Athabasca lake; descended Slave and Mackenzie's rivers, at the opening of navigation, and reached Fort Good Hope, the most northern establishment of the company, July 4th, where they found an assemblage of Hare and Louchcoux Indians. "Henry Hudson, an Englishman, who had failed in his attempts to find a northwest passage for ships to the East Indies, and had been dismissed from the service of the English, was received into the employ of the Dutch East India Company, and in his third They reached the ocean by the westernmost voyage of discovery, after coasting as far south as mouth of Mackenzie's river on the 9th, and proceed Virginia, he turned north again, and saw for the first ed along the coast, encountering the Esquimaux and time the highlands of Neversink, on the 2d of Sept. every imaginable difficulty from the ice passing 1609, and next day entered the great bay of New-Point Kay, Camden bay, &c., and reached Foggy York, Staten Island, and Amboy. "It is supposed that he went with his vessel, the Half Moon, as far as where Albany now stands, and then returned; and after sometimes trading with the Indians, and sometimes killing them, he went back to Europe again, without going up the East River at all. It is said that his men forced him to go to England, although he was sent out by the Dutch. The king of England kept Hudson from going to Holland, and employed him to make discoveries for Great Britain but he never returned to New York. "On his fourth voyage he discovered Hudson's Bay, but a mutiny occurred on board his ship, and he was set adrift in a boat by his crew, and was never heard of more." Dunlap's New York. THE ARCTICK PASSAGE DISCOVERED. The London Morning Chronicle, of April 10th, publishes an account of one of the most important geographical discoveries of the age-being no less than a solution of the long-pending problem, whether or not there is a communication by water from the Atlantick to the Pacific ocean, around the northern portion of the American continent. The discovery was made by an expedition fitted out by the Hudson's Bay Company in the spring of 1836, and was commanded by Mr. Simpson, then governour, with Messrs. P. Dease, and Thos. Simpson, and twelve chosen men. They wintered in Islands bay on the 23d. From this situation, 70 degrees latitude, they discovered a range of the Rocky mountains. The narrative proceeds : Next morning, 26th July, they passed the Gany, a river about one mile broad. From Cape Halkett the coast turned suddenly off to the W. N. W. It presented to the eye nothing but a succession of low banks of frozen mud. In the evening they passed the mouths of a large stream, which they named Smith's river. From thence for about nine miles the coast line is formed of gravel reefs, near the extremity of which, at Point Pitt, the land trends more to the westward. Here they were detained by ice until the following afternoon, (27th,) when an opening presented itself, they resumed their route. It blew a cutting blast from the northeast, and the salt water froze upon the oars and the rigging. Point Drew, seven miles distant from their last encampment, is the commencement of a bay of considerable size, but extremely shallow, and much encumbered with ice. To seaward the ice was still smooth and solid, as in the depth of a sunless winter. At midnight, they reached a narrow projecting point, across which the peaks of some high icebergs appeared. This point they named Cape George Simpson, as a mark of respect for the governour of the company's territories, to whose excellent arrangements the success of the expedition is in a great measure indebted. This point was destined to be the limit of their boat navigation, for during the four following days they were only able to advance as many miles. The weather was foggy and dismally cold, the wild fowl passed in long flights to the westward, and there seemed little prospect of their being able to reach Beechey's Point Barrow by water. Boat Extreme is situated in lat. 71 deg. 3 min. 24 sec. N., long. 154 deg. 26 min. 30 sec. W.; variation of compass 42 deg. 36 min. 18 sec. E. Under these circumstances Mr. Thomas Simpson undertook to complete the journey on foot, and accordingly started on the first of August with five men, Mr. Dease and the other five men remaining in charge of the boats. water along the shore the bottom was still impenetrably frozen. Not a log was to be found in this land of desolation; but our party followed the example of the natives, and made their fire of the roots of the dwarf willow in a little chimney of turf. Next morning, August 3, the fog cleared for a while, but it was still bitterly cold, and the swell beat violently on the outside of a heavy line of ice which lay packed upon the shore. To weather this was a work of danger; but the good qualities of their boat, after a severe trial, carThe pedestrians carried with them their arms, ried them safely through. The land ran out for five some ammunition, pemican, a small oiled canvass miles to the northward, then turned off to the northcanoe for the crossing of rivers, the necessary astro-west, beyond which, at Point Christie, the lat. 71 nomical instruments, and some trinkets for the natives. deg. 12 min. 36 sec. was observed. From thence It was one of the worst days of the whole season, the coast trended more westerly for ten miles, formand the fog was so dense that the party were under ing two points and a bay, which Mr. Simpson named the necessity of rigidly following the tortuous outline after chief factors Charles and Rowand, and chief of the coast, which for twenty miles formed a sort of trader Ross. The party then came up to what apirregular inland bay (being guarded without by a se-peared a large bay, where they halted for two or ries of gravel reefs) the shore of which was almost three hours to await the dispersion of the fog-not on a level with the water, and intersected with in- knowing which way to steer. In the evening their numerable salt creeks, through which they waded, wish was gratified, and the weather from that time besides three considerable rivers which they trav- was sensibly ameliorated. The bay was now ascerersed in their portable canoe. Next day the weath-tained to be only four miles in width; the depth half er improved, and at noon Mr. Simpson had an ob- way across was 1 fathoms on a bottom of sand; servation for lat. in 71 deg. 9 min. 45 sec. The land that of Dease's inlet was afterward found to be two now inclined to the southwest, and continued very fathoms, muddy bottom, being the greatest depth below and muddy, and as on the preceding day, abound-tween Return Reef and Point Barrow, except at ten ing in salt creeks, whose waters were at the freez-miles southeast from Cape Halkett, where three ing temperature. The party had proceeded about fathoms were sounded on our return. After crossing ten miles, when to their dismay the coast suddenly Mackenzie's bay the coast again trended for eight pturned off to the southward, forming an inlet as far or nine miles to the W. N. W. A compact body of as the eye could reach. ice extended all along, and beyond the reach of vision to seaward; but the party carried their light vessel within that formidable barrier, and made their way through the narrow channels close to the shore. At the same moment, they descried at no great distance a small camp of Esquimaux, to which they immediately directed their steps. The men were absent hunting, and the women and children took to At midnight, they passed the mouth of a fine deep their boat in the greatest alarm, leaving behind them river, a quarter of a mile wide, to which Mr. Simpan infirm man, who was in an agony of fear. A few son gave the name of Bellevue, and in less than an words of friendship removed his apprehensions, and hour afterward the rising sun gratified him with the brought back the fugitives, who were equally sur-view of Point Barrow stretching out to the N. N. W. prised and delighted to behold white men. They set before the party fresh reindeer meat and seal oil. Mr. Simpson now determined to adopt a more expeditious mode of travelling, by obtaining the loan of one of their "oomiaks," or family skin canoes, to convey the party to Point Barrow, with which, from a chart drawn by one of the women, it appeared that these people were well acquainted. Four oars were fitted with lashings to this strange craft. Before starting the hunters arrived, and presents of tobacco, awls, buttons, &c., were made to all the inmates of the encampment, with which they were highly gratified. Dease's inlet is five miles broad at this place, yet so low is the land that one shore is just visible from the other in the clearest weather. It now again blew strongly from the northeast, bringing back the cold dense fog; but the traverse was effected by the aid of the compass. The waves run high, and the skin boat surmounted them with great buoyancy; the party encamped on the west side of the inlet. The banks there were of frozen mud, ten or twelve feet high; the country within was perfectly flat, abounded in small lakes, and produced a very short grass; but nowhere had the thaw penetrated more than two inches beneath the surface, while under They soon crossed Elson bay, which in the perfect calm, had acquired a tough coating of young ice, but had much difficulty in making their way through a broad and heavy pack that rested upon the shore. On reaching it, and seeing the ocean extending away to the southward, they hoisted their flag, and with three cheers took possession of their discoveries in his Majesty's name. Point Barrow is a long low spit, composed of gravel and coarse sand, which the pressure of the ice has forced up into numerous mounds, that, viewed from a distance, assume the appearance of huge boulder rocks. At the spot where the party landed, it is only a quarter of a mile across, but it is broader toward its termination. The first object that presented itself on looking round the landing-place, was an immense cemetery. The bodies lay exposed in the most horrible and disgusting manner, and many of them appeared so fresh that the men became alarmed that the cholera, or some other dreadful disease, was raging among the natives. Two considerable camps of the latter stood at no great distance on the point, but none of the inmates ventured to approach till our party first visited them, and with the customary expressions of friendship, dissipated their apprehensions. THE PALISADES. Point, and its whole neighborhood, is classic ground. Here too were congregated the worthies THERE is probably no river in the world whose of the Revolution; and at this "key to the vicinage, within the same extent, presents such northern country" Kosciusko for some time made a combination of beauty and grandeur of natural his residence. Here Arnold formed his plans of scenery, enriched by historical associations of treason, and from hence despatched Andre on his the greatest moment, as the Hudson. From fatal journey. Here amid the mounds which Manhattan island to its junction with the Mohawk, mark the redoubts of Fort Clinton, arises a monlofty mountains, gently undulating hills, cultiva-ument sacred to the memory of the brave Polish ted fields, and beautiful villages and hamlets al- officer. And not far distant is another, erected by ternately meet the eye as we speed along its General Brown in honor of Col. Eleazar D. Wood, waters in the swift steamer, all bursting in suc- who fell at the sortie of Fort Erie in 1814. We cession upon the sight like the startling scenes might multiply our records of the past deeds of of a moving panorama. And to the Ameri- bravery and patriotism which this classic spot can-to the happy recipient of the boon of brings to recollection, and point to the headliberty-a boon fought for and won by his fathers, quarters of Washington at Newburgh; to the and bequeathed to him as a birthright, almost crest of Beacon Hill whereon fires were lighted every spot is hallowed by the associations con- during the stormy period of our war for liberty; nected with the history of the War of Indepen- or to the passage up the river of British vessels dence. Many a mountain summit has been the as far as Kingston, to burn villages and awe the pyre on which beacon fires were lighted by the inhabitants into submission to British authority; hand of disinterested patriotism; many a plain but in so doing we should digress too far from that meets our view is the place where men, the object of this article-a brief notice of the strong in body and stronger in principle, bivou- Palisades, a portion of which is represented in our acked at night, and marshalled in battle array frontispiece. at day, ready to strike boldly for their country and their firesides. The Palisades are so named from their perpendicular position, and resemblance to columns The first objects of historical interest to be forming an enclosure. They extend from a point seen after leaving New York, are the ruins of a little north of Hoboken, N. J. on the western Forts Lee and Washington: the former is situa- side of the river, to near Slote creek, a distance ted just at the commencement of the Palisades, of over twenty miles; and present a wall, varying about ten miles above the city, and the latter, in perpendicular height from two hundred to six nearly opposite, upon the eastern bank of the hundred feet. They form a part of a basaltic river. On entering the Tappan Zee, now Tappan ridge which rises at Bergen point in New Jersey, Bay, you see upon the east, the village of Tarry- and gradually increases in height till some of its town, and on the west, that of Tappan ; one mem- summits reach an elevation of more than a thou orable as the place where the unfortunate Andre sand feet above tide-water. This ridge curves was arrested, and the other as the spot where he round Tappan Bay, leaving on the margin of the was executed. We next pass Stoney Point, the cove, a limited but pleasant champagne country, scene of one of the brave exploits of General which is in a high state of cultivation. The ridge Wayne; and reaching Caldwell's Landing, oppo- varies in width from an eighth of a mile to three site Peekskill, romantic scenery seldom sur- miles, forming a handsome region of arable table passed, is developed. Every spot on shore island. consecrated ground-consecrated by the con- The Palisades are divided into numerous verti gregation there of several of the master spirits of the war of Independence. There at one time Washington, Putnam, Kosciusko, Arnold and other officers met, and celebrated the birthday of the Dauphin of France, the unfortunate Louis who lost his crown and his life during the revolution of '94. cal fissures, which give them the appearance of detached columns. In these fissures are frequently found alluvial deposites, from which vegetation shoots forth, the only relief to their bare and mason-work appearance. These basalt rocks comprehend almost every variety of formationthe Amygdaloid, containing cellules, sometimes empty, and sometimes filled, and often presenting the warty appearance of slag-the basaltic Bres cia or Traptuff consisting of pebbles and angular grains cemented-and the columnar basalt in pris. matic polygons, sometimes articulated, consist ing of hornblende, feldspar and epidote, with which compact and radiated prehnite is some times blended. In this neighborhood are the ruins of Forts Montgomery and Clinton; and soon after passing the lofty promontory on the eastern shore of the river, we may see in the distance toward the northwest, on the summit of Mount Independence the gray walls of Fort Putnam, about four hundred feet above the plain on which stands the Military Academy of West Point, and about three quarters of a mile distant. The plateau of West I This wall of "eternal masonry" is beautifully |