one whose life presents such a heroic resolution in the pursuit of science as Wilson. Although this most indefatigable genius did not live to enjoy the reward of his diligence, he certainly anticipated what has come to pass-that his work would always be regarded as a subject of pride by his adopted country, as it certainly is by the country which gave him birth, and would secure a high degree of honour for him whose name it bears.

32

HE continent of North America is about three thousand miles across, from the Atlantic on the east to the Pacific on the west; and, after an interval of more than three centuries since the discovery and settlement of the country, the civilised races, who are chiefly of English origin, have still left the western half of the continent very sparsely, if at all, occupied. The progress of encroachment in the western wilderness, however, is now exceedingly rapid. Since the deliverance of the New England and other states from British control, the Anglo-Americans have evinced a singularly energetic spirit of migration towards what was, ninety years ago, an almost unknown land. Crossing the Alleghany range of mountains, from the Atlantic or old settled states, they have taken possession of the valley of the Mississippi, a tract as large as all Europe; and after reaching the head-waters of the Missouri and other tributaries of the Mississippi, have crossed the Rocky Mountains-'the Great Backbone of America,' as they have not inaptly been called-and taken possession of the basin of the Columbia, on the Pacific, a region known at the time of the following narrative as the Oregon; and southward from this have raised up in a few years the flourishing state of California.

This extension of the boundaries of civilisation over a country hitherto abandoned to roaming tribes of Indians and herds of wild animals, is one of the most remarkable facts in social history. Since the beginning of the present century, the population of the United

No. 138.

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States has increased from four millions to thirty-eight millions; and if the same rate of increase were to continue, by the close of the century the population would be about three hundred millions, all speaking the English language, and possessing institutions resembling our own. Yet, although the extension of the Anglo-American settlements has been comparatively rapid, it has not been effected without numerous difficulties. Those who first penetrated into the wilderness were usually parties of fur-traders; and by these hardy pioneers, and the volunteer travellers who accompanied them, the way may be said to have been in some measure paved for the more formal visits of surveyors, and the new occupants of the country. The journeys of these pioneering parties were attended with many dangers. The setting out of an expedition resembled a caravan of pilgrims sallying forth across the African deserts; civilisation was for months, perhaps for years, left behind; no vestige of house or road was seen on the apparently interminable wastes; journeying was performed only on horseback during the day, while repose was enjoyed in tents pitched for the night; a constant outlook must be kept for prowling wild beasts, or the not less stealthy steps of the Pawnee Loup Indian: in short, all was wild nature, romantic enough, perhaps, to untamed minds, but, as we can imagine, altogether unendurable by persons accustomed to the quiet and orderly life of cities. Strange as it seems, however, there were highly cultivated individuals who, inspired by a love of science, or for the mere sake of sport, voluntarily made part of the fur-trading bands, consenting to remain for years from home, friends, and the world of refinement.

Believing that the account of one of these romantic expeditions cannot but be acceptable to our readers, we offer in the present sheet the history of an excursion performed some thirty-five years ago by Mr Townsend, an enthusiastic ornithologist, and his friend Professor Nuttall, of Howard University, an equally zealous botanist.* Being desirous of increasing the existing stock of knowledge in the departments of science to which they were respectively attached, these gentlemen agreed to accompany a body of traders, commanded by a Captain Wyeth, to the Columbia River and adjacent parts. The traders belonged to an association called the Columbia River Fishing and Trading Company, and on this occasion they designed to fix a permanent branch establishment in the west.

On the evening of the 24th of March 1834, the two friends arrived in a steamboat at St Louis, on the Missouri, from Pittsburg. At St Louis, the last great town within the settlements, they furnished themselves with several pairs of leathern pantaloons, enormous overcoats, and white wool hats with round crowns, fitting tightly to the head, and almost hard enough to resist a musket-ball. Leaving their baggage to come on with the steamer, about three

The materials for the present account are drawn from An Excursion to the Rocky Mountains, by J. K. Townsend; a work published at Philadelphia in 1839.

hundred miles farther up the Missouri, Mr Townsend and his friend set off to amuse themselves by walking and hunting leisurely through that distance, which is composed chiefly of wide flat prairies, with few and remotely situated habitations of the frontier settlers.

One of the first indications of their approach to a wild country was the spectacle of a band of Indians of the Saque tribe, who were removing to new settlements. The men were fantastically painted, and the chief was distinguished by a profuse display of trinkets, and a huge necklace made of the claws of the grisly bear. The decorations of one of the women amused the two travellers. She was an old squaw, to whom was presented a broken umbrella. The only use she made of this prize was to wrench the plated ends from the whalebones, string them on a piece of wire, take her knife from her belt, with which she deliberately cut a slit of an inch in length along the upper rim of her ear, and insert them in it. The sight was as shocking to the feelings as it was grotesque; for the cheeks of the vain being were covered with blood as she stood with fancied dignity in the midst of twenty others, who evidently envied her the possession of the worthless baubles.

While pushing forward on the borders of the wilderness, the travellers one day arrived at the house of a kind of gentlemansettler, who, with his three daughters, vied in shewing kindness to their visitors. The girls,' says Mr Townsend, 'were very superior to most that I had seen in Missouri, although somewhat touched with the awkward bashfulness and prudery which generally characterise the prairie maidens. They had lost their mother when young, and having no companions out of the domestic circle, and consequently no opportunity of aping the manners of the world, were perfect children of nature. Their father, however, had given them a good plain education, and they had made some proficiency in needlework, as was evinced by numerous neatly worked samplers hanging in wooden frames round the room.' Some little curiosity and astonishment was excited in the minds of the unsophisticated girls when they were informed that their two guests were undertaking a long and difficult journey across the prairies-one of them for the purpose of shooting and stuffing birds, the other for the purpose of obtaining plants to preserve between leaves of paper; but at last they began to perceive that probably there was some hidden utility in these seemingly idle pursuits; and the last words of the eldest Miss P- to our ornithologist at parting were: 'Do come again, and come in May or June, for then there are plenty of prairie-hens, and you can shoot as many as you want, and you must stay a long while with us, and we'll have nice times. Good-bye; I'm so sorry you're going.' Miss P—, in promising an abundance of prairie-hens, evidently did not perceive in what respect an ornithologist differed from a sportsman; but her invitation was kindly meant; and Mr Townsend promised, that if ever he visited

Missouri again, he would go a good many miles out of his way to see her and her sisters. The next resting-place which our traveller describes was very different from Mr P's comfortable and cheerful house. It was a hotel, for which a pigsty would have been a more appropriate name. Everything and everybody were dirty, disobliging, and disagreeable; and after staying one night, the travellers refusing the landlord's invitation to liquorise with him, departed without waiting for breakfast.

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In the case of our travellers, however, one of the last impressions left upon them before fairly entering the wilderness was of a more agreeable and suitable description. In about an hour and a half,' says Mr Townsend, 'we arrived at Fulton, a pretty little town, and saw the villagers in their holiday clothes parading along to church. The bell at that moment sounded, and the peal gave rise to many reflections. It might be long ere I should hear the sound of the 'church-going bell" again. I was on my way to a far, far country, and I did not know that I should ever be permitted to revisit my own. I felt that I was leaving the scenes of my childhood-the spot which had witnessed all the happiness I ever knew, the home where all my affections were centered. I was entering a land of strangers, and would be compelled hereafter to mingle with those who might look upon me with indifference, or treat me with neglect.' The travellers, tired of their long journey on foot, waited at a small village on the Missouri till their companions and baggage should come up. The steamer arrived on the 9th of April, and the two pedestrians having gone on board, it was soon puffing up the river at the rate of seven miles an hour. In four days they reached the small town of Independence, the outermost Anglo-American post, and disembarking, they began to prepare for their long and venturesome journey. Mr Townsend here introduces a description of the company, about fifty in all.

There were amongst the men to compose the caravan a great variety of dispositions. Some, who had not been accustomed to the kind of life they were to lead, looked forward to it with eager delight, and talked of stirring incidents and hairbreadth escapes. Others, who were more experienced, seemed to be as easy and unconcerned about it as a citizen would be in contemplating a drive of a few miles into the country. Some were evidently reared in the shade, and not accustomed to hardships; many were almost as rough as the grisly bear, and not a little proud of their feats, of which they were fond of boasting; but the majority were strong able-bodied men. During the day, the captain kept all his men employed in arranging and packing a vast variety of goods for carriage. In addition to the necessary clothing for the company, arms, ammunition, &c., there were thousands of trinkets of various kinds, beads, paint, bells, rings, and such-like trumpery, intended as presents for the Indians, as well as objects of trade with them.