land lying between the Snowy and Rocky Mountains and the rivers Colorado and Sacramento, terminating in a point at the head of the Gulf of California, thus demonstrating that the only value which can attach to that country is confined to its coast, to the west of the snowy range, and that the Colorado and Sacramento are respectively its connecting links with the Texas and Oregon districts.

CHAPTER V.

DESCRIPTION OF INTERIOR.

BOUNDED on the south by the Snowy Mountain range, on the north by the Babine and Peak mountains and the spurs which incline from the latter to the coast; on the west by the Pacific; and on the east by the Rocky Mountains; the natural district of the river of the west lies compact and clearly defined by those great land-marks which the Author of Nature has placed around it. Politically, with the same boundaries east and west, it is limited by the 42nd parallel to the south, and by that of 54° 40′ to the north; but these arbitrary land-marks may be varied, while the natural are unchangeable. On entering on a geographical account of the territory, it should be described as nature has left it; and it may be remarked by the way that, with whatever labour and cost arbitrary boundaries may be for a time maintained, it will always be found at length to have been without profit, and must of necessity have a speedy termination.

Taking, then, these natural boundaries, and commencing from the south, we find the Snowy Mountains-the Sierra Nevada of the Spaniards-dividing, by a somewhat circuitous south-west course, the head-waters of the river Colorado, falling into the Gulf of California, and the Sacramento, which empties itself into the harbour of San Francisco, from those of the south branch of the Columbia

and the Clamet rivers, which fall into the Pacifie; they approach the Rocky Mountains near the south pass from the United States, about which are the sources of six great rivers, the Missouri, the Platte, the Arkansas, the Rio Bravo del Norte, the Colorado, and the Snake, or south branch of the Columbia river, near the 42nd parallel, and are the most lofty mountains of the northern continent; and here also are some detached but lofty ranges, jutting out into the lower country, among which the most remarkable are the Wind Mountains, Long's Range, and the White Mountains, which separate the river Bravo from the Arkansas. South of this range, and separated from North California by a continuation of it parallel to the coast, there is a great natural basin, 5000 feet above the level of the sea, of about 300 miles in breadth, stretching east and west, and about 500 in length, north and south, forming a triangle, and filling a space between the mountain barrier of the Sacramento and Colorado on the east and west, and the Snake river on the north, containing its own system of lakes and rivers, having no outlet or communication with the sea, and forming an almost impassable barrier between the Oregon and California in that direction. The road between the Snowy Mountains and the coast line is not, however, difficult. Having passed the Blue Mountain chain in lat. about 421°, it then abuts on the sea at Cape Mendocino, in lat. 40°, while another branch takes a south course to the east of the waters of the Sacramento. Running north from their junction with the Snowy Mountains, the Blue Mountains bound the valley of the Saptin or Snake or Lewis river on the west, and terminate at the upper falls of the river Columbia.