Although The Spaniards And Portuguese, Who, Till Very Lately, Possessed
Nearly The Whole Of South America, Guarded Their Possessions Strictly
From
the curious intrusion of foreigners, and were themselves very sparing in
giving to the world the information respecting them
Which they must have
acquired, - yet, even during their power there, the geography of this part
of America was gradually developed and extended; the face of the country;
the great outline of those immense mountains, which, under the torrid zone,
are visited by the cold of the Pole; the nature of the vast plains which
lie between the offsets of these mountains; and the general direction of
the rivers, not less remarkable for their size than the mountains and
plains, were generally known. The geography of South America, however,
taking the term in the most philosophical and comprehensive sense, has been
principally enriched within these few years, by the labours of Humboldt and
his fellow-traveller Bompland, of Depons, Koster, Prince Maximilian,
Luccock, Henderson, and by those Englishmen who joined the Spanish
Americans during their struggle with the mother country. From the
observations, enquiries, and researches of these travellers, our
information respecting all those parts of South America which constituted
the Spanish and Portuguese dominions there, especially of Mexico, Terra
Firma, Brazil, and Buenos Ayres, and generally the eastern and middle
portions, has been much extended, as well as rendered more accurate and
particular. Humboldt, especially, has left little to be gleaned by any
future traveller, from any of those countries which he has visited and
described.
The rapid and wonderful increase in the territories and inhabitants of the
United States, has necessarily laid open the greater part of North America
to our acquaintance. The United States, limited in their wish and
endeavours to extend themselves on the north by the British possessions
there, and on the south by the Spanish territories, and moreover drawn
towards the interior and the shores of the Pacific by the grand natural
navigation which the Mississippi and its numerous streams afford for inland
commerce, and by the commercial access to the wealth of the East which the
possession of the shores of the Pacific would open to them, have pushed
their territories towards the west. First, the Alleghany Mountains, a
feeble barrier to an encreasing population, and a most enterprising as well
as unsettled people, were passed; then the Mississippi was reached and
crossed; and at present the government of the United States are preparing
the way for extending their territories gradually to the Western Ocean
itself, and for spreading their population, as they go westwards, to the
north and the south, as far as their limits, will admit.
All those countries, over which they have spread themselves, are of course
now well known, principally from the accounts published by Europeans, and
especially Englishmen, who have been tempted to explore them, or to settle
there. The government of the United States itself has not been backward in
setting on foot exploratory travels into the immense districts to the west
of the Mississippi: to these enterprizes they seem to have been
particularly directed and stimulated by the acquisition of Louisiana from
France, a country "rich and varied in its soil, almost inexhaustible in
natural resources, and almost indefinite in extent."
This acquisition was made in the year 1803, and within four years of this
period, three exploratory expeditions were sent out by the United States.
The principal object of the first, which was under the direction of Major
Pike, was to trace the Mississippi to its source, and to ascertain the
direction of the Arkansa and Red Rivers, further to the west. In the course
of this journey, an immense chain of mountains, called the Rocky Mountains,
was approached, which appeared to be a continuation of the Andes. The
ulterior grand object, however, of this expedition was not obtained, in
consequence of the Spaniards compelling Major Pike to desist and return. A
second attempt was made, by another party, but the Spaniards stopped them
likewise. In the years 1804, 5, and 6, Captains Lewis and Clarke explored
the Missouri to its source, crossed the Rocky Mountains, and proceeding
towards the North Pacific Ocean, ascertained, the origin and course of the
River Columbia.
In the years 1819 and 1820, several persons, well qualified for the
undertaking by their science, spirit, and enterprize, accompanied by
riflemen, hunters, and assistants, were sent out by the government of the
United States, for the purpose of gaining a more full and accurate
knowledge of the chain of the Rocky Mountains, and of the rivers, winch,
rising there, flowed into the Mississippi. After passing through a great
extent and variety of country, and gaining some curious information
respecting various Indian tribes, especially of those who inhabit the upper
course of the Missouri, they reached the Mountains: these and the adjacent
districts they carefully examined. They next separated, one party going
towards the Red River, and the other descending the Arkansa. The former
party were misled and misinformed by the Indians, so that they mistook and
followed the Canadian River, instead of the Red River, till it joined the
Arkansa. They were, however, too exhausted to remedy their error. The
latter party were more successful.
The great outline of the coast, as well as of the greater portion of the
vast continent of America, is now filled up. In the northernmost parts of
North America, the efforts of the British government to find a north-west
passage, the spreading of the population of Canada, and the increasing
importance of the fur trade, bid fair to add the details of this portion;
the spread of the population of the United States towards the west, will as
necessarily give the details of the middle portion; while, with respect to
the most southern portions of North America, and the whole of South
America, with the exception of the cold, bleak, and barren territory of
Patagonia, the changes which have taken place, and are still in operation,
in the political state of the Spanish and Portuguese provinces, must soon
fill up the little that has been left unaccomplished by Humboldt, &c.
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