ing for what is now the State of Washington, and part of the State of Oregon-all they could take from us without war, in the most prolonged disputing of scheming lords and contriving, arbitrating, monarchy land accumulators. All this was done that they might limit our progress and help to work our injury, rather than for any real good and lasting advantage its occupation could bring to their people. This vast, unknown, undivided country, with its seas, bays, gulfs, water-sheds, water-basins, two of the largest rivers of the world, and many smaller ones, the immense valleys of the Mackenzie and the Yukon, cover an area, including Alaska, as large as the United States. It is a region with boundaries approximately as follows: Commencing near the west point of Lake Superior at the crossing of the 47th degree, north latitude, and the 95th parallel, west longitude, thence north on the shore of Hudson Bay to Franklin Bay, or Gulf, to the Polar seas, about 1,660 miles; thence west to Alaska, 45 degrees, some 2,500 miles; thence around the coast lines of Alaska over 3,000 miles; thence down the Pacific Coast line to Puget Sound on the 47th degree, north latitude; thence east to Lake Superior to the place of beginning, some 2,000 miles. This irregular, square-shaped body of land and water, subdivided, would make fifty States of an average size of Kansas, each two hundred miles wide by four hundred miles in length, of about 80,000 square miles-512,000,000 acres. This, with twenty people to the square mile, would be 1,600,000 population for each State. This widening domain is larger than our present area in States and Territories, excepting Alaska, which is included in this estimate of areas of this immense Northwest. The area is larger than all of Russia in Europe. It has several chains of inland fresh-water lakes, running up to thousands in number, full of the most desirable food fishes, waterfowl, wild geese, ducks, and smaller birds in flocks of millions.

It is the richest and most extensively-wooded region in the world that has not been invaded by the woodman and his wood-destroying ax. In the abundance of the rivers and fresh-water lakes there are valleys with co-extensive forests, running hundreds of miles in many places, that have never been explored. These are full of deer, elk, moose, and many smaller animals, and some herds of bison on the more open plains. The wide distribution of these fresh-water streams, lakes, and small basins gives the central region an even summer climate and moisture that usually protects it from severe drought. The fertile lands, so far, have only been estimated. A fair average of these estimates would give about two million square miles, which, with the timber and forest areas, make this a field for adventure and development that will be inexhaustible for hundreds of years. Besides, there are extensive fields of coal, iron, zinc, copper, and many clays, stone in endless form and variety, so useful in building and engineering enterprises. The area fit for the production of grains and grasses within reach of its present small farming population, as given in estimates of hunters and trappers, whose observations have been the most extensive, is about one million five hundred thousand square miles. In addition to these there are recently-discovered gold regions of such vast extent and fabulous resources in the inception of their development, that they have spread the feverish ambition of the gold-hunters from the hive of the pure gold-worshipers of Jerusalem to Lombard Street and Wall Street.

With all these advantages this is the coming region of hope, for strong-armed, big-hearted Americans, who never hesitate in the face of obstacles, or shrink from the danger of pioneering adventure, where it promises the opening of a new country and better life and living. There is little need of healthy, well-developed men and women doubting the climate. They can live there in better health, with more of

the vigor and strength of robust manhood, in almost any part of it, when acclimated and they get modern conveniences, than in the tropics of America or Asia.

When we come to consider the cold and inclement seasons, there and elsewhere, we may learn that seven or eight States as large as Maine, with better and more fertile lands and a milder climate, can be made on the Southern border. We can learn that all of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, more than half of Germany, and all of Russia in Europe-five countries, two of them among the strongest of the earthlie in the same latitude with this great Northwest. By reason of the milder temperature of the big Pacific Ocean, the conformation of the country, its wide forests, and the distribution of fresh water bodies, the American has the milder and more even climate. All of them are north of 50 degrees north latitude.

These countries have population as follows: Denmark, 3,000,000; North Scotland, 1,000,000; Sweden and Norway, 6,000,000; Russia in Europe, 95,000,000; North Germany, 25,000,000; total, 130,000,000.

Great Britain is about all north of fifty degrees, but has a climate greatly modified by the waters of the Gulf stream. All of Scotland north of Aberdeen has a more inhospitable climate than Southern Alaska; nevertheless the sturdy Highlanders of those frozen seas have no superiors among men in physical development or hardihood anywhere on the earth.

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CHAPTER LIV.

N the early morning of April 12, 1861, General Beauregard, with seven thousand Confederates, assaulted Fort

Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort was occupied by seventy officers and men of the United States army, commanded by Major Robert Anderson. The old work was in no condition for defense, under the fire of several batteries erected at every convenient angle during the five months of unmolested preparation. The officers' quarters were soon burning under the bombardment; the old brick walls crumbled away under the heavy shot of the siege guns. The powder magazine soon became inaccessible by reason of the twisted, heated, and half-unhinged doors, and it was in constant danger of explosion.

With their ammunition almost exhausted, and no hope of holding the antiquated and indefensible structure, it was surrendered next day on honorable terms. On Sunday, the 14th, the garrison, with arms, accouterments, and colors waving, after a salute of fifty guns, evacuated the old fort. Our loss was one man killed and three wounded by an explosion. The Confederates reported no loss.

With this act the long-threatened and unprovoked war to divide the Union was begun. Compromise and our abandonment of the Negro to his fate of slavery had failed. The gun in a bloody hand was come at last to end the long dispute; but the curse of Cain was not more certain than that slavery or the Republic had to perish in the conflict.

On the 9th of January previous, President Buchanan's reorganized Administration made an ineffectual attempt to

reprovision the fort with commissary and subsistence supplies with the merchant vessel, Star of the West. It was fired upon, an open act of war, and not permitted to enter Charleston Harbor. President Lincoln's Administration fitted out another expedition of several vessels for the same purpose in March, but these did not reach Charleston until after the surrender.

The hostile reduction of the old fort, although it had been expected and dreaded for months, fired the spirit of the halfwakened, half-conscious, peace-loving people. Like a tornado it aroused the patriotism of the fathers, the mothers, the daughters, and the strong and sturdy sons of freedom, the successors to the American heritage of liberty, so dearly bought. Nothing had so stirred the people since the torch that called men to arms in the Old South Church of Boston, and the galloping midnight rider, Paul Revere, on his flying horse summoning the minute-men to the fields of death and deathless fame.

On Monday, April 15th, the woeful story of the captured fort, the torn-down and dishonored flag, was carried over the wires and spread on the wings of the wind. In the same way these carried also the summons of the President on the several States for seventy-five thousand volunteers, as a militia force, in support of the Government and the public defense. These troops were raised, mustered into service, and at and on their way to the Capital within a few days. While the revolting States and several disloyal governors of the border States did not respond to the call, all the free States did in prompt order, and the loyal people of the border States themselves mustered and organized troops, until over one hundred thousand men answered the call.

A short time afterwards the President called an extra session of the Thirty-seventh Congress, to meet on the following Fourth of July. He postponed the date some weeks in order that Kentucky might have representation. The delay,