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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 »j.. ,j .1 -I ■ ■■i ii ii iiW WMMjWPIPy ^■wr^-"- V^ ^ ^' irl i|i; -41 U. \ I : [louse lie Tc Slit'atiiiit.i\m, 120" 115" (■nun al'l. XfZptMTOS '(■'■-'.. \ ;A / I'Oiyiler /{ \'^': f^''^\0 F Ub' no I'ldili.ad /,. :^4n 10b" 100° -.vV'-' 95* r/.<^'^ .v^^V La MA IP uf till- irJFITA'D Ih'TA 'JllilS TERRITORY OF OREGON West of Llie llockv Mountains , Exhihix'mg the various 'Jhidi/ii/ Depots or Forts occupied by die British Jhidson lU^v Coinpaiiy. eon riected withUw Western and iwnhwestern Hw Ihide. 40" ^ Compiled in the Bureau of Topoijrupiiical Knuineers. from the latest autlwriiies. under the direction of Col. J.J.Abert. by Wash : Ifood. 1838. .U.}J.Sltaist)un del. ^y ... — ;iiti ." >-^ >^ The prolvnyaiion vf the tO':'> paruUd of Uuinide /roin theJiocky Jioiuuains to die fadi'ic has bfen as.s-umed us die Aortliern Bound,irv of the instates posses.sious on the XW. coast .in oonsequence of the foUovvint) extract from the lloa.H.Clays letter to MC (rudatui dated June /.')'.'' J8J0-. ,s-.c /),'0./!n>. :!0'.'' Coui/.J sess.Jfo. ofli- ion ore then authorised to /o.s-c the aitiiulnientofthe third article ol' the Cotivention ofllllt!. ami tlie e.vtension of the line on the paraitel of '19. from the eastern side of the Stony Mountains, where it note termitiattv to the Pacific Ocean as the per/nanetit boundary' between the territories of the tito power.i in that i/uarter- This i.i our ultiituUum cuuisoyou may aniwniice it ^^^ TliefostsofttuJiridshJiiidsonsJiayCompimyare marked thus. ' I'lll'.sIS li'i.f ^. 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V ^ '"'/irit ,;<.%w;i^' i'lc >('(<« /"Ay rii .\](i u"' ii'i V>,/.-n0^f / ^ 'a /'' I "* '4 ~ ' '^ ■' ''''''''^^;,,.,,f'W'''P^^'/'i'"i'''*'' ''^ «''i'ff'i!l''' JUlttww f nt (•(/(Wj? ^. Av, 1^ \ Ofeii(ll!^iUtl,9|«^Svi.^^ ki-aicmixt! 1 '•'.H'urCo's Depot '>,i'/,.|'(((,'lv> f ' - -t'i 110 / , • / ' ■ 25th CoN( I/'. I f%- •m'-i |'•^ I I .%; Mr. CusHij The Commi from the j the House Rocky Mc [f The instil Jo inquire Columbia, lb States water " Also, to Jtates west ( *acific ocean he correctne lescription oi nd trade; ai Government, ny part then aiue,and the i^ill be requ ailors will be ase of a war lereon to th Having, in istructions ol y the United ^hich it is cla louse the res • "The exter ors ; the natt In executioi iouse a map < he Topograph I'homas Allen, pr ». X 25th Congress, 3d Session. Rep. No. 101. Ho. or Rkps:-' TERRITORY OF OREGON. [SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT] February 16, 1839. 10,000 extra copies ordered to be printed. Mr. Gushing, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the following ilKPORT: • The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to tvhich was referred a message from the President of the United Slates, together with a resolution of the House, in relation to the territory of the United States beyond the Rocky Mountains, report further, and in conclusion : u The instructions of the House were to the following effect, namely: To inquire into the expediency of establishing a post on the river jColumbia, for the defence and occupation of the territory of the United Istates watered by said river.'' " Also, to inquire into the extent of the country claimed by the United Jtates west of the Rocky mountains, and on the northwest coast on the acitic ocean : the title under which it is claimed, and the evidence of he correctness of that title ; the extent of seacoast, and the number and lescription of its harbors; the nature of the climate, soil, productions,; ,nd trade ; and, also, whether it is expedient to establish a Territorial jovernment, or one or more military posts, as possession for the same or ny part thereof, and what will be the expense necessary to establish the ame,and the annual expense for its support ; what fortifications and ships ^ill be required for said territory, and what number of soldiers and Eilors will be necessary for its protection both in time of peace and in se of a war with any foreign power; and that the committee report ereon to this House." Having, in the former part of their Report, disposed of so much of the istructions of the House as regards the extent of the country claimed y the United States west of the Rocky mountains, and the title under 'hich it is claimed, the Committee now proceed to communicate to the louse the residue of the information required by their instructions: ."The extent of seacoast, and the number and description of its har- lors; the nature of the climate, soil, productions, and trade." In execution of this part of their duty, the Committee submit to the iouse a map of the country west of the Rocky mountains, prepared at he Topographical Bureau of the War Dqpaf»qpeiiij,JC|iey siib|9.it,^kke- Ihomas Allen, print. F«OV^!NCIA;. utn^A t-n %\ « Rep. No. 101. wise, two memoirs, which have been communicated to them, on the sub- ject of the geography, climate, soil, productions, trade, and resources, of the country generally ; conceiving that the documents themselves will bf^ more acceptable to the House than any abstract of the contents of I them which the Committee could make. They annex, also, the report of ! Mr. SIncum, laid before the Senate at the lust session ; and refer the Mouse, for additional information of the same kind, to documents commu- nicated from the War Department to ihe Senate, in 1831. (See Docts. 21st Congress, 2d session. No. 39.) *' Whether it is expedient to establish a Ten itorial Government, or one or more military posts, as possession for the sa^e or any part thereof; tind what will be the expense necessary to establish the same, and the annual expense for its support ; what fortifications and ships will be re- quired for said territory, and what number of soldiers and sailors will be necessary for its protection, both in time of peace and in case of a war with any foreign Power." Sir: In ist iti'inctit ( the routitiy Wo have n soxes We are ab( Attached tc Settlers goi Miissionar Tho Committee do not consider it expedient to establish a Territorial ?/ii addition farmers, r of them \ Government in Oregon at the present time ; nor do they propose, spe- cifu ally, the formation of a military post there, in aid or token of exclu- sive possession of the country, because they are anxious to observe, in the letter as well as the spirit, the text of the treaties between the United I States and Great Britain. 1 Nevertheless, in obedience to the instructions of the House, they sub- [ riie Biit letters, one from the Secretary of War, and another from the Secre- jfarmers mei taryof the Navy, Containing estimates of expenditure applicable to the jthe niiasion greal military or navul defence of Oregon in certain assumed contingencies contemplated by the order of the House. In addition to these documents, containing the information specifically called for by the House, the Committee submit some others, which have been communicated to them, in evidence of the necessity there is to provide, by law, for the protection of citizens of the United States, who have already established themselves in Oregon, or contemplate proceed- ing thither for the purpose of colonization and settlement <> tains. Bdt tlie soil, en ill f;ict, intro this more es improvemen abor school It is beliei measures, in iettlcM-s, nios is pennaiien leed their se lexion with » permanent ly seen that Jroteciion an First. We he land we lecured to us overnment inguished. ►een pioneer natter. Secondly, md laws oft! vith each oth >f the Indians vhite settlers 10 ihe sub- uices, of ives will nlents of report of refer the 3 commu- ee Docts. nt, or one t thereof; , and the viU be le- lilors will case of a Ferritorial ipose, spe- i of exclu- )bserve, in the United Rep. No. 10 f. 8 APPENDIX H. MK. 1,RE'^ I.KTTKIt. : Miiiur.KTowv, (Conn.,) January 17, 1839. ; Sir: In compliance with your request, I send you, herewith, a brief istitfint'tit of our enterprise in Oregon, and ol iho prospects and wants of ' the country. We have now in our mission in Oregon, of all ages and hoth sexes - • - - - - - 25 persons. We are about to reinforce the mission with, say - - 45 more. Total, . - - - 70 Attached to the mission of the American Hoard - - 16 Settlers going out I'rom the Western States in the spring, missionaries and others, say - - - - 20 Vn addition, there are about 15 men' in the country, settled as i farmers, most of them mariied to Indian women, and some of them with children full f;rown - - - 45 Making in all, - - - - 151 w states, who te proceed- , they sub- The greater portion of fhose attached to the Methodist mission are the Secre- Ifarmers, meclianios, teachers, and physicians. The exclusive object of [able to the jthe miasiou is the benetit of the Indian tribes west of the Rocky moun- itingencies jtains. But to accomplish this object, it is found necessary to cultivate khe soil, erect dwelling-houses and school-houses, build mills, and, pecifically jiii fact, introduce all the necessaries and helps of a civilized colony; and hich have this more especially, as one of the principal means relied upon for the there is to improvemeni. of the natives is the establishment of extensive manual abor schools lor Indian children and youth. It is believed that, if the Government of the United States takes such meajiures, in respect to this territory, as will secure the rights of the feettlcMs, most of those who are now ;iltached to the mission will remain DS permanent settlers in the country, after the mission may no longer need their services. Hence it may be safely assumed that ours, in con- lexion with the other settlers already there, is the commencement of I permanent settlement of the country. In view of this, it will be read- ly seen that we need two things at the hand of Government, for our iroteclion and prospeiity: First. We need a guarantee from Government that the possession of he land we take up, and the improvements we make upon it, will be ecured to us These settlements will greatly increase the value of the jovernment domain in that country, should the Indian title ever be ex- inguished. And we cannot but expect, therefore, that those who have teen pioneers in this arduous work will be liberally dealt with in (his natter. Secondly. We need the authority and protection of the Government ind l;»ws of the United States, to regulate the intercourse of the settlers viih each other, to protect them against the peculations and aggressions >f the Indians, and to protect the Indians against the aggressions of the vhite settlers. ;■ 4 Rep. No. 101. To secure these objects, it is not supposed that much of a militun/ force ^vill be necessary. 11 a suitable person should be sent out as a civil magistrate and governor of the territory, the settlers would sustain his authority. In proof of this, it is only necessary to say that almost all the settlers in the Wallametfe valley have signed a meuiorial to Congress, praying that body to extend the United States Government over the territory. It is especially desirable that the introduction of ardent spirits into the country should be prevented. These, as all Unow, are ruinous to the white man and the Indian. The temperance movement in the settle- ment you are alieady apprized of. Noiv, the settlers do not desire the importation or manufacture oj" spirits ; and, if the mercenary and evil- minded are prevented from introducing them, the natives and the emi- grants will be saved from this desolating scourge. You are aware, sir, that there is no law in that country to protect oi control Ameiican citizens. And to whom shall we look, to whom can we look, for the establishment ot wholesome laws to regulate our infant but rising settlements, but to the Congress of our own beloved country .'' The country will be settled, and that speedily, from some quarter; and it depends very much upon the speedy action of Congi ess what that popu- lation shall be, and what shall be the fate of the Indian tribes in that ter- ritory. It may be thought that Oregon is of little importance; but, rely upon it, there is the germ of a great State. We are resolved to do what we can to benefit the country ; but we are constrained to throw ourselves upon you for protection. 1 am, sir, with great respect, yours, truly, JASON LEE. Hon. C. CusHiNG. [Memorial rcfened to in the ahovc letter.] Jaauakv 28, 1839. To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America : The undersigned, settlers south of the Columbia river, beg leave to represent to your honorable body : That our settlement begun in the year 1832, and has hitherto pros- pered beyond the most sanguine expectations ot its first projectors. The products of our fields have amply justified the most flattering descriptions of the fertility of the soil, while the facilities which it affords for i-earing' cattle are, perhaps, exceeded by those of no country in North America. The people of the United States, we believe, are not generally apprized' of the extent of valuable country west of the Rocky mountains. A large ^ portiOQ of the territory from the Columbia rivjr, south, to the boundary line between the United States and the Mexican republic, and extend- ing from the coast of the Pacific about two hundred and fifty or three hundred miles to the interior, is cither well supplied with timber or. adapted to pasturage or agriculture. The fertile valleys of the Wal-* lamette and Umpqua are varied with prairies and woodland, and inter-l sected by Perhaps i mild I generally northern with snov^ We ne( Its happy America, ever-, of tl ciateii. J produce o supply the very succ( the cultiv time, then exchange We hav and to its merits for possession the natron may avert Dur soc feelings of pany, and thus far pr cultural an tion and c through ol Bay Com|: social inte imagine w munity, fr< which has Our inte We flatter ious to giv citizens, will be inti country. States mu with a W( a good cc no protect! mitted to s only speak civil code, defence. I less and u pioneer of civilization men from I \ militari/ " t out as a Id sustain lat almost : morial to vernmerit IS into the us to the the settle- desire the and evil- the cmi- protect 01 whom can our infant 1 country ? !U ter ; and that popu- in that ter- ; but, rely v ; but we V LEE. !8, 1839. the United 3g leave to herto pros-, ctors. The escriptions for rearing' h America, ly apprized A large * e boundary nd extend- fty or three timber oii the Wal-^ , and inter- Rep. No. 101. 5 sected by abundant lateral streams, presenting facilities for machinery. Perhaps no country of the same latitude is favored with a climate so mild The winter rains, it is true, are an objection ; but they are generally preferred to the snows and intense cold which prevail in the northern parts of the United States. The ground is seldom covered with snow, nor does it ever remain but a few hours. We need hardly allude to the commercial advantages of the territory. Its happy position for trade with China, India, and the western coasts of America, will be readily recognised. The growing importance, how- ever, of the islands of the Pacific is not so generally known and appre- ciatevi. As these islands progress in civilization, their demand for the produce of more northern climates will increase. Nor can any country supply them with beef, (lour, &c., on terms so advantageous as this. A very successful eft'ort has been recently made at the Sandwich islands, in the cultivation of coffee and the sugar cane. A colony here will, in time, thence easily derive these articles and other tropical products, in exchange for the produce of their own labor. We have thus briefly alluded to the natural resources of the country and to its external relations. They are, in our opinion, strong induce- ments for the Government of the United States to take formal and speedy pos.session. VVe urge this step, as promising to the general interests of the nation ; but the advantages it may confer upon us, and the evils it may avert from our posterity, are incalculable. Our social intercourse has thus far been prosecuted with reference to feelings of honor, to the feeling of dependence on the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, and to their moral influence. Under this state of things, we have thus far prospered ; but we cannot hope that it will continue. The agri- cultural and other resources of the country cannot fait to induce emigra- tion and commerce. As our settlement begins to draw its supplies through other channels, the feeling of dependence upon the Hudson's Bay Company, to which we have alluded as one of the safeguards of our social intercourse, will begin to diminish. We are anxious when we imagine what will be — what must be — the condition of so mixed a com- munity, free from all legal restraint, and superior to that moral influence which has hitherto been the pledge of our safety. Our interests are identified with those of the country of our adoption. We flatter ourselves that we are tbe germe of a great State, anci are anx- ious to give an early tone to the moral and intellectual character of its citizens. VVe are fidly aware, too, that the destinies of our posterity will be intimately all'ectcd by the character of those who emigrate to the country. The territory must populate. The Congress of the United States must say by whom. The natural resources of the country, with a well-judged civil code, will invite a good community; but a good community will hardly emigrate to a country which promises no protection for life or property. Inquiries have already been sub- mitted to some of us, for information of the country. In return, we can only speak of a country highly favored by nature. We can boast of no civil code. VVe can pi-omise no protection but the ulterior resort of self- defence. By whom, then, shall our country be populated ? By the i-eck- less and unprincipled adventurer — not by the hardy and enterprising pioneer of the West; by the" Botany Bay refugee; by the renegade of civilization fr'om the Rocky mountains ; by the profligate deserted sea- men from Polynesia ; and the unprincipled sharpers fiora Spanish Amer- i ■■ \h ili I '-] e Rep. No. 101. ica. Well are we assured that it will cost the Government of the United: States more to reduce elements su discordant to social order, than to pio- mote our permanent peace and prosperity by a timely action of Congress. Nor can we suppose that so vicious a population could be relied on in case of a rupture between the United States and any other Power. Our intercourse with the natives among us, guided much by the same influence which has promoted harmony among ourselves, has been gen- erally pacific; but the same causes which will interrupt harmony among, ourselves will also interrupt our friendly relations with the natives. It is, therefore, of primary importance, both to them and us, that the Gov- ernment should tuke energetic measures to secure the execution of all laws aifecting Indian trade and the intercourse of white men and Indians. VVe have thus briefly shown that the security of our persons and our property, the hopes and destinies of our children, are involved in the objects of our petition. VVe do not presume to suggest the manner in which the country should be occupied by the Government, nor the ex- tent to which our settlement should be encouraged. VVe confide in the wisdom of our national legislators, and leave the subject to their candid deliberations. And your petitioners will ever pray. March 16, 1838. J. S. Whitcomb , James A. O'Neal J. M. Bates Wm. Canning John B. Deporles, his x mark Joseph Gervais, his x mark Felix Hathaway S. H. Smith Ewing Young P. L. Edwards VV. H. Willson VV. J. Hainhust Jason Lee Cyrus Shepard Alanson Beers • David Leslie Charles Rae John Rowling Xavier Ludevant T. J. Hubbard Samuel G. Campbell John P. Edmunds Elijah White Calvin Tibbets William Johnson Henry Wood Elisha Ezekiel Daniel Lee H. K. W. Perkins Joseph Delord Pierre Billique Andre Picord Joseph Delozhe John B. PerauU Ettienne Lucia John Turner. APPENDIX I. MR. .WYETH'S MEMOIR. Cambridge, February 4, 1839. Dear Sir : As far as my knowledge of the country claimed by the United States west of the Rocky mountains will admit, 1 will with pleasure comply with your request, and will take up your queries in the order they are put, viz : climate, soil, geography, trade, agriculture, re- sources of the country, and doings of the Hudson's Bay Company. The CO distinct c tends inls and throu Snowy pe to east is of Califor in summe that the falls ; and tern be r. the montl unusual, it is also ing can b< has been uary of th averaged, of the mo the drift i< ary of thai The se boundary tains, aboi thus form( as far as ti tie from tl aged 31 d( light, and ing of anil but colder to April, were in b! division v there are ' The thi Rocky mo guishitigfe the difl'ere mained in cle of moi the moun There is i bottoms oj that man} obtaining but it is ni August, V at noon, t ever obse lie United an to pio- Con^ress. lied on in wer. ' the same been gen- >ny among itives. It the Gov- tion oi' ail id Indians. s and our /ed in the manner in or the ex- fide in the eir candid ell , 1889. ed by the will with ies in the Iture, re- ny. Rep. No. 101. CLIMATE. The country is naturally divided into three parts, each of which has a distinct climate. The first division commences at the seacoast, and ex- tends inland to a range of mountains running southeast and northwest, and through which the Columbia passes. Of this range arc those high Snowy peaks seen far at sea on the Pacific ocean. Its extent from west to east is about one hundred and thirty miles, and southward to the limits of California, and probably very far north. The climate of this division, in summer, is as warm as that of the middle States of the Union, except that the nights are cooler. From April until October very little raia falls ; and it is very rare to have any rain in June, July, August, and Sep- tember. From October to April, the rains are almost uninterrupted. In the month of December, 1832, there fell 9^ inches, which was nothing unusual. As far as I have observed, when the weather in winter is clear, it is also moderately cold. This, however, is a rare exception. Plough- ing can be done throughout most winters. Within ray knowledge, there has been but one winter when the ground was frozen. This was in Jan- uary of the winter of 1833. At that time the thermometer, for 16 days, averaged, at sunrise, 19 deg. above zero. The river closed on the 10th of the month, and remained frozen 13 days. This was caused more by the drift ice from above than the cold in that section of country. Febru- ary of that year gave an average of the thermometer, at sunrise, of 40 deg. The second division commences at the mountains forming the eastern boundary of that first described, and extends eastward to the Blue moun- tains, about one hundred and sixty miles. I have travelled in the valley thus formed, about two hundred miles to the south of the Columbia, and as tar as to latitude 49 deg. north. Its temperature in summer differs lit- tle from that of New England. In January, 1835, the thermometer aver- aged 31 deg. at sunrise, to the south of the Columbia. The snows are light, and do not last long, and are seldom sufficient to obstruct the feed- ing of animals. North of the Columbia, I presume, the climate is similar, but colder in proportion to the latitude. I traversed it only from March to April. On the 10th of March, 1833, a considerable variety of flowers were in blossom in latitude 47 deg., but the nights were frosty. In this division very little rain falls in summer ; about the middle of October there are usually rains, but not heavy. The third division extends from the Blue mountains on tlie west, to the Rocky mountains eastward, a distance of about 280 miles. The distin- guishitig features of the climate of this division are its extreme dryness, and the difference of temperature between the days and nights. I have re- mained in this valley six weeks without seeing a cloud. Hardly a parti- cle of moisture is deposited in dews, and none except in the vicinity of the mountains, and there no rain falls except a few days in spring. There is usually little snow in winter. Horses winter well in the river bottoms of this section ; hut there is a tradition among the Snake Indians, that many years since the snow fell so deep as to prevent their horses obtaining food, and the number of old bones to be seen attest the fact ; : but it is not usual. While encamped on the river Portneuf, on the 18th August, 1832, at sunrise the thermometer stood at 18 deg. above zero; j; at noon, the same day, at 92 deg. This was the greatest difference f I ever observed ; but a difference of 40 deg. from sunrise to noon is not 1 5 , ^ii i! i I 1; !:f s Rep. No. 101. uncommon. In the immediate vicinity of the largest streams, the climate approximates more to that of the second division. SOIL. The soil of the Oregon territory exhibits but little variety, from the Pacific to the Rocky mountains, except in the amount of vegetable matter contained in it. The sub-soils have very generally a good mixture of lime, silex, and clay ; and in the valleys, where vegetable matter has col- lected, and to a suitable extent mixed with these original earths, it is very fertile. The space comprised between the Pacific and the mountains, forming the Cascades and Dalles of the Columbia, from the abundance of the winter rains, produces much more vegetation than the country more inland ; and this, decaying and mixing with the soil, has produceu a deep "Coat of mould, well calculated for agricultural purposes. This section of the country, which I call the first division, for farming purposes, I regard as equal to any part of the State of New York. In it there is a great amount of barren, inaccessible land ; but the watercourses, which are very numerous, atford valleys as fertile as can be found in the United States. Of this section, the immediate seaboard is the worst part ; and the Columbia itself affords bottoms of small size only, and too much exposed to inundation ; but the Cowilitz river to the north, and the Wallamette to the south, have bottoms both high and extensive ; and the smaller streams are of the same character. Of this division, which is about one hundred and thirty miles from west to east, and extending from 42 deg. to 48 deg. north latitude, I should think at least one half was of excellent •quality; the other half is inaccessible mountains. The second division, comprised between the Cascade mountains on the west and the Blue mountains on the east, has a good soil, but in which there is not an over-abundant mixture of vegetable matter. In this sec- tion, the river bottoms are neither so frequent or extensive as in the first ; but at the foot of the mountains bounding each side of the valley there are large tracts very fertile. The river of Falls extends far south of the Columbia. In this valley, about one hundred miles from its head, its bottom is on a continuous bed of the mineral known in commerce as ful- ler's earth, which appears to form the substratum of a considerable portion of the country in the vicinity of these mountains. The third division, commencing at the Blue mountains to the west, and extending eastward to the Rocky mountains, presents wide sandy- deserts, almost destitute of water. The deposites of vegetable soil are few and far between ; there is very little moisture, except near the rivers, and thousands of acres are white with Epsom and Glauber salts. The soil of this space is almost entirely the wreck of volcanic matter. In this valley is the Great Salt lake, on the bottom of which, when low, the salt is de- posited as in a salt pan. Much of the soil on the eastern side of this sec- tion is injured by the abundance of salts which it contains. The best part of it is the eastern declivities of the Blue mountains, on Ice Fork, Powder, Brul(5, and Big Wood rivers. These rivers have bottoms of some extent and considerable fertility. Also, on Lewis's river, above the American falls, to Pierre's hole, at the head of the river, there are ex- tensive bottoms of tolerable oil. Near the heads of Salmon river there is some good land. The Co and longiti wallah, in and west, this point trance of S deg. 45 mi north, lon^ ed Flathea at lat. 45 c a vast voli navigation dangerous oms of wat ably be litt for vessels statute mill scending, i place. Tl to the Dall current, an rapids, in h at high wi through a i umns, in ar of the Colu water the) down. Wl the Dalles waters abo of the wate the basaltic river betw( tween then lawallah th The river | low Colvill which I ha^ distance ab United Sta Clark's ] 49 deg. n( affords a h impractical The Sp( short distar Lewis's; through thi which plac Fishing fall •the Madiso the climate r, from the able matter mixture of ter has col- s, it is very- mountains, undance of intry more iceu a deep I section of s, I regard is a great which are he United rt ; and the :h exposed Vallamette he smaller about one im 42 deg. excellent lins on the in which n this sec- n the first ; lley there )uth of the s head, its rce as ful- )le portion the west, ide sandy )il are few ivers, and 'he soil of :his valley salt is de- this sec- The best Ice Fork, s of some bove the e are ex- ver there Rep. No. 101. 9 GEOGRAPHY. The Columbia river enters the ocean at latitude 46 deg. 19 min. north, and longitude 124 deg. west from Greenwich ; from which point to Walla- wallah, in longitude 119 deg. 30 min., its average course is very near east and west, the latter place being in latitude 46 deg. 1 min. north. From this point 1 have never followed the river, but struck it above, at the en- trance of Spokan river, in latitude 47 deg. 55 min. north, longitude 118 deg. 45 min. west, and followed it to Colville, in latitude 48 deg. 37 min. north, longitude 118 deg. 4 min. west; and from this last point I follow- ed Flathead or Clark's river to its head, and there crossed the mountains at lat. 45 deg. north, longitude HI deg. west. The Columbia discharges a vast volume of water, and is of great depth, but the obstructions to its navigation are almost insurmountable. At its mouth is an extensive and dangerous sand bar, over which, however, there is at the shoalest 5 f th- orns of water. With good pilots and steam tow-boats there would prob- ably be little difficulty at the mouth of the river, and the navigation is good for vessels of not more than 14 feet draught, to the Cascades, say about 125 statute miles. The Cascades are falls impassable, either ascending or de- scending, for any kind of craft ; a portage must always be made at this place. The descent is about 35 feet in three miles. From the Cascades to the Dalles is about 36 miles, and for this space the river has a gentle current, and is of great depth and width. The Dalles are very severe rapids, in low water passable with the best boatmen in canoes only ; but at high water they are impracticable. At this place the river rushes through a space not more than 150 feet wide, walled in with basaltic col- umns, in an upright position. Five miles above the Dalles are the falls of the Columbia, which are impassable at low water ; but at very high water they may be passed with experienced canoemen, both up and down. When the Columbia rises, from the melting of the mountain snows, the Dalles present so much of a barrier to their escape as to, raise the waters above them to a great height- I have measured from the surface of the water, when not very low, 54 feet to high-water mark, as left on the basaltic columns by some previous high water. At such times the river between the Dalles and the falls is like a lake, and the water be- tween them is nearly levelled up to that above. From this point to V\'al- lawallah there are many rapids, but none impassable with good boatmen. The river probably might be used by steamboats to Kettle falls, just be- low Colville. About 30 miles above Wallawallah are the Priest rapids, which I have never seen, but presume they are not very severe. A short distance above Colville, the Columbia leaves the territory claimed by the United States. Clark's Fork, or Flathead river, enters the Columbia near the latitude 49 deg. north, and comes from the E. S. K., and in its whole course affords a hard struggle for the best boatmen, with good canoes, and is impracticable for any other kind of vessel. The Spokan river is of no importance, in regard to navigation ; for a short distance only could canoes ascend it, even if there were any object. Lewis's river enters the Columbia 9 miles above Wallawallah ; it passes through the Blue mountains about forty miles east from its entrance, to which place it comes from the southeast, which course it keeps from the Fishing falls ; thence it trends northwardly, its northern heads approaching the Madison's fork of the Missouri. It has no forks that are navigable. : I . {'.{ ,>l II !!: li ,1 ill ! J: I it;: i'L IJi 10 Rep. No. 101. even for boats, except the Salmon river. All that can be said of Lewis's river, or any of its branches, is, that it is not impassable for boats. Its ob- structions are on Lewis's river, where it passes the Blue mountains, at the Fishing falls, and a series of falls and rapids extending for 50 miles from the American falls downwards. Its only important branch ( Salmon riv- er) passes through the Blue mountains, and joins its waters at their west- ern declivity. It is nearly a succession of bad rapids, and is, I believe, the river that Lewis and Clark descended. The Wallamette enters the Columbia in latitude 46 deg. 30 min. north, longitude \22 deg. 20 min. west-. Its course is from the south ; it heads about 150 miles from its mouth ; it is navigable for vessels of 12 feet | draught about 20 miles from its mouth ; it then becomes shoaler and more rapid ; but vessels drawing 10 feet might ascend to within 2 miles of the falls, or about 25 miles from its mouth. For this distance its navi- gation is assisted, in May and June, by the rise of the Columbia, which raises its waters higher than its own rise, which occurs in winter and early spring. The falls of this river are perpendicular, and about 22 feet above them steamboats might ply about 50 miles, but beside them nothing but canoes could be used. The above branches enter the Columbia from the south side. The Oknagan enters it from the north, in latitude 47 deg. 59 min. north, longitude 119 deg 43 min. west. It comes from the north. I have never seen it, but presume it is barely passable for boats. The Cowilitz enters the Columbia from the north, in latitude 46 deg. 15 min. north, longitude 122 deg. 40 min. west. This river is boatable a short distance. I have never been on it. ] The smaller branches of the Columbia are numerous, and often 1 extend to a great length, but are of no importance to any kind of navi- i gation. The water communication of the country is decidedly bad y 1 and I can see no mode of improving it except at an expense entirely be- | yond the object. The Wallamette river might be improved to a greater \ extent than any of the others. The falls of that river .night be locked I at an expense not beyond an object that may be conceived to exist, some ' few years hence, when its fertile bottoms shall be cultivated. The Umbiquoi river enters the Pacific in latitude 43 deg. 51 min. north, and the Clamet in 43 deg. north. They are small streams, head- ^ ing not far inland, and affording navigation only for boats. It is uncertain if their mouths afford good harbors. These rivers are all well stocked j with iish, chiefly of the salmon and trout species. The salmon ascend to ! the falls of the Wallamette, to the Fishing falls on Lewis's river, to the heads of Salmon and Spokan rivers, and to the Kettle falls on the Co- lumbia, and to the heads of most of the smal)»>r streams, in great numbers. They supply a large portion of the food of t'ae Indians throughout the ; whole country ; all of them afford water power to any desirable extent, ■ and far beyond any country in North America. The lakes of the country are few and of little importance, except as ; beautiful objects. Pend'oreille lake, on the Flathead river, is about 30 miles from east to west, and from 4 to 8 miles wide. Its waters are deep and clear. At its eastern extremity there are two islands. The | Flathead river passes through it. It affords the largest and best trout I ■ have ever seen. The salmon do not make their way to it. Its shores are high and mountainous. There is a lake near the heads of Spokan ; river, of try north south, \vh the Great latitude, that vario waters ar no fish in outlet, unnecessi The mi principal 3d. The ding ridge posing ob tracts inu( covered v\ suitable t'( great obst tiveforuia mountainf river, und Flathead range ext not coven river mou east. Th impassabl( wheel car involve ai best trail this range which is 1 west, fror nia mount rise more in North spot i hav ing from i cause the for nia mo cific ; it ii in ( sage great diffi theye thrt height. The pi of them i el, or at pi, only I tween s mountair i of Lewis's ats. Its ob- tains, at the I miles from Salmon riv- t their west- }, I believe, min. north, h ; it heads I of 12 feet shoaler and thin 2 miles ice its navi- nbia, which winter and d about 22 reside them side. The min. north, th. I have ade 46 deg, is boatable and often nd of navi- dedly bad j jntirely be- to a greater be locked exist, some g. 51 min. ams, head- s uncertain ell stocked n ascend to iver, to the on the Co- lt numbers, ughout the ble extent, r except as , is about waters are nds. The )est trout I Its shores of Spokan Rep. No. 101. 11 river, of some few miles in extent, well stocked with fish ; and the coun- try north of 47 deg. north latitude affords many small lakes. To the south, where the volcanic formation prevails, there are no lakes except the Great Salt lake, the northern end of which is in 42 deg. 3 min. north latitude. It extends far south. Its waters are so strongly impregnated, that various salts are deposited on its bottom, late in summer, when its waters are low. The muriate of soda is the prevailing salt. There are no fjsh in its waters. The streams running into it are fresh. It has no outlet. So little of this lake is in the territory in question, that I deem it unnecessary to describe it further, although it is of great interest. The mountains of this country are on a grand scale. There are three principal ranges: 1st. 'I'he Rocky mountains ; 2d. The Blue mountains ; 3d. The California mountains. The Rocky mountains form the divi- ding ridge between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific. They are im- posing objects ; but the great elevation of the plains, on cither side, de- tracts much front their apparent height. The higherpoints of the range are covered with perpetual snow ; but through them there are excellent passes, suitable for any kind of wheel carriages ; and in travelling they are not a great obstruction to those who know the proper passes. They are of primi- tive formation. Their general range is from S. S. E. to N. N. W. The Blue mountains are the next general range west. It continues north of Lewis's river, under the name of the Salmon river mountains, and crosses the Flathead river and the Columbia immediately north of Colville. This range extends far south, but decreases in height in that direction. It is not covered with perpetual snows, except that part called the Salmon river mountains. The general course of the range is northwest and south- east. The passes are all of a ditficult character, the streams are almost impassable, and the land trails are practicable only for packed animals ; ■wheel carriages could not be used on them, and any improvement would involve an enormous expense. It takes two days to pass this range by the best trails ; in winter the snows render it impassable. To the north, this range is primitive ; white and blue marble abound in it, some of which is very fine. To the south it is volcanic. The traveller going west, from the summit of his range, sees the high points of the Califor- nia mountains, about one hundred and sixty miles distant, some of which rise more than 16,000 feet from the level of the Pacific. All other views in North America sink to littleness in comparison with this. From this spot 1 have seen seven of the high points of the California range, extend- ing from north to south. Their perfect whiteness and steep conical shape cause them to appear, in the distance, like huge sugar loaves. The Cali- fornia mountains are the greatest barrier between the Atlantic and the Pa- cific ; it is about 40 miles through them. The river is almost the only pas- sage ; in cases of absolute necessity the land trails are used ; but it is with great ditliculty that horses and mules pass them withoutany load. Beside theye three ranges, the imraedif»te coast is mountainous, but of subordinate height. The plains of the country are defined by the mountain ranges. Some of them are extensive. Much of the country between the ranges is lev- el, or at most undulating, in comparison with the valley of the Mississip- pi, only they are of small extent. Minor ranges of hills, dividing be- tween small streams and spurs from the above-described ranges of mountains, often break the uniformity of these plains. : Irl ', i: I M 1 ' '< I t f I ,, I EM I, I 12 Rep. No. 101. TRADE. The trade of the country may be divided into four branches, viz: in agricultural products, lumber, fish, and peltries. Of the first, a few hundred barrels of flour have been exported to St. Francisco and the Sandwich islands, by the Hudson's Bay Company. At the latter place it commands about ^\0 per barrel. I do not know what price it bore at St. Fran- cisco, but presume it sold higher; for, notwithstanding Upper California is a fine wheat country, the manufacturing it into flour by such a peo- ple precludes the possibility of cheapness ; the return in this case was bad beef, badly salted. Several cargoes of sawed lumber have been sent to the Sandwich islands by the Hudson's Bay Company, where it sells at about $55 per M. Occasionally spars and timber for repairing vessels are carried to the Sandwich islands, where it finds a limited sale at fair prices. Salmon is the only fish that has yet been exported ; a part of a cargo was collected in 1835, by the brig May Dacre, of Boston, which was partly sold at the islands for «^12 per barrel ; the residue was brought to the United States, and disposed of for an average of $17 per barrel of 30 gallons. The Hudson's Bay Company have sent some to London, but they did not find a profitable market ; and the governor of the company then directed that no more be sent; they also send a few to the Sandwich islands, where they usually command about $14 per barrel of 40 gallons. Having thus briefly disposed of three branches of trade to which the country must look for its future wealth, but which, being in their infancy, are of little present importance, I turn to the fur trade, which has hereto- fore and does in some measure now give consequence to the country, more from its political bearing than its pecuniary amount. This trade is divided into that of the coast and inland; the coast trade was early in the hands of the Americans, who, with expert navigators and swift vessels, explored its numerous inlets and harbors, in search of the sea otter, beaver, and other valuable furs, which were traded of the In-'ians. This part of the trade is, like that inland, gradually passing into the hands of the Hudson's Bay Company, who have established forts along the coast, and since 1836 have had a steamboat plying for theirsuppiy, and the cas- ual trade of the coast. The most southern fort on the coast is a few miles north of latitude 49 deg., at the mouth of Thompson'sriver. The vigilance of this company allows of no accumulation of furs in the handsof the In- dians ; their emissaries are constantly on the move, with the best assort- ments of Indian goods, to pick up the skins, one by one, as fast as the In- dians obtain them ; and thus no motive is left for any American vessel to stop on the coast. My knowledge being small of the coast trade, I will refer you to other sources for particulars, which you will easily obtain from the merchants who have been engaged in it. The fur trade in the interior of the country claimed by the United States west of the Rocky mountains was first commenced by J. J. Astor, whose business soon passed into the hands of the Northwest Company. This latter company was soon followed by their great opponents, the Hudson's Bay Company; and, between these, the rivalry of trade soon became open war, and battles were fought, in one of which a deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, with many others, lost his life ; after much blood- shed and litigation, the British Government finding it impossible to recon- cile the grants of the two companies, induced a coalition between them, and they I Company. tra(;le in all few small The inlan this comp and Laos, than 80 p£ region ; bi did not am each ; valu fifth of that returned fi and from t Thisamou in London in various back re'ur usual time great disp. that it has of life and Siid to ha^ good evid eludes the It has b moralize may be tl connexion Indian for inland, eil The fur erwise in with the the exclii that tribe may cho( This the monopoli* might in to whom ( rules. ^ mountain selves or ent tribe for the 1 Avhole of to restra traders, 1 •with am sign, anc will be \ inon rul( hes, viz: in Bw hundred e Sandwich t commands It St. Fran- ' California uch a pee- ls case was have been y, where it r repairing limited sale xported ; a I of Boston, Bsidue was of $17 per nt some to ;overnor of send a few Jt 5J14 per • which the fir infancy, ^as hereto- le country, coast trade igators and \i of (he sea le Ip-^ians. > the hands ? the coast, id the cas- few miles B vigilance ! of the In- est assort- as the In- 1 vessel to ide, I will lily obtain ited States or, whose ny. This Hudson's ;ame open lor of the jch blood- i to recon- 2en thera, Rep. No. 101. 13 and they have since been known under the style of the Hudson's Bay Company. Their charter gives them the exclusive nopoly of the fur Uac^e in all the countries of North America held by Grci.. Britain, except a few small trading posts in Canada, which appertain to the Government. The inland trade of the country in question is now entirely in the hands of this company, except a small amount which proceeds from Sante Fe, and Laos, and St. Louis, the returns of which do not amount to more than 80 packs of beaver. It is difficult to estimate the fur trade of this region ; but, from all the data that I have been able to obtain, I think it did not amount, in 1836, to more than 230 packs of beaver of 100 pounds each ; value in market about $5 per pound, say ^ 1 1 5,000 ; and perhaps one fifth of that amount value of other peltries ; say, in all, ^138,000 value of furs returned from the country between the lutitudes 42 deg. and 49 deg. north, and from the Pacific to the Rocky mountains, excluding the coast trade. This amount is the returns for about $20,000 (prime cost) worth of goods in London and New York, and the services of about 350 men employed in various parts of the business, and shipping to bring supplies and take back returns, and two years' interest on investment, which is less than the usual time taken for its return. My impression is, notwithstanding the great disparity of the money value of the articles exchanged in this trade, that it has been less profitable than any other in which as much danger of life and property is incurred. The Hudson's Bay Company may be Slid to have had the full command of it in 1833, and in that year I have good evidence that the profits of their western department, which in- cludes the country in question, did not exceed {^10,000. It has been made an open charge against the fur traders, that they de- moralize the Indians by introducing ardent spirits among them. What may be the practice on the coast I cannot say ; but, during five years connexion with the trade, I have never known a beaver traded of an Indian for any kind of ardent spirits; nor do I believe it is ever done, inland, either by the Americans or the Hudson's Bay Company. The fur trade, altliough trifling as to amount in a national view, is far oth- erwise in regard to its bearing on the Indians, and their political relations with the country from which the trade emanates ; whatever nation has the exclusive trade of an Indian tribe may wield the whole power of that tribe for such purposes, consistent with Indian character, as it may choose, provided it identifies itself as a nation with that trade. This the United States have never done ; and perhaps the aversion to monopolies among us w- ill prevent their ever doing so; but the difficulty might in some measure be remedied by appointing military commanders, to whom the traders should be subordinate and accountable, within certain rules. At present, the United States, as a nation, are unknown west of the mountains; Americans are designated only by some peculiarity of them- selves or their leaders, and the different parties are considered as differ- ent tiibos. This state of things subjects the traders to much danger; for the Indians, seeing perhaps a dozen men, whom they consider as the "whole of that concern, have no fear, except that of the immediate contest, to restrain thera from plundering and scalping ; and where there are rival traders, bound by no common rule of action, the Indians are soon supplied with ammunition to accomplish such purpose of offence as they may de- sign, and are not deterred from such enterprises by the fear that supplies will be withheld from them, as would be the case if there was a com- mon rule of action. IN i I i i, ■t I I II w 14 Rep. No. 101. By the indiscriminate trading ofall persons \vith the Indians, individual safety, |)rorit, national policy, and good of the Indians, are alike sacrificed. Where one murder is committed on English parties or individuals, I am certain there are more than ten upon our people. With the British traders every thing is different; one company has the exclusive control of the trade in all places, except where the Americans have enjoyed an equal right, west of the mountains. They can trade as many heaver from a district as they think it will hear without diminishing the bree(!iig stock, and thus continue their trade instead of destioying it. They can pre- vent the heaver being taken except at the best season. They can refuse supplies of ammunition beyond necessary and immediate consumption, and thereby prevent any accumulation dangerous to themselves. Besides, and stranger than all, which is the fact, that the white man's inventions, in the hands of one tribe, at once become articles of absolute necessity to all others ; and there being but one party from whom to obtain them, they must be at peace with that party. Thus the trader who is without com- petition in an Indian country, however weakh'r force, not only may com- pel the Indians to respect him and his property, hut, if be chooses, prevent one tribe from warring with another ; the practical illustration of which is, that in all the countries where the Hudson's Bay Company have exclu- sive control, they are at pence with the Indians, and the Indians among themselves. Wars with the Indians on the Bi ilish frontiers have long since ceased; and this has been effected by giving the control of the In- dian trade to one company, and keeping the control of that company in their own hands. The power »o revoke the charter of the Hudson's Bay Company renders them subu vient to the will of the Government, when they have any object in view. The greater influence that the British had over the Indians in the last war arose mostly from their better management of their Indian trade. A further evil that attends our loose taws and their looser execution is, that the Indian country is becoming a receptacle for fugitives from jus- tice. The preponderance of bad character is already so great amongst traders and their people, that crime carries with it little or no shame. I have heard it related among white American trappers, as a good joke, that a trapper who had said he would shoot any Indian whom he could catch stealing his traps, was seen one morning to kill one ; and, on being asked if the Indian had stolen his traps, he answered, no, but he looked as if he was going to. An Indian was thus wantonly murdered, and white men were found to laugh at the joke. As long as there is no pow- er in the Indian country sufficient to restrain or send home criminals, these things will occur. AGRICULTURE. The agriculture of the country has been chiefly conducted by the Hudson's Bay Company and their retired servants. The residence of the Americans in it has been confined to such short periods, that they have been unable to devote much time to husbandry ; they have depended chiefly on game for subsistence ; and the Indians, as far as I have been able to observe, have never planted a seed in this whole region. I shall commence with that part of the country which lies between the California mountains and the Pacific, which 1 have called the first division. It is well calculated for wheat, barley, oats, rye, peas, potatoes, and all sorts of roots cultivated in the United States; apples succeed well, and also tobacc an unprofit about fiftee doubt, witti best parts o of wheat r peas, potat metle ther son's Uay ( to raise lilt whose age and, having farmer, there are o near whom have estab Formerly t to what ex ed ; I shou this divisit being mild afford. H( the country and, also n country is except in i advantages from the e earliest su: the upland the eiiornic ' too thick a the trees ; i yond the ci ted States the cultiva bottoms of In the I mountains ; at the post j to the wa I Wallawall ' stream of j situated in j they raise i think the of a paste I mountains ■| supported j of the soi I has been Columbia individual sacrificed. ]iials, I am lish tiiulera trol of the d an equal ver from a [!ing stock, y can pre- can refuse iisiimption, . Besides, nventions, ecessily to them, they thout com- may com- 3S, prevent of which ave exclu- ins among have long of the In- ampany in Hudson's tern me nt, in the last ian trade. cution is, from jus- amongst 10 shame. ood joke, he could on being le looked sred, and no pow- :riminals, by the ce of the ley have epended ive been veen the division, and all i^ell, and Rep. No. 101. m also tobacco ; Indian corn, for some reason, does not succeed well, anc- a an unprofitable crop. The yield of wheat, with very poor cultivation m about fifteen bushels to the acre, and of the best quality ; there i» b« doubt, with equal cultivation, the product per acre would equal that of the best parts of the United States. In 1833, there were about 4,000 bushels of wheat raised at Vancouver, besides large quantities of oats, barley, peas, potatoes, &c. About twenty miles above the falls of the Walla- metle there are some plantations made by the retired servants of the Hud- son's Bay Company ; these, like Canadians elsewhere, trouble themselves to raise little more than their wants demand ; they are usually persons whose age or long service entitle them to indulgence from the company, and, having retired for ease, are not disposed for the labors of a thorough farmer. Also, about thirty miles above the falls of the Wallameltc, there are other plantations made by the retired servants of the company, near whom some American missionaries, who went out with me in 1834, have established a station, and 1 am told have now made a fine farm. Formerly there was some cultivation at Astoria, (now Fort George,) but to what extent it was carried 1 cannot say, as that part is nearly abandon- ed ; I should think the land about it not well adapted to cultivation. In this division, horses and neat cattle succeed tolerably well ; the winter being mild, enables them to subsist without other food than the open fields afford. Hogs live and multiply, but cannot be made fat on the range of the country ; there are no nuts except the hazel nut ; acorns are plenty, and, also many roots on which they feed ; but for stock, this part of the country is in every respect inferior to the Middle and Western States, except in its winter ; and this may perhaps counterbalance its other dis- advantages. The agiiciilture of this section must always suffer much from the extreme dryness of the summer ; those products which ripen earliest sustain the least damage, but those that come late often sutler, the upland soils of this section are tolerably good, but the cost of clearing the eiiornious growth of timber would be much beyond its worth ; it is ' too thick and heavy to obtain crops by the Western practice of girdling the trees ; it must be removed or burnt, the labor of doing which is be- yond the conception of those acquainted only with the forests of the Uni- ted States ; but there are prairies sufficiently numerous and extensive for the cultivation of the next century, which, being chiefly on the second bottoms of the rivers, are extremely fertile, and above inundation. I In the second division of the country, lying between the California mountains and the Blue mountains, no cultivation has been made except , at the posts of Wallawallah and Colville, which has been confined nearly I to the wants of these establishments. In the immediate vicinity of I Wallawallah, there is no land fit for cultivation, except the bottoms of the 1 stream of the same name, and these are of small extent. Colville, being I situatod in the vicinity of the mountains, is better supplied with rain ; there j they raise wheat, barley, oats, peas, and vegetables, in abundance. I think the agriculture of this district must always be limited to the wants of a pastoral people, and to the immediate vicinity of the streams and mountains ; and irrigation must be resorted to if a large population is to be supported in it. This district, which affords little prospect lor the tiller of the soil, is perhaps one of the best grazipg countries in the world. It has been mucn underrated by travellers who have only passed by the Columbia, the land along which is a mere collection of sand and rocks, l.;'; I I m U I 16 Rep. No. 101. I and almost without vegetation ; but a few miles from the Columbia, to- ward the hills and mountains, the prairies open wide, covered with a low grass of a most nutritious kind, which remains good throughout the year. In September there are slight rains, at which time the grass starts ; and in October and November there is a good coat of green grass, which re- mains so until the ensuing summer ; and about June it is ripe in the lower plains, and, drying without being wet, is like made hay ; in this state it remains until the autumn rains again revive it. The herdsman in this extensive valley, of more than one hundred and fifty miles in width, could at all times keep his animals in good grass, by approaching the niountuins in summer, on the declivities of which almost any climate may be had ; and the dry grass of the country is at all times excellent. It is in this section of the country that all the horses are reared for the supply of the Indians and traders in the interior. It is not uncommon that one Indian owns some hundreds of them. I think this section, for producing hides, tallow, and beef, is superior to any part of North America ; for, ■with equal facilities for raising the animals, the weather in winter, when the grass is best, and consequently the best time to fatten the animals, is cold enough to salt meat, which is not the case in Upper California ; there is no question that sheep might be raised to any extent, in a climate so dry and sufficiently warm, where very little snow or rain falls ; it is also, I think, the healthiest country 1 have evei been in ; which I suppose arises from the small quantity of decaying vegetable matter, and there being no obstruction, from timber, to the passing winds. 'I'imber is scarce in this section, being confined almost entirely to the immediate borders of the small streams and the neighborhood of the mountains. In what I have designated as the third division, lying between the Blue mountains to the west and the Rocky mountains eastward, little cultiva- tion has been attempted ; the first trial was at Fort Hall, on Snake river, near the entrance of Pprtneuf, in latitude 42 deg. 30 min. north, and longitude 113 deg. 3 min. west, which 1 established in the summer of 1834. The wide bottoms of Snake river at that place have some very fertile lands, but a large portion is injured by the salts deposited by the waters of the hills ; and although the days are very warm, the nights are too cold for almost every thing but the small grains, all of which that we tried succeeded well ; onions, cabbages, and turnips, were also produced of good quality ; but it appears to me that this section of country will long remain a receptacle for all kinds of vagrants, both Indian and white, who, when game is gone, will live more on their herds than on the pro- duce of agriculture. Its general features are similar to those of the second division, but there is less rain in the autumn, a little more snow, and very cold in winter, especially near the mountains. Although the general character of the country is steril in the extreme, yet there are large tracts of land fit for cultivation on the eastern declivities of the Blue mountains, where the nights are less cold, and on the heads of some of the rivers coming into Lewis's or Snake river from the south ; and such parts would also be equally good for grazing as the second di- vision ; but it will probably be many years before this section will be valuable. The fill! value, and the wants limit ; it n tion, but II einiifi- is, in it, a, id the hunter estimated t the ftiiu)un( iiiomciit, w rcsidoiK'e ( wealth, w Ilavini; mains little first divisic lor the \noi potat jcs, & That wli North Aine irtieles inu: tensive as l plied withs others of \] .\nioni; tl is timber, io oak of gooc ' try are goo( all of whicl probably th uii extensiv 'I'iie sain nunii'rous, ; are of sove States. Pt the countle the stream!^ <:an be appi the strong( shores as th dians. Sir these India Califoriiia otfered of I tance, as c: lions. Th will be of would be a first settler One oft bubilanta, a 3lumbia, to- ] with a low ut the year. irts ; and in , which re- ripe in the lay ; in this e herdsman es in width, laching the :limate may [lent. It is the supply on that one r producing erica ; for, nter, when animals, is nia ; there climate so ; it is also, •pose arises lere being s scarce in borders of n the Blue le cultiva- lake river, north, and summer of some very ted by the nights are •h that we produced untry will ind white, n the pro- •se of the ore snow, lough the there are ies of the heads of le south ; !Cond di- 1 will be Rep. No. 101. 17 RESOURCES. The fills produced in this country have heretofore been of considerable value, and doui)lless will furnish a means, to a snialKextent, foi supplyinf^ the wants of a r)ew country ; but that bu.siness has been carried to its full limit ; it may for a lew years bo kept up to its present point of produc- tion, but ujust boon decrease, especially if the country ia thrown open to einiifrii'its, most of whom will become dealeir^to a j^i eater or loss licgrce in it, ;uid many will turn to (he more cxciiinj; and i-nniediale proliis of the hunter, rather than to the slow labors of the fanner, flaviui; before estimated the returns of this trarle, it is needlcsn to do so a^^ain ; nor can the amount of a trade wiiieli in its nature njnst .so soon coasc bi:of much moment, when exaniininii; a coHtitry as to its fitness for the permanent residence of a nation. ! therefore leave it, to |>oint otlt other sources of wealth, which in prospect are of far greater importance. Ilavinj^ heretofore spoken of tiio aj:;ricultu(e of this legion, there re- mains little more to say on that lieaii, oxcept that what I have called the first division would funii.'^h lands reasonaldy fertile to almost any extent for the produeiioii of wheat and all the sm;'.ll grains, tobacco, hemp, hay, potatoes, &c. That which I have called the second division, the finest grazing in North America, for producing hides, tallow, beef, and wool, most of which articles must find a good market on the coasts and islands of a sea so ex- tensive as the Pacific ocean, almost the whole navigation of which is sup- plied with standing articles of food from the United States and Europe, and others of whicli would bear transportation to^ imy pait of the world. Among the indigenous productions of the country that would be useful, is timber, for the various uses of a pt-ople, including an abundance of white oak of good quality, and spars of any magnitude. The firs of the coun- try are good timber, but not so valuable as white pine for house building ; all of which, to son e extent, would be articles of profitable expert, and probably the uses for them in that sea will increase, so as in time to give an extensive ;down the water, to take the first fleposite, in order to obtain salt Jor use. There are, also, large veins or beds of rook salt, quite pure, in t'ne mountains of the interior. These are, however, south of latitude 42 (leg. noith. Crystals of salt have been found at the IJig Wood river, which empties into l^ewis's or Snake river, in latitude 44 deg. 32 min. north, longitude 117 deg. I min.west; and there is, without doubt, on the heads of that river, a deposite. Sandstone is there found, >vhich usually ucconi|>ain'cs it. In this division, it maybe of use at some very remote period, but cannot at present be consideied one of the re- sources of the countiy. 1 am not aware that the article has been found in what 1 have called the second division of the country, but its goologi- '- eul formation gives reason to tbirdc it exists; and should this section become, as it must, a grczing country, it would l)e of great value. About thirty miles up thc^ Wallaniette, salt springs liave been found ; they are but slightly in)pregnateil, and I conceive of no value, inasmuch as any amount oi salt can be made on the seaboard during the long and .perfectly dry summer, at lar less expense than evaporating their weak waters. The Sandwich islands, liom which vessels must alwayii return in ballast, will sujjply any quantity of salt at a very low rate. At a more leniote period, fuel will be an aiticle of value. Coal has been found only on the- Cowilitz river. 1 have seen only a specimen ; it appeared to me what is cfalled ligirite ; what it.s (jualify may be, or in what (juantity it exists, I am unable to say; but it will be long before fuel will be wanted, uheie tices Ao/»e/tme.v attain to three hundred feet height, and twelve to I'ourteen feet diameter, and very often to that of two hun- dred feet and pioporlionate thickness, and wheie forests are very dense. Theie is in some parts obsidian, puujice stone, and fuller's earth ; 1 am not able to say if these articles ar(! of any value. No metals have, I be- lieve, as yet, been foujid. The country which is a(!(!essible is almost en- tirely volcanic, covered deep with ancient lavas; it has been traversed mostly with a view of trading or hunting beaver ; the mountains, almost inaccessible, ailord no object to the trapper, and iiave been little exam- ined, and from thenj alone may metals be lioped for ; no doubt, as in most other countries, they will be lound when an extended population requires them. • Facilities of communication nnd of tnantifacturing may be in some measure considered among the resources of a country. The rivers arc decidedly bad ; no one ol' them allords good navigation for steamboats, for any great distance ; they, must, I think, always be inconvenient and dan- gerous, from their rapid and rocky character. The continuous ranges of mountains, lying parallel with the coa?t, will lender very dilliciilt the construction of railroads extending into the interior, and possibly rocky foi-mation may underlay the earth, so as to render any extension to thg south or north very expensive. Canals could be constructed ; and, in a country where the winters are so mild, they might be preferable to rail- roads ; there would be plenty of water to supply locks, at almost any ievcl ; the melting of the mountain snows, which are close at hand, would afford water in summer, and the rains would keep up the supply in winter- The had eh and tlie dil Power i"( often at si world, ccjiti of I he conn no country •ind by the In 1821, style of the ans in the rade was C( iig at the th tiunicxtioM )asca (o tiic md by this London, i in the iiortl lave since i educt'd lo i riainly (o gi ilots, &c. , Ktiiit; there Vancouvei At this post I >slly in agr ) miles abov »ly tlieni wii cnt to the ii s ()i(idu(red arids. VaU' llsidt' of will itaiiged ; tli A'h» n I was io>uro ; nw •ft what is M(Miii'{\t anni \('A coast ai 'f ;be counti 1 ibis post i utfiior I h.v Tt'.e next r. is a jnok(!t' 'veii^ed ai«^ • H i»re conti ) men ; it w; tuile -IG dig The next f'lsi^lrd ; its ii 1, and com- JicViiil, and ic taken, in obtain salt quite pure, of latitude liig Wood ide 44 des;. is, without here found, use at some 5 of the re- been found its goologi- ion become, kbout thiily icy are but arjy amount d .perfectly -k wiitersJ'^o'"'"" Rep. No. 101. 19 The bad dnractcr of the natural moans of transportation and passage, uikI t!ie dilFiculty of improvement, is ibj worst I'eature of (his country. Power for manufacturing purposes is supplied by every stream, and often at si ort intervals on the sam(* stream; probably fio country in the world, ccjually near the seacoast, alfords so njany waterfalls as that part of the country betvveetj the coast and the Calilornia mountains; and in country are tliey more regular, supplied by uuiltin!!; snows in summer, ■;md by the almost constant rains in winter. lIUD-iON'S HAYCOMCANY. In {821, the (wo great British fur con«panies becasie one, under the 5t)le of the Hudson's Bay Company ; at that time there were no Ameri- fjans ill the country west of the Rocky ujoufitains, and with them the {r.ide was conlitjed to the line of posts on the Columbia, which, commenc- ing at the then heathjuarters. Fort George or Asforia, formed a line of com- niuiiic?.tioii by the way oftlie Columbia to its heads, thence by the Atha- basca to tlic l)oatU{uartcrs of the eastern department at York factory ; ^itid by this route they now transmit and receive despatches to and Irom in 1821, the company established themselves at Vancouver, n in ballast I'" ^'*'' '""rtl side of the Columbia, aliout SO njiles from its mouth, ;»nd \ lave since made that the centre point of their business. Fort George is Coal has "^''' '"■''''*' '" " lookout station, and little trade is dono there; it is kept up •ecimen • it '""''dy lo give intelligence when vessels arrive on the coast, to furnish or in what ''l"t''> ^^'' '■> ""^ nioie tha« three persons and a clerk are stationed at that re fuel will '<''"t> there arc no defences to protect it; it is merely a dwelling-house. >et beiglit, two hun- •ery dense, arth ; ] am' jave, I be- almost cn- tiaversedi ins, almost ittle exau)- as in must on requires • e in some rivers are m boa Is, for t and dan- s ranges of iUiciiit the ibiy rocky don to thg and, in a )Ie to raii- ilmost anv nd, would in winter. Vancouver !■> in latitude 45 i\e'^. 30 min. north, longitude \Z2 deg. west. \l this post there are usually stationed about 200 men, who are employed I >sllyin Mgriculiural and mechanical pursuits. They have a saw mill about J miles above ibis station, also on the north side oftlie river, which sup- )ly tlieni with lumber lor' build-'ng, and some eaigoes yearly, which are >( iif (o ilie vsandwich islands. Much of the provisions for their shipping > [iioduced i'.t Vancouver, and ^ome Hour has been exported to the is- trids. Vancouver is a stockaded enclosure of about 200 by 3U0 feet^ iij^ifb' of which the various olfsces and buildings lor the business are rraiiicd ; tlieve ale no bastions or guns mounted, or apertures lor them. Vhni I was there, there w<'.re two large field guns in the court of the en- ir»>uro ; au'.l theie is no a|)pearance of any pi<»paration for defence, ex- t what is re(|uired against Indians, To this post the supplies arc )i(>iifvht annually from (iieat Britain, (or the whole trade of the nortb- \(' -I coast and its interior a« far as the Rocky mountains, and the returns 1' ;lu' country arc here collected. Tlie whole amount of the furs brought I ;his post I hsve small uK'ans of determining ; that tlerived from the !ilf lior I have hcretofoie given. Tlte next post, ascending the river, is Wallawallah ; on the soutN: side t is a liicke'ed end'osine of about 70 l(.'el .scpjaie, vsith a bastion at each ■voised angle, in which are mounted some small howitzers; its delen- .'rt iut' contrived only against Indians ; it i^ kept up by a clerk and a!)out t met) ; it was etx-cted by (hv? Northwest Company in I81S,and is in lal- tude -IG dig. 1 min. m)r(h, longitude 1 19 deg. ,'jO min. west. The next post, in ascending the river, is Oknagen, which I have ne\er isi^led ; its im]>ortanee is les:5 than that of Wallawallah ; itison the north i; (■• 'I f ' y:4 B 20 Rep. No. 101. side of the river, near the entr.ince of the Oknagen river, in latitude 47 deg. 59 min. north, longitude 1 19 deg. 43 min. west. Above this there are no posts, 1 believe, except Colville, which is on the south side of the river, in fatitude 48 deg. 37 min. north, longitude 118 deg. 4 min. west. When 1 was at this post, its picketed walls were down and repairing ; its defences appeared no other than those commonly used against Indians ; a chief trader and about 15 men v. ere then posted at this place. / The above are all the posts of the Hudson's Bay Company on the Co lumbia. On the Flathead river is what is called the Flathead post — a small log cabin, surrounded with alow stockade, to which at certain sea sops goods are sent from Colville, for the*trade of the Flatheads, Coo tanjes, Pendaureilles, and other Indians; it has no defences, and is oc cupicd only a part of the year; this post is in latitude 47 deg. 31 min. north, longitude 114 deg. 28 min. west. In the year 1834 the Hudson's Bay Company established a post at the mouth of the Big Wood river, which empties into Lewis's river at lat; itude 44 deg. 20 min. north, longitude 1 16 deg 54 min. west, which was built to counteract the efl'ects of Fort Hall, erected by the Columbia River Fishing and Trading Company, in the summer of 1S34, near the heads ol Le<\is's river. an Americ parties is p is stimulat fitted out w who have I many years cumstances Indians, th< pers who c and there a tunity to se than pay th It is not entirely dii Britain, an( limits of th< '36. I was Company, I 1 have b« surance to i part of the The Hudson's Bay Company have a post on the Umbiquoi river, to which munerate tl they occasionally send goods, but it is not permanently occupied ; 1 have part of it. not seen it, but it can be of little importance, as its business is intrustec ced a mill i, to a common Canadian, which is never done by the Hudson's Bay Com- the rocks a puny in any case where an important interest is at stake. ^j [ do not On the coast, I am not aware of any posts having been established a very valu south of latitude 49 deg north. There is one near the mouth of Th>)mp' sjon that its son's river, which is a little north of that p.irallel of latitude. They alsj keep a steamboat running on the coast, and there is little question tha their superior means in lacilities of procuring goods, and great amouii of capital, will soon give ihem the coast trade, as well as that inland unless some step is taken by the American Government to relieve tin American trade from the disadvantages untler which it now labors ; but as my knowledge of the coast trade is of little value, I will return to th( operations of the. Hudson's Bay Company inland. Experienc.e has satisfied me that the entire weight of thiscompan; will be n)ade to bear on any trader who shall attempt to proseeut his business within iis'iench ; in proof of which is the establishment o the post at the mouth of the Big Wood river, which was done immel on th'eirrel diately after Fort Hall was built ; and the fact that a party was kept if in the coun t'lie vicinity of Fort Hall, with an especial view to injure its trade, thf him from w from any in bia should I For sevei tice of pern ihe Wallam thisdescrip J iver above the Compai Company, \ done, and t! Company c whole time that it remained in the hands of its projectors. There ha never been any successful trade in this country by the Americans, an jt is only by tra|»ping that they have been able to make any use of it and in this they are much annoyed by the English tradeis, who follow them with goods, and do not scruple to trade furs from hired men, wli they are well aware tlo not own them. i do not wish to charge thi dishonest practice to them alone, nor do I know that they began it, fo it is common to both parties, against the other, and also between th different parties of the Americans; but it results in the complete destruf tion of the American trade and business in the country. JNo sooner doc The peo Sandsvieh dians ; thei highest otiit pay for con these are tl standing in governor a €rnor and In their p Rep. No. 101. n 1 latitude 47 lich is on the ngitude 118 I were down inionlv used osted at this y on the Co- ead post — a certain sea- heads, Coo- 3, and is oc- es:. 31 niin a post at the river at lat; t, which was umbia River the heads oi ver, to which pied ; 1 havi 5 is intrustec 's Bay Coin- establishe( h ot'Th>)iH|) They also [uestion tha reat amoun that inland I relieve thi labors ; but return to ihi this coinpan to prosecut blishnient o done iinine was kept i its trade, th There ha lerieans, an ny use oi' it , who lollop 3d men, uli charge thi began it, To between tli lete dcslruo I sooner doe an American concern start in these regions, than one of these trading parties is put in motion, headed by a clerk of the company, whose zeal is stimulated by the prospect of an election to a partnership in it, fitted out with the best assorted goods, from their ample stores, and mi n who have been long in the service of (he company, and whose wages of ujany years are in its hands as security for their fidelity. Under these cir- cumstances, we come in contact. If there are lurs in the hands of the Indians, their superior assortment of goods win obtain them. The trap- pers who catch the furs are mainly fitted out on credit by the companies, and there are too many of them who do not scruple to avail of an oppor- tunity to sell their peltries for new supplies of luxuries and finery, rather than pay their debts. In this way the American companies are broken up. It is not uncommon that the parties of the Hudson's Bay Company entirely disregard the treaties between the United States and Great Britain, and pass to the heads of the Missouri, within the acknowledged limits of the United States ; this was done in the years 1833, '34, '35, and '36. I was informed that this was contrary to the instructions of the Company, but I think it was with their knowledge and consent. I have been informed that the British Government have given an as- surance to the Hudson's Bay Company that they will not surrender any part of the country north of the Columbia ; or, it they do so, they will re- munerate them for any establishments that they shall have made in that part of it. About the -year 1832 the Hudson's Bay Company commen- ced a mill at the falls of the Wajlamette, and blasted a mill race througlj the rocks, and collected the frame work ; the reason why it was not finish- ed 1 do not know ; I have surmised that it was done either to preoccupy a very valuable location, or that it was abandoned under the apprehen- sion that its situation south of the Columbia would exclude the Company from any indemnity from their Government, in case the line of the Coluni- bia should be adopted between the United States and Great Britain. For several years past the Hudson's Bay Company have been in the prac- tice of permitting their servants to retire from their employ, and settle on ihe Wallamette ; there are now perhaps some twenty or thirty persons of (his description, who are cultivating to a small extent on the bottoms of that liver abov^e the falls. In these cases, the obligations between them and the Company are not dissolved, but only suspended at the will of the Company, who can at pleasure recall them at their station; and this is often done, and the power to do so is used to govern them ; their pay from the Company ceases during their absence from their stations, but is restored on their return. The Company under no circumstances releases a man in the country ; but, unless he will renew his engagement, they return him from whence he came. The people employed by this Company are about one fourth from the Sandsvich islands, about one fourth Orkney-men, and the residue Cana- dians; their discipline is strict and hard, and subordination, from the highest officers to the lowest eng;ig6, is as perfect as that of the army. The pay for common men is about £17 per annum, for clerks £100; above these are the partners, of various degrees of interest, according to their. standin;5 in the concern; to these partnersliips they aie electisd by the governor and committee in London, at the instance of the deputy gov- ernor and partners at York factory. In their personal intercourse with Americans who come into the country, , ;; ' ! l| ! t.' ,*i *H 22 lit' Rep. No. 10 i. 1: 1 they are uniformlv hos|)ital>le and kind. The circumstances under which \ve meet them are mortify i;i}; in the extreme, making us too often but the recipients of ihe bounty of others, instead of occupants to administer it, as should bo the case. No one who has visited their posts, I presume, can aay any thifjg in dispraise of his reception •, for niyself, netting matters of trade aside, I have received the most kind and considerate attention from them. In conclusion, I will observe that the measures of this Company have been conceived with wisdom, steadily pursued, and have been well seconded by their Government, and the success has been complete ; and, without being able to charge on them any very gross violations of the existing treaties, a few years will make the country west of the moun- tains as completely English as they can desire. Already the Americans are unknown as a nation, and, as individuals, their power is despised by the natives of the land. A population is growing out of the occupancy of the country, whose prejudices are not with us ; and before many years they will decide to whom the country shall belong, unless in the mean time the American Government make their power felt and seen to a greater degree than has yet been ihe case. I am your obedient servant, NATHANIEL J. WYETH. Hon. C. CrsHiNG. , ivith husba be able, in selves, an the troops month, an( a year for $2,0U0 for after 88,22 necessary VVhethei to be taker raised for once in fnu may be tal expedient Oregon, as A model draught of forces ; anc settlement lumbia rivt 1 transm and of the APPENDIX K. LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR. War Department, January 4, ISSJ)". Sir : In reply to the inquiries of the Committee on For^'gn Relations, contained in your letter of the 26th ultimo, I have the honor to state that, in my opinion, not less than a battalion, consisting of foift-. or five compa- nies, ought to be sent on the service contemplated by the bill under your consideration. The troops, on arriving at their destination, will be with- out cover or sheker of any description, and may be exposed to the at- tacks of the surrounding Indians before theyican erect even field works* to protect themselves. They ought, therefore, to be in sufficient num- bers to furnish guards, and lo take the necessary measures of defence while the work of erecting a fort and buildings for the troops is going on. The expense of an additional battalion, for raising and maintaining it for one year, will amount to ^93,952. I say additional, because to abstract so large a number of men from the arm_^,in the present state of the coun- try, when there are so many calls for regular troops, and the frontiers exposed to attack are so insufficiently guarded, would be imminently to increase the danger of a border war. • Without more knowledge of the country than we possess, it is difficult, if not impracticable, to .form ajust estimate of the cost of erecting a fort sufficient for the protection of the troops in time of peace, and to answer the purposes of defence at the breaking out of a war. Ati experienced officer of engineers ought to be sent out with the expedition, and {^50,000 appropriated to erect a fort. The troops ought to be furnished w ith subsistence for one year ; and I would recommend that about thirty laborers, and an overseer, conversant Hon. C. Estimate o river, an Jive coinj Expense o Their pay Their subs Their clotl Pay and e One oversi 30 laborer! For impler For stock Expense o Arms, equ Camp equ Transport! ma, and Transport; Columb under which 5ftei> but the itnister it, as resume, can ig matters of tention from mpany have ; been well iplete ; and, itions of the !" the moun- i Americans despised by iccupanc)" of many years in the mean d seen to a VYETH. Rep. No. 101. 23 ivith husbandry, he employed to accompany the detachment, who wof.Id be able, in that fertile region, to raise, with the aid of the soldiers them- selves, an abundance of stock and grain for the future maintenance of the troops. These men might probably be hired for twenty dollars a month, and the overseer for eighty-fivo dollars ; which would be $8,220 a year for labor. Add to this 5^1,800 for implements of agricultiiro, and ;ig2,0U0 for stock, making, altogether, g 12,020 for the first year, and there- after 88,220, or allowing for contingencies $9,000 « year, to produce the necessary annual subsistence of the men. Whether the forces to be sent out are to consist of additional troops, or to be taken from the line of the army, they ought to be recent recruits, raised for this purpose, both to ptevent the renewing them oftener than once in four years, to avoid the expense of trans|)ortation ; and that care may be taken to enlist as many mechanics as practicable- It might be expedient to oifer, both to the laborers and recruits, a tract of land in Oregon, as a reward for four years' faithful services there. A moderate increase in our Pacific squadron, of two vessels of light draught of water, would, in my opinion, be sufiicient, in aid ot the land forces ; and both together would atford all the protection required by any settlement likely to be made for some time to come, on or near the Co- lumbia river. ' I transmit, herewith, an estimate of the expenses of the expedition, and of the annual cost of maintaining it. Very lespectfully, your most obedient servant, J. R. POIiNSETT Hon. C. Gushing, of the. Committee on Foreign Affairs^ House of Representatives. 4, 188J>. «• 6 state tha** tEsfimate of the expense of establishing a military post on the Columbia 5ve comua- ' ^*'^^^i ^^^ the annual cost of maintaining it with a force consisting of under your \ fi^^ companies, 375 strong. ill be with- i Expense of enlisting 355 men . ^?} V^' \ Their /^oy for one year lerd works* Their subsistence for one year eni num- Xheir clothing hv one year of defence to abstract f tbecoun- e frontiers linently to ilge of the "orm a just ion of the ice at the ught to be ect a fort, ar ; and I ODversant Pay and emoluments of 21 commissioned officers for one year I going on. Q^g overseer, at an annual salary of ning it for « jq laborers, at $240 each per annum - For implements of agriculture For stock - - - Expense of erecting a fort - . - . . Arms, equipment, and ammunition . - . . Camp equipage ...... Transportation of troops to Chagres, thence by land to Pana- ma, and again by sea to the Columbia - - - Transportation of supplies, by sea, round Cape Horn, to the Columbia river ...... $3,905 32,760 2^^915 ll,00G 19,987 1,020 7,200 1,800 2,000. 50,000 17,690 1,184 25,000 25,000 $224,467 I'::! 34 Rep. No. 101. Ff the troops and supplies me carried in Government vessels from Pa- I ama to the Columbia river, the expeii.ses of transportation would be al)out 55^20,000 less. And if they are sent in transpoits from the United States, round Cape Horn, to the Cohmihia river, the whole expense of transportiition would amount to about )^43,000. After the (irst year, the annual cost of maintaining the post will be as follows : Pay of 355 n»en per annum .... - 5jj32,760 Clothinn; per aiuuun ------ 11,006 I'ay and tmolunienls of 21 commissioned officers per annum - 19,987 Annual supply of annnunition ----- 1,607 Contingencies, iucludini; (he pay of overseer and laborers, and living, in lieu of 5^25,915 for subsistence - - - 9,000 War Department, January 4, 1839. $74,360 APPENDIX L. LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. Navy Departmfnt, January 7, 1839. Sir : A desire to afford satisfactory information on the subjects pro posed in your tv^o letvors of the 2Gil\ a!)d 27th of December has delayed:; my reply until the p-esent lime, and 1 hope will be a sufficient apology To th(- information imbodied in the memorial of Mr. Slacunj, and the;^ reports of yourself and Mr. Linn of the Senate, the limited researchef I which my lime would allow have added but little, and that little notsuf-t ficiently loc il and piecise to cnai)le me to speak with any great degree! of conlidenie. A critical examination of Columbia river, as high up as* the junction of the Wallamette", and the adjacent coast, by experienced ^^ military and naval officers^ with a view to settlement and defence, ap- pears to me the first step touards the attainment of a proper basis for any permanent system of occupation and protection. Two positions are, however, I should think, sufficiently obvious, name- ly : that the establishment of a military position, occupied by a force of at least five or six hundred men, is the first and most efficient step to be taken. No naval armament which the United States could, under pres-p ent or future circumstances, keep up in that quarter, would.be adequate ] to the protection of settlers, either on the borders of the Columbia river, ^ which does not afford a sulticient depth of water for ships of war, in the I interior or on the seacoast. To this it may be added, that in order to ■ maintain such a force permanently, it would be necessary either to have the means at hand for repairing and refitting vessels — in other words, a | naval establishment of a permanent nature, of easy access, and suscep- tible of being defended — or to furnish regular relief squadrons, as on our other foreign stations. The expense of either would be very considera- ble, but cannot be correctly estimated until some settled system of ope- rations is adopted. Vancouver speaks of having found within the straits of Juan de Fuca a safe and convenient harbor, protected by an island, and capable of being Bep. No. 101. 36 cls from Pa- n would be I the United i expense ol' St vvill be as - $32,760 - 1 1 ,006 - 19,987 1,607 nd 9,000 $74,360 / 7, 1839. ubjects pro- , has delayed' ;nt apology. [im, and the researches^ ttle not suf' reat degree i i high up asf xpcriencedg el'ence, ap asis for any | ious, name- Y a force of step to be inder pres- e adequate '^ rabia river, * war, in the | n order to ler to have •r words, a nd suscep- , as on our considera- !m of ope- de Fuca a le of being defended ; the occupation of which, I should think, would be important. With this impression, I have directed the commaiuler of the squadron in the Pacific to employ a sloop of war in making a close and accurate sur* vey of this portion of the strait, with a view to ascertain its advantages as a station or harbor for ships of war over the Columbia river, which is known to be difficult of access for all classes of ships. I also directed Lieutenant Wilkes to devote as much time as other great objects of the expedition would permit (o nu examination of that river, the coast be- tween it and California, and most especially the bay of St. Francisco, represented as one of the finest in the world. These measures, it is ex- pected, will result in the attainment of all the information necessary to furnish the basis of a permanent system, in relat.on to the important rights and interests of the United States in that quarter. While the United States remain at peace with the nations whose con- flicting claims or whose gradual enoroachhients have called your atten- tion to the subject, 1 am of opinion, and tlie Board of Navy Commission- ers coincide with me, that frequent visits from one or more vessels of the Pacific squadion, so regular as to impress on the minds of the savages, as well as the civilized intruders, the conviction that our rights and in- terest:* there are watched over and will be protected, would be sufficient for the present, or until time, as it soon must do, shall disclose the set- tled policy of Great Britain in relation to this important question, and whether a satisfactory boundary may not be adjusted bftween the claims of the three great nations which are now coming together from the op- posite extremes of the earth. The frequent and regularly recurring visits from vessels of the squad- ron in the Pacific would, I think, be sutFicient to afford all the necessary assistance which the early settlers would require from a naval force. The distance of (his region from all other portions of Western America that have heretofore required the protection of a naval force is so great, that some additional vessels will be necessary, or at least desirable, to se- cure adequate attention at all the points which might demand their "•'es- ence. Under a conviction, however, that the defence of the territory of Oregon must mainly depend on a military force and military positions, aided occasionally by the presence of vessels of war, I am of opinion that the employment of two additional sloops of war, as a reinforcement to the Pacific squadron, will enable the commander /ully to carry out the in- structions already prepared for him in relation to the gulf of California and the northwest coast of America. The sura of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars would be sufficient for that purpose. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. K. PAULDING. Hon. C. Gushing, in Congress. • APPENDIX M. LETTER OF MR. TRACY, ' . Lynn, (Mass.,) January 6, 1839. Sir : In answer to your communication of the 2d inst., I have the honor to lay before you the following '' exposition of the views and objects of the Oregon Provisional Emigration Society." 'ii i 26 Rep. No. 101. i i This society, formed in August, 1838, has for its object the plntiting of Christian Atikorican settlements in Oregon ; and it is now engaged in such preliminary arrangements as will tend to secure the prosperity of the enterprise. Our purpose in making these settlements will be, first, to spread civil- ization and Christianity among the Indians of that country ; and, cecondly, to avail ourselves of the advantages the territory offers for agriculture, manufactures, and commerce. The number of persons whose emigration we shall encourage will be decided by the necessities of the case and the aspect our affairs may hereafter assume. Not less, however, than two hundred men, with their families, will compose our first migrating company ; and we shall provide for their being followed, at proper intervals, by other divisions, as the state of the country may authorize, and the wants of civilized society re- quire, until thousands of our citizens shall be planted on that distant coast. Our design to elevate the Indians will make it necessary to be some- what cautious in the selection of our men, and we shall encourage the migration of none whose character for industry and virtue is not well established ; and we are persuaded that the good of the territory, the honor of our nation, and the permanency and security of American in- terests generally, will not be put in jeopardy by such a course. The general expenses of the enterprise will be paid, and pecuniary aid, in the form of a loan, will be afforded to those whose means are in- adequate to the cost of emigration and settlement, from a joint stock fund. Having reached the territory, we shall seek such points oJ settlement as will afford the greatest facilities for- intercourse with the tribes ; for agriculture, manufactures, and commerce ; and also for defence, in case of hostilities from any quarter. For the benefit of the Indians, we propose to establish schools, in which instruction in elementary science will be connected with labor ; the males being made acquainted with farming or some useful mechanic art, and the females with household duties and economy. The age at which we shall admit the pupils, 'itnd the length of time for which they will be retained,' will enable us to break up their Indian hab- its, and to make them industrious; and the arts and knowledge of which they will become possessors will prepare them to provide for their own wants, and to exert a very powerful influence in the civilization of their bi«thren. Our hopes will depend principally iij)on the children of the tribes, but we shall not forget their parents. We shall seek by all means to soften the rigors of their savage condition, and, if we find them inca- pable of a radical change, we shall at least hope to preserve peace among them ; to persuade them to turn their attention to the cultivation of the soil, and to the erection of permanent dwellings ; and, in a word, to in- duce them to adopt enough of the habits of white men to materially bet- ter nieir condition. From all accounts which we have of the character and disposition of the Oregon Indians, we have no doubt of the practicability of all we pro- pose in relation to them. For our own emolument, we shall depend principally upon the flour trade ; the salmon fishery ; the culture of silk, flax, and hemp ; the lum- ber trade ; and, perhaps, a local business in furs. We shall establish a regulal plies plate yea IS valuaf will n resourl We planting of ged in sueh rity of the )read civil- , ceconclly, igiicultuie, age will be iiti'airs may , with their alt provide ons, as the society re- stant coast, o be some- lourage the is not well rritoty, the uerican in- B. pecuniary ans are in- stock fund, settlement ribes ; for !e, in case schools, in |ith labor ; mechanic if time for idian hab- of which Itheir own m of their \en of the (all means lem inca- :e among m of the jrd, to in- |ially bet- )sition of we pro- the flour the Ium> ktablish a Rep. No. 101. 27 rejular commercial communication with the United States, drawing sup- plies of men and goods from thenco ; and, ultimately, we shall contem- plate the opening of a trade with the various ports of the Pacific. A few years only will be r- ';uired to fill the plains ol Oregon \^ ith herds as valuable as those ., (he Sp-inish savannas ; ;ind various sources of profit will reveal themselves, as the increase of the population shall make new resources necessary. We shall wish that no person in connexion with us may have a claim upon any tract of land, unless he shall actually settle upon and improve that land ; believing, as we do, that a land speculation in that country would be most prejudicial to its best interests, and, above all things, caU culatcd to destroy the last hopes of the Indian race. Such are the purposes of our society, which we shall doubtless accom- plish, if the Government of the United States regards U3 favorably. We shall of course be very unwilling /to settle in a savage wilderness, with- out having first obtained |i sufRcient^ title to the land we may occupy, and without being assured that political obstacles will not be thrown in the way of our prosperity. We are confident that our settletnent, more than any thing else, would subserve the purp.oses of our Government respecting the Oregon tefri- tory. Our relation to- the Indian tribes will give us an influence over them which Americans will hardly obtain by any other means, and which, at a future day, may be found an advantage to the United States. We shall by the same means, as well as by our local situation, be pre- pared to hold in check the avarice of a foreign Power, and to establish and maintain American rights and interests geneially, with the least ex- pense to the nation and the best prospect of bloodless success. I herewith forward you a number of the Oregonian, a monthly peri- odical devoted to the interests of our society ; a.'id would beg leave to refer you to the extracts numbered I, 2, and 3, an a further exposition of our objects. The first extract you will find to be our constitution ; the second contains sentiments respecting us, which, as a partial exptanatioi of our views, we are willing to endorse ; and the third is an instrument which has been officially adopted oy our society. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, F. P. TRACY, Secretary of the Oregon Provisional Emigration Society. Hon. C. Gushing. [Extract No. 1.] Constitution of the Oregon Provisional Emigration Society. We, the subscribers, designing only to glorify God, and promote on earth the interests of piety, brotherly affection, justice, and liberty, do hereby adopt, and pledge ourselves to obey, the following constitution and ar- ticles of agreement : Art. I. This association shall be called the Oregon Provisional EmiuratiIon Society. # !'■ ■vicli isliinds to piociiie a vessel to take iiu; into the CJohiinhia. From iril«)irnati(>ii I received at Oahii, I considoied it necessary to have !i vessel under niv entire control, in order lobe independent of the lliid»i)n'd liay ('ompuny, ^vvho have absolute anthority over the if)hal)itanti' on either si4 cleg. 40 niin. north ; the latter- with a valuable cargo of British manulacturcs, bound to St. Frarrcisco, California. Ascertained the Mudson's 13ay Company's jiliip '• Columbia" cro-ssed the bai- on the 2Glh of November, bound to London, with a valuable cargo of furs and peltries, valued at cCSO,000 — $330,000. On the morning of the 25(h, .lohn Bur-ni.e, the Hudson's IJay Comp.my'.s trader at Fort George, doubtless with a view to inform the chief hulnrs (Messrs. McLaughlin and Finlayson) of the appearance of tlie Loriitt, de- spatched a canoe to P'ort Vancouver. I availed myself of this opportunity to write to Mr. Fiidayson, (a gentleman whom 1 had known formerly at lands, CO » the Snnd* oti citlior or su|)|>lie!) the tliig ol' the linliurm iiictions" 1 t'ettibiM- 1 1, ourit of my ember h>st, le northern I tho west- ircly across )h)vvinf; di- off against ve M., aniJ red, at two ; the bar of ; atternooii ehcrcd by containin{j; Jlienamus^ :lis, j^eese, was, " is Isscis u'eie idc ol the when we It opposite land I'oint the fort, lay Com- aea ; tlie lide at ibe III Piigitl'.s 40 Miiri. Iboiind to Iny'.s riliip Luudoi), |:JSO,Oi)U. ^mp.iny'.s '.i l.iclors |)rii»t, de- jortunity linerly at Rep. i\o. 101. the Saodwich ishinds,) requesting him to send inc down u pilot and a stove, il* to be procured at the fort. 'J'he wind lavoring, ou the 26th we stood up the river, but made littla progress againSt a strong current ; the wind falling linJJt, at night we were eoiupelied to anchor. On the i3lst i received an answer from Mr. Finlayson, (by the pilot whom lie sent down,) giving me a polite invitation to visit Fort Vancou- ver ; was told that Mr. Douglass, one of the partners of the [ludson's liay (/ompany, had come down the river. That gentleman, however, pro- ceeded to Fort George by an inside pusSHgc ; and 1 afterwards under- stood the chief object in his coming down was to inquire into the cause of my visit, as it was already known that the Loriot had no cargo on board. Up to this period we had made but little headway in working up against the wind, will;, but few hours' slack tide ; but this favored my landing daily, and visiting every Indian lodge and village on the river, from " Chenook" lo " (Jak point." The next day, Mi. Douglass, returning from FoitCieorge, called aboard the Loriot, and repeatt«d the invitalion given me by Mr. Fiidayson, to visit l'\trl Vancouver; and, as there was but one more Indian settlement be- tween this |)oint and tho Hudson's Bay Company's establishment at Van- couver, 1 embarked with Mr. Douglass, in his canoe, with nine " Cana dian voyaguers." We made about lifiy miles in twenty-four hours, and landed next day at the fort, where I met a hospitable reception from Di. lohn McLaughlin and Mr. Dirncan Firdayson. Polilical and stafislical. — Slate of the covntry. — In 1G70, a charter of (Jharles the 2d granted anexriusive trade to the governors and corDpany of adveriterersof London, trading into Hudson's bay. They were to have the sole trade and commerce of and to all the seas, bays, and straits, orth, along (he coast of the North. Pacific ocean, and from thence of all the country within three marine leagues of tho coast to the Frozen or Arctic sea. In 1818, when Fort George (Astoria) was formally given up by Captain Hickcy, of his British Majesty's ship Blossom, and Judge Prevost and Captain Biddle, the American comitiissioners, had placed the customary placards declaratory of the event on Cape Disappointment and Point (ieorge, the question would scarcely have been asked by any of his British Majesty's subjects to whom the country of right belonged. Soon after I .'!'■ 1 4 s i M t { 32 Rep. No. 101. >,4i •1 V) i'.-' the departure of the United States ship Ontario, Captain Biddle, the buildings at Fort George were destrojed by tire. It is said the act was committed by the Indians, who likewise took away the placards put up by the American commissioners. The Northwe.'^t Company beintrat this lime estal)Iished at FoM George, (having purchased of Mr. John Jacob Astor, of New York, his interest in his trading establishment, called by him Astoria,) continued to trade with the Indians, and builj a trading house near the .site of the old fort. This was kept up, first by the Northwest, and since by the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, to the present day. For several years previously to the coalition, however, the interior tiade of boih companies had become materially les- sened by their vicious and destructive opposition to each other ; but from this period, the coalition, in 1821, the now Hudson's Bay Company have extended their enterprises over an extent of country alinost incalculable. I shall endeavor to point out the enterprise of this company, and the influence they exercise over the Indian tribes within our ackno.vledged lines of territory, and their unauthorized introduction of large quantities of British goods within the territorial limits of the; United States. Fort Vancouver, the principal depot of the Husdon'sBay Company west of the Rocky mountains, stands on a gentle acclivity, four hundred yards from the shoremen the north bank of the Columbia or Oregon river, about 100 miles from its mouth. The principal l)uildings are enclosed by a picket forming an area 750 by 450 feet. Within the pickets, there are thirty-four buildingsof all descriptions, including officers' dwelling-houses, workshops (or carpenters, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, coopers, tinners, &c., all of wood, except the magazine for powder, which is of brick ; out- side and very near the fort there arc forty-nine cabins for laboiers and mechanics, a large and commodious barn, and seven buildings attached thereto ; a hospital and large boat-house on the shore, six miles above the fort. On the north bank, the Hudson's Bay Company have erected a saw mill on a never-failing stream of water, that falls into the (^'olumbia ; cuts ;2,000 to 2,400 feet of lumber daily ; employs 28 men, chiefly Sandwich Islanders, and ten yoke of oxet) ; depth of wa;er, four fathoms, at the mill, where tlie largest ships of the company take in their cargoes for the Sandwich islands mnrket. The farm at Vancouver contains, at t!)is time, about 3,000 acres of land, fenced and under cultivation, employing generally 100 men, chiefly Cana- ilians and half-breed Iroquois ; the mechanics are Europeans. 'I'hese, with the factors, traders, clerks, and domestics, may be estimated at thirty. The laborers and mechanics live outside tlie fort, in good log cabins — two or thrc' tamilies ireiierally under one roof; r.nd as nearly every man has a wife, or lives with an Indian or half-breed woman, and as each family has from two to five slaves, the whole nuin!)er of persons about Vancou- ver may be estimated at 750 to 800 so; 's. The police of the establish- ment is as strict as in the best-regulated military garrison. The men are engaged for tlie tern) of five years, at tlie rate £17 to £15 per annum ; hut, as the exchange is reduced to currency at the rale of live shillings to the ove Vanco Rep. No. 101. 33 iddle, the le act was ds put u{> rt George, interest ill rade with irt. This Bav Com- coalition, ^rially les- ; but front pany have Lialculable. y, and the lo.vledged quantities tes. ipany west dred yards- iver, about losed by a , there are ng-houses, [s, tinners, | rick ; out- boiers and s attached above the ted a saw nbia •, cuts Sandwich !, at the 3es for the es of land, efly Cana- hese, with at thirty- )ins — two man has ch lainily Vancou- establish- Q men are r annum ; schillings le of labor sahnon a bread or ■rtch r»u\u has to support himself and family, or make his Indian slaves hunt and fish for their support. The farm at Vancouver has produced this year 8,000 bushels of wheat, 5,500 bushels of barley , 6,000 bushels of oats, 9,000. bushels of peas, 1 4,000 bushelsof potatoes, besides large quantiticsof turnips, (rutabaga,) pumpkins, &c. About 6,000 bushels of wheat, of the old crop, remain on hand this year. Stock consists of about 1,000 head of neat cattle, 700 hogs, 200 sheep, 450 to 500 horses, and 40 ^oke of working oxen. There is a large thrash- ing 'machine, distillery, (not at present in operation,) and a grist mill. In short, the farm is abundantly supplied with all the requisite utensils for a much larger establishment; and it will be much increased the ensu- ing year. A thriving orchard is also planted ; the apple, quince, pears, and the grape, grow well. Trade, S^-c. — A largo ship arrivfes annually from London, and discharges at Vancouver; cargo, chiefly coarse woollens, cloths, baizes, and blankets; hardware, cutlery, calicoes, cottons, and cotton handkerchiefs ; tea, sugar, coffee, and cocoa ; tobacco, soap, beads, guns, powder, lead, rum, playing cards, boots, shoes, ready-made clothing, &c., &c.; besides every de- scription of sea stores, canvass, cordage, paints, oils, chains and chain cable, anchors, &e., to refit the company's ships that remain on the coast. These are the ship Nereide, the brig Llama, the schooner Cad- borough, and sloop Broughton ; the steamboat Beaver, of 150 tons, two engines of thirty-horse power each, built in London last year. These vessels are all well armed and manned ; the crews are engaged in Eng. land, to serve five years, at £2 per month for seamen. The London ship, with the annual supply, usually arrives in the Columbia in early spring, discharges, and takes a cargo of lumber to the Sandwich Islands ; returns ill August to receive the furs that are brought to the depot ( Fort Van- couver) once a year, from the interior, via the Columbia river, from the Snake country, and from the American rendezvous west of the Rocky mountains, and from as far south as St. Francisco, in California. Whilst one of the company's vessels brings in the collections of furs, and peltries made at the different depots along the coast at the north, (see map,) the steamboat is now being employed in navigating those magnificent straits from Juan de Fuca to Stickon. Immense quantities of furs sea otter, leaver, martin, and sable, can be collected along the shores of these bays uid inlets. The chief traders at Nasquallah, in 47 deg. 30 min., Fort -.angley, in 49 deg. 50 rain.. Fort McLaughlin, in 52 deg. 10 min., Fort Mmpson, in 54 deg. 40 min. north, purchase all the furs and peltries from he Indians in their vicinityfind as far as New Caledonia, in the interior, md supply them with guns, powder, lead, tobacco, beads, &c.; all of vhich supplies are taken from the principal depot at Fort Vancouver. An express, as it is caflcd, goes out in March, annually, from Vancou- r'er, and ascends the Colutnbi » 900 miles in batteaux. One of the chief actors, or chief traders, takes charge of the property, and conveys to iovk facloiy, on Hudson's biiy, the amual returns of the business con- ucted b} the Iludsoii's Bay Company west of the Rocky mountains, in le (.%)luinbfa district. 'I'his parly likewise conveys to the different forts long ihe route, (see map,) goods suitable to the Indian trade ; other par- ies take up sujijtlies, as they may be required, to Wallawallah, 250 miles bove Vancouver ; to Colville, GOO miles above ; to the fort at the junc- 3 \l ,; l\- r 3: 34 Rep. No. 101. il i tion of Lewis's river, 700 miles above ; and to the south to the vort Ig Qak point McKoys, on the river Umpqua, in latitude 4?> deg 50 min. north ; and son's Bay C last year, chief trader McLeod took up to the American rendezvous, in jj^ng to thi' about latitude 43 deg. north, a large supply of British manufactures. i\^q fever to This assemblage of American trappers and hunters takes place annually janv's agent on the western side of the Rocky mountains, generally in the month of ij,g most ob July, and amounts from 450 to 500 men, who bring the result of their Indians inte year's labor to sell to the American fur traders. These persons purchase J,f j}jg WaPi their supplies for the trappers at St. Louis; though, after being subject feev. Jason I to the duties on these articles, (chiefly of British manufacture,) they ffjpal pjjjgf ^ transport their goods about 1,4U0 miles by land, to sell to citizens of the HHoubtless th United. States within our acknowledged lines of territory. Last year, |,any £)p they met a powerful opponent, in the agent of this foreign monopoly,! The India chief trader McLeod, who could well afford to undeisell the American i^jjjpg 3,.^ gH fur trader on /tis oivn ground—Hrsty by having the advantage of water communication on the Columbia and Lewis's rivers, for a distance of 700 to 800 miles ; and, secondly, by introducing the goods free of duty, which is equal to at least twenty-five to thiity per centum. But a greater evil than this exists in the influence the Hudson's Bay Company exercises over the Indians, by supplying them with arms and ammunition, which may prove, at some future period, highly dangerous to our fiontier settlen.cp' Besides this, the policy of this company is calculated to perpetuate • institution of slavery, which now exists, and is encouraged, among all t Indian tribes west of the Rocky mountains. I shall refer to this more particularly hereafter. From what I have seen, I feel perfectly satisfied that no individual enterprise can compete with this immense foreign monopoly established in our own waters ; lor in stance, an American vessel, coming from New York or Boston, to trade on the northwest coast or the Columbia, would bring a cargo chiefly of British manufactures, on wliich the duties had been paid ; or, if the cargo was shipped for drawback, the vessel would have to enter some other port to discharge and reload, in order to get the benefit of the debenture certificates ; whereas the Hudson's Bay Company's vessels come direct from London, discharge at Vancouver, pay no duty, nor.are they subject to the expense and delay of discharging and reloading in a foreign port. Since the year 1828, ^ party of forty to fifty trappers, (Canadians,) with their women,slaves,&c., generally amounting to 150 to 200 persons, and 300 horses, go out Irom V'ancouver, towards the south, as far as 40 jj> 500." Th ell their ski vidence froi hief trader nentioned in f one of the wenty to thi ;?ning towai )r a bargair .-^adara ' Per; n the presen i^ myself. The next . ind her consc she arrived ii ome arrange Vyeth, the o ^IcLaughlin \ This enterprii Stock, S,'C.^ "hief traders iers. Chief A rofits arising >um. Chief I deg. north latitute. These parties search every stream, and take every beaver skin they find, regardless of the destruction of the young animals Excesses, too, are unquestionably comuiittetkby these hunting parties on the Indians ; and every small American party (save one) that has passed through the same country has met defeat and death. The parties being much smaller than those of the Hudson's Bay CoAipany, the Indians attack them with success ; and the Americans hesitate not to charge the sub ordinate agents of the Hudson's Bay Company with instigating the Indians to attack all other parties. In 1829, the American brig Owyhee, Captain Domines,of New York entered the Columbia, and commenced trading with the Indians for beavet skins and peltries. In the course of nine months, Caj)tain Doniines pro cured a vurgo valued at ninety-six tlwiifinnd dollars. It happened that this year the fever that has since desolated the Columbia from the fall: >ut as other st A council a he different " nd recorded, on's Bay houi il board, and nterprise is c nto, as each n ( it is ascerta uinishes, the I t the anima ts furs ; and s ribes,that to I s a crime pun Rep. No. 101. 35 the Fort I th ; and zvous, in Lifaclures. annually month of t of their Oak point appeared, and Dr. McLaughlin, the chief factor of the Hud- son's Bay Company, with all the gravity imaginable, informed me the In- dians to this day believe that Domines, of the " Boston s/aj9," brought the fever to the river. ( How easy was it for the Hudson's Bay Cora- jany's agents to make the Indians believe this absurdity;, for reasons, too, he most obvious!) Domines was daily assailed with reports that the ndians intended attacking him, when his vessel was lying at the rapida (purchase ,f the Wallamette, alias the "Multonoraah,"of Lewis and Clarke. The ig subject ^ev. Jason Lee told me Dr. McLaughlin had informed him that the prin- jre,) Ihey ;ipal chief of the Wallamette tribe had proposed to cut off the Owyhee:, doubtless thinking it would prove agreeable to the Hudson's Bay Com- jany. Dr. McLaughlin, of course, forbid (he measure. The Indians are taught to believe that no vessels but the " company's" (hips are allowed to trade in the river, and most of them are afraid to ell their skins but at Vancouver or Fort George ; of this I had positive vidence from the Indians themselves, as well as from a remark made by hief trader McLeod, aboard the " Llama," in Baker's bay. It was nentioned in the course of conversation that a Madam " Perand," wife i one of the Canadian settlers on the Wallamette, had just come in with wenty to thirty fine beaver skins- Some one of the party remarked, ;rning towards Captain Bancroft, of the Loriot, "there is a fine chance ii a bargain." Mr. McLeod quickly replied, "D — n the skin shall .adam ' Pelrand' sell to cross the bar of the Columbia." This was said n the presence of Captains McNeil, Bancroft, Brotchie, Mr. Biirnie, ns of the Last year, n:jonopoly, American ; of water ice of 700 uty, which eater evil rcises over ► Inch may jttlen.op' etuate ong all t v^ Ihave seen, ipete with rs ; for in- , to trade chiefly of "the ome other debenture )me direct ey subject reign port anadians,) )0 persons t myself, he next American vessel that entered the river after the Owyhee md her consort, the '' Convoy," was the brig '' May Dacre," of Boston. >he arrived in 1835, to procure a cargo of salmon. In consequence of ome arrangement, the cause of which I am unacquainted with, Mr. -Vyeth, the owner and agent, agreed not to purchase furs, provided Dr. ilcLaughlin would throw no impediment in his way of procuring salmon. Phis enterprise failed ; only 800 to 900 pounds of salmon were obtained. Stock, 4'C., of the Hudson's Bay Company is held in shares, (100.) 'hief traders and chief factors who reside in America are called part- lers. Chief factors are entitled to one eightli of one share, or rather the irofits arising from the same, equal to about $4,500 to ^555,000 per an- lum. Chief traders one sixteenth, or half the above amount, $2,250 to take ever) [g animab parties on Ihas passed hies being lians attack the sub jhe Indjans icw York ■mines pro )ened that s far as 40 ;2,500. They are not stockholders in perpetuity, as they cannot sell |»ut as other stockholders, but have only a life estate in the general stock. A council annually assembles at " York factory," where reports from he different "districts," east and west of the Rocky mountains, are read nd recorded, and their proceedings forwarded to London, to the " Hud- on's Bay house." Chief factors and chief traders hold a seat at this coun- il board, and Governor Simpson pre^es. It is here that every new interprise is canvassed, expense and probable profits carefully inquired nto, as each member feels a personal interest in every measure adopted. { it is ascertained that in certain "districts" 'the quantity of beaver di- iiinishes, the trappers are immediately ordered to desist for a few years, or beavei hat the animals may increase, as the wealth of the country consists in ts furs ; and so strict are the laws among many of the northern Indian ribes, that to kill a beaver out of season, [i. e, in the spring or summer,) m the falls s a crime punished with death. The enforcement of this law is strong!/ I ii If ■>( li It '[■ t ii ' P t 36 Rep. No. 101. encouraged by the Hudson's Bay Company. Not so careful, however, are the company of the territory not their own ; on the contrary, they hare established a fort and trading house called "McKoy's Fort," on the river Umpqua, in 43 deg. 50 min. This fine stream falls into the Pacific, but is not laid do;vn in any printed map ; ten thousand beaver skins are collected here, and double this amonnt brought out of the country adjacent, within our lines; and the Indians are encouraged to '•''trap the streams''^ at all seasons ; from VVallawallah, Lewis's river, and the Snake country, all lyingbetween 42 deg. and 46 deg, north latitude, 50,000 skins are collected. The price of a beaver skin in the " Columbia district" is ten shillings, or $2, payable in goods at 50 per cent, on the invoice cost. Each skin averages one and a half pound, and is worth in New York or London $5 per pound ; value $7 50. The beaver skin is the circulating medium of the country. Indian slavery. — The price of a slave varies from eight to fifteen blan- kets. Women are valued higher than men. If a slave dies within six months of the time of purchase, the seller returns one half the purchase money. As long as the Hudson's Bay Company permit their servants to hold slaves, the institution of slavery will be perpetuated ; as the price, eight to fifteen blankets, is too tempting for an Indian to resist. Many instances have occurred where a man has sold his own child. The chief factor at Vancouver says the slaves are the property of the women with whom their workmen live, and do not belong to men in their employ, al- though I have known cases to the contrary. We shall see how this reason- ing applies. These women, who are Said to be the owners of the slaves are frequently bought themselves by the men with whom they live, when they are mere children ; of course, they have no means to purchase until their husbands or their meiumake the purchase from the proceeds of their labor ; and then these women are considered the ostensible owners, which neither lessens the traffic nor ameliorates the cont.'ition of the slave, whilst the Hudson's Bay Company find it to their interest to en- courage their servants to intermarry or live with the native women, as it attaches the men to the soil, and their offspring (half-breeds) become in their turn useful hunters and workmen at the different depots of the com- jiany. The slaves are generally employed to cut wood, hunt, and fish, for the families of the men employed by the Hudson's Bay Company, and are ready for any extra work. Each man of the trapping parties has from two to three slaves, who assist to hunt, and take care of the horses and camp; they thereby save the company the expense of employing at least double the number of men that would otherwise be required on these excursions. After passing ten days at Fort Vancouver, and visiting the Indian lodges near the farm, &c., finding it would be impossible to get a party to accompany me at this season of tb£ year across the mountiins, I deter- mined to visit the only white semement on the river Wallamette, the Multonomah of Lewis and Clark. On the morning of the 10th January, having been furnished by Dr. McLaughlin with a canoe and six men, and all the necessaries for the voyag.n, I left Fort Vancouver, to ascend the Wallamette. I shall withhold a (io?cf iption of this hcnutiful river for the present. On the night of the 1 1th, I parsed the fills thirty miles dis- iant. On the 12th, at midnight, 1 reached " Camp Maud du Sable," the Srst white settlement on the river. My men had been in the canoe paddling terraissio Sable" is due soutl who cam ( Aster's six years four year; most pros The R( of New \ visit the house, dis with this and next ( guage of worthy at Messrs. S this part o lowing res To use an Indian, inquire of faces wors west of tlic encamped on the ban with their house and spring thej Second with a full added to (h 18 by 20 fe enclosed ui labor of a c forms, &c., and industr family at p breed Indii .f 1 ''J Rep. No. 101. 37 however, « lary, they • rt,"onthe j he Pacific, iver skins f le country ^^trap the the Snake ),000 skins ricl" is ten voice cost, w York or circulating fteen blan- within six e purchase servants to 5 the price, ist. Many The chief omen with employ, al- thisreason- the slave^^ live, when chase until )roceeds of le owners, Ition of the rest to en- lomen, as it become in )f the com- jt, and fish, ipany, and [parties has the horses iploying at [equired on the Indian |t a party to IS, I deter- unette, the [h January, six men, I, to ascend \i\ river for miles dis- Isoble," the the canoe paddling against a strong current for twenty-two hours, without any in- termission except in making the portage at the falls. " Camp Maud du Sable" is distant about fifty-five miles from the Columbia, runnJWg nearly due south. The first settler was "Je.in Baptiste Desportez McKoy," who came to the country with the Am'erican F'ur Company in 1809, (Aster's company.) McKoy pitched his tent permanently at this place, six years since. For the first two years he was almost aiune ; but within four years past the population has much increased, and is now one of the most prosperous settlements to be found in any new country. The Rev. Jason Lee, missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of New York, having hoard, through Dr. McLaughlin, of my intention to visit the VVallamette settlement, politely came down from the mission house, distant eighteen miles, to meet me at this place. In company with this gentleman, I called on all the settlers in the lower settlement, and next day visited the mission house and upper settlement. No lan- guage of mine can convey an adequate idea of the great benefit thfese worthy and most excellent men, the Messrs. Jason and Daniel Lee, Messrs. Shephard and Edwards, their assistants, have conferred upon this part of the country, not by precept, but exa/nple^ as I think the fol- lowing result of their labors will show. To use Mr. Jason Lee's own vvqrds, " it was after having heard that an Indian, of the Flathead tribe, had crossed the Rocky mountains to inquire of Governor Clark, at St. Louis, about the God that the pale- faces worshipped, that first led me to think of establfehing a ' mission' west of t!ie mountains." Two years since, last October, Mr. Lee's party encamped on the ground where their dwelling now stands, iraraediately on the banks of the " VVallamette." They commenced felling timber with their own hands, and by Christmas they erected the frame of their house and had it half covered in, and fenced 24 acres of land. In the spring they put in a crop, which produced the first year, 1835 — 150 bushels of wheat, 35 do. of oats, 56 do. of barley, , 87 do. of peas, 250 do. of potatoes. Second year, 183G — 500 bushels of wheat, 200 do. of peas, 40 do. of oats, 30 do. of barley, \, 4\ do. of corn, 3^ do. of beans, 319 do. of potatoes, . . with a full supply of garden vegetables. They have built a good barn, added to their dwelling-house, which now consists of four large rooms, 18 by 20 feet, lofts and cellar, have a good garden, and 150 acres of land enclosed under good fencing. With the exception of three months' hired labor of a carpenter to finish the inside of their dwelling and make tables, forms, &c., for their school room, the above is the work of these pious and industrious men, assisted by the Indian children of the school. Their family at present consists of 3 adults, and 19 full-blooded and 4 half- breed Indian children, 10 of whom are orphans. 7 girls and 15 boys at- , » J! ■ I ^l .1 i;-: t^ s 'r:\ 3 1:1 38 Rep. No. 101. lend the school ; likewise, 8 half-breeds' children of ihe neighboring set tiers. The children are all taught to speak English. Several of then read perfectly well. They are all well clothed and led, and are already very cleanly in their habits. The larger boys work on the farm in fine weather. They can plough, Yeap, and do all ordinary farm work well Several of them evince good mechanical genius. Mr. Lee assures me that most of the boys have earned their board, clothing, and tuition, es timating their labor at the lowest rate of wages allowed by the Hudson's Bay Company. Their school and family could be much increased, but they do not wish to add to their number until they receive further assist- ance, thinking it the wisest plan at present, for the sake of example, to| attend strictly to the mental and physical instruction of these " neophytes.' The land on which the mission house is fstablished is rich alluvial del posite, open prairie, interspersed with good timber. Mr. Lee acknowl edges the kindest assistance from Dr. McLaughlin, of Fort Vancouver who gave him the use of horses, oxen, and milk cows, and furnishedj him with all his supplies. Indeed, Dr. McLaughlin has acted toward: many of the settlers in the same manner, giving them the use of cattle and horses on the following terms: The produce of the neat cattle and horses belong to the Hudson's Bay Company, and are lia.ble to be called for at any time. If the cattle die^ the persons holding them are not charged with their value. Horses to be returned in kind, or the sum oi ^8, the current value of the horse, is charged. To convey arpidea of the industry and progress of the Wallamette set tlement, I beg to refer to paper (B.) It would be doing the Messrs. Lee and their associates injustice, were I to omit speaking of their successful and happy efforts in establishing a temperance society among men who are generally considered as being almost without the pale of moral re straint, (I mean trappers;) and it affords me great pleasure to add, thai every white man in the settlement entertains the highest respect for the character and conduct of the Lees and their associates. This circum- stance is sufficient evidence of their w^orth. Papers (C) and (D) will shov their laubable efforts in aiiesling this destructive element, the whitf man's poison, the Indian's certain death. The case of Ewing Young referred to in paper (C,) will be understood by his statement, (E,) and some verbal explanations which I sliull make in relation to his case.* After duly considering the great benefit that would result to this thri ving country if the distillery of Ewing Young could be prevented from be jng put into operation, and inasmuch as he candidly admitted it wa: nothing but sheer necessity that compelled him to adopt the measure, told him ( Young j that I thought he had gained his point without adopt ing the expedient that produced it, as I was authorized by Mr. Finlaysonj to say, "if he would abandon his enterprise of distilling whiskey, he^i could be permitted to get his necessary supplies from Fort Vancouver. on the same terms as other men;" And, further, 1 proposed to loan hin ^150, get him a supply of decent clothing from the fort, in my name, and give himself and his partner, Carmichael, a passage to California, as he informed me he was exceedinj^^ly anxious to go thither to clear himsel j of the calumny that General Figacou had, through Dr. McLaughlin, cir I culated against him, producing in effect the most unjustifiable persec ' tion. Mr. Young seemed deeply sensible of my offer ; said a cloud huni * For these papers, sec Sen. Doc 1836-7, No. 24. over him most ma tieman. tion next and otbe wealth, but the ji by the H cumstanc as chose they I.' landed i. was very ment, wl leader of Hudson': barked i February tions of I hundred parted w prospect of St. Fn Americai with thei this acce- reach the Pacific bi woodsme tance to 1 other obj A large this time a good n Norfolk I our Gove tility of t Americar would ha dian sett for a long monopol} pany, stil who, on Canada, Indian cc although Hon and it being c disobey knows at rendering dwelling Rep. No. 101. 39 1 ■ ghboring set- eral of them. J are already. ; farm in fine>| n work well.i e assures me^ d tuition, esi the Hudson's; ncreased, buij urther assist- example, tc^ 'neophytes.' h alluvial de- ,ee acknowl-l t Vancouver id furnishedl cted toward) use of caltk !at cattle and to be called hem are not >r the sum oi llamette set- Messrs. Lee ;ir successful ng men who ol moral re- to add, that spect for the Phis circum D) will shov t, the whitf iving Young E,)and some case.* to this thri- ted from be] itted it was| 3 measure, thout adopt-l r. Finlaysorl kvhiskey, het; Vancouver! to loan him y name, and ornia, as he lear himsel I sughlin, cir )le persecu cloud buna over him so long, through Dr. McLaughlin's influence, that he was al- most maddened by the harsh treatment he had received from that gen- tleman. I left him under a promise of receiving an answer to my proposi- tion next day. In the course of conversation with Messrs. Lee, Young, and other settlers, I found that -nothing was wanting to insure coiriX)rt, wealth, and every happiness, to the people ol this most beautiful con ;itry but the possession of neat cattle, all of those in the country being owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, who refuse to sell them under any cir- cumstances whatever. I then proposed to give to as many of the settlers as chose to er^Hark in the Loriot a free passage to California, where they i: ' it ^ure caftle at ^.3 } ' -^ad. The advantage of being landed !•> Call. ,ia or Bodega free o. expense, and the risk of the road, was very great. A meeting was afcordingly held in the lower settle- ment, where the paper (F) was lirawn up. iMr. Young was appointed leader of the party. All the settlers who had money due them from the Hudson's Bay Company contributed to the enterprise. Ten men em- barked in the Loriot, and were landed safely at Bodega, on the 20th February. I advanced Mr. Lee $500. This sum, &dded to the contribu- tions of the settlers, produced $1,600, a sum sufficient to purchase five hundred head of cattle in California. 1 will here remark, that when I parted with Mr. Young, at Monterey, on the 2d March, he had every prospect of procuring all the cattle required, on the north side of the bay of St. Francisco. He had likewise received propositions from several Americans residing at California to return with him to the Wallamette with their stock of cattle, thus doubly reinforcing the settlement from this accession the party will receive in California. They will doubtless reach the Wallamette safely in June, the distance by the coast of the Pacific being about six hundred miles. The men are all experienced woodsmen. I certainly view this measure as one of the highest impor- tance to the future giowth and prosperity of this fine country, even if no other object is attained by my visit to the Columbia. A large cargo of wheat, five thousand five hundred bushels, could at this time be procured from the settlers on the Wallamette. It would find a good market at the Sandwich islands, the Russian settlements at Norfolk sound, (SitUa,) or in Peru; but some steps must be taken by our Government to protect the settlers and the trader, not from the hos- tility of the Indians, but from a much more formidable enemy than any Ameiican trading house establishing itself on the Wallamette or Columbia would have to encounter in the Hudson's Bay Company. All the Cana- dian settlers have been in the service of the company, and, from being for a long time subject to the most servile submission to tlie chiefs of the monopoly, are now, although discharged from the service of the com- pany, still blindly obedient to the will of those in authority at Vancouver, who, on their part, urge the plea that, by the legislative enactments of Canada, they are prohibited from discharging their servants in the Indian country. Therefore, they consider the people of the Wallamette, although freemen in every sense of the word, still subject to the protec- Hon and authority, otherwise thraldom, of the Hudson's Bay Company ; it being only necessary for the authorities at Vancouver to say : " If you disobey my orders, your supplies shall be cut off;" and the settler knows at once that his few comforts, nay, necessaries of life, are stopped, rendering him more miserable than the savage that lurks around his dwelling. CI: 40 Rep. No. 101. I' 1 ft At the public meeting that took place at " Camp Maud du Sable," on the subject of the expedition to California, the liveliest interest appeared to be felt when I told the *'■ Canadians" that, although they were located within the territorial liiiiits of the United States, their pre-emption rights would doubtless be secured them when our Government should take possession of the country. I also cheered them with the hope that, ere long, some steps might be taken to open a trade and commerce with the country. They now only lind a market for their wheat, after being compelled to transport it themselves in canoes, (the portage of the Wal- lamette in their way,) at Fort Vancouver, at the low price of 50 cents per bushel, payable in goods at 50 per cent, advatice, whilst the Russians are paying $1 60 this year in California for their supplies for " Sitka." The quantity annually required is about 25,000 bushels. The entrance of the Columbia river is formed by Cape Disappoint- ment on the north, in latitude 46 deg. 19 rain, north, and 123 deg. 59 min. west longitude, and Point Adams on the south, in 46 deg. 14 min. north, and 123 deg. 54 min. west longitude. Physical and geogAjphical. — It was between the years 1780 and 1783, I believe, that Captain Meir, in an English merchant ship of London, saw "Cape Disappointment," and entered the bay between the two capes; but, as " Chenook" and " Tongue point" interlock, Captain Meir left the bay, under the impression that it extended no further inland. He published an account of his voyage in London in 1785-17^6, on his return, and called the bay Deception bay. The next year, 1783 to 1784, Captain Gray, of Boston, in the American ship '• Columbia," entered the bay and stood up the river as far as th6 point designated on the map as Gray's bay, where he overhauled and refitted his ship. Captain Gray called the river the " Columbia," after his ship. In 1787, Vancouver entered the river, and Lieutenant Broughton, in the cutter Chatham, stood up the river as far as the bluff, (the old site oi Fort Vancouver,) about one mile distant from the site of the present fort. But the Spaniards had doubtless a knov^ledge of this country long before this period. **»*#* The Russian expedition under Behring, in 1741, did not come as .far south as Cape Flattery, in 49 deg. north. As 1 have not the means, at present, of giving any further information of the early discovery of this part of the country, I shall now speak of its present appearance, &e., begging to claim your attention to the maps of the Columbia and the country south as far as the Russian settlements at Bodega. In entering the Columbia river, you 6nd a bar extending across the channel, (two miles in width,) from the north to the south shoals. The shoalest water on the bar is four and a half fathoms ; but as the prevailing winds in winter are from the westward, and the entrance lies exposed to the swell of the Pacific ocean, the bar breaks with a wind of any force if from the west of north or south and west of east. At present, vessels are kept outside for several days, waiting for clear weather to run in, having neither beacon, buoys, nor lights, to guide them when close in with the shore. This delay would be obviated in a great measure if the coast was surveyed and properly lighted. " Cape Disappointment. ' is a high, bold promontory, about 400 feet above the sea, covered with timber from its base to the top. " Point Adams" is low, and cannot be seen at a great distance. The sailing directions which I shall be able to present with a chart of the river will more fully explain the appearance r of the chart, i^ pointing a thoro^ lowest The soil propose] nel woul six knoj whole v| Ever) the soil. I to an ex fringing miles, a: which width is tinues ai or two.' the oak, are foun tions of ably fine India Chenook Adams a tribes at of the C dered ei and, as a Indians, Chenam bay" to bay to t Columbi 1829, hi " Klackj below tl the falls during t1 wild fov with the the mosi Walls range oi Mount ^ the Kla! the Kali ocean, both sic than the is low, Sable," on It appeared Eire located >tion rights hould take le that, ere e with the ifter being >f the Wal- »f 50 cents e Russians • " Sitka.'> )isappoint- 23 deg. 59 g. 14 min. and 1782, )ndon, saw wo capes; Me if left land. He his return, 4, Captain ^e bay and ray's bay, 1 the river the river, iver as far itant from lovledge * * ne as far means, at ry of this nee, &c., and the iross the Is. The revailing posed to force if vessels run in, close in re if the ent ' is ed with nnot be I able to earance Rep. No. 101. 4) of the bay and river. As far as the depth of water is marked on the chart, it may be fully relied on. I cannot leave this subject without pointing out the great facility and the advantages that would result fronv a thorough cut of not more than three quarters of a mile through the lowest point of the Cape Disappointment, from Baker's bay to the ocean. The soil is light, and the height not more than sixty feet at the point proposed ; and 1 have not the slightest doubt that a deep and safe chan- nel would soon be made by the action of the tide (at the rate of five ta six knots an hour) as it sweeps around the bay, bringing with it the whole volume of water of the Columbia and its tributaries. Every thing around the shores of Baker's bay shows the richness of the soil. The pines, firs, and the most beautiful variety of flowers, grow to an extraordinary size, whilst the finest grasses are seen at this season fringing the sides of the hills to the water's edge. I'or the first ten miles, as you ascend the Columbia from Chenook and Point George, which may, properly speaking, be called the mouth of the river, its width is about four miles. It then narrows to about one mile, and con- tinues at this width to Vancouver, (with but two exceptions, for a mile or two.) At "Oak Point" village, the oak is first seen ; from thence,, the oak, ash, laurel, cotton wood, beach, alder, pines, firs, yew. and cedar, are found to the falls. Geological formations at Fort George are concre- tions of shells, sandstone, and plumbago. On the Wallamette, remark- ably fine gray granite is found. Indian statistics. — The first tribes of Indians in Baker's, bay are the Chenooks on the north, Clatsops on the south ; the latter live at Point Adams and on Young's river, where Lewis and Clark wintered. Both tribes at this time do not exceed 800. Kum Kunley., the principal chief of the Clatsops, who was always the white man's friend, and who ren- dered every assistance in his power to Lewis and Clark, is no more ; and, as an evidence of the effect of intemperance among these miserable Indians, out of 40 descendants of this chief, not one is this day alive. Chenamus (Chenook) claims authority over the people from " Baker's bay" to the Cowilitz, but Squamaqui disputes his authority from Gray's bay to the above point. From the river Cowilitz to the falls of the Columbia, (see map,) " Kassenow" claims authority. His tribe, since 1829, has lost more than 2,000 souls by fever. They are principally " Klackatucks," very erratic, and the only good hunters on the river below the falls, as all the other tribes immediately on the river below the falls, as well as those who frequent the waters of the Columbia during the season of the salmon and sturgeon, subsist chiefly on fish and wild fowl ; and the ease with which they procure food, fish and fowl, with the delicious vegetables the " wappito" and " kamass," engenders the most indolent habits among these people. Wallamette or Multonomah tribes live in the valley formed by the range of moimtains, running north and south, in which Mount Hood and Mount Vancouver are laid down in Arrowsmith's map. (sometimes called the Klamet range, from the Indians of that name,) and on the west by the Kallamook and Yamhills, running south, parallel with the river and ocean. In ascending this beautiful river, even in midwinter, you find both sides clothed in evergreen, presenting a more beautiful prospect than the Ohio in June. For 10 to 12 miles, on the left bank, the river is low, and occasionally overflows ; on thB right the land rises gradually iSl ill i'i i ^:i i ■■! ! 42 Rep. No. 101. from the water's edge, covered with firs, cedar, laurel, and pine. The oak and ash are at this season covered with long moss, of a pale sage green, contrasting finely with the deeper tints of the evergreens. The first tribe of Indians are the Kallamooks, on the left bank, on a small stream of the same name, 30 miles from its mouth. 2d are Keowewallahs, alias Tummewatas^ or VVallamettes. This tribe, now nearly extinct, was formeily very numerous, and live at the falls of the river, 32 miles from it^ mouth, on the right bank. They claim the right of fishing at the falls, and exact a tribute from other tribes who come hither in the salmon season, (from May till October.) Principal chiefs deceased. This river at the present day takes its name from this tribe. 3d. " Kallapooyahs'' occupy lodges on both sides of the river. 4th. *' Fallatahs" on a small stream of same name, right or west bank. 6th. Champoicks, west bank. 6th. Yamhills, west bank. 7tli. Leelahs, both sides. 8th. Hanchoicks. All these five tribes speak Kallapooyah dia- lect, and are doubtless of that tribe, but at present are divided as desig- nated, and governed by chiefs as named. All these tribes do not exceed 1,200. The ague and fever, which commenced on the Columbia in 1829, likewise appeared on this river at the same time. It is supposed that it has been more fatal in its efl'ects. It has swept off not less than 5,000 to 6,000 souls. In a direction still further south, in Tularez, near St. Francisco, (California,) entire villages have been depopulated. I am happy to add, however, that this scourge to these poor Indians is disappearing. The above-named constitute all the Indians to be found on the Wallamette, from its source in the mountains to the entrance into the Columbia, a distance of about 200 miles. The brig Owyhee, Captain Domines, moored at the rapids about a mile below the falls, in 12 feet water. Above the falls there is doubt- less steamboat navigation for 150 miles. For a distance of 250 miles in extent by 40 in breadth, including both sides the river, (6,500,000 acres,) the land is of the most superior quality, rich alluvial deposite, y/ielding in several instances, the first vear, 50 bushels of fine wheat to the acre. The general aspect of the plains is prairie, but well interspersed with woodlands, presenting the most beautiful scenery imaginable. The pastures at this day ( 12th January ) are covered with the richest grasses, 8 to 12 inches high, I should be almost afraid to speak of the extraor- dinary mildness of the climate of this country, were I not enabled to present you thermometrical observations at Vancouver and Fort Simp- son, in 52 deg. north, and Bodega, in 39 dtg. I may fairly state the difference to be equal to 15 deg. of latitude between the coasts of the west and east of thia continent. It is to be kept in view that the Wal- lamette is due south from the Columbia. I found, on my return to Van- couver on the 19th January, that snow had fallen, and the river was closed with floating ice that had come down and blocked up the passage. Although I was not more than 70 to 80 miles south, I neither saw snow nor ice. I consider the Wallamette as the finest grazing country in the world. Here there are no droughts, as on the pampas of Buenos Ayres or the plains of California, whilst the lands abound with richer grasses, both in winter and summer. In 1818, the Hudson's Bay Company had one bull and two cows ; last year they salted 70, and have now upwards of Jl,000 head of neat cattle from*this stock. No comment is necessary in Re{). No. 101. 43 pine. The a pale sage eens. bank, on a th. 2d are tribe, now falls of the im the right s who come icipal chiefs n this tribe, river. 4th. bank. 5th. eelahs, both poojah dia- 3d as desig- not exceed Columbia in . is supposed ot less than ilarez, near pulated. I Indians is to be found itrance into ds about a e is doubt- 50 miles in ,000 acres,) e, y/ielding the acre, jrsed with ble. The St grasses, »e extraor- enabled to ort Simp- r state the ists of the the VVal- rn to Van- river was e passage, saw snow he world, es or the s, both in had one )wards of :essary in presenting this fact to your notice. The low {pounds of the Columbia overflow, and the highlands are covered with timber of great size, which would require immense labor in clearing. Fort Vancouver is the only spot, from Fort George upwards, where a farm of any size could be opened. From the map of the country south of the Columbia, which I shall be able to piepaie from the rough though correct sketches in my posses- sion, you will discover (here are four rivers which fall into the Pacific ocean between 41 deg. 33 min. north latitude and Columbia. Three cf these, with " Pelican bay," in latitude 42 deg. 4 min. north, are within the limits of the United States, but are not laid down in any published chart of the present day. Klamet river, 41 deg 33 min. north latitude, 133 deg. 54 min. west longitude. " Rougues" river, 42 deg. 26 min. north latitude, 124 deg. 14 sec. west longitude. Cowis river, 43 deg. 31 min. north latitude, 124 deg. 4 min. west longitude. Umpqua, 43 deg. 50 niin. north latitude, 123 deg. 56 min. west longitude. Last year ( 1 836) the Hudson's Bay Company's schooner " Cadborough*' entered two of these rivers with 8 feet water. " Pelican bay" is a good harbor. From the information of Mr. Young and other trappers, I am told the Umpqua is nearly the same size as the Wallamette. The lands are equally good, and well timbered. The river called " Rougues," or sometimes Smith's river, abounds with the finest timber west of the Rocky mountains ; and it may be fairly estimated that the valleys of the rivers certainly within the limits of the United States* contain at least 14,000,000 of acres of land of first quality, equal to the best lands of Mis- souri or Illinois. The Indians west of the Rocky mountains, between the Columbia and 43 deg. north latitude, may be estimated at 100,000, two thirds of whom are armed by the Hudson's Bay Company. North of the Columbia, along the coast, to Cape Flattery, the " Chebalis" Indians inhabit the country. They have a friendly intercourse witn the Indians of Baker's bay, although they speak a different dialect. On the " Cowi- litz," (see map,) which falls into the Columbia, there are a few Indians of the Klackatuck tribe. Coal has been found here. Dr. McLaughlin now compels the Canadians, whose term of service expires, and who are anxious to become farmers, to settle on this river, as it lies to the north of the Columbia. The reason he assigns is, that the north side of the Columbia river will belong to the Hudson's Bay Company. If one side of the river is claimed, with the same propriety they might claim both sides. The navigation of the Columbia is absolutely necessary to the Hudson's Bay Company ; without this they have no passage into the heart of their finest possessions in the interior, New Caledonia, &c. I know not what political influence they command ; but this monopoly is very •wealthy ; and, when the question of our western lines of territory is settled, they (the Hudson's Bay Company) will make the most strenuous efforts to retain free navigation of the Columbia — more important to them than the free navigation of the St. Lawrence is to the people of the United States. I beg le^ve to call your attention to the topography of " PugiWs * Exclusive of the Columbia and Wallamette. i 1' ■I .; ill. 44 Rep. No. loi. U*' I fotind," and urge, in {he roost earnest manner, that this point should never be abandoned. 11' the United States cluiin, as I hope they ever will, at least as far as 19 degrees ut north latitude, running due west from the " Loke of the H^oorf.s," on the above parallel we shall take in " Pugitl's sound." In a military point of view, it is of the highest im- portance to the United States. If it were in the hands of any foreign Power, especially Great Britain, with the inlluence she could command (through the Hudson's Bay Company) over the Indians at the north, on those magnificent straits of ^^ Juan de Fuca," a force of 20,000 men could be brought by water in large canoes to the sound, f" PugitVs") in a lew duys ; from thence to the Columbia, the distance is but two days' march, via the Cowilitz. I hope our claim to 51 deg. of north latitude will never be abandoned ; at all events, we should never give up Pugitt's sound, nor permit the free navigation of the Columbia, unless, indeed, a fair equivalent was otTered, such as the free navigation of the St. Lawrence. 1 am now more convinced than ever of the importance of the Columbia river, even as a place where, for eight months in the year, our whalers fiom the coast of Japan mi)oat at eight miles* distant, and passed in for the fort. About three miles distant from the Loriot, I met three Bydackas coming oiT to us. An officer delivered a polite message from the Russian Governor, and immediately returned to the shore with me. About 2 o'clock I landed, and met a hospitable re- ception from Mr. Peter Kostrometinolf, the Russian military and civil commandant of the Russian American Fur Company. The Presidia Ross lies in 38 deg. 40 min. north latitude, immediately on the ocean, on a hill sloping gradually towards the sea. The rear is crowned by a range of hills 1,500 feet in height, covered with pines, firs, cedar, and laurel, rendering the position of the fort highly picturesque. The fort is an enclosure 100 yards square,picketed with timber 8 inches thick by 18 feet high ; mc brass ho> houses, closure, blacksmi^ 200 COW! " Bodegal alTord faci B" sea ottj have heel oak, hoi though it I of far inf^ to be ke| urged in i country, years, wi irom Sit tallow an ny, St. F traders fr from the about 400 the re ma plough an 4^35 to $4 few skins mucfi incr generally 800 hors( Climnt taken plat May, Jun from nor March, ai for three much col the hills I _ Therm I 38 deg. ' I Tiinhe laurel, e: Rep. No. 101. 45 I nint should they ever ; due west liull take in lighest im- \uy foreign 1 corainund i north, on 0,000 men t two days' th latitude r give up }ia, unless, tion of the iniportance iths in the r supplies, be citizens protection he Colum- monopoly ingle inili- le United I luary, and la still in ber. On need be- rted both from the ;ot afloat, jver, and On the eastward, reide and ds " Bo- until the \ off the ;ht miles' from the ivered a urned to table re- ind civil Presidia cean, on range of 1 laurel, )rt is an y 18 feet high ; mounts four 12-pound carronadca on each angle, and four 6-pound brass howitzers fronting the principal gate ; has two octangular block- houses, with loopholes for musketry, and 8 buildings within the en- closure, and 48 outside, beside a large boat-house at the landing place, blacksmith's shop, carpenter's and cooper's shop, and a large stable for 200 cows, the number usually milked. The Russians first settled at *' Bodega," about 18 miles south of Ross, in 1813. It vvds thought to afford facilities for ship building, and a good point for seal fishing and " sea otter" hunting. Two vessels of upwards of two hundred tons have been built here, and several staaller vessels of 25 to 40 tons. The oak, however, of which these vessels have been built, is not good ; al- though it is an evergreen, and resembles in grain the "post oak," it is of far inferior quality. This establishment of the Russians seems now to be kept up principally as a "poin» J'apprji ;" and hereafter it may be urged in furtherance of the claims of the " Imperial Autocrat" to this country, having now been in possession of Ross and " Bodega" for 84 I years, without molestation. Two ships annually corne down ^or wheat irom Sitka. Their cargoes are purchased in Cal lornia, likewise tallow and jerked beef, for bills on tha Russian Amori , ji Fur Compa- ny, St. Petersburg. These bills fall into the hand wf the A merman traders from Boston and the Sandwich islanr" who receive t se bills from the Californians as money in payment oi ' r, December, January, February, March, and April, southwest to s» uth-southeast winds prevailed; but for three years past the winds are exactly reversed. It is, consequently, much colder in winter than fo'nierly. In May and June, fogs settle on the hills near Ross, and prodjce rust in wheat. Thermometrical obse: ViUions at Ross, in 1 836 — Fahrenheit. Latitude 38 deg. 41 min. north. In October, 1836, maximum 66 deg., average 12 M. " " minimum 43 November, 1836, maximum 72 1 (( (( minimum 38 December, (( maximum G2 (( (C minimum 36 January, 1837, maximum 58 u (C minimum 38 February, (( maximum 56 C( (( minimum 43 Tiinher. — Oaks, four species — two are evergreen sweet-scented laurel, excellent wood ; cedar of Lebanon ; " Douglass pine" grows to < 1 ■ <:i 46 Bep. No. 101. ilMv,! li an extraordinary size ; common pines, firs, alder, and the red wood, a species of cedar, the best wood in the country. An agent of the Ruscian Government was here last year. He came through, via Siberia, from St. Petersburg, and visited all the posts in Kamschatka and on the northwest coast. He got permission from the late General Figaroa (then commandant general of California) to put up a large building on the bay of St. Francisco, ostensibly to be used as a granary to receive the wheat purchased in Califoniia ; but, in effect, it was intended as a block-house, and was to have been made defensible. The timber was got out, and now lies ready to be used. General Figaroa died, and his successor, " Chico," prohibited the Russians from erecting their block-house. Mr. KotstrometinofT readily granted me permission for the party that accompanied me from the Columbia to land at Bodega. He also fur- nished'a house for their use until their cattle could be collected, and pro- vided me with horses and guides to proceed by land to the bay of St. Francisco. Of my proceedings in California, I must beg to refer to ■ >e communication which I shall have the honor to lay before you in a few days, accompanied by a chart of the Columbia, &c. li^the mean time, I have the honor to remain your most obedient servant, • WILLIAM A. SLACUM. To the Hon. John Forsyth, • Secretary of State. Thermometrical observations taken at Fort Vancouver, latitude 45 Heg. 37 min. north. 1833, June, minimum 7 A. M . 52 deg. maximum, 12 M. 66 deg July, do. do. 47 do. do. 89 August, do. do. 52 do. do. 83 September, do. do. 48 do. do. 81 October, do. do. 35 do. 3 P. M. 73 November, do. do. 30 do. do. 62 December, do. do. 09 do. do. 52 1834, January, do. do. 06 do. do. 43 February, do. do. 28 do. do. 64 March, do. do. 30 do. do. 66 April, do. 6 do. 32 do. do. 83 May, do. do. 42 do. do. 86 June, do. do. 49 do. do. 90 July, do. do. 55 do. do. 93 August, do. do. 49 do. do. 86 * September, do. do. 46 do. do. 86 • October, do. do. 30 do. do. 73 November, do. do. 31 do. do. 61 December, do. do. 18 do. do. 49 1835, January, do. do. 29 do. do. 52 Februarv. do. do. 28 do. do. 5a 1835, Ms J1836, Ap Ms Jul Jul Au Se Oc No De 1837, Jar i H Sir : Ir to you A b such facts of adjoini public int( The pel intelligent ritory Dey( entitled to no remote deep and j ous climai wealth, an of traffic, i ductions, 1 I foresaw enterprise With tl most earr upon the i suffered i and wholl One gr exercise i faith tow dianship be brougl and of la Anothi foiiuatioi temperat tainly cai tion of a d wood, a He came i posts in from the to put up used as a I effect, it efensible. a I Figaroa n erecting party that also fur- l,and pro- lay of St. fer to ' ^e in a lew obedient lCUM. ^ 45 Beg. GGdeg. 89 83 81 73 62 52 43 64 66 83 86 90 93 86 86 73 61 49 52 58 Rep. No. 101. 47 1835, March, minimum 1836, April, do. May, do. June, do. July, • do. August, Septenjber, October, do. November, do. December, do. 1837, January, do. ,m). A.M. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. dj. 31 40 42 48 55 54 40 41 29 16 22 deg. cimum. 3 P.M. 61 deg do. 4 P.M. 68 do. do. 81 . do. do. 83 . do. do. 97 .; do. do. 93 do. do. • 86 do. do. 81 do. do. 61 do. do. 53 do. do. 48' APPENDIX O. MR. KELLEY'S MEMOIR. BosTox, January 31, 1839. Sir : In compliance with your request, I shall willingly communicate to you a biief account of my connexion with the Oregon country, and of such facts in regard to that valuable portion of our national domain, and of adjoining regions, as have come within my obsei vation and are of public interest. The perusal of Lewis and Clark's journal, personal conference with intelligent navigatois and hunters who had visited and explored the ter- ritory oeyond the Rocky mountains, and facts derived from other source* entitled to credit, many yeats ago, satisfied me that this region must, at no remote period, become. of vast importance to our Government, and of deep and general interest. Possessing, so far as I could learn, a salubri- ous climate, a productive soil, and all the other natural elements of wealth, and by its position in reference to diveis most important channels of traffic, as well as its configuration of coast, and variety of native pro- ductions, being admirably adapted to become a great commercial country, I foresaw that Oregon must, eventually, become a favorite field of modern enterprise, and the abode of civilization. With these views constantly and v ividly before me, I could but desire most earnestly to cotnmunicate them to the public, and impress ihem upon the Government. And, to accomplish these objects, I have done and suffered much ; having been particularly attentive to :t fo*" many years, and wholly devoted to it a laige part of my time. One great object of my labors has been to induce Congress, in the exercise of a sound discretion and foresight, and in conformity with good I'aith towards Great Britain, to extend the active jurisdiction and guar- dianship of the General Government over this territory, so that it might be brought under the lestraints and protection of political organization and of law, by the country to which it justly belongs. Another of my objects has been to give my fellow- citizens correct in- formation, and thus induce a full and free emigration to this territory, of temperate, orderly, and industrious men ; such men as might most cer- tainly carry thither all tiie advantages of civilization, and lay the founda- tion of a virtuous commuriity ; and thus to convert the wilderness into a S'C' 1.1 'Br I • m I 111 48 Kep. No. 101. .!v?' ""'lilt 11 I t garden, the wild retreats of Indians and roving hunters into the smiling abodes of knowledge and Christianity. / longed and labored, also, for the highest interests of the native owners of the great West ; for their social, intellectual, and moral culture ; and my objects were not less benevolent than commercial, and looked as much to the elevation and melioration of the red ra^ as to the benefit of the white. And, finally, I desired most earnestly that the United Slates should se- cure to their western frontier the ocean as its defence, and thus remove from one of our borders, at least, the dangers arising from the vicinity of foreign states — an object which i deemed of vast importance, and upon which 1 need not enlarge. These were the objects to whose accomplishment I looked forward, ana from which I confidently anticipated many benefits : such as a more friendly and profitable intercourse between our people and the various Indian tribes ; the immediate occupation of the harbors and havens of the Oregon, and the use of its abumlant ship timber; great profit from the whale and salmon fisheries of the northwest coast ; a free and growing eommerce with the islands and coasts of the Pacific, with China, and In- dia, and the Southern America ; a certain and speedy line of communi- cation over land from the Mississippi to the Oregon, by means of which the Eastern and Western worlds should be united, and their wealth in- tei'changed and increased ; and many otlier particular benefits, which I need not enumerate. It is not necessary for me to enter, on this occasion, into a narrative of the obstacles which I encountered in the prosecution of my views, and of the many sacrifices which I incurred in order to accomplish objects which I considered as of the highest public utility. Suffice it to say here, that, induced by the considerations 1 have stated, in 1833 I started from New Orleans for Vera Cruz and Mexico, and after remaining some time in Mexico, I proceeded through Upper California to Oregon. I shall confine myself, in this communication, to the results of my study and inspection within the Oregon territory, and the adjoining province of High California. 1 extend my remarks to this part of California, because it has been, and may again be, made the subject of conference and negotiation between Mexico and the United States ; and because its future addition to our %ve8tern possessions is, most unquestionably, a matter to be desired. HIGH CALIFORNIA. Commencing my remarks, therefore, at Monterey, a seaport town situ- ated in latitude 3G deg, 37 min. north, where 1 spent the months of June and July, 1834, 1 intend to proceed with these, in the route of my travels, northward, to the Columbia river. During my route, I was accompanied by Captain Young, a veteran hunter, who had repeatedly traversed this country, and was familiar with most of its features. Adopting such an arrangement of facts as will, I trust, prove convenient to the committee, I will now call their attention to o brief geographical account of the northern portion of High- California. This tract of country extends from ti)e 37th to the 4id parallel north latitude, and forms a portion of the Mexican tcrritot ics, eyoopt some few patches on the coast ; it has never been improved by the hand of civiliza- tion. gon. Thj mountair and detal ^',y '••igg< sified byl multitudi their curii its water! into the The pil differ wicl eral they vegetatiol and hillo watercou The in casionallv the stroni. vegetable There Califonii; seldom le cisco, its its stieain uniformity of every c^ and nativ wild .game Althoug me to doul The soil soda, and too compu for tillage. tices and < potato havi uncongeni seashore, canic actio territory, efforts of r these salti I hasten the ( advanced , 1 defiance o ! mineral s ] agricultun \ the skies ! \ of that aw dition, ov< aloivj; the Rep. Xo. 101. 49 he smiling the native ul culture ; I looked as the benefit should se- us remove vicinity of , and upon I forward, as a more he vjjrious ens of the t from the id growing na, and ]n- communi- is of which wealth in- ts, which I arrative of I'ievvs, and sh objects > say here, arted from some time my study 'ouince of been, and between ion to our ired. own situ- is of June \y travels, ompanied rsed this >nvenient p'aphical lei north iome tew civiliza- \ tion. A lofty range, called the Snowy mountains, divides it from Ore- gon. This range extends from the Pacific ocean, eastwardly, to the Rocky mountains, is broken into a great number of subordinate ranges, spurs, and detached peaks. It is bounded by the valley of the Colorado, aud by rugged walls of rocky highlands on the east, and its surface is diver- sified by groups of wooded hills, extensive prairies and marshes, and a multitude of streams, some of which are rapid and others sluggish in their currents. The Colorado drains this district on the east, and empties its waters into the gulf of California. Several rivers on the west (low into the bay of San Francisco. • The prairies, which form perhaps one half of the surface of this region, diil'er widely in character, extent, in formation, and fertility ; nut in gen- eral they are covered with a deep and rich soil, and with an i^xuberaot vegetation. Their uniformity is broken by numerous well-wooded hiJUi and hillocks, and by those belts of forest which stretch along all the watercourses. The mountainous regions are, in general, heavily timbered ;. but oc- casionally, instead of foio^ts, we luid tracts of utter barrenness, bearing the strongest marks of volcanic action, and destitute of all appearance of vegetable life. There is one continuous line of prairie extending from the gulf otT California to the 39th paiallel, somctiu'es a hundred miles wide, aa glowing, at some former period, Iroin the deep- cavcrned volcanic cai. drons below. I dii not ascend them ; but if it be safe to reason on ihe analog^' fuiiiished by the Mexican peaks, whose summits I did ex|)lore, and whose A.'-ins are precisely similar, these ele- vated summits are the chimneys of extinct volcanoes, and retain the vestiges of those craters from which the hery discharges and eruptions were wont to be made. 1 encampe^l for some time at the base of Mount .Jackson, and was equally moved by the sublime spectacle of its abrupt ascent and towering grand- eur, and by ihe beautiful diversity of its aspect and colors, engirdled as it was below with successive belts of forest, shrub, and hardy plant, and terminating aloft in perpetual frost and unbroken des Uion. It was my misfortune at this time to be disabled by ill heaUh, so fur as to be prevented both from asce;iding this peak, and from measuring its altitude and fixing its exact latitude. From the Presidents' range there are two chains of hills extending to the Pacific ocean ; one of them branching off' from the base of J. Q. Ada'ns peak, flanked on the north by the Umpqua river, and on the These t spurs of til timbered, ! with an exi and very h( all the higl The Wj head watei streams fro lei, and po ocean. Oi cataracts. comparativ short porta; or four fee southern sli I terraces of n'hese falls ^ banks are \ vernal flooc ! three islam i though lyir VVallamette I south by the Clamet, and terminating on the coast, in latitude , in high bluffs; and the other chain running from Adams peak, nearly paral- lel with the Columbia river, until it reaches the ocean in^a lofty summit, called by Lewis and Clark " Claik's Point of View." In all these chainsof hills, and conic-i peaks, and isolated piles, whether springing from the heart of the prairie or clustering amongst the highlands, I feel confident that we discover unquestionable proof that in former ages this western portion of our continent was convulsed, lent asunder, and thrown into wild disorder, by earthquakes and the operation of sub- terranean fires. The first important river in Oregon, on the northerly side of the Snowy mountains, is the Clamet. It is formed of two branches, one of which rises in a lake of the same name, measuring some fifteen or twenty miles over ; the other in Mount Monroe. Both these branches are mountain torrents, rushing furiously over rocky beds to their confluence. After breaking through a ridge of low rocky hills, some thirty miles from tlie coast, the Clamet proceeds in a north- westerly direction, and with a moderated current, to the Pacific. Next northwardly fiom the Clamet is the ,river Umpqua, very similar ill size, character, and direction, rapid during most of its course, but pass- ing through the level country near its embouchure with slackened speed. * These isolated and icinarkablo cones, which arc now called among Iho luintcrs of the Hud- son's Bay Company by other names. I have christened after our ex-Frcsideiits, \iz : 1. Washing- ington, latitude 46 dcg. 1.5 min. ; 2. Adams, latitude 4.5 deg. 10 min. ; .3. Jelierson, latitude 44 t]eg. 30 min. ; 4. Madison, latitude 43 deg. .50 min. ; 5. JVlonroe, latitude 43 dei;. 20 min. ; 6. J. Q. Adam.-^, latitude 42 deg. 10 min, ; and 7. Jackson, latitude 41 dcg. 40 min. I has been so I tribe cf Indi I its southern In beauty portion of o I The whole timber. Fi of these are and adorne( fwhich are'j j often rise re contrast to t I have no I propose to fwhich may i isources. I made su fresults of w mit to the c( For about 1 generally ab about the fir i distance of y Ireached by t f During all Idifficult and jdistance bet ("Disappoin named. Th ieet of wate i peuks, I They all le ol' from licir bold are thinly sen', their whatever the deep- )ut it" it he iks, whose these ele- retain the eruptions ras equally , iii<>; grand- girdled as plant, and It was my prevented ; and fixing ctending to e of J. Q. nd on the , in larly paral- ty summit, p, whether highlands, in former t asunder, ion of sub- the Snowy of which /enty miles over rocky low rocky in a north- fic. ery similar s, but pass- ned speed. of tlic Hiid- 1. Washing- ersoi), latitude dc'.;. 20 mill. '. mill. Rep. No. 101. 55 These two rivers are divided, as I have before stated, by one of the spurs of the Presidents' range. Their margins are finely wooded and timbered, broken into an agreeable variety of hill and dale, and covered with an excellent soil. The pine, oak, and other timber, is very abundant J and very heavy, not only along the main stream of these rivers, but among j all the highlands vvliere they and their tribjtarief- take rise. The Wallametle, an important branch of the Columbia rivor, has its head waters near the sources of the Umptjua, rocoives numerous tributary streams fiom the Presidents' range, to which its course run:^ nearly paral- I lei, and pours its floods into the Columbia, about eighty miles from the ocean. On its upper course it is said to be broken into several beautiful cataracts. Fdr the last hundred miles above its junction, it traverses a comparatively level and open countiy ; and, with the exceptioh of one short portage, is navigable for this whole distance by boats drawing three or four feet of water. It penetrates the ridge of hills bordering the southern shore of the Columbia, and at that place falls over three several I terraces of basaltic rock, making in all a descent of twenty-five feet. n'hese falls are twenty miles from the Columbia. Below this point it» .; banks are low, and subject to inundation in the season of " freshets" or vernal floods. It has two mouths, formed by the position of a group of f three islands, whose longitudinal extent is sixteen miles, and which, 'though lying chiefly in the Cohnnbia, project into the curretit of the O^allamette, and divide its waters in the manner described. This river Ihas been sometimes misnamed the " Multonomah," with referrence tea I tribe cf Indians, nowextinct, who formerly occupied the land lying around 'its southern entrance into the Columbia. j In beauty of scenery, fertility of soil, and other natural advantages, no jportion of our country surpasses that which is found upon the Wallamette. I The whole valley of this river abounds in white oak and other valuable Itiniber. Fringes of trees grow along the margiti of the stream, and back |of these are rich bottom lands or prairie ground of inexhaustible fertility^ land adorned with all the wealth of vegetation. From these prairies, iwhich are' sometimes a few rods and sometimes several miles wide, ioften rise round isolated hills, heavily wdoded, and presenting a lovely jcontrast to the sea of grasses and flowers from which they spring. I I have now reached the Columbia river. The few statements whi«1v il propose to make concerning this poble stream will refer to matters jwhich may Rot come within the knowledge of the committee from other jjsources. ! I made surveys of the Columbia from the Wallamette to the ocean, the ^results of which appear upon the map which 1 had the honor to trans- mit to the committee. For about 100 miles above its mouth, the banks of the Columbia are I generally above the reach of inundation. The periodical floods begin 'about the first of May, and subside about the middle of June; and of the jdistance of which I htve above spoken, it may be ih^it one tenth part is Irea'.'hed by the waters. i During all seasons of the year the entrance into the Columbia is both IditFicult and dangerous. Flats and sand bars stretch nearly the whole idistance between its two headlands, Point Adams and Cape Hancock, ("Disappointment,") leaving only a narrow channel near the point last named. This channel, however, furnishes at all times more than twenty feet of water. ■1:1 • J: ill 56 liep. No. 101. i From October to April, the prevalence of strong westerly winds in- rreases the ditViculty of threading this channel. 'I'he waves are driven landward with great violence, and hreak upon the shoals and bars with tremendous force and deafening roar. It sometimes happens, therefore, Ihat vessels arc driven by the force- of the waves from the channel, and ia«hed hopek'.->ly upon those treacherous sands. There aro several harbors, formed by the curvature of the river banks, which deserve mention. Of these, Chenook harbor, on the northerly shore, is a spacious bay directly back of Cape Hancock, having deep soundings and a good bot- lom, the outer part of which is somewhat exposed, but within it is sliel- tt'red by the cape. ' GV«t/'s harbor, on the same side of the river, about ten miles from the cape, is better protected than Chenook, but it is comparatively shallow, except for a short distance, where the water measures three and four fathoms. It must become a great place for ship building, in consequence •f the vicinity of immense quantities of ship timber. Nearly opposite is Astor harbor, lying a little south of " Tongue point." Though not wholly delr'nded from the westerly winds, it is the best of the harbors yet mentioned, having soundings of from four to seven fathoms, and a muddy bottom. From Astor harbor to Cape Han- cock the direct distance is eleven miles; but by the channel it is in- creased to something over fourteen. Directly over against Chenook harbor is Meriwether bay, a deep open- ing behind Point Adams, inaccessible to vesstls of large size, by reason of sand bars, but furnishing a secure anchorage to the smaller craft It would be easy to improve the entrance of the Columbia by cutting a ship channel across a narrow strip of lowland from Chenook bay to a small but deep harbor which lies north of Cape Hancock. The distance does not exceed a hundred rods ; a creek extends nearly across, and the spring flood flows quite over it. My belief is that, at some former pe- riod, the waters of the Columbia had a free outlet at this place ; but that the gradual deposite of sand and alluvion choked up the channel. So also might a canal be cut*at small expense from Chenook harbor, »ome thirty miles northwestwardly, to Bulfinch's bay, by which the navi- gation would be greatly facilitated. The intervening land invites this enterprise ; for it is not only low an(j level, but, for*a considerable por- tion of the distance, ponds and natural channels of water furnish great facilities to such a work. The Columbia is, at all seasons, navigable for ships to the head of tide water, which is two miles from its outlet. The brig Convoy, Captain Thompson, in the season of the freshet, nscended forty miles further, to Ihc falls. The climate of this region is mild, salubrious, and healthful. During the whole winter of 1834-'o, settlers on the Columbia were engaged in ploughing and sowing their lands, and cattle ^v«re grazing on the prairies. One of the factors of the Hudson's Bay Company, who culti- vated an extensive farm on the northern bank of the Columbia, informed me that he sowed one hundred and fifty bushels of wheat during the months of January and February. I knew of but three falls of snow during that winter in the vicinity of the river. These occurred in Feb- joary, and neither of them exceeded three inches in depth. The 28th of Februa forenoon. fields, spai During shine and ending in The hei tion of soil at and beh Columbia the ordinal fever and the Indian:; to attribute that the ex \ lish settlem ver itself i nothing bu wholesome All verit tract of eoi testified to The vail for the gra all the natu : happiness o iyond the pc I ads of civili So far af I country nor I same charac 1 myself tra The Hudi endeavored sesses great „departmentj Nhe East Inc For nearl was finally I most unlimii country wes It has ma over 2,000 r operations. to wife, by ^ The compar or America! land general! that territorj with this CO! hundred mil land trade h winds in- ure driven bars with therefore, iinnel, and ver banks, tcious bay good bol- it is shel- ls from the ly shallow, i and four nsequence " Tongue Is, it is the om four to Cape Han- 1 it is in- deep open- , bv reason craft by cutting k bay to a e distance ss, and the ormcr pe- but that nel. ok harbor, 1 the navi- nvites this rabie por- •nish great ead of tide y, Captain further, to During ^nga^ied in ■"OS on the who culti- jn formed during the Is of snow ed in Feb- The 28lh Rep. No. 101. 57 of February was the coldest day in the season ; rain fell during the forenoon. It then cleared off cold, and, for a few hours, houses, trees, and fields, sparkled in an icy covering. During the winter, nearly every day witnessed an alternation of sun-' shine and rain ; the forenoons being mild and clear, and the afternoons ending in showers or drizzling rain. The healthfulness of this country is unquestionable. With the excep- tion of some few low and swampy spots on the banks of the Columbia, at and below the junction of the Wallamette, the whole region of the Columbia enjoys a clear and fine atmosphere, and an exemption from all the ordinary causes of endemic dis^ ise. It is said that till the year 1830 fever and ague had not been known. In that year, as I was informed, the Indians suffered from intermittent fevers. But there was no reason to attribute this mortality to climate. O.i the other hand, it is believed that the excessive filth and slovenly habits of the inhabitants of the Eng- lish settlement at Vancouver were the occasion of the disease. Vancou- ver itself is situated on a high, delightful, and "salubrious spot, and nothing l)ut gross and unpardonable habits of life could render it un- wholesome. All veritable evidence speaks favorably of the slimate of this beautiful tract of country, and none but ignorant or deceitful witnesses have ever testified to the contrary. The valley of the Wallamette is the finest country I ever saw, whether lAr the gratificatiyn of the eye or the substantial comforts of life, for all the natural elements of wealth or for its adaptation to the wants and happiness of civilized man. It declares to the intelligent observer, be- yond the power of doubt, that it is intended to be the habitation of myri- ads of civilized and happy men. So far as I could learn from intelligent and credible witnesses, the country north of the Columbia, to the 54th parallel, possesses nearly the same character which I have described as belonging to the region which 1 myself traversed. The Hudson^s Bay Company, who have long occupied this territory, and endeavored to monopolize the benefits of its trade, it is believed, pos- sesses greater capital, and employs a larger number of men in its various departments of service, than any other association, excepting, perhaps, the East India Company, under the auspices of the British Government. For nearly twenty years, ever since, in 1821, the Northwest Company- was finally broken up, the Hudson's Bay Company have exercised an al- most unlimited control over the Indian tribes and the trade of the whole country west of the Rocky mountains. It has made great progress in settling that region. In 1834, it had over 2,000 men engaged in trading, farming, mechanical, and commercial operations. Of these individuals, the major part had taken Indian women to wife, by whom they had children of all ages, from infancy to manhood. The company exercise full authority over all, whether Indians, English, or Americans, who are in its service, and in a manner always- injurious, and generally disastrous, to all others who undertake to trade or settle in that territory. It may be said, in fact, that Americans, except associated with this company, are not permitted to carry on a traffic within several hundred miles of the company's posts. I cannot state how long the in- land trade has thus been cut off. But, until w ithin the last season, our I!' !l Rep. No. '01. merchants, since 1834) have not been &'.. yvd to participate in the lucra- tive trade and commerce of the northwest coast. While I was at Van- couver, in that year, the American ship Europa, Captain Allen, of Boston, was on that coast. The Hudson's Bay Company, in pursuance of their regular policy, irtimcdiately fitted out tho brig Llama, and instructed her captain, McNiel, (as he himself informed me,) to follow the Europa from poit to port, and harbor to harbor, and drive her oil' the coast at any sacrifice, by underselling her, no matter what her prices, whenever she should open a trade. It has been declarod by Mr. Simpson, wko was at the head of the company's marine, that they were resolved, even ut the cost of or hundred thousand pounds, to expel the Americans froQi traffic on that coast. 1 am informed that, in November last, (1838,) the brig Joseph Pea- body, of New York, was fitted and sent out to attempt once more thie northwest fur trade. The voyage is regarded as an experiment, and her chance of success depends on her finding ihe company unprepared for her arrival. So long as our Government slumbers on lier rights, so long must the enterprise of our citizens, even within our own territorial limits, even within American sovereignty, be rendered abortive by the force or fraud of foreign monopolists. In their intercourse with the Indians, the Company are governed by no higher principle than self-interest, and are frequently guilty of the most arbitrary acts. While I was there, the company surgeon at Van- couver deliberately seized an Indian who had been guilty of some inde- cency, and proceeded to mutilate his person ; and, for tHis wrong, neither the victim nor his friends dared to ask for redress, or even to make any complaint. The number of trading posts in Oregon, belonging to this company, in 1834, exceeded twenty. These are called "forts;" but they are mostly regular villages, such as Vancouver, Wallawallah, Oakenagen, Col- ville, Neperces, &c. At these places are seen houses, stores, workshops, traders, farmers, artisans, herds of cattle, and cultivated farms, waving with abundant harvests ; in short, every appearance of permanent and flourishing settlements. Of these farming establishments, full accounts are already supplied by Mr. Slacum. I will only add a few facts in re- gard to this subject. I saw at Vancouver a large and splendid barn, in which was a thrashing machine that cost Si, 600, and was worked by ox^n. Connected with the same farming establishment, I saw also more than 1,000 head of neat cattle, grazing on the ever- verdant prairie, and flocks of sheep, and swine, and horses, and domestic fowls of various kinds, both in and around the village. The stooks of grain on that farm exceeded any thing of the kind that I had ever seen in the United States. Twelve thousand bushels of wheat, at a very moderate computation, remained in the sheaf at the time of my leaving Vancouver in the spring. Six miles above Vancouver, on the same side of the river, was a large saw mill, capable of cutting from 20 to 25 thousand feet of boards per day, throughout the year. It can be readily inferred that, with this and other such mills, vast havoc would soon be made on the timber of this region, and the banks of the rivers and streams be cleared of that which is at once the most valuable and the most accessible. The town of Vancouver, as I have stated, staads on a high and healthy spot. I I and beau considera prospect by all tha or soli an bounty of delight th ing as tin tains, \\\n hand is a foliage ol thousand are the i winding a aspect anc A mong! not be on vessels ha Company adaj)ted to tic growth within a s I fourui by the con for practic Faniilic! under the ; on loan, al eration of ' farms shou furnished i to sell or 1 All thes tereats anc members a of the disp pie of this The fisi the Compr ble, for th( in counties taken and barrels of ; tity at For The tra( potatoes, putation ; 1 that a sing beaver'ski The fur! ready marl [) the lucra- ras at Van- , of Boston, ice of their tiucted her ;hc Europa coast at any , whenever upson, who olved, even ricans from oseph Pea- j more thie iment, and unprepared H- rights, so n territorial tive by the Dverned by uilty of the ion at Van- some inde- png, neither make any It company, they are nagen, Col- workshops, ms, waving lanent and 1 accounts "acts in re- id barn, in worked by also more irairie, and of various kind that s of wheat, time of my ivas a large boards per th this and er of this hat which Ind healthy Bep. No. 101. 59 spot. I mifiht, with propriety, dwell for a moment upon its picturesque and beautiful landscape. Directly back of the village the ground rises considerably, forming a kind of "5/e/»pe" or plateau, from which the prospect is one of the loveliest on which my eye ever rested, diversified by all that is wild, rugged, and sublime, in forest and mountain scenery, or soft and smilirvg in lowland and meadow, river and plain ; all that the bounty of nature or the skill of man combined can, furnish to surprise or delight the eye and the taste of the beholder. In the distance, yet look- ing as though within reach, are the snowy peaks of the Rocky moun- tains, whose frosty mantle defies the hottest sun of summer. Nearer at hand is a vast ocean of forest, variegated with every hue known to the foliage of trees, whether deciduous or evergreen. At your feet are a thousand appearances of industry, wealth, and prosperity, and before you are the valleys of both the Wallumette and Columbia, spreading and winding afar, and almost wearying the eye with countless varieties of aspect and innumerable forms of loveliness. Amongst the other forms of industry at Vancouver, ship building should not be omitted. There was a ship yard there in 1834, where several vessels had been built, and where all the vessels of the Hudson's Bay Company were riepaired. The neighboring forests abound in timber adajjted to naval purposes : such as oak, cedar, spruce, and firs, of gigan- tic growth. There is, in particular, an extensive forest of white *oak within a small distance of the fort. 1 found that a canal had been commenced at the falls of the Wallamette by the company, for the purpose of making the head of water available for practical purposes — the propulsion of machinery, &c. Families who had settled in the valley of the Wallamette continued under ihe government and control of the Company, receiving therefrom, on loan, all the stock, stores, and implements of agriculture, in consid- eration of which they stipulated that all the marketable products of their farms should be sold exclusively to the company. Oxen and cows were furnished in like manner, it being the settled policy of the company not to sell or kill any cattle until the country should become well stocked. All these circumstances indicated a disposition to form permanent in- terests and establishments,- on the part of this great association and its members and servants ; and I was assured that, whatever may be the result of the disputed question of sovereignty and occupancy, most of the peo- ple of this territory will remain quietly fixed in their residences. The fisheries of this territory have been comparatively neglected by the Company. They might be made immensely productive and profita- ble, (or there are several species of fish, particularly salmon, which swim in countless numbers in the Columbia and its branches, and are easily taken and prepared for exportation. Formerly they put up 500 or 1,000 barrels of salmon per year at Vancouver alone, and a much larger quan- tity at Fort Langley. The trade of the Company consists of furs, lumber, flour,'fish, grain, and potatoes. The amount of traffic in furs 1 have no accurate means of com- putation ; but that it is enormous may be safely inferred from the fact that a single individual at Astoria, in 1834, collected more than 1,800 beaver'skins, f hhough that post was nearly deserted. The furs and peltries are shipped to London. Other exports find a ready market in California and the Sandwich islands : such as fir boards ■If. ii r tt.i ■■Tr L n.i' €0 Rep. No. 101. S'!. and other lumber, white oak ship timber, spruce knees and spars, and \vhite ash oars. In return, the company receive provisions, salt, sugar, molasses, spirits, &c. They obtain beof cattle from California, at thiee dollars per head, and pay for them in lumber, at sixty to one hundred dol- lars per M. Some notion of the amount of lumber exported may be obtained from the fact that the vessel which bore me from Oregon to the Sandwich is- lands brought out the complement of a quantity of boards contracteil for at the price of twenty thousand dollars. The value of flour at the Russian settlements varied from fifteen to twenty dollars j)er barrel. In more southerly markets, salmon were worth twenty dollars per barrel, and sixty dollars per M was the minimum price of merchantable boards. I arrived at Vancouver unwell,' and was'hospitably welcomed by Mr. McLaughlin, the chief factor. Medical aid was rendered me ; a house in the village was furnished for my use, and all my physical wants were supplied ; but I was forbidden to enter the fort ! Before I had been long in the country, I learned that the factor and his agents were pre- paring., in every artful way, to render my abode there uncomfortable and unsafe. The most preposterous calumnies and slanders were set on foot in regard to my character, conduct, and designs. All my movements werefwatched, and, in some instances, 1 was threatened with violence, by persons who had been instigated, as I had reason to believe, by the Com- pany. Had I been willing to place myielt under the control and direc- tion of the Company, all would have been peace ; but so lonn; as I was re- solved to act independently, as an American on American soil, seeking authentic information, for general diffusion, and pursuing the avowed pur- pose of opening the trade of the territory to general competition, and the wealth of the country to general participation and enjoyment, so long was I an object of diead and dislike to the grasping monopolists of the Hudson's Bay Company. My abode in Oregon was thus rendered very disagreeable. The loss of my property on the route had obliged me to vary my original plans, and limit my enterprise to such an examination of the country as would enable mc to enlighten the American public on my return to the United States I remained, therefore, in Oregon no longcM- than was needful to satisfy myself on the desired points of inquiry ; and so long as 1 did remain, I was treated very much like a prisoner of war, although not subjected to actual confinement. When I left the Oregon country, I took passage in the brig Dryad, Cap- lain Keplin, for the Sandwich islands. The petition recently presented to the Senate of the United States, signed by residents of Oregon, will fortify my views in regard to the necessity for some degree of protection on the part of Government over the people of that territory. i come now, in conclusion, to say something oftiic Indians of Oregoh. This unfortunate race of men, as on the eastern so on the western shore of America, perish and pass away at the approach of white men, like those who are swept olF by pestilence. By the accounts of voy- agers and tri'vellers who visited Oregon 30 or 40 years t\§o, it is made evident that the Indian population was then very numerous. But of their hundred tribes, sovereign and subordinate, including probably one hundred and fifty thousand souls, but a small fraction now remains. i 6 In 180^ there wet of nearly but tiie re Two thir and^the n; The M the countr souls, are numerous vive seek less than All the sottish, ai associating found amc eating liqu victims of company'.^ dealing ou for wild ga i catod on ll Such ha children of ^ munities. In conch I that it was iOiegon wh I region ; !ju 'constant ei over Oreg( very i;uclc tional dom; i* , Having, led advontu eve.'!, mv h couise, sin ; by no meai .|and suftcri ■ last begin t which I ha of my life, whoui my prosperous . protect the ' planting t! and spring by the bou I have tl i and respec Hon. C; spnrs, ind salt, sugar, a, at thiee ndred dol- lined from ndwich is- tracteil for . fifteen to vere worth mum price led by Mr. ; a house 'ants were had been were pre- )rtable and set on foot novements iolence, by f the Com- and direc- s I was re- il, seekinoj owed par- tition, and nt, so Ions sts of the The loss nal plans, as would lie United lecdful to [d remain, subjected ad, Cap- Id States, |rd to the lent over ll" Orogor.. western |iite men, of voy- is made But of [ably one ins. Rep. No. 101. 61 In 1804, within 100 miles upward from the mouth of the Columbia^ there were no less than eight Indian tribes, with an average population of nearly a thousand persons to each tribe. In 1834, nothing remained but t!ie remnants of these tribes, including less than four hundred Indians. Two thirds of all the tribes ever known in Oregon are utterly extinct, ani]*t!ie names of many are scarcely remembered. The Multon©n»ahs, who formerly occupied the VVappatoo islands, and the country around the mouth of the VVallam^ette, and who numbered 3,000 souls, are all dead, and their villages reduced to de'olation. The once numerous Clatsops have lost their national existence, the few who sur- vive seeking a shelter amongst the Chenooks, who are also reduced to less than one fourth of their former numbers. All the remaining Indians below Vancouver, live in the most brutal, sottish, and degraded manner ; addicted to the grossest intemperance, and as>;ociating with the whites in such manner that there can scarcely be found among then a Full-blooded Indian child. Rum and other intoxi- cating liquors are used as the besom of destruction among the miserable victims of the white man's cruelty. While I was on board one of the company's vessels, at the mouth cf the Colural)ia, I saw the captain dealing out rum by the bucket to the chief of the Chenooks, in return for wild game. I saw the chief, with his fainily of eight persons, intoxi- cated on the shore. Such has been the result of the intercourse between the untutored J children of the wild and the inhabitants of civilized and Christian com- munities. In concluding this imperfect letter, I ought, in justice to myself, to state that it was not disappointment in legard to the natural advantages of Oiegon which prevented my forming a permanent connexion with that region ; but I was impelled by a determination to do all in my power, by constant etlbrt in the United States, to lead our Government to extend over Oregon that paternal care which alone is needed to render it the very nucleus of emigration, and the most attractive- portion of our na- tional domain. Having, by the hardshii)S and exposures of a lonely and longcontinu- ied adventure of life, been deprived in a great degree of the use of my ■eje?, my health broken down, and my constitution shattered, 1 have, of couise, since my return, found my exertions restricted and impaired, but ^hy no means terminatetl. It is consoling to me, in the midst of poverty I and suft'cring, to Ijolievo that my fellow-citizens and my country are at ■ last beginning to appreciate the value of the objects and measures for I which 1 have sacrificed my possessions, my health, and the liest portion I of my life. It is also a matter of congratulation to me that soniQ of those whom my persuasion induced to emigrate to Oregon have there found ■ prosperous settlements, and are now asking Congress to accept them and ■ protect them as citizens ; and that I have, therefore, been instrumental in planting the seed of American empire in a soil where it shall take root, and spring up and flourish like the luxuriant productions there scattered by the bounty of nature. , I have the honor to be, dear sir, youis, with the highest consideration and respect, HALL J. KELLEY. Hon. Caleb Cushing. !••■! li