Fate, far, fall, fât; mẻ, mét: pine or pine, pin; nồ, nôt; řo as in good ; 10,000 to 14,000 ft. in elevation, and forming part of a chain of mountains extending from 60° N. Lat. to the southern point of Old Cali fornia, we enter the second region, or Middle Country of Oregon. This section extends from N. to S. through the entire territory, covering a breadth of about 160 miles; and may be characterized as the pastoral portion. The part south of the Columbia is drained by the Fall's, John Day, Unatilla, and Wallawalla rivers, which run N. into the Columbia; and also by a number of western affluents of the Lewis or Snake river. The northern part of this plateau is drained by the Barrier, Pischous, Yakima, and other branches of the Columbia. In the southern part, the Blue mountains cross this section in irregular E. and W. directions. Most of the rivers lying on the emigrant's route, are sunk in deep perpendicular channels of lava, with rugged sterile banks, and few alluvial bottoms, which fact has given to the whole country a worse character than it deserves. At some distance back from the rivers are large plains, covered with a nutritious grass, and there are streams whose valleys would repay agricultural labour. Crossing the Blue mountains (which sometimes rise to the snow-line, but whose general elevation is from 3,000 to 4,000 ft.), we arrive at the Upper Country, which reaches to the base of the Rocky mountains, and is mostly a sterile and cheerless region, of about 150 m. in breadth. The northern portion above the Salmon river is wooded. The southern is covered with volcanic mountains and plains. The rivers of this section are somewhat peculiar, running in deep troughs, called cañons, sometimes from 500 to 1,500 ft. below the surface of the surrounding country, and inaccessible to the traveller. There are some places adapted to grazing, but it is generally too cold for agriculture.

Soil and Productions.-In the Lower Country, where alone agricultural operations are carried on to any extent, wheat is the staple production; but owing to the cool evenings, and the drought in the latter part of summer, Indian corn does not mature well. Besides these, oats, barley, turnips, and most of the fruits of the Middle States flourish. The want of rain is unfavourable to the potato. Among the indigenous fruits are the crab-apple, a large red plum, strawberries, a yellow raspberry, and some other berries. The most fertile portions of Oregon are the lower valley of the Willam'ette and parts of the Umpqua valley, which possess a surpassingly luxuriant soil. A species of fir, called Lambert's pine, grows in the lower region to an enormous size, sometimes attaining a height of nearly 300, and a girth of 40 ft.—often of 24 to 36 ft. This is the great wood of the country, and large quantities are exported to the Sandwich Islands, and perhaps now to California. The other timber, of which there is not a great variety or great abundance, is the cedar, oak, ash, maple, laurel, pine, willow, dogwood, cottonwood, and alder. The oak, next to the fir, is the most valuable wood, and is found most abundantly in the Willamette and Umpqua valleys. In the middle region, timber is not abundant, and consists mostly

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; TH, as in this; N, nearly like ng. of soft wood. On the Blue mountains, and in parts N. of the Columbia, the pine grows. By the census of 1850, there were 135,357 acres of land under cultivation, producing 228,882 bushels of wheat; 2,928 bushels of Indian corn, 325 lb of tobacco, 29,596 lb of wool, 211,734 lb of butter, 36,030 lb of cheese, 380 tons of hay, and employing farming implements and machinery to the value of $183,403. Value of live stock $1,875,987.

Climate and Meteorology.-In common with the western shores of all continents, Oregon has a milder climate than the same latitudes on the Atlantic border. The coast region is the mildest, and the Upper Region the most rigorous. In the first, the winters last only from December to February, snow seldom falls, and S. and S. W. winds prevail, mitigating the severity of the weather. From April to November but little rain falls. At Puget's Sound, between May and July, the mean temperature was 67°, maximum 98°, minimum 39°; at Ft. Vancouver, from June to September, the mean was 66°, maximum 87°, minimum 51°. Of 106 days, 76 were fair, 19 cloudy, and 11 rainy. The winter somewhat resembles that of England. In the Middle Region, the summers are much drier and warmer, and the winters colder than in the Coast Region, the extremes varying from 108° to 18°. Daily range 40°. No dews fall here. The Upper Country is very variable, having in each day all the changes of the seasons, and is therefore unfitted for agricultural operations.

Animals, fish, &c.-The wild animals are deer, black and grizzly bears, elk, wolves, antelopes, foxes, musk-rats, martens, and beavers. The latter are fast diminishing. There are some buffaloes in the eastern portion. But little game is found in the Middle section. In spring and fall, geese, ducks, and other water-fowl are abundant. The fish are, salmon in great abundance and excellent quality, (caught from May till October), sturgeon, cod, carp, sole, flounders, ray, perch, herring, and smelt, with large quantities of crabs, clams, oysters, and mussels.

History.-Oregon seems to have been first trodden by European feet about 1775, when a Spanish navigator visited Juan de Fuca straits. Cook coasted along its shores in 1778. The Columbia r. is believed to have been first made known to the civilized world, in 1791, by Captain Gray, of the ship Columbia of Boston, U. S., who saw the mouth of the river, but did not enter it till May of the next year, when he gave it the name of his ship. From this time up to 1804 the coast of Oregon was occasionally visited by British and American fur-traders. In that year, President Jefferson sent out an exploring party under Lewis and Clark, who passed the winters of 1805 and '6 at the mouth of the Columbia. After this period, overland expeditions by fur-traders became common, and these, with the British Hudson Bay Company, held joint possession of the country (but not without jealous rivalries and bloody contests), till the treaty of 1846, which gave all below 49° N. Lat. to the United States.

Fate, fảr, fảll, fất; mẻ, mẻt; pine or pine, pin; nồ, nột; oõ as in good ; Emigration from the U. S. for the purpose of settlement, commenced in 1839. Its growth for the time is probably retarded by the goldmines of California attracting nearly all travellers and settlers, but their ultimate prosperity will most likely be mutual, the mining population of the one furnishing a market for the agriculturists of the other. There is no doubt that in future times Oregon will play an important part in the commerce of the Pacific Ocean, and particularly that of the Polynesian groups.

The government of Oregon is similar to all other territorial governments. The governor receives a salary of $3,000, and is besides superintendent of Indian Affairs. His secretary receives $1,800 per annum. Great interest is taken in the cause of education. The Methodists have an institute at Salem, and the Presbyterians have an academy at Tualatin Plains, both flourishing institutions. There are two female institutes at Oregon City, and good schools at Portland, Lafayette, and other small towns.

Towns.-Portland, on the Willam'ette, 15 m. from its mouth, is at the head of ship navigation, and is the largest and most commercial town in Oregon. Pop. estimated at about 1,000. Oregon City, in a cañon* (kan'yon) on the E. side of the Willam'ette, 25 miles from its mouth, is the present capital, and has excellent manufacturing facilities, derived from the falls in the river at this place. Pop. about 700. Salem, also on the Willam'ette, 60 m. above Oregon City, is beautifully located in a rich prairie country, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the territory. It is in contemplation to remove the capital thither. Pop. about 600. Oregon Institute, organized in 1844, is on a commanding site, about 6 miles from Salem. It has at present from 75 to 100 pupils. Lafayette, at the falls of the Yam Hill, a western tributary of the Willam'ette, has about 400 inhabitants. Marysville is situated on the W. side of the Willamʼette, at the mouth of the Mary's r. Pop. 200.

OREGON, a co. in the S. part of Mo., bordering on Ark. Pop. 1,432.

ORFA. See ОORFA.

O-REL' or OR-LOF', a flourishing city in the S. central part of European Russia, cap. of a gov. of the same name on the Oka. It has an extensive trade in grain, and may be regarded as the great commercial entrepôt for the interior of Russia; it is also the seat of various manufactures. Lat. 52° 57' N., Lon. 35° 57′ E. The pop. in 1820 was 20,000; in 1830 it was stated at 31,000 (P. C.); at present it probably exceeds 40,000.

This is a Spanish word signifying a "channel or passage.' It is usually employed, west of the Rocky Mountains, to denote the narrow channel of a stream flowing between precipitous banks. Sometimes, as in the case of the cañon at Oregon City, the stream does not occupy the entire channel, but leaves a flat space between the river and the precipitous bank or wall which encloses it.

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; TH, as in this; N, nearly like ng.

ORELLANA. See AMAZON.

O-REN-BOORG (Orenburg), an extensive gov. of Russia, situated partly in Europe and partly in Asia. of the same name, in Lat. 54° 42′ N., (P. C.)

Ool-få (Ufa), the cap., is on a r.
Lon. about 56° E. Pop. 6,000.

ORENBOORG, the principal t. of the above gov., situated on the r. Ural, is regularly built and well fortified. It carries on an extensive trade with Bokhara. Lat. 51° 46′ N., Lon. 55° 5' E. Pop. stated at 20,000. (P. C.)

ORIHUELA, o-re-wà/-lå!, a city in the Spanish prov. of Valencia, on the r. Segura, in a fertile plain, which has been justly styled "the Garden of Spain." It contains a university and several other institutions. Lat. 38° 8' N., Lon. 1° W. Pop. 26,000. (B.)

O-RI-NO-CO (i. e. the "coiled serpent"), a large r. of S. America, the sources of which have never been visited by Europeans. As it is usually laid down on our maps, it strikingly resembles, in its general course, the form of a coiled serpent, as its name implies. From about 4° S. Lat., and 68° W. Lon., it flows northerly above 200 m., then northeasterly, and at last almost E., to the Atlantic, which it enters near 9° N. Lat., and 61° W. Lon., by a multitude of mouths, called the Caños (kån/-yoce) or "channels" of the Orinoco. The whole length is estimated at near 1,300 m. The delta commences about 100 m. from the sea. The tides are sometimes perceptible as far as Angostura, or about 250 m. from the mouth of the Orinoco. During the rainy season, which corresponds to our summer, the river overflows the Llanos (lyå/-nòs) or plains which lie N. of it to a great extent, presenting a vast expanse of waters, said sometimes to exceed 150 m. in breadth. In the upper part of its course, the rise is said to amount to 13 fathoms, which is somewhat more than the greatest rise on the Ohio.

O-RIS/-SA, a prov. of Hindostan, between the 18th and 23d degrees of N. Lat., and bordering on the Bay of Bengal.

ORIZABA, o-re-så/-bå, a flourishing t. of Mexico, 70 m. W. S. W. of Vera Cruz. Pop. between 8,000 and 10,000. (M.) Near it, in Lat. 19° 2′ N., Lon. 97° 15′ W., rises the volcanic mountain of Orizaba (now extinct) to the height of 17,380 ft. above the Atlantic.

ORK-NEY ISLANDS (Lat. Or/cadės), a group belonging to Great Britain, situated near the N. N. E. extremity of Scotland, between 58° 44′ and 59° 24′ N. Lat. They are separated from the main land of Scotland by the Pentland Frith, which, in the narrowest part, is about 6 m. wide. The group contains in all 67 islands or islets, 27 of which are permanently inhabited. The largest is Pomona or Mainland. (See POMONA.) Total area estimated at 440 sq. m. Pop. 30,507.

ORLEANAIS or Orleanois, or`-là`-ån`-à', one of the former provinces of France, now distributed among the departments of Eure and Loir, Loir and Cher, and Loiret.

Or'-LE-ḍn§/* (Fr. pron. or`-là`-ån'; Anc. Gena/bum, afterwards Aure

* We often hear this ame pronounced in two syllables, with the accent on

åte, får, fåll, fat; mẻ, mêt; pine or pine, pin; nò, nỗt; ŏŏ as in good; lia'ni, of which Orleans is a corruption); a manufacturing and commercial city, in the N. central part of France, cap. of the dep. of Loiret, situated on the right bank of the Loire, 68 m. S. S. W. of Paris, with which it is connected by a railway. Among its numerous literary institutions, we may name the Académie Universitaire, a national College, and the Public Library, containing 25,000 vols. Genabum appears to have been a place of considerable importance among the ancient Carnutes. In retaliation for the massacre of some Romans residing in the town, it was plundered and burned by Cæsar (about 50 B. C.) In later times, Orleans has undergone two of the most remarkable sieges recorded in history. The first was during the invasion of Attila (A. D. 451), in which that hitherto victorious destroyer was successfully resisted. The other took place in 1428, during the English invasion, when Joan of Arc, called afterwards the Maid of Orleans, commenced her wonderful career, by delivering the city, with the signal defeat of its besiegers. Lat. 47° 54' N., Lon. 2° 46' E. Pop. 64,000. (B.)

ORLEANS, a co. in the N. part of Vt., bordering on Canada. Pop. 15,707. Co. t. Irasburg.

ORLEANS, a co. in the N. W. part of N. Y., bordering on L. Ontario. Pop. 28,501. Co. t. Albion.

ORLEANS, a parish in the S. E. part of La., bordering on the Mississippi and L. Pontchartrain. Pop. 119,461. Seat of justice, New Orleans. OR-MUS* Or ORMUZ (Pers. Hor-mooz'), a small i. situated at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, near 27° N. Lat. and 56° 30′ E. Lon. Though now a barren rock, only 12 m. in circumference, in the latter part of the 16th century, while in the possession of the Portuguese, it contained a town of 40,000 inhabitants, which was one of the wealthi est and most important emporiums in all the east. It was taken and destroyed by Shah Abbas the Great, in 1622.

ORNE, a small r. in the N. W. of France, which flows into the English Channel.

ORNE, a dep. of France, on the sources of the above r. Pop. 443,688. Capital, Alençon.

O-RON-TES (Arab. El Aasy, åå'-se), a celebrated r. of Syria, which falls into the Mediterranean, in 36° 2′ N. Lat., and 35° 57′ E. Lor Length estimated at 240 m.

ORTHEZ or ORTHES, OR`-tà', a t. in the S. W. of France, in the dep

the last; but all our best speakers appear to concur in making it a trisyllable, with the accent on the first. This is evidently the manner in which Shakspeare pronounced Orleans.

"This dreadful lord

Retiring from the siege of ORLEANS."

"Was not the duke of ORLEANS thy foe?"-Henry VI. Part I.

"High on a throne of royal state, which far

Outshone the wealth of ORMUS or of Ind,-"

MILTON'S Paradise Lost, Book II,