The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-12-09
GEOGRAPHY EleHry-sEveN YEARS AGO.

The following taken from a San
Francisco paper presents an interest
ing contrast with present geographic.
al knowledge:
| A map bearing the title Of GA
New Map of North America" pub.
lished in London in the year 1894,
has been handed us as curiosity in
its way. The map was published
some time after the close OF the Rev
olution, and is not yet century old.
The Atlantic Coast is well defined
and the divisions of the thirteen or
| iginal States are marked. The group
of West India Islands are. denoted
by the "Antills," and the reader is
informed that they were discovered
by sc. Columbus" The geography
Of Mexico and the Central American
States was well understood. The
Gulf of California is well defined,
but the Colorado River at the head
of the Gulf is only shown as an insig-
nificant stream, less than fifty miles
long, and without a name. A note
is printed stating that California
was thought to be an island till Eus-
ebius Francis Kindo, between the
years 1893 and 1901, discovered it
joined to the Continent, Of which the
Royal Society received information
in 1905" Alta California has no
other designation than "New Abb
on" it has no boundaries, but ap-
pears to include all the land north of
California proper, and west o. the
Sierra. The islands off the coast OF
Santa Barba are figured, and names
given to t lem which they do not
now bear. Point Conception is laid
down on this map, but Monterey Bay
is not figured This is the more re-
tIdI hdUie SiuCt dt Lildt udt0 IucFc WAS
Mission station at Monterey-or at
San Carlos in the immediate neigh
borhood-and another station had
been established on theme side of
the bay at Santa Cruz.
Besides Spanish vessels which had
entered that bay, Russian and En-
glish vessels had entered it, and there
were many maratime people who
could have made pretty accurate
map of it, although it was not known
generally to the commercial world.
The Bay of San Francisco is not
figured at all, but in tho vicinity we
have laid down sport Sir Francis
Drake, l576,' showing slight inden-
tation of the land apparently where
the Bay of San Francisco now is, be-
cause the Farallones are figured as
lying little to the north of this bay.
1t is mooted point whether Sir
Francis Drake ever saw the Bay of
San Francisco. Blu. brakes bay is
laid down on the map precisely where
the Bay of San Francisco now is,
only it is figured as a moderate in.
of the land and the real
bay is not figured at all. If the au-
thority of the map were to be follow
ed, it would appear that Sir Francis
Drake did actually enter the golden
gate, sailing up for considerable
distance, and then returning without
having discovered the magnificent
bay beyond. He found an inlet, but
did not explore it. And this is just
what the map shows and no none.
Five or six hundred miles north of
Brakes Bay, on the coast, is this des-
ignation. "Opening discovered by
Martin D'Aguilor in 1903" The
opening shows an inlet and a river
traced into the interior on straight
line, showing that it takes its rise in
"Winipingue Lake." Is this the Co
lumbia River, afterwards discovered
by Captain Gray? Some three hun
dred miles further north there is this
record, "Opening by Juan De Fuca
in 1892" The straits Of Fuca are
here designated, but nothing but an
inlet is shown extending into the
land few miles. Behring's Straits
were we'll known, because long be-
fore the date of this map exploring |
had entered the Arctic |
Ocean by this route.
Within the memory of some now
living this was satisfactory map of
the country. The Ordinance of 's7
had Just been extended over the
country west of the Ohio river.
Much of it was an unexplored coun-
try. Little was known of the coun-
try west of the Mississippi River,
and that little was confined principal
" to trappers ands hunters. They