Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 1, Pt. 2

TOPOGRAPHY OF ROUTE FROM THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE COLUMBIA.
GENERAL REPORTS.
A.
1. REPORT OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ROUTE FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE COLUM BIA, BY JOHN LAMBERT, OF THE EXPLORATION.
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 1, 1854.
SIR: In obedience to your instructions, I submit a short topographical review of the regions
lying between the Mississippi and Columbia rivers, and generally between the 46th and 49th
parallels of north latitude, as developed by the several exploring parties attached to your
expedition.
Within the limits stated there appear to be three grand divisions, having boundaries and general characteristics as distinct and peculiar as can be conceived. The vast prairies extending
from the Mississippi to the base of the Rocky mountains form the first division, lying approximately between the 94th, 112th, and 113th degrees of west longitude. The second, or mountain
division, embraces nearly five degrees of longitude, and is comprised between the great prairies
which characterize.the valley of the Missouri and the barren plains of the Columbia, and, from
the formidable obstacles which it everywhere presents to communication, and in connexion with
the objects of the expedition, may be considered of more immediate importance than the others.
The third great division comprises the immense plains of Columbia river, already mentioned,
which become directly interesting from the uncertainty of their exact character, arising from the
various reports of travellers and exploring parties.
Observing this arrangement, I will endeavor to give a general description of each of these
great divisions, embracing as much minutia as the time at my disposal and the nature of a preliminary and simply topographical report will admit. In the course of my remarks, the main
route of the expedition will furnish referring points while considering particular localities, and
the distances occasionally stated will be air-lines, rather than the actual measurements obtained
on the ground.
That part of the first division lying between the Mississippi and Shayenne rivers has been
made so well known aready by the labors of eminent travellers, that it seems unnecessary to
do more than take a passing glance, concurring with the admirable descriptions already extant,
and still fresh in the public mind. Undulating and level prairies, skirted with woods of various
growth, and clothed everywhere with a rich verdure, frequent and rapid streams, with innumerable small but limpid lakes, frequented by multitudes of water-fowl, most conspicuous among
which appears the stately swan: these, in ever-recurring succession, make up the panorama of
this extensive district, which may be said to be everywhere fertile, beautiful, and inviting. The
most remarkable features of this region are the intervals of level prairie, especially that near the
bend of Red river, where the horizon is as unbroken as that of a calm sea. Nor are other points
of resemblance wanting: the long grass, which in such places is unusually rank, bending gracefully to the passing breeze as it sweeps along the plain, gives the idea of waves, (as indeed they
are such;) and the solitary horseman on the horizon is so indistinctly seen as to complete the
picture by the suggestion of a sail, raising the first feeling of novelty to a character of wonder
and delight. The flowing outlines of the rolling prairies are broken only by the small lakes and
patches of timber which relieve them of monotony and enhance their beauty; and though marshes
and sloughs occur, they are of too small extent and too infrequent to affect the generally attractive
character of the country. The elevation of the rolling prairies is generally so uniform, that even
the summits between streams flowing in opposite directions exhibit no peculiar features to distinguish them from the ordinary character of the valley slopes.
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