The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-04-05

said that in the discourse he should
speak mainly of what had come under
his own observation during his explo-
~rations in the great mountain range.
The American continent possessed the
grandest and most extensive chain of
mountains on the earth, extending
from Cape Horn on the South, to the
Arctic regions of the North. This
chain attained its greatest width about
the fortieth parallel OF latitude, where
it was about q thousand miles wide.
There were traces of great volcanic
activity in this chain, and in Califor.
MIA there was n single patch of lava
covering ten thousand square miles.
This whole region was formerly known
as the Rocky Mountains, why, the lee
turer knew not. as they were not
rocky any more than other mountains,
but now this name only applied to the
eastern portion of them, the western
being called the Sierra Nevada. The
lecturer then spoke of the heights of
the different peaks, most Of which
he thought had been exaggerated on
account of being impe4iectly measur-
ed. It was n curious fact that to all
high peaks they had at first affixed al
altitude of 5000 feet !; why, he could
not tell, but that height had been the
favorite, and the mountain had been
classed at $4,000 feet until actual
measurement placed it very far below
that figure. There was only one peak
yet measured in the great chain that
reached 5000, but there were many
of II, 900 indeed it was somewhat re-
markable how regularly this height
was observed ; so tar as measured
there were twenty peaks above $4,000
and ten about 1900 feet above the
sea level. The lecturer then spoke of
the plains, which he said were not
plains, but only Il depression of tie
continuous range, and attain an alti-
tude of II 1000 feet. On these plains
the sensation Is much the same as it is
at sea, leaving out the sea sickness
The traveller is oppressed with the
%nearpess of the horizon. and there is
absolutely nothing to break the mo-
notony. Travelling on the Pacific rail.
road, you look back and see nothing
but two glittering lines OF rail and two
rows of telegraph poles, and ahead is
the self same prospect Once in a
while a speck appears on the horizon
as a sail appears in sight at sea. and it
gradually grows larger as you approach
until it is made out to be the great
pumping wheel supplying the water
tor the locomotive, and, here too, will
be what iscalled a station-a hut or
howell, with two or three soldiers lott
ering ear to impress the Indians with
the power of the United rtates army.
Laughter. Then you go on TIL you
find that, although you have appeared
to be travelling on a plain, you have,
in fact, been going up q mountain, till
you find yourself'on the top of Mount
Washington, more than a thousand
feet above the level of tho sea. The
Rocky mountains were no barrier to
the railroad. 1t seemed as if nature
had prepared this plain expressly fer
the road. Mr.. Brewer then proceeded
to describe a tour which he had made
with the mining classes of Yale and
Harvard colleges, saying that they
started well equipped with all the nee
essary instruments just as if they had
been on a regular government survey,
with the additional charm OF working
in q mountain country without being
hampered by any red tape. With re-
gard to the game, the mountain buffa-
10 was almost extinct; the miners
have driven them all off. Deer are
found in small number, and bears are
fewer still. He the lecturer) had net
shot any bears or Indians. There
were grouse of various kinds, and the
streams are literally crowded with
trout that would look up at you, and
seem to ask you to throw them a line.
But the most numerous game are the
flies, which abound to an extent that
cannot be imagined, and sting fear
fully, setting the animals frantic and
provoking much profanity among the
tourists and next to these are the
grasshoppers, who go with you to the
top of the highest peaks, and as much
higher as the eye can reach, and the
Snow On the sides OF the hills is black
with their ~carcasscs, which emit an
rdor more offensive than almost any
thing in the world Of smells. He had
smelt dead whale on the coast of Chill
and 10 who had ever smelt dead
whale would forget it. The odor was
peculiar in its ofensiveness. Another
of the party had also bad this expert
ence, and when tho efiuvia from these
grasshofpers was encountered, they
both at once shouted ''dead whale.
Mountain travel as n rule was very
hard labor, but there was one peak
called Gray's Peak within easy reach
Of Denver which could be assembled
without difficulty wen by ladies', and
the lecturer advised his audience dur
ing the coming summer, to visit this,
in preference to taking any other
route of travel, assuring them the
beauty of the scenery would amply
repay them for all their toll.
At the conclusion of the address, on
motion of the Rev. DIR. Thompson, a
vote of thanks was given to the ~lectur-
er for his address, after which the So
ciety adjorIrned.-Neu York World.
.