Lake Winnipeg then
dragged through the Grand Rapids OF the
main Saskatchewan, she could steam west
ward, till she was covered by the shadows Of
the Rocky Mountains.
The enterprising people Of st. Paul, in
Minnesota, will place steamer on the Red
River OF the North as early as the coming
June. One man, who, in the frcshe,s OF last
spring, got his steamboat into the waters Of
Grow Wing river, offers for two thousand
dollars To take il apart, and carry il on
slsdgcs ninety miles across to Breckenridge,
the head Of navigation Of Red River, and
launch il by the 18th Of April He will
give bonds of 5000 for the performance Of
his contract Already the $4,000 dollars
are nearly or quite raised by private persons,
and the ST. Paul Chamber Of Commerce
offers in addition bonus Of $500 each, for
three boats to be delivered in the ReieRiver
any time during the coming summer. and
reward OF 81 900 to any person who will
run a steamboat OF one hundred tons burden
on Red River this summer, beginning her
trips on or before the let OF June next.
This Is the frs, public step Of move
ment which is yet 10 divert the products OF
the industry aud wealth Of an inland Aus
trala to the United States. Into the heart
Of magnificent AREAS, hardly surpassed in
fertility and beauty in the temperate zone,
the steamboat this summer will force its
way, and mark the channel through which
their products will flow when these regions
have become populous, a. in few more de-
cades Of years they inevitably will. Pre-
cisely what are the characteristics aud cana
cities Of these Northwestern areas vi shall.
in II subsequent article, sttemp, To show.
Enough, however, Is known of them to
point u comparison VI the sagscity of the
merchants Of 81. Paul with that OF the
President Of these United States. The one.
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