The Polynesian. [volume], March 27, 1841, Image 1

About The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841

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THE
POLY
0j
P U BL1S1IK1) WUHKLV, AT HONOLULU, OA HIT. SANDWICH ISLANDS.
J. JAItVKS, Kdihr.
SATURDAY.. MARCH '21, mi.
Vol. 1. TVo. 43.
f F. 1. K 1). i
IVom tli; New Yorker, j
TIIH OIIIKJON TFKUITORV. !
riu,iir, Historical and Political, on the1
N'dith West ('oast of America and the I
lAdjiiccnt I erntorics: 1 Unstinted by a ma)
Rind centra plural view of those countries.
iy HoiJKiiT (iiikenmow, translator and h-
irarian to the Department of State. 1 vol.
vo. cv York, ilcy St Putnam.
r.fio.v is the most recently discovered
Dorado, rrom the time of the cxpe-j
ion of Lewis and Clark to the mouth;
-i i I ! T ; t c
(1 tlie iouiUHia jumt, u succession oi
tivollcrs have described its skies as the;
j'falitcst, its soil as the richest, its scene-,
as tlie most beautiful and its climate
the most enchanting of any in the ;
brkl. Some few dissenting voices have i
H?cd been raised, but an almost unani-
bus sentiment has prevailed that the
tural beautv of the country, and its oth-
advantages and attractions, must in
Jio make it the seat, of empire and of
f atness on tlie Western Continent. Re
lit discussions between our own and for-
;u governments, and a prospective con
versy between the United States and
cut Britain and Russia, in regard to ju
nction and boundaries, have led to a
eper interest than was felt before in all
(it relates to the North West Coast and
adjacent territories ; and the appcar-
c of a work like the Memoir before us.
pared by direction of the Government
I embracing all the authentic informa-
'An that was accessible, must therefore
imarid much attention.
But a small portion of the Memoir is
otcd to the climate and topography of
country. It is designed rather to ex
it the origin, nature and extent of the
I yeral claims to jurisdiction, in order to
rd the means of correctly estimating
(fc justice of each. In prosecuting these
ejects, the author found it necessary to
:e the whole progress of discovery and
tleinent, not only in the central Pacific
rritorics claimed by the United States,
t also in those farther north in which
tj; exclusive right of the 'Russians to form
ciablishmcnts has been recognized by
other Powers, and in the reirion ca ed
ilifornia, on the South, which consti-
es a part of the Mexican Republic,
ith this view, the original authorities
re carefully examined and compared
hi Mr. Grcenhow, and the facts thus cli
cked have been related concisely or at
Ick'tli, as their general importance or
Qir bearing upon the chief objects of the
Ucmoir appeared to require. From all
Cfe accounts of expeditions for trade or
wcoverv, facts have been drawn, and are
lire presented in the form of a regular I
urrative, so as to constitute a complete!
I tory ol the Western portion of our con
l ent, i if,' to use the words of the wri-
' it be allowable to speak of the history
a country which still remains in a state
nature.'
3 The whole region w atered by the Co-
ibia River is known bv the name Ork-
(Jx. It extends along the Pacific Coast
pre than four hundred miles, and pro
fits in all that distance but two harbors
shipping. These were discovered by
pt. Gray, of Boston, in 1702. One,
f most Northern, is in latitude lf 58,
'I atlbrds a safe anchorage for small ves-s-
The other is at the mouth of the
kinibiu River, about thirty miles south
of the former. The Territory drained by must always suil'cr from the extreme dry
thc Columbia presents, according to the ness of the Summer. The products which
Memoir, a constant succession of moun- ripen earliest sustain the least damage,
tain ridges ami rallies, or plains of small , but those which come late are often in
extent. Beside the Rocky Mountains, ijurcd.' "
there are two principal ridges, running; of i,0 vfd f this region, the same
nearly parallel to one another and the acute observer savs :
coast'. The country is thus divided into j TIl0 tiplamls' Ure tolerably .rood, but
three great regions which tinier mate, .-, lhe (.()st J lh(i CM0..n;ous rowvU
ally in climate, sod and proihif'.tions. I op timber on them would be bevond their
lhe first region, or low country, is that h . k u ()Q aml (fJ uow
between the -coast and chain of mountains! of cr(; g hv o!)1;ii!u,1 1)V idling the
nearest to the sea ; the second '7',,n ,S : trees ; and it must be removed or burnt,
between the mountains nearest the sea . . , ' . r ., . . ; . iwl,.lwi ,tw ,
. . .... ., 11 i i i,i ; the labor ot which is ne ond the conccp-
and the middle ridge, called luc Blue , t,n ,. ,t,i ,,,. .,. ,
Mountains ; and the third region, or high
countrV, is between the Blue Mfjuntains;,
and the Rockv 'Mountains.
visions are crossed by the Columbia Riv
er, the main stream of which is formed in
the middle region bv the union of several
branches flowing from the Rocky Moun
tains and receiving in their course supplies
from innumerable smaller tributaries drain
ing the intermediate countries.
Of the chain of mouniains running
nearest to the Pacific, Mr. Wyetli, in a
letter written in '.$ and quoled by Mr.
Grcenhow, uses the following language :
u The traveller going West f from the
Blue Mountains sees the high points of
the California Mountains, about one hun
dred and sixty miles distant, some of
which rise about sixteen thousand feet
above the level of the Pacific. All other
views in America sink into littleness in
comparison with this. From one spot, I
have seen seven of the high points of this
range, extending from North to South,
their perfect whiteness and steep conical
shape causing them to appear like huge
sugar-loaves."
ests of the United Slates, There are.
inii'icnr lu- 1 1-u : !! HMr I I' Mil til- 'a l;
All the i ; :
, anil c.iC!iMe I'M u:v; iui.iuujii i i ne
Of the valley of the Multnomah, the
Memoir remarks :
next, centurv, which being chiefly on the
second bottoms of rivers, are extremely
fertile and above inundation.' The for
ests in. this part of America, are, from all
accounts, magnificent. Ross Cox de
scribes a fir growiiig ;:ear Fort George', or
Astoria, on the Columbia, about eight
miles from the sen, which measured forty
six feet in circumference at ten feet from
the ground, one hundred and fifty feet in
lemith, before? giving off a branch, and not
less than three hundred feet in its whole
height. Another tree of the same spe
cies, is said to be standing on the batiks
of the Umqua, the trunk of which is fifty
seven fett in circumference, and two hun
dred and sixteen feet in length, below its
branches. Cox adds, that prime sound
pines, from two hundred to two hundred
and eighty feet in height, and from twen
ty to forty in circumference, are by no
means uncommon' '
Of the Blue Mountains, and the Mid
dle region of Oregon the author proceeds,
"The Blue Mountains extend from
North to South, Ihrough the whole terri-
" The climate of this region is more fa-' tory of the Columbia, between the I lock v
vorablc to agriculture than those of anv Mountains and the chain which border
other parts of Oregon, although it is cer- the coast. Their course is not so regular
tainly adverse to great productiveness, j or clearly defined as those of the other
The summer is warm and very dry. From i chains ; and they appear to be broken iu
April to October, while the westerly winds J to several ridges, some ol which run lo
prevail, rain seldom falls in any part of; wards the Rocky Mountains on the Last,
Oregon; during the other months, when while others join the westernmost chain,
the South wind blows constantly, the j These mountains are steep and rocky,
rains are almost incessant in the lower re- generally volcanic, and some of them cn
gion, although sometimes the dry season '.red with eternal snow : they are crossed
there continues longer. Farther from the by both branches of the Columbia, which
Pacific, the rains arc less frequent and also receives several tributaries from the
abundant; and near the Rocky Moun-; valleys on their western sides."
tains they are reduced to a few showers j : The Middle Region of Oregon, be
in the Spring. In the valleys of the low ( tween the mountains nearest tlie coast on
country snow is rarely seen, and the the West .and the Blue Mountains o:i the
ground is not often frozen, so that, ploudi-j Fast, is more elevated, more dry and less
ing may generally be carried on during j fertile, than the Low Country. It con
the whole Winter. In 18.'M the Cohun-: sists chiefly of plains, between ridges of
bia was frozen for thirteen days, but this j mountains", the soil of which is generally
was principally in consequence of the ac-' a yellow sandy clay, covered with grass,
cumulation of ice from above. 1 This small shrubs, and prickly pears. Timber
country,' says Mr. Wyeth, ' is well calcu- is very scarce ; the trees', which are small,
latcd for wheat, barley, oats, rye, peas, I and of soft useless woods, such as cotton
apples, potatoes, and all roots cultivated wood, sumac, ami- willow, being only
in the Northern States of the Union ; In-! found in the neighborhood of the streams,
dian corn does not succeed well, and is j The climate during the summer is uni
an unprofitable crop. The yield of wheat, I versally represented as most agreeable and
with very poor cultivation, is about fifteen 1 salubrious ; the days are wa"rm, and the
bushels of the best quality to the acre, j nights cool ; but the want of moisture in
Horses and neat cattle succeed tolerably the air prevents the contrast of tempera
well; the Winter being mild, they are ! ture from being injurious to the health
enabled to subsist upon the produce of the The rains begin later in the year, and end
open fields. Hogs live and multiply, but! sooner than in th" Low Countryand they
cannot be made fat on the range of the j are less constant and heavy."
country. 'The agriculture of this region i Few attempts at cultivation have been
made in this region, and thev have not
been, upon the whole, successful. Wy
eth conceives that ' the agriculture of this
territory must al.vas be limited to the
wants of a pastoral people, and to the im
mediate vicinity of the streams and moun
tains : and irrigation must be resorted to,
if a large population is to be supported in
it. This country, which a fiords little
prospect for the tiller of the soil, is per
haps one of the best for grazing in tho
! world. It has been much underrated bv
travellers who have only passed by tho
Columbia, tlie land along which is a col
lection of sand and rocks, and almost
without vegetation : but a few miles from
the Columbia, towards the hills and moun
tains, the prairies open wide, covered with
a low grass of a most nutritious kind,
'which remains .rood throughout the vear.
. In September there are slight rains, at
I which time the grass starts; and in Oc
itobcr and November there is a good coat
i of grass, which remains so until the ensu
ling summer ; and about June it is ripe in
the lower plains, and, drying without be
ing wet. is like made hay ; in this state it
j remains until the autumn rains again rc
jvive it. The herdsman, in this extensive
j valley, could at all times keep his animals
j in gf'l grass, by approaching the moun
i tains in Summer, on the declivities of
; which almost any climate maybe had:
jaud the dry grass of tlie country is at all
timer; excellent. It is in this section of
the country that all the horses are reared
for the supply of the Indians and traders
in the interior. It is not uncommon that
one Ind an owns some hundreds of them.
I think this section, for producing hides,
tallow, and beef, is superior to any part of
North America; for, with equal facilities
for raising the animals, the weather in
Winter, when the grass is best, and con
sequently, the best time to fatten the ani
mals, is cold enough to salt the meat,
which is not the case in Upper California.
There is no question that sheen mHit
; be raised to any extent, in a climate so
dry and sulliciently warm, where very lit-
tie snow or rain fails. It is also, I think,
jthe h- althiesl country I have ever been
jiu. which, I suppose, arises from the small
.quantity of decaying vegetable matter,
and then- being no obstruction from tim
; her to the passing winds."
Of lhe High Country of tho Oregon,
included between the Blue Mountains on
tho WestnwHIu; Rocky Mountains on
the Fast, Mr. Grcenhow gives tho follow
ing account :
"The Southern part of this region is a
desert, o Sleep. lOckv inoiintninc rlnnr,
! narrow valleys, called' holes by the fur
graders, and wide plains, covered with
j sand or gravel, generally volcanic, which
; can never be icndered capable of sup-
porting more than a very small number of
! inhabitants. The distinguishing features
iof this territory are, its extreme dryness,
and the great difference h, temperature
between the day and the night. It sel-
1kttl fit lie j", . 1 i' 1
..WW i, mi, M i (Hiring a lew days in
the Spring ; there is little snow in the
valleys in winter, though a great deal falls
occasionally on the mountain tops; and
no moisture is deposited in dews. Mr.
Wyeth saw the thermometer, on the banks
of Snake River, in August, I8.J-, mark
eighteen degrees of Fahrenheit at sunrise,
and ninety-two degrees at noon of the
same day ; and he says that u difltrcncc