Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 3/Documents (Number 4)
DOCUMENTS.
An account of "Oregon meetings" held at Bloomington, Iowa, in March and April, 1843, copied from a file of the Ohio Statesman by Professor Joseph Schafer. This document was taken from the issue of April 26, 1843:
OREGON MEETING.
From the Bloomington (Iowa) Herald.
At a public meeting held at the schoolhouse in Bloomington on Saturday, 19th inst., for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of organizing a company to emigrate to Oregon Territory, the Rev. Geo. M. Hinkle, of Louisa County, was called to the chair, and Win. P. Smith elected secretary. The chairman having explained the object of the meeting, Mr. John C. Irwin, chairman of the committee appointed for that purpose at a previous meeting, made the following report:
Your committee, who were appointed to draft a report to be made to this meeting, beg leave to submit the following, to wit:
That from the information they have obtained from various sources, they believe the Oregon Territory to be far superior in many respects to any other portion of the United States; they believe it to be superior in climate, in health, in water privileges, in timber, in convenience to market, and in many other respects; they believe it to be well adapted to agriculture and stock raising; also holding out great inducements to mechanics of the various branches; they would, therefore, recommend to every person possessing the enterprise and patriotic spirit of the true American citizen, to emigrate to the Oregon Territory at as early a date as possible, and thereby secure to themselves a permanent and happy home, and to their country one of the fairest portions of her domain. In order to bring this subject more fairly before this meeting, your committee beg leave to submit the following resolutions for consideration and adoption:
Resolved, That the company here formed start from this place (Bloomington) on the tenth day of May next, on their journey to Oregon.
Resolved, That the route taken by the company shall be from here to Iowa City; from thence to Council Bluffs; and from thence to the most suitable point on the road from Independence to Oregon; from thence by way of the Independence road to Oregon.
Resolved, That the company leave or pass through Iowa City on the twelfth day of May next, and invite other companies to join.
Resolved, That each and every individual, as an outfit, provide himself with 100 pounds flour, 30 pounds bacon, 1 peck salt, 3 pounds powder, in horns or canteens, 15 pounds lead or shot, and one good tent cloth to every six persons: every man well armed and equipped with gun, tomahawk, knife, etc.
Resolved, That all persons taking teams be advised to take oxen or mules; also that each single man provide himself with a mule or pony.
Resolved, That we now appoint a corresponding secretary, whose name shall be made public; whose duty it shall be to correspond with individuals in this country, and with companies at a distance; receive and communicate all the information that he may deem expedient.
Resolved, That the members of the association meet on the last Saturday in April next for the purpose of a more complete organization.
On motion of Mr. Purcell,—
Resolved, That the resolutions just offered be taken up and read separately, which was agreed.
From the first to the seventh article of the resolutions were voted for unanimously, with the request that those who wished to join the company would particularly look to the fourth and fifth resolutions.
On motion of Mr. Irwin adjourned till 2 o'clock.
2 o'clock P. M.
Pursuant to adjournment, the meeting met, and being called to order, proceeded to the regular business of the day. Rev. M. Fisher, General Clark, Rev. G. M. Hinkle, Judge Williams, Stephen Witcher, Esq., and J. B. Barker, Esq., addressed the meeting with very eloquent and appropriate addresses in behalf of those persons who wish to emigrate to Oregon.
On motion of Mr. Irwin, General Clark was requested to act as corresponding secretary for the company until its final organization and departure for Oregon. Also, that a committee of three be appointed to act in conjunction with the corresponding secretary, in the transaction of any business for the advancement of the interests of the company. John W. Humphreys, Barton Lee, and Thos. Gartland were appointed said committe.
On motion—
Resolved, That the ladies, and all others friendly to the settlement of Oregon, be respectfully invited to attend, and that the Rev. Mr. Hinkle and others be invited to address the assembly.
On motion—
Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the chairman and secretary, and be published in the Bloomington Herald.
On motion of Rev. Mr. Fisher, the meeting adjourned till Friday, 31st inst.
W. F. Smith, Secretary.G. M. HINKLE, President Saturday, April 1, 1843.
The meeting was organized by calling David Hendershott to the chair, and Silas A. Hudson as secretary; when, on motion of James G. Edwards, the report of the committee read in part on Saturday last, was ordered to be read in full.
Mr. Hight, from the committee of correspondence, made the following report:
Your committee of correspondence beg leave to report that they have written to Independence, Missouri, and to Columbus, Ohio, and have requested information, and also have proposed to join at some point this side of the mountains. Your committee have also thought it proper to submit a set of resolutions for your consideration, which ought to govern the company. It is expressly understood that we emigrate to Oregon for the purpose of settlement; men of families are requested to join; we have already engaged a physician, and expect a chaplain to accompany the enterprise.
Organization of the Oregon Emigration Society.—There shall be elected one captain, four sergeants, and as soon as the company shall arrive at the gap of the Rocky Mountains, and consists of not less than one hundred men, they may choose one first and one second lieutenant. The captain and the four officers next in rank shall direct all the movements, and make all arrangements of the society for their march; and they shall act as directors, and shall qualify candidates and receive them as such at their discretion. They shall have charge of the funds of the company; shall choose their own clerk, who shall keep a regular account of all moneys expended and the amount on hand; and the directors shall report to the company monthly. The clerk shall keep a regular journal of the march. No negroes or mulattoes shall be allowed to accompany the expedition under any pretenses whatever.
Equipment.—Rifle gun, to carry from thirty-two to sixty bullets to the pound, and a tomahawk and knife, $16; one chopping axe, spade, etc., $2; 100 pounds side bacon, $3; 1 barrel flour and one peck salt, $2.25; | pound cayenne pepper, 1 barrel beans, $1; 1 canteen, and 1 blanket, $5; 1 tent to every six men, $6; 1 wagon and 2 yoke of oxen to six men, $150; 1 pony or mule, $60; teams and horses to be shod, and spare shoes; i barrel, iron hooped, to each wagon, for carrying water, $1.50. To each wagon 3 sets plow irons; 1 cradling scythe to each wagon, all mechanical tools to be taken; $20 cash to be deposited with the directors for company use.
Every man ought to carry with him a Bible and other religious books, as we hope not to degenerate into a state of barbarism.
The whole amount necessary for each man, without a horse, will be about $65.
As soon as fifty men shall have joined and been inspected, and found competent, they shall choose their officers, and then agree as to the time to take up the line of march. We shall pass through Mt. Pleasant, and to the agency, and thence the best route to Council Bluff.
Mr. Edwards moved that the report be adopted and printed, which was agreed to, when, on motion of General Hight, the meeting adjourned to meet on Saturday, April 8th, at 2 o'clock p. m.
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS.
BY CITIZENS OF KENTUCKY, JANUARY 13, 1840.
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:
Your petitioners respectfully suggest: That the Government of the United States ought to plant a colony in the Oregon Territory, and give it such nurture in its infancy as to enable it to get a hold sufficiently permanent for it, by industry, to make the many natural advantages of that vast region contribute to the wealth and prosperity of our nation. To crown this enterprise with success, they believe it to be expedient to have a road cut from some of the towns on the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains to Astoria, at the mouth of the Oregon River. As soon as this passage can be opened, a colony of farmers and mechanics should be conducted across the mountains and settled, with a military power, stationed strong enough to protect the colony. Donations of land should be made to those who would become actual settlers, sufficiently large to induce emigration. At a convenient distance across the mountains small garrisons should be placed, to protect travelers from the hostilities of the Indians. Under these arrangements, with such additions as you in your wisdom may make, a settlement in that territory can be made, which will doubtless redound to the advantage of this country. Your petitioners believe there are but few sections of country in North America embracing more advantages than that region. Its climate is said to be more temperate than the climate of any other country situated in a similar latitude. Its soil is fertile and well adapted to the growth of all kinds of agricultural products. Its valuable fisheries would be a splendid accession of wealth to the United States; its peltries, for a time, would be immensely profitable. A settlement in that country would afford more extended range to the pursuit of agriculture, into which it is our nation's interest to induce as many as possible; when markets shall be opened for the products of this country, its rivers will afford advantageous facilities of navigation. The commercial position of this country must not be overlooked. The East India trade, which enriched the Phoenicians, the Jews, and all succeeding nations, which have been so fortunate as to enjoy its trade, is more convenient to this quarter of the country than any commercial point in the United States or Europe. The estuary of the Oregon River is said to afford a safe, easy, and commodious harbor. Were a trade carried on between this point and the East Indies, the perilous navigation of dangerous seas, to which our commerce with that quarter is unavoidably exposed, would be obviated. With a little energy and an inconsiderable expense, compared with the magnitude of the design, we can have the luxuries and richest products of the Oriental climes brought up the Oregon River, over the snowy heights of the Rocky Mountains, and poured out into the lap of the prosperous West.
Your petitioners feeling a lively interest in speedily securing so many important advantages for their country, therefore pray, that your honorable body will, by law, afford the necessary facilities as soon as practicable, to settle the Oregon Territory in the manner suggested in this petition.
H. Hough, Fielding Friend, Samuel Haycraft, J. R. Boyce, C. S. Craig, James W. Hays, F. W. Foreman, S. D. Winterbower, R. G. Hays, John H. Thomas, J. W. Miller, E. S. Brown, Nathaniel McLane, James W. Smith, E. H. Haycraft, P. S. Wood, Samuel J. Stuart, Wm. D. Vertrus, P. W. D. Stone, W. S. Morris, Thomas Morris, John Arnold, W. S. English, W. E. English, Stephen Eliot, Arthur Park, Wm. C. Van Mater.
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, January 13, 1840.
TALLMADGE B. WOOD LETTER.
The following letter, written by Tallmadge B. Wood, was secured through Miss Florence E. Baker, of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. Tallmadge B. Wood was without doubt the Benjamin Wood of whose murder by Indians in the California mines in 1848 Mrs. Fannie Clayton gives a circumstantial account in the June Quarterly, 1901, pages 180-181. As the letter and other evidence indicate, he was prominent in the direction of the emigration of 1843.
Miss Baker supplies the note below, descriptive of the letter; also the following facts: "Mr. Wood was born July 5, 1817, and was the son of Jesse and Rebecca (Bryan) Wood, and grandson of Benjamin Wood. They lived in the township of Milton, and their post office was Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, New York. His sister was Mrs. (Wood) Stinner, [?] who founded a seminary for young ladies at Mount Carroll, Illinois. He came from a fine family of educated Christian people.
Copy of a letter written by Tallmadge B. Wood, about April, 1844, from Willamette Falls, Oregon, to his friends at Milton, Saratoga County, New York. The letter is written on large foolscap paper, tinted blue, and the lines on which the writing is placed are a shade of darker blue. This letter was nicely written; the letters were at a slant of about forty-five degrees.—Florence E. Baker.
One year has elapsed since I had an opportunity of communicating with you; at which time you doubtless recollect receiving- a letter from me, which was mailed at Missouri; & in which I informed you of my intention to take a trip to Oregon, which I accordingly did, & after seven months tedious traveling, arrived at Willamet Fall, on a branch of the Columbia River. My road lay through a Savage country, a distance of Twenty-three hundred miles, which you are aware makes it necessary to travel in caravans. As I presume you have a curiosity to know how we journeyed, & the country &c, I will attempt to give you as much of a description as the limited space of a letter will allow; I set out (from Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, which is the general place of rendezvous for emigrants to this country;) April 25th, 1843; in a company of One thousand: three hundred of which were able men; the remainder were women & children.
There was three [one] hundred & twenty wagons, drawn by oxen or mules (chiefly oxen) of about three yoke to each wagon;[1] they performed the journey admirably, I was myself equipped with two yoke of cattle, to haul my provisions; two Horses & one Mule, to ride by turn, & though my horses & mule were of the best quality, they were not sufficient to carry me the whole distance. We also had about two thousand head of cows, young cattle, & horses. We traveled in some confusion, 'till we arrived at Con [Kaw or Kansas] River, a distance of about ninety miles from Missouri line; We there found it necessary to have some order in traveling, for which purpose we elected Officers, & came under a sort of military discipline, & thus marched very pleasantly through a fertile country, until we arrived at Blue River, a branch of the Con. [ * * ] Here we found our stock was too large to get sufficient sustenance from one campground, therefore we concluded to sepperate & form two divisions, & march a few miles apart. I had the honor of being second in command, of the division in which I traveled. We struck Big Platte River about 300 miles from the Missouri line. We traveled up the river a few days & crossed South Platte, passed through Black hills, crossed the North Platte & steered our course towards Sweet Water which we struck at the entrance of the pass through the Rocky Mountains which place is called Independence-Rock, So named from the circumstance of the Mountaineers meeting here to celebrate the Fourth. The pass through the Mountains is about Ninety miles but so gradual, that the traveler would scarcely perceive he was ascending, were it not for the -great change in the atmosphere. We were on the Divide in July, & saw ice every morning, At no great distance on the right & left, are very high, snow peaks, We found great abundance of game from South Platte, until we left Sweet Water. I amused myself very well in killing Buffaloes though it was old sport to me. After crossing the Mountains, we passed Green River (or Colrado of the west;) Struck Bear River & followed it up to the Soda Springs. These Springs (which are numerous at this place) are among the great curiosities of the west; The waters of these springs are similar in flavour to those of Ballston & Saratoga, though some of them are very cold and much stronger, while there are others very hot. We arrived at Port Hall the last of September. Here, (though two thirds the distance was passed);[2] the difficulties of the journey just commenced, though not so difficult as had been represented, yet the roads from this place were very rough & grass in many places very scarce. We followed down Snake River, passed the Blue Mountains & arrived at the very foot of the Cascades; Here many left their wagons & descended the Columbia River in boats, while others crossed the Cascades (a distance of Ninety miles). But the emigrants all arrived in the Valley between the Cascades & Pacific Ocean, about the last of November. The whole distance, from the Platte River, to the east base of the Blue Mountains, is entirely unfit for the residence of civilized man, and is inhabited only by wandering tribes of hostile Indians. They however did not trouble the Emigration, as the Sight of so large a body of whites, was sufficient to quell all hostility. The country from the eastern base of the Blue Mountains, to the Cascades, is peculiarly adapted to grazing purposes. The Indians in this vicinity, are not hostile, & are quite enterprising. They are anxious to own cattle & some are getting considerable herds they are also very fond of horses & some individual Indians own several thousand head of the handsomest I ever saw. The country between the Cascades & the Sea coast is some parts very heavy timbered lands, with a deep, rich soil though rather broken to please a western man. The size of the timber is enormous, there being abundance of trees measuring three hundred feet in height, & some as large as twenty feet in diameter. Big trees! but it is a fact. The timber of this country is of a different kind from that of the states though generally of the Pine & Ceder species, with the exception of Oak & Soft Maple. The Prairies of this country are beautiful, full equal to any in Missouri or Illanois. They are generally found on the head of water courses. The land produces most all the productions of the States, in great perfection, except corn. Wheat is raised here in large quantities which is exported (by the Hudspn Bay Co. ) to the Islands & northern Russia. Wheat is worth one Dollar per bushel, Beef $6 per hundred. Pork $10 per hundred. These prices will probably hold good, & may increase as soon as we can produce a surplus sufficient to supply the Whaling Vessels, which will induce them to make more frequent calls on us. The first settlers here, were men who were discharged from the service of the Hudson Bay Co. & as they draw all their wages in Supplies; & all the cash brought here by emigrants goes immediately into the hands of merchants and is taken out of the country; hence we are left entirely destitute of a cash currency. Yet we have a currency which is not liable to fluctuations; any responsible man's order is good with the merchants for their amount in goods; & these orders are finally redeemed in Wheat, Pork or Beef. The Indians on the Columbia are a cowardly, thievish, indolent race of beings, subsisting almost entirely on Fish. The Indians on the coast are in small bands & disunited, on which circumstance the safety of the settlers of Oregon much depends; We however, had a small affray with them a few days ago, in which one white man was killed & one Indian. The Territory is well supplied with navigable streams & mill privileges. As to the climate I can speak only of the past winter, during which we have had no snow, & the grass has been in growing condition the whole winter, in short it has been the most pleasant (so far) I ever experienced in any country. It is exceedingly healthy, there is no sickness in the country at present, & although the emigrants were so much exposed during the journey, there has been but two deaths since our arrival.—The whole white population is probably about Fifteen Hundred. We, the citizens of Oregon, are very anxious that the United States should extend her jurisdiction over this territory & render us some means of protection, as we should be incapable of protecting ourselves in case of general hostilities with the Indians.
For my part, I am much pleased with the prospects of the country. I have a location immediately on the Columbia River, in sight of the great Pacific, I can go to & return from the coast, in a small boat with one tide, which ebbs & flows 8 & ten feet. I am engaged in partnership with two other persons, in having erected two saw mills & a grist Mill, we are making good progress, & will soon have one in opperation. I believe we have an as advantageous a mill sight as any in America. We intend exporting our lumber to the Islands, as there is a very great demand for it, & as one of the gentlemen with whom I am engaged, has two Brigs in the Island trade, our expenses for exportation will be trifling:—
Just say (for me) to the young men of old Milton, Don't live & die in sight of your Father's house, but take a trip to Oregon! you can perform the journey in two years & I am sure you will never regret spending the time. But, if they should come to settle here, I would advise them, to bring a wife along, as ladies are (like the specie) very scarce. And if you have any maiden ladies about dying in despair, just fit up their teeth well, & send them to Oregon.
I shall have an opportunity to write to you again when our ships leave, which will be in July or August.T. B. Wood."
[Printed in the New York Herald in 1844-45.]
LETTERS OF PETER H. BURNETT.
Burnett in his "Recollections of an Old Pioneer," page 177, says: "During the winter of 1843–44 I had, while at Linnton, written some hundred and twenty-five foolscap pages of manuscript giving a description of the journey and of the country along the route, as well as of Oregon. I had stated the exact truth to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief; and my communications were published in the New York Herald, and were extensively read, especially in the western states."
The Herald (daily) of Saturday morning, December 28, 1844, says editorially: "We received yesterday, and publish in our columns this morning, some very interesting intelligence from the Oregon Territory, which is now a subject of very important negotiation between our government and that of England, and will probably be a matter of great debate in Congress."
The Herald published five different sections of the Burnett material in the form of five letters, four in the daily and one in the weekly. In addition to this, the weekly of December 28, 1844, published the same matter found in the daily of the same date. The daily of January 6, 1845, published the second and fourth sections—two letters in the same issue. It is evident that the Herald rearranged the order of the sections in printing. It printed first—the installment of December 28, 1844—what was probably the closing portion of the manuscript. The sections are given below in what appears to be their natural order—the order in which they were composed. This Burnett material was sent to New York naturally under one enclosure.
If Burnett wrote at this time "some hundred and twentyfive pages of foolscap," as he says he did, not more than half of his manuscript was printed by the Herald. For that number of pages of foolscap published would have filled at least fifteen columns of the Herald, whereas the matter printed constituted hardly seven and one fourth columns; and I shall point out later that it is almost certain that this Burnett manuscript, as a whole, was used for the Wilkes' account of the migration of 1843, and Wilkes covers the whole trip, and not merely a portion of it, as do the Herald letters.
In his "Recollections," page 101, Burnett says: "I kept a concise journal of the trip as far as Walla Walla, and have it now before me." This journal no doubt furnished the basis of his narrative in the first four letters and of the twenty-seven pages in his "Recollections" in which he describes the trip. In fact, the resemblance between this part of the "Recollections" and these letters is so striking and of such a character as to suggest that this part of the "Recollections" was written up from a first draft of the letters, which he would naturally have retained and preserved when sending the letters to the Herald. The historical significance of this probability is that it intakes this portion of the "Recollections" virtually a contemporary source for the whole of the migration of 1843.
The last date on the journey given by the letters is June 27th. Yet it seems almost certain that the copy sent by Burnett to the Herald covered the whole trip. One reason for this inference is found in Burnett's statement of the amount of copy that he sent—"some hundred and twentyfive pages of foolscap;" a second distinct basis for this conclusion is found in connection with George Wilkes' "History of Oregon," published in New York in 1845. The title page of that book reads as follows: "The History of Oregon, Geographical and Political, by George Wilkes. Embracing an analysis of the old Spanish claims, the British pretensions, the United States title; an account of the present condition and character of the country, and a thorough examination of the project of a national railroad, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. To which is added a journal of the events of the celebrated emigrating expedition a? 1843; containing an account of the route from Missouri to Astoria, a table of distances, and the physical and political description of the territory, and its settlements, by a member of the recently organized Oregon legislature." In the preface the reference to the journal mentioned in the title is as follows: "The second part of the work consists of a journal, prepared from a series of letters written by a gentleman now in Oregon, who himself accompanied the celebrated emigrating expedition of 1843." After a sentence about the style of the letters he goes on to say: "The author (Wilkes) has done scarcely more to this portion than to throw it into chapters, and to strike from it such historical and geographical statistics as had been drawn from other sources and arranged in the preceding portions of the work. These letters fell into his hands after the adoption and commencement of his original Design; and adapting them to his purposes by linking them with his own manuscripts, a deal of research was saved him by the valuable and peculiar information they contributed." These statements by Wilkes concerning the author and the character of the material used by him in Part II of his book, along with indubitable internal evidence, prove conclusively that the whole Burnett manuscript sent to the New York Herald, part of which was printed in the Herald and is now reprinted below, was the basis of Wilkes' book. Wilkes, however, asserts that he "has done scarcely more to this portion (Part II) than to throw it into chapters and to strike from it such historical and geographical statistics," etc. The following excerpts from his version, when compared to the corresponding portions of the Burnett narrative in the letters, prove that Wilkes took such liberties with the original as in his judgment were necessary to make an interesting story, and to support the contention of his book, namely, that the route was a practicable one for a national railroad. To realize how freely Wilkes used his imagination, along with the Burnett text, it is only necessary to compare the following transcript from the opening, paragraphs of Part II of Wilkes' book with the first page or two of the letters:
It is not necessary, to the object in view, that the writer of this journal should furnish the reason which induced him to turn his face toward the wilderness. Let it suffice that on the morning of the seventeenth of May, 1843, I (to drop the third person) mounted my horse in Independence, Missouri, and set out for the general rendezvous. This was situated in a little spot about twenty miles distant, in a southeast direction. I did not start alone. A family of the name of Robbins, from the northern part of Pennsylvania, were my companions. The party consisted of a husband and wife, two chubby boys, one six and the other eight years of age, and a bouncing baby of eighteen months, or thereabouts.After having examined for the twentieth time if all the necessaries required for the journey were properly stowed away in the wagon, and after having for the last time jerked at the trace, settled this and that portion of the harness, looked under the horses, passed his hand over the near one's flank, and walked completely around the concern, John Robbins mounted his seat, gave a sonorous ahem! in evidence of his complete satisfaction, and describing a preparatory circle with his lash, was about bringing it down on the backs of his team, when a little circumstance in the body of his wagon interrupted his purpose and softened the threatened sweep of the gad into an oblique flourish that spent its elegance in a faint snap near the ground.
He had turned his head for the twenty-first time to see that all was right in the canvass domicile behind, when he discerned that Mrs. Robbins was yielding to the weakness of her bosom at the separation of the last link that bound her to the associations of early youth, and to the ties of friends and home. The husband kissed away the tears that were tumbling over her full and rosy cheek, spoke a word of encouragement in her ear, and then with a moistened eye himself, turned hastily to his place, brought the whip sharply down, set his features as rigid as a decemvir's, and rattled off at a pace that soon jolted off every vestige of sadness or depression, amid the cheers of a large circle of friends and well-wishers, who had gathered to see us off, and whose benisons floated after us upon the air as if they were unwilling to resign this living evidence of their continual guardianship.
Wilkes continues in this strain through some seven closely printed pages, when he brings in the following incident (it occurred in connection with the meeting for organization held at Big Spring, May 20th):
Wilkes requires over five thousand words to reach the account of the above incident. Burnett's narrative uses less than four hundred. The above excerpts might raise the suspicion that the letters that Wilkes represents he is using are not the Burnett letters. The transcript given below will, I think, dispel all doubts:The strange assemblage was gathered from various sections of the country; they were agitated with various views, and naturally separated into various cliques. Most of them had their favorite plans already cut and dried, and their nominees were all ready to wear the chieftain's mantle. A stormy session was the consequence, and it was evident that the question of commandership would not be decided this day. In the middle of the uproar of the first hour Dumberton, who had given his hair an extra intellectual rush from the front, and arranged the snuff-colored garments in style of superlative finish, managed to obtain the ear of the assemblage. After having waved the crowd into profound silence, he commenced an eulogium on the character of Washington; made patriotic allusions to the Revolution, and the late war; touched on the battle of New Orleans; apostrophised the American eagle, and then wound up his introduction with a very meaning sentiment leveled with great force and earnestness at the "iron arm of despotism." Imagining that he had fairly taken captive the admiration of his audience, Mr. Dumberton, of Big Pigeon, came to the point of his address, and gravely proposed that the emigration should adopt the criminal laws of Missouri and Tennessee for its future government.
No sooner had the speaker delivered himself of his proposition than McFarley, who had been chafing like a stung bull for the last half hour, sprang up, and remarked that since the gentleman from Big Pigeon had found out that we had robbers and thieves among us, he (McFarley) would move that a penitentiary be engaged to travel in company if his proposal should pass.
There is perhaps no flesh more delicious to the traveler's appetite than buffalo meat, particularly that cut from a fat young buffalo cow; and it has the peculiar advantage of allowing you to eat as much as you please without either surfeit or oppression. I shall never forget the exquisite meal I made on the evening of the first of June. I had been out hunting all day, was very weary, and as hungry as a whole wilderness of tigers. Out of compassion for my complete fatigue, Mrs. Burnett cooked six large slices from a fat young buffalo for my supper. My extravagant hunger induced me to believe when I first saw the formidable array served up, that I could readily dispose of three of them. I did eat three of them, but I found they were but the prologue for the fourth, the fourth to the fifth, and that to the sixth, and I verily believe that had the line stretched out the crack of doom I should have staked my fate upon another and another collop of the prairie king. This story hardly does me credit, but the worst is to come, for two hours afterward I shared the supper of Dumberton, and on passing Captain Gant's tent on my way home I accepted an invitation from him to a bit of broiled tongue; yet even after this, I went to bed with an unsatisfied appetite. I am no cormorant, though I must admit I acted very much like one on this occasion. My only consolation and excuse, however, is that I was not a single instance of voracity in my attacks upon broiled buffalo meat.
This story should be compared with the latter part of the third letter. Comments are quite unnecessary.
Wilkes' tactics in rendering Burnett's letters are not merely those of one who would conceal authorship but those of one who deliberately perverts history. He not only changes the names of emigrants, but is careful to represent that Burnett is not the author of his text. On page 65, he says: "I should not omit to mention here, that I was also introduced this afternoon to Mr. Peter H. Burnett, who was subsequently made captain of the expedition." He not only garbles, but deliberately falsifies. On page 82, he says: "The region we passed through from the thirtieth of July up to the twenty-ninth of August, comprised all the passes through to Rocky Mountains, and was by far the most arduous and difficult portion of the whole journey." Between these dates the emigration proceeded from the headwaters of the Sweetwater to Fort Hall; but Burnett, in his "Recollections," as explicitly affirms that the most difficult and arduous portion of the journey was not encountered until the emigration had passed Fort Hall. The editor thought it worth while to go into the question of the relation of these important sources, that are now being made generally accessible, to one that should be condemned. His conclusions have important applications to the Whitman controversy.
The conclusions are (A) that the more important contemporary sources, so far as known, of data on the migration of 1843 and of Doctor Whitman's services to it are (a) Burnett's Journal (unpublished) in the possession of his descendants; (b) the Burnett Herald letters given below; (c) the letter of Tallmadge B. Wood, printed for the first time in this number of the Quarterly; (d) a letter by M. M. McCarver, dated November 6, 1843, to Hon. A. C. Dodge, delegate to Congress from Iowa, printed in the Burlington Gazette and reprinted in the Ohio Statesman. This letter will be reproduced in the next number of the Quarterly. (e) Excerpt from New Orleans Picayune, November 21, 1843, reprinted in Quarterly, vol. I, pages 398–401. (B) The account given in Part II of Wilkes' History of Oregon, purporting to be a faithful rendering of a contemporary journal is a more or less garbled version of the Burnett manuscript sent from Linnton to James G. Bennett which fell into the hands of Wilkes.
[The editor is indebted to Professor Joseph Schafer for the data of this criticism.]
[From New York Herald, January 5, 1845.]
Linnton, Oregon Territory, January 18, 1844.
James G. Bennett, Esq.—
Dear Sir: Having arrived safely in this beautiful country, and having seen, at least, its main features, I propose to give you some concise description of the same, as well as a short history of our trip. I reached the rendezvous, twenty miles from Independence, on the seventeenth of May, and found a large body of emigrants there, waiting for the company to start. On the 18th we held a meeting, and appointed a committee to see Doctor Whitman, for the purpose of obtaining information in regard to the practicability of the trip. Other committees were also appointed, and the meeting adjourned to meet again, at the Big Spring, on the 20th. On the 20th, all the emigrants, with few exceptions, were there, as well as several from the western part of Missouri. The object of the meeting was to organize, by adopting some rules for our government. The emigrants were from various places, unacquainted with each other, and there were among them many persons emulous of distinction, and anxious to wear the honors of the company. A great difference of opinion existed as to the proper mode of organization, and many strange propositions were made. I was much amused at some of them. A fat, robust, old gentleman, who had, as he said, a great deal of "beatherlusian," whose name was McHealy, proposed that the company, by contribution, should purchase two wagons and teams for the purpose of hauling two large boats, to be taken all the way with us, that we might be able to cross the streams. A red-faced old gentleman from east Tennessee state, high up on Big Pidgeon, near Kit Bullard's Mill, whose name was Dulany, generally styled "Captain," most seriously proposed that the meeting should adopt the criminal laws of Missouri or Tennessee, for the government of the company. This proposition he supported by an able speech, and several speeches were made in reply. Some one privately suggested that we should also take along a penitentiary, if Captain Dulany's proposition should pass. These two propositions were voted for by the movers alone. A set of rules were adopted, a copy of which I send you. Capt. John Grant [Gant?] was employed as our pilot, and a general understanding that we should start on the 22d.
On the twenty-second of May, we commenced one of the most arduous and important trips undertaken in modern times. We traveled fifteen miles, to Elm Grove, where we encamped for the night. The road and weather were most delightful, and the place of encampment most beautiful. There are only two trees in this grove—both elms—and I have learned for the first time that two trees could compose a grove. The small elm was most beautiful, in the wild and lonely prairie, and the large one had been so, but its branches had been cut off for fuel. A few small swamp dogwood bushes supplied us with fuel and we found fuel scarcer at no place on the road than at this point. The weather since the thirteenth of May had been fine. I have never witnessed a scene more beautiful than this. Elm Grove stands in a wide, gently undulating- prairie. The moon shed her silvery light upon the white sheets of sixty wagons; a thousand herd of cattle grazed upon the surrounding plain; fifty camp fires sent up their brilliant flames, and the sound of the sweet violin was heard in the tents. All was stir and excitement —
"The scene was more beautiful far to my eye,
Than if day in its pride had arrayed it;
The land breeze blew mild, and the azure arched sky
Looked pure as the Spirit that made it."At the rendezvous, as well as elsewhere, we were greatly amused by the drolleries of many a curious wag. Among the rest was J. M. Ware, a most pleasant fellow, droll, original, like no one else, who had seen some of the world, and whose mimicry, dry wit, graphic descriptions, and comic songs, afforded us infinite amusement. Many of our friends, who came to visit us at the rendezvous, will never forget the pleasant evenings they spent, while witnessing the exhibitions of this comical fellow. Ware was an old bachelor, with all the eccentricity usually belonging to that sweet class of fellows. The whole camp were constantly singing his songs, and telling his tales. Among the rest he sang—
"If I had a donkey that wouldn't go,
Do you think I'd wallup him? no! no! no!"And also—
"A gay young crow was sitting on an oak."
I remember well his description of George Swartz, a Dutchman, in Kentucky, who turned out a preacher. Ware said he knew him well, and was present and heard George preach his first sermon. He said George gravely arose in the pulpit, and after gazing some time around him, in a loud and commanding voice he commenced: "Me tinks I hear my Savior say, 'Shorge, what you doin' up dar in dat bulpit?' Me say neber mind Shorge—he knows what he's 'bout—he's goin' breachin; brethren, let us bray. I tank de, O Lort Got, dat a few names of us have come up to worship in dy house, through the inclemency of de mud." I will just say that Ware is here, safe and sound, and I expect to hear him repeat many of his comicalities. A few such men, on a trip like this, can beguile many a lonesome hour, and soften the asperities of the way.
The following are the rules and regulations for the government of the Oregon Emigrating Company:
Resolved, Whereas we deem it necessary for the government of all societies, either civil or military, to adopt certain rules and regulations for their government, for the purpose of keeping good order and promoting civil and military discipline. In order to insure union and safety, we deem it necessary to adopt the following rules and regulations for the government of the said company:—
Rule 1. Every male person of the age of sixteen, or upward, shall be considered a legal voter in all affairs relating to the company.Rule 2. There shall be nine men elected by a majority of the company, who shall form a council, whose duty it shall be to settle all disputes arising between individuals, and to try and pass sentence on all persons for any act for which they may be guilty, which is subversive of good order and military discipline. They shall take especial cognizance of all sentinels and members of the guard, who may be guilty of neglect of duty, or sleeping on post. Such persons shall be tried, and sentence passed upon them at the discretion of the council. A majority of two thirds of the council shall decide all questions that may come before them, subject to the approval or disapproval of the captain. If the captain disapprove of the decision of the council, he shall state to them his reasons, when they shall again pass upon the question, and if the same decision is again made by the same majority, it shall be final.
Rule 3. There shall be a captain elected who shall have supreme military command of the company. It shall be the duty of the captain to maintain good order and strict discipline, and as far as practicable, to enforce all rules and regulations adopted by the company. Any man who shall be guilty of disobedience of orders shall be tried and sentenced at the discretion of the council, which may extend to expulsion from the company. The captain shall appoint the necessary number of duty sergeants, one of whom shall take charge of every guard, and who shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the captain.
Rule 4. There shall be an orderly sergeant elected by the company, whose duty it shall be to keep a regular roll, arranged in alphabetical order, of every person subject to guard duty in the company; and shall make out his guard details by commencing at the top of the roll and proceeding to the bottom, thus giving every man an equal tour of guard duty. He shall also give the member of every guard notice when he is detailed for duty. He shall also parade every guard, call the roll, and inspect the same at the time of mounting. He shall also visit the guard at least once every night, and see that the guard are doing strict military duty, and may at any time give them the necessary instructions respecting their duty, and shall regularly make report to the captain every morning, and be considered second in command.
Rule 5. The captain, orderly sergeant, and members of the council shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the company, and it shall be the duty of the council, upon the application of one third or more of the company, to order a new election for either captain, orderly sergeant, or new member or members of the council, or for all or any of them, as the case may be.
Rule 6. The election of officers shall not take place until the company meet at Kansas River.
Rule 7. No family shall be allowed to take more than three loose cattle to every male member of the family of the age of sixteen and upward.
I propose to give you a very concise description of the route, some of the most prominent objects we saw upon the way, and a statement of the distances from point to point. I will here remark, once for all, that the distances were estimated by me every evening when we encamped; and that I put them down in my journal fully as great as I think they ought to be. They are not ascertained by admeasurement, but are merely guessed at. I will now give you a table of the distances, etc., at this point, that you may the better understand what I shall afterwards relate:Miles.
20
15
22
31
31
12
20
15
41
66
25
56
117
31
18
18
18
20
38
8
30
84
55
60
40
2
14
14
25
12
22
30
20
37
57
38
25
58
11
87
42
27
19
48
40
41
25
18
15
43
29
25 Making in all about one thousand seven hundred and twenty-six miles from Independence to Port Walla Walla on the Columbia River. From Walla Walla to the Methodist Mission, at The Dalles, is about one hundred and twenty miles, and from The Dalles to Vancouver it is called one hundred miles, making the distance from Independence to Vancouver, by route we traveled, one thousand nine hundred and forty-six miles. I am well satisfied that the distance does not exceed two thousand miles, for the reason that ox teams could not have traveled further than we did, traveling in the manner we did.
Your friend,P. H. B.
[From New York Herald, January 6, 1845.]
Linnton, Oregon Territory, 1844.
James G. Bennett, Esq.—
Dear Sir: In my former communication I gave you some account of our trip as far as Elm Grove, fifteen miles from the rendezvous. On the twenty-fourth of May we crossed the Walkalusia, a tributary of the Kansas, about twenty yards wide, clear running water, over a pebbly bed. We let our wagons down the bank (which was very steep) with ropes. There was, however, a very practicable ford, unknown to us, about one hundred yards above. We here saw three Potawotomie Indians, who rode fine horses, with martingales, bridles, and saddles. We found very few fish in this stream. On the twenty-sixth of May we reached Kanzas River, which was too high to ford; and we prepared a platform, by uniting two large canoes together and commenced crossing on the 29th. On the 27th we held a meeting, and appointed a committee of three to make arrangements for crossing the river. The committee attempted to hire Pappa's platform (a Frenchman who lived at the crossing, ) but no reasonable arrangement could be made with him. Before we had finished our platform, some of the company made a private arrangement with Pappa for themselves, and commenced crossing. This produced great dissatisfaction in camp. On the 28th Pappa's platform sank, and several men, women, and children came near being drowned, but all escaped with the loss of some property. As yet no organization, and no guard out. Wagons still coming in rapidly. On the thirtieth of May two Catholic missionaries to the Flathead Indians arrived and crossed the river. The Kansas is here a wide stream, with sandy banks and bottom. I suppose it to be about a quarter mile wide at this point. The water was muddy, like that of the Missouri River. We finished crossing on the thirtyfirst of May. Our encampment was on Black Warrior Creek; very uncomfortable, as our stock were constantly sticking fast in the mud upon its banks. On the first of June we organized the company, by electing Peter H. Burnett commander in chief and Mr. Nesmith orderly sergeant. On the 4th we crossed Big Sandy, a large creek with high banks. Last night we had a hard rain. Last evening we saw several of the Kanzas chiefs, who visited our encampment. Our usual mode of encampment was to form a hollow square with the wagons. When we organized we had about one hundred and ten wagons and two hundred and sixty- three men, all able to bear arms. On the 5th we crossed the East Fork of Blue, a large creek, and a tributary of the Kanzas, and on the 6th, in the evening, we crossed the West Fork of Blue, a small river, about fifty yards wide. Contrary to our expectations, we found it fordable, by propping up our wagon beds with large blocks of wood. We encamped for the night on a level prairie, dry and beautiful. In the night we had an immense thunderstorm, and torrents of rain. Half the tents blew down, and nearly the whole encampment was flooded with water eight inches deep. We were in a most uncomfortable predicament next morning, and nearly all wet. We this day met a war party of Osages and Kanzas Indians, consisting of about ninety warriors. They all rode ponies, were painted, and their heads shaven, and had one Pawnee scalp, with the ears still to it, and full of wampum. This scalp had tolerably long hair upon it, and they had divided it into some five or six different pieces, some with an ear to them, and some with part of the cheek. The Kanzas and Osages are the most miserable, cowardly, and dirty Indians we saw east of the Rocky Mountains. They annoyed us greatly by their continual begging. We gave this war party bread and meat, and a calf; they said they had eaten nothing for three days. Two of this party were wounded severely, one in the shoulder and the other in another part. They had killed but one Pawnee, who had wounded these two before he fell. The Kanzas Indians, however, did not steal from us, except perhaps a horse or two which were missing, but which might have escaped back to the Kanzas River. On the 7th we removed our encampment one half mile to a place we supposed to be dry; but in the night another severe storm of rain succeeded, and again flooded half the encampment. On the 8th we traveled five miles to a grove of green elm trees, and it again rained in torrents, but our encampment was upon high ground this time. P. H. Burnett this day resigned the command of the company in consequence of ill health. On the 9th the clouds dispersed, and we traveled five miles to find wood, where we dried our clothes. The company now separated into two parties, one under the command of Capt. Jesse Applegate, and the other reorganized by electing William Martin commander. Martin's company had about seventy-two wagons and one hundred and seventy-five men. On the 10th we met a company of four wagons from Fort Larimer [Laramie], with furs and peltries, going to Independence. They had with them several buffalo calves. As yet we saw no game of any kind, except a few straggling deer. This day Mr. Casan and others saw the corpse of an Indian in the prairie: his head had been cut off and was badly scalped, and left to be eaten up by the buzzards. This, no doubt, was the same Indian killed and scalped by the war party of the Osages and Kanzas. On the 11th we had a fall of rain in the evening, before dark, but none in the night. On the 12th the whole company were thrown into a state of great excitement by the news, which reached us, that Captain Gant and some others had killed a large buffalo. He was a venerable old bull, by himself, and was discovered by the hunters at about one mile distant; they run upon him with their horses and shot him with their large horse-pistols; seven balls were fired into him before he fell. The animal was not very fat, and was tough eating. He had, no doubt, been left here in the spring by other buffaloes. These animals frequently come down upon the waters of Blue River to spend the winter among the rushes, which are abundant in the bottoms near the stream; but they return in the spring. On the fourteenth of June we passed over a level plain of rich prairie land, equal to any in the world for farming purposes; but it was wild, solitary prairie.
On the 15th one of the company killed an antelope an animal not very plenty in this region, but seen occasionally for the last three or four days. June 16th, one deer and one antelope were killed, and we had a most beautiful race between an antelope and some fleet dogs. The animal ran down the line of wagons for about two miles, in full view, about two hundred yards from us; and as fast as he would leave one dog behind, another would come in from the wagons. Why the animal did not change his course, I can not tell, unless perhaps he was too much confused. Perhaps no animal in the world is so fleet as this beautiful creature. He will weigh about as much as a deer, has hair of much the same length and color, is formed a little like the goat, but is much more slender and neat in his form. The bucks have horns, with several prongs to them, not so long as the horns of a deer, and of a black color. The bucks have black stripes, about an inch wide, running down from under each ear, and continuing under each eye toward the nose. These stripes, and thin black hairs, give the animal quite a fanciful appearance. Nothing is more beautiful and graceful than the movements of this active animal. He runs very smoothly; not in irregular bounds, like the deer. Mr. Lindsay Applegate, who had two very fleet greyhounds with him, stated to me that he one day witnessed a race between his best greyhound and an antelope. He said the antelope and dog were running at right angles towards each other, and the antelope did not discover the dog until the dog was within twenty feet of him. The struggle then commenced, and they ran about a quarter of a mile, each doing his utmost; but the antelope outran the dog so far, that the dog stopped still, and looked after the antelope in utter astonishment. The dog had often run upon deer and wolves with ease. The antelope is a very wary animal, and difficult of approach. His curiosity is, however, very great; and the hunter, adapting himself to the habits of the animal, conceals himself behind a hillock of sand, or other object, and putting his hat, cap, or handkerchief upon the end of his gunstick, he raises it about two feet, gently waiving it backward and forward. As soon as the antelope sees it, he approaches gradually nearer and nearer, making a sort of snorting noise, and alternately approaching and retreating, until he comes within reach of the hunter's trusty rifle. He is not very tenacious of life, and a small wound will disable him, so that he surrenders. The antelope, though exceedingly fleet, can be run down on horseback, when very fat, by continuing the chase about twenty miles. Mr. Nolan, who had been in the region of the Rocky Mountains several years, so informed me; and he also stated that the wolves very frequently run them down, and that he had often fell in with the wolves and the antelope when the latter was much jaded with the race, and had then caught the antelope himself. June 17th we encamped for the last time on Blue River. Our course since the 13th has been up the Republican Fork of Blue. Here we saw a hunting party of Pawnees, who were returning from a buffalo hunt south. They had not their heads shaved like the Kanzas Indians: but their hair was cut like white men, and they were fine looking fellows. They had many packs of buffalo meat, which they cure by cutting it into very thin, long, and wide slices, with the grain of the meat, and then drying it in the sun. After it is dried they have a mode of pressing it between two pieces of timber, which gives it a very smooth and regular appearance. Of this meat they gave us very liberally. They amused themselves very much, by imitating our driving of cattle and teams. We informed them of the war party of Kanzas and Osages that we had seen, and they were much excited, and vowed to take vengeance upon their enemies. They did not interrupt us, or our stock, but were very kind and friendly. The road from independence to this point is generally through prairie and a most excellent road, except the fords upon the streams, which are miry, and difficult to cross. The Kanzas country as it may be called, is nineteen-twentieths prairie, generally fertile, but destitute of timber, except upon the streams. This timber is elm, low burr oak, and small swamp ash, along the margin of the streams. I saw only a very few places where good farms could be made, for want of timber. This whole country has very little game of any kind, except a very few wild deer and antelope. We saw no squirrels on Blue, and very few birds, except a small species of snipe. I remember a wild-cat, killed by some of the company, that was a mere skeleton, from starvation, no doubt; but few fish were found in the stream.
Your friend,
P. H. B.
[From New York Weekly Herald, January 18, 1845.]
LINNTON, Oregon Territory, 1844.
James G. Bennett, Esq. DEAR SIR: In my letter of the 26th instant, I continued my account of our trip to our last encampment on the waters of the Blue. On the eighteenth day of June we crossed the main dividing ridge between the waters of Kanzas and the Great Platte. We traveled twenty-five miles over the finest road imaginable, and our eyes first beheld the wide and beautiful valley of the Great Platte just as the sun was going down behind the bleak sand hills. We encamped in the bottom, about two miles from the river, without fuel. Next morning we started, without any breakfast, and traveled a few miles, where we found willows for fuel, and where we took a hearty meal. We struck the river near the head of Grand Island, which is seventy-five miles long, covered with timber, and several miles wide, varying greatly, in places, as to width; but what was strange, there was not a solitary tree on the south side of the river where we were. The river above the island, as far as the Forks, is generally about two miles wide. Perhaps this is one of the most remarkable rivers in the world. Like the Nile, it runs hundreds of miles through a sandy desert. The valley of this stream is from fifteen to twenty miles wide, a smooth level plain, and the river generally runs in the middle of it, from west to east. The course of this stream is more uniform than any I have ever seen. It scarcely ever makes a bend. The Platte River was very high until after we had passed Fort Larimer [Laramie?]. This river has low, sandy banks, with sandy bottom, and the water muddy, like that of the Missouri. The current is rapid, and the river being very wide, is very shallow, and easily forded, except in high water. It is full of most beautiful islands of all sizes, covered with beautiful trees, contrasting finely with the wild prairie plains and bold sand hills on each side of the river. The plain on each side of the river extends out to the sand hills, which are about three miles through them, when you ascend up to a wide prairie plain of almost interminable extent. Upon this plain, and sometimes in the sand hills, we found the buffalo, and numbers of white wolves. In the plains, near the river, we generally found the antelope. When the season is wet, as was the case this season, the buffalo resort to the plain beyond the sand hills, where they find water in the ponds, As the summer advances, and the ponds dry up, they approach the river, and are found in the plain near it. You have, perhaps, often heard of buffalo paths. As you go from the river out to the wide plain, beyond the sand hills, through which you must pass, you will find valleys among those hills leading out toward this plain. These valleys are covered with grass, and the buffalo have made numerous paths, not only in these valleys, but over all the hills, where they could pass at all (and they can pass almost any where), leading from this wide plain to the river, where they resort for water, in the dry season. These paths are very narrow, and are sunk in the ground six or eight inches deep. In traveling up the Platte, almost every thirty yards we had to cross a path, which was about all the obstruction we met while traveling up this gently inclined plain. While hunting, there is no danger of being lost, for you can find a buffalo path anywhere, and they always lead the nearest route to the river. All the plains are covered with grass; but the plain upon the river has not only the greatest variety, but the most rich and luxuriant grass. The greatest general scarcity of wood we found upon the Platte, before we reached Fort Larimer [Laramie?]. We sometimes found bunches of dry willows, often Indian wigwams made of willows, but the way in which we generally procured our fuel, was to pick up the pieces of driftwood during- the day, and at night we would have plenty. It requires very little fuel. It is necessary to dig a narrow ditch, about eight inches wide, one foot deep, and two or three feet long. This confines the heat, and prevents the wind from scattering the fire.
On the twenty-second day of June, we saw the first band of buffaloes, which contained about fifty, of all ages and sizes. Out of this band two were killed. They were found in the plain close to the river, and were pursued on horseback. Perhaps no sport in the world is so exciting as a buffalo hunt. The fox chase sinks into insignificance when compared to it. The mode of hunting this noble animal is very simple. They are generally found upon the wide plain beyond the sand hills, as I before stated, and you will almost always find them grazing near the head of some hollow leading up near them. When you approach him you must get the wind to blow from him to you; because if you scent him, you will hardly run off, but if he scents you, he is certain, to scamper. The sight of the buffalo is very dull, but their sense of smell is very acute. I one day saw a band of about one hundred buffaloes on the opposite side of the river from us, and about two miles off, running parallel with the line of wagons, up the river. When they came directly opposite us, so as to strike the stream of wind, which blew from us directly across the river, they turned suddenly off at right angles, and increased their speed greatly. They had evidently scented us. If you have the wind of them you can approach within a very short distance, near enough to kill them readily with the rifle. When you fire, if you remain still, and do not show yourself, the buffalo will perhaps bring a bound, and then stop, and remain until you have fired several times. If he is wounded he will lie down. If several guns are fired in quick succession it alarms the band, and they all move off in a brisk trot; but if you load and fire slowly you may often kill several before the balance leave. I have seen three or four lying within ten yards of each other. When you have fired as often as you can, and the buffalo have retired beyond the reach of the balls, you return down the hollow to your horses, and having mounted, you approach as near as possible before you show yourself to the animal; and when he sees you, your horse ought to be at the very top of his speed, so as to get near him before he gets under full speed. You may dash at a band of buffaloes not more than one hundred yards off, and they will stand and gaze at you before they start; but when one puts himself in motion, all the rest move instantly, and those lying down will not be far very behind the others, as they rise running. Although they seem to run awkwardly, yet they step away rapidly, and if you lose much time you will have a hard run to overtake them. The better plan is to put your horse at the top of his speed at once. This enables you to press upon the buffalo at the first of the race, and when you approach within fifty or sixty yards of them, you will find that they can let out a few more links; but if a bull is wounded, even very slightly, the moment you press hard upon him he will turn short around, curl his tail over his back, bow his neck, and face you for a fight. At this time you had as well keep at a convenient distance. If you keep off about fifty yards he will stand, and you may load and fire several times; but you had better not fire at his head, for you will not hurt him much if you hit him, for the ball will never penetrate through the skull bone. Whenever you bring one to bay, if the country is not too broken, and your horse is good, there is no danger of his escape, as you may shoot as often as you please; and whenever you give the animal a deadly shot he will kick as if kicking at some object that attacks him. The buffalo, when excited, is very hard to kill, and you may put several balls through his heart, and he will then live, sometimes for hours. The best place to shoot him is behind the shoulder, at the bulge of the ribs, and just below the backbone, so as to pass through the thick part of the lungs. This is the most deadly of all shots; and when you see the animal .cough up blood it is unnecessary to shoot him any more. When you shoot them through the lungs the blood smothers them immediately. The lungs of the buffalo are very large and easily hit by any sort of a marksman. If you pursue a buffalo, not wounded, you may run up by his side, and shoot off your horse. The animal becomes tired after running at the top of his speed for two or three miles, and will then run at a slow gallop. The buffalo is a most noble animal—very formidable in appearance—and in the summer has a very short soft coat of fine wool over his body, from behind his shoulders to his tail. His neck and head a*re covered with a thick mass of long black wool, almost concealing his short thick horns (the points of which just peep out), and his small eye. This animal has a great deal of bold daring, and it is difficult to turn him from his course.
On the twenty-seventh of June we had stopped our wagons, about one half mile from the river, to spend the noon, and rest our teams. While there, we discovered seven large buffalo bulls slowly moving up the river on the opposite side; and when they were about opposite to us, they plunged into the river, and swam toward us, in the face of wagons, teams, cattle, horses, men and all. Every man shouldered his gun, and some went up, and some down the river, so as to form a complete semicircle. We were all certain that the buffalo would turn back, and recross the river; but on they came, merely turning their course a little around the wagons. You never heard such a bombardment in all your life. Not a buffalo escaped unhurt; and three or four were killed within a very short distance. The buffalo, being a very large object, can be seen at a very great distance. Perhaps the flesh of no animal is more delicious than that of a young buffalo cow, in good order. You may eat as much as you please, and it will not oppress you. The flesh of the antelope is fine eating, equal to good venison, but more juicy. I remember while we were on Sweetwater, that we remained at one place a day or two; and that one evening 1 I came in from hunting, very hungry. Captain Gant had killed a very fat buffalo cow, and had made me a present of some choice pieces. It was after dinner, and Mrs. B. had six large slices of this meat cooked for me. I supposed I could eat three of them, as I thought they would be sufficient for any one; but when I had eaten them, I felt a strong inclination to eat the fourth, and so I eat them all. About two hours afterward, supper came on, and we had more of this fine meat. Doctor Long took supper with me, and something was said about Oregon. The Doctor remarked, that he feared Oregon was like the buffalo meat, overrated. Said I, "Doctor, I have always thought as you do in regard to buffalo meat until this day, and now I think it has always been underrated." I continued eating until I was ashamed, and left supper hungry. I then went to Captain Gant's tent; and there he had some buffalo tongue cooked nicely, and insisted I should eat a piece. I sat down and eat of the buffalo tongue until I was ashamed, and then went to bed hungry. Prom this you may infer that I was a gormandizer; but if I can judge impartially, in my own case, I assure you, I was not more so than most persons on the road.
Your friend,
P. H. B.
[January 6, 1845.]
Linnton, 1844.
James G. Bennett, Esq.—
Dear Sir: The proper outfit for emigrants is a matter of very great importance, as upon it depends the ease of the journey. As little as we knew about the matter, we were well enough prepared to get here, all safe, and without much suffering on the road. I would even be most willing to travel the same road twice over again, had I the means to purchase cattle in the States; and Mrs. B. (who performed as much labor on the road as any other woman) would most gladly undertake the trip again. There is a good deal of labor to perform on the road, but the weather is so dry and the air so pure and pleasant, and your appetite so good, that the labor becomes easy. I had more pleasure in eating on this trip than I ever did in the same time before, which would have been greater had it not been for the eternal apprehension of difficulties ahead. Whether we were to leave our wagons, or whether we were to be out of provisions, was all uncertain, and kept us in a state of painful suspense. This state of uncertainty can not exist again, as the way is broken and conclusively shown to be practicable. The sedge, which was a great impediment to us, we broke down completely, and left behind us a good wagon road, smooth and easy. Those who come after us will be better prepared, and they will have no apprehension about a scarcity of provisions. There is not the slightest danger of starvation, and not the least danger of suffering, if even ordinary care is taken. Emigrants may now come, knowing that the property they start with they can bring clear through; and when they reach here it will be worth about twice, and some of it (all their cattle) four times as much as it was when they left the States. There is no danger of suffering for water, as you will find it every evening, and always good, except perhaps at one or two places not more; and by filling a four-gallon keg every morning, you have it convenient all day. Fuel on the way is scarce at some points, but we never suffered for want of fuel. You travel up or down streams nearly all the way, upon which you will find dry willows, which make an, excellent fire, and where you find no willows, the sedge answers all purposes. Nothing burns more brilliantly than the sedge; even the green seems to burn almost as readily as the dry, and it catches as quick as dry shavings, but it does not make as good coals to cook with as the willows. The wagons for this trip should be two-horse wagons, plain yankee beds, the running gear made of good materials, and fine workmanship, with falling tongues; and all in a state of good repair. A few extra iron bolts, linchpins, skeins, paint bands for the axle, one cold chisel, a few pounds of wrought nails, assorted, several papers of cut tacks, and some hoop iron, and a punch for making holes in the hoop iron, a few chisels, handsaw, drawing-knife, axes, and tools generally; it would be well to bring, especially, augers, as they may be needed on the way for repairing. All light tools that a man has, that do not weigh too much, he ought to bring. Palling tongues are greatly superior to others, though both will do. You frequently pass across hollows that have very steep, but short banks, where falling tongues are preferable, and there are no trees on the way to break them. The wagon sheets should be double and not painted, as that makes them break. The wagon bows should be well made and strong, and it is best to have sideboards, and have the upper edge of the wagon body beveled outward, so that the water running down the wagon sheet, when it strikes the body, may run down on the outside; and it is well to have the bottom of the bed beveled in the same way, that the water may not run inside the wagon. Having your wagons well prepared, they are as secure, almost, as a house. Tents and wagon sheets are best made of heavy brown cotton drilling, and will last well all the way. They should be well fastened down. When you reach the mountains, if your wagons are not well made of seasoned timber, the tires become loose. This is very easily repaired by taking the hoop iron, taking the nails out of the tire, and driving the hoop iron under the tire and between it and the felloes; the tire you punch, and make holes through the hoop iron and drive in your nails, and all will be tight. Another mode of tightening the tire, which answers very well, is to drive pine wedges crosswise under it, which holds it tight. If your wagons are even ordinarily good, the tire will never become loose, and you will not perhaps have to repair any on the whole trip. Any wagon that will perform a journey from Kentucky to Missouri, will stand the trip well. There are many wagons in Oregon, brought through last year, that are both old and very ordinary. It is much easier to repair a wagon on the way than you would suppose. Beware of heavy wagons, as they break down your teams for no purpose, and you will not need them. Light wagons will carry all you want, as there is nothing to break them down, no logs, no stumps, no rock, until you get more than half way, when your load is so much reduced, that there is then no danger. You see no stumps on the road until you get to Burnt River, and very few there, and no rock until you get into the Black Hills, and only there for a short distance, and not bad, and then you will see none until you reach the Great Soda Spring, on Bear River—at least none of any consequence. If an individual should have several wagons, some good and some ordinary, he might start with all of them; and his ordinary wagons will go to the mountains, where his load will be so reduced that his other wagons will do. It is not necessary to bring along an extra axletree, as you will rarely break one. A few pieces of well seasoned hickory, for the wedges and the like, you ought to bring.
Teams.—The best teams for this trip are ox teams. Let the oxen be from three to five years old, well set, and compactly built; just such oxen as are best for use at home. They should not be too heavy, as their feet will not bear the trip so well; but oxen six, seven, and eight years old, some of them very large, stood the trip last year very well, but not so well in general as the younger and lighter ones. Young cows make just as good a team as any. It is the travel and not the pulling that tires your team, until after you reach Port Hall. If you have cows for a team it requires more of them in bad roads, but they stand the trip equally well, if not better, than oxen. We fully tested the ox and mule teams, and we found the ox teams greatly superior. One ox will pull as much as two mules, and, in mud, as much as four. They are more easily managed, are not so subject to be lost or broken down on the way, cost less at the start, and are worth about four times as much here. The ox is a most noble animal, patient, thrifty, durable, gentle, and easily driven, and does not run off. Those who come to this country will be in love with their oxen by the time they reach here. The ox will plunge through mud, swim over streams, dive into thickets, and climb mountains to get at the grass, and he will eat almost anything. Willows they eat with great greediness on the way; and it is next to impossible to drown an ox. I would advise all emigrants to bring all the cattle they can procure to this country, and all their horses, as they will, with proper care, stand the trip well. We found a good horse to stand the trip as well as a mule. Horses need shoeing 1, but oxen do not. I had oxshoes made, and so did many others, but it was money thrown away. If a man had $500, and would invest it in young heifers in the States and drive them here, they would here be worth at least $5,000; and by engaging in stock raising, he could make an independent fortune. Milch cows on the road are exceedingly useful, as they give an abundance of milk all the way, though less toward the close of it. By making what is called thickened milk on the way, a great saving of flour is effected, and it is a most rich and delicious food, especially for children. We found that yearling calves, and even sucking calves, stood the trip very well; but the sucking calves had all the milk.
Provisions.—One hundred and fifty pounds of flour and forty pounds of bacon to each person. Besides this, as much dried fruit, rice, corn meal, parched corn meal, and raw corn, pease, sugar, tea, coffee, and such like articles as you can well bring. Flour will keep sweet the whole trip, corn meal to the mountains, and parched corn meal all the way. The flour and meal ought to be put in sacks or light barrels; and what they call shorts are just as good as the finest flour, and will perhaps keep better; but I do not remember of any flour being spoiled on the way. The parched corn meal is most excellent to make soup. Dried fruit is most excellent. A few beef cattle to kill on the way, or fat calves, are very useful, as you need fresh meat. Pease are most excellent.The loading should consist mostly of provisions. Emigrants should not burthen themselves with furniture, or many beds; and a few light trunks, or very light boxes, might be brought to pack clothes in. Trunks are best, but they should be light. All heavy articles should be left, except a few cooking vessels, one shovel, and a pair of pot hooks. Clothes enough to last a year, and several pair of strong, heavy shoes to each person, it will be well to bring. If you are heavily loaded let the quantity of sugar and coffee be small, as milk is preferable and does not have to be hauled. You should have a water keg, and a tin canister made like a powder canister to hold your milk in; a few tin cups, tin plates, tin saucers, and butcher knives; and there should be a small grindstone in company, as the tools become dull on the way. Many other articles may be useful. Rifles and shotguns, pistols, powder, lead, and shot, I need hardly say are useful, and some of them necessary on the road, and sell well here. A rifle that would cost $20 in the States is worth $50 here, and shotguns in proportion. The road will be found, upon the whole, the best road in the world, considering its length. On the Platte, the only inconvenience arising from the road is the propensity to sleep in the daytime. The air is so pleasant and the road so smooth that I have known many a teamster to go fast asleep in his wagon, and his team stop still in the road. The usual plan was for the wagons behind to drive around him, and leave him until he waked up, when he would come driving up, looking- rather sheepish. Emigrants should start as early as possible in ordinary seasons; by first of May at furthest: even as early as first of April would do. For those emigrants coming from the Platte country, it is thought that they had better cross the Missouri River at McPherson's Ferry, in Hatt County, and take up the ridge between Platte and Kanzas rivers; but I can not determine that question. Companies of from forty to fifty wagons are large enough. Americans are prone to differ in opinion, and large companies become unwieldy, and the stock become more troublesome. In driving stock to this country about one in ten is lost; not more. Having started, the best way to save the teams is to drive a reasonable distance every day, and stop about an hour before sundown. This gives time for arranging the camp, and for the teams to rest and eat before it is dark. About eight hours' drive in long days—resting one hour at noon—I think is enough. Never drive irregularly, if you can avoid it. On Platte River, Bear River, and Boise" River, and in many other places, you can camp at any point you please; but at other places on the way you will be compelled to drive hard some days to get water and range. When you reach the country of buffalo, never stop your wagons to hunt, as you will eat up more provisions than you will save. It is true you can kill buffalo, but they are always far from camp, and the weather is too warm to save much of it. When you reach the country of game, those who have good horses can keep the company in fresh meat. If an individual wishes to have great amusement hunting the buffalo, he had better have an extra horse, and not use him until he reaches the buffalo region. Buffalo hunting is very hard upon horses, and emigrants had better be cautious how they unnecessarily break down their horses. A prudent care should be taken of horses, teams, and provisions, from the start. Nothing should be wasted or thrown away that can be eaten. If a prudent course is taken, the trip can be made, in ordinary seasons, in four months. It took us longer; but we lost a great deal of time on the road, and had the way to break. Other routes than the one traveled by us, and better routes, may be found. Captain Gant, our pilot, was decidedly of the opinion that to keep up the South Fork of the Platte, and cross it just above a stream running into it, called the Kashlapood, and thence up the latter stream, passing between the Black Hills on your right and peaks of the Rocky Mountains on your left, and striking our route at Green River, would be a better and nearer route more plentifully supplied with game than the one we came. He had traveled both routes, and brought us the route he did because he had been informed that large bands of the Sioux Indians were hunting upon the southern route.
The trip to Oregon is not a costly or expensive one. An individual can move here as cheap, if not cheaper, than he can from Tennessee or Kentucky to Missouri. All the property you start with you can bring 1 through, and it is worth thribble as much as when you started. There is no country in the world where the wants of man can be so easily supplied, upon such easy terms as this; and none where the beauties of nature are displayed upon a grander scale.
[December 28, 1844.]
Linnton, Oregon Territory, 1844.
The fisheries of this country are immense. Foremost of all the fish of this, or any other country, is the salmon. Of the numbers of this fish taken annually in the Columbia River, and its tributaries, it would be impossible to state. They have been estimated at ten thousand barrels annually, which I think is not too large. The salmon is a beautiful fish, long, round, and plump, weighing generally about twenty pounds, very fat, and yet no food of any kind is ever found in the stomach. What they eat no one can tell. Sir Humphrey Davy supposed that the gastric juice of the salmon was so powerful as instantly to dissolve all substances entering the stomach. The salmon in this country is never caught with a hook; but they are sometimes taken by the Indians with small scoop nets, and generally with a sort of spear, of very peculiar construction, and which I will describe. They take a pole, made of some hard wood, say ten feet long and one inch in diameter, gradually sharpened to a point at one end. They then cut off a piece from the sharp prong of a buckhorn, about four inches long, and hollow out the large end of this piece so that it fits on the end of the pole. About the middle of the buckhorn they make a hole, through which they put a small cord or leather string, which they fasten to the pole about two feet from the lower end. When they spear a fish, the spear passes through the body, the buckhorn comes off the pole, and the pole pulls out of the hole made by the spear, but the buckhorn remains on the opposite side of the fish, and he is held fast by the string, from which it is impossible to escape. All the salmon caught here are taken by the Indians, and sold to the whites at about ten cents each, and frequently for less. One Indian will take about twenty per day upon an average. The salmon taken at different points vary greatly in kind and quality, and it is only at particular places that they can be taken. The fattest and best salmon are caught at the mouth of the Columbia; the next best are those taken in the Columbia, a few miles below Vancouver, at the cascades, and at the dalles. Those taken at the Wallamette Falls are smaller and inferior, and are said to be of a different kind. What is singular, this fish can not be taken in any considerable numbers, with large seines. This fish is too shy and too active to be thus taken. I believe no white man has yet succeeded in taking them with the gig. The salmon make their appearance in the vicinity of Vancouver, first in the Klackamus. The best salmon are taken in June. The sturgeon is a very large fish, caught with a hook and line, and is good eating. They are taken in the Wallamette, below the falls, and in the Columbia at all points, and in the Snake River as high up as Fort Boisé.
Navigation.—As I have before stated, the navigation of the Columbia is good to The Dalles, with the exception of the cascades. The river near the ocean is very wide, forming bays, and is>subject to high winds, which render the navigation unsafe for small craft. The difficulties at the mouth of the river will rapidly diminish as the business increases, and they have regular pilots and steam towboats. Ships pass up the Wallamette some five miles above Linnton, where there is a bar; but small ships go up higher, and to within seven or eight miles of the falls. Above the falls, the Wallamette is navigable for steamboats about fifty miles. Tom Hill River is navigable for canoes and keelboats up to the forks, the distance I can not say. The navigation of this, the first section, is much better than that of the second section.
Water Power.—The water power of this country is unequaled, and is found distributed throughout this section. The water power at the falls of the Wallamette can not be surpassed in the world. Any quantity of machinery can be put in motion; but the good water power is not confined to the Wallamette Falls. Everywhere on the Columbia and Wallamette rivers there are mill sites as good, but not so large as the falls. Most of the mill sites in this country are overshots; but we have not only the finest water power, but we have the finest timber.
Timber.—The timber of this section of Oregon constitutes one main source of its wealth. It is found in inexhaustible quantities on the Columbia and on the Wallamette, just where the water power is at hand to cut it up, and where ships can take it on board. The principal timber of this section is the fir, white cedar, white oak, and black ash. There three kinds of fir, the white, yellow, and red, all of them fine timber for planks, shingles, boards, and rails. The white fir makes the best shingles. The fir is a species of the pine, grows very tall and straight, and stands very thick upon the ground. Thick as they stand upon the ground, when you cut one it never lodges, for the reason this timber never forks, and the limbs are too small to stop a falling tree. You can find them in the vicitity of Linnton, from eight feet in diameter to small saplings; and the tallest of them will measure about two hundred and twenty-five feet. In the Cascade Mountains, and near the mouth of the Columbia River, they rise to the height of three hundred feet. The fir splits exceedingly well, and makes the finest boards of any timber I have ever seen. I cut one tree from which I sawed twenty-four cuts of three-foot boards, and there are plenty of such trees all around me, yet untouched. The white cedar is a very fine timber, nearly if not quite equal to the red cedar in the States.The wild animals of this the first section of Oregon, are the black bear, black-tailed deer, raccoon, panther, polecat, rabbit, wolf, beaver, and a few others. Deer and wolves are plenty. We have no buffaloes, antelopes, or prairie chickens here, but in the second section prairie chickens are plenty. As for. birds, we have the bluejay, larger than the jay of the States, and deep blue. We have also the nut-brown wren, a most beautiful and gentle little bird, very little larger than the hummingbird. Also, a species of bird which resembles the robin in form, color, and size. Also, a bird that sings the livelong night,; but although I have heard them often, I have never seen one. The bald eagle, so well described by Wilson, is here found all along the rivers, but he was here to catch his own game, as there are no fish-hawks to do it for him. The eagle here feeds principally upon the dead salmon that float down the rivers, for you are aware, perhaps, that out of the myriads of salmon that ascend the rivers of Oregon, not one ever finds the way back to the ocean. They are never found swimming down stream, but their last effort is to ascend. The eagle also feeds upon wild ducks, which he catches as follows: He darts at the duck while in the water, and the duck dives, but as soon as he rises to the surface, the eagle, having turned himself, strikes at the duck again and the duck again dives. This manoeuvre the eagle continues until the duck becomes tired, when the eagle nabs him just as he rises to the top of the water. The duck seems to be afraid to attempt escape upon the wing. We have also pleasants very abundant, and they are most excellent eating. Like old Ireland itself, there are no poisonous reptiles or insects in this section of Oregon. The only snake is the small harmless garter snake, and there are no flies to annoy the cattle.
Mountains.—We have the most beautiful scenery in North America -the largest ocean, the purest and most beautiful streams, and loftiest and most beautiful trees. The several peaks of the Cascade range of mountains are grand and imposing objects. From Vancouver you have a fair and full view of Mount Hood, perhaps the tallest peak of the Cascades, and which rises nearly sixteen thousand feet above the level of the Pacific, and ten thousand feet above the surrounding mountains. This lofty pile rises up by itself, and is in form of a regular cone, covered with perpetual snow. This is the only peak you can see from Vancouver, as the view is obscured by the tall fir timber. At the mouth of the Wallamette, as you enter the Columbia, you have a view of both Mount Hood and Mount St. Helena. From Linnton you have a very fair and full view of Mount St. Helena, about fifty miles distant; but it looks as if it was within reach. This peak is very smooth, and in the form of a regular cone, and nearly, if not quite, as tall as Mount Hood, and also covered with perpetual snow. This mountain is now a burning volcano. It commenced about a year since. The crater is on the side of the mountain, about two thirds of the distance from its base. This peak, like Mount Hood, stands far off and alone, in its solitary grandeur, rising far, far above all surrounding objects. On the sixteenth of February, 1844, being a beautiful and clear day, the mountain burned most magnificently. The dense masses of smoke rose up in one immense column, covering the whole crest of the mountain in clouds. Like other volcanoes, it burns at intervals. This mountain is second to but one volcanic mountain in the world, Cotopaxi, in South America. On the side of the mountain, near its top, is a large black object, amidst the pure white snow around it. This is supposed to be the mouth of a large cavern. From Indian accounts this mountain emitted a volume of burning lava about the time it first commenced burning. An Indian came to Vancouver with his foot and leg badly burnt, who stated that he was on the side of the mountain hunting deer, and he came to a stream of something running down the mountain, and when he attempted to jump across it, he fell with one foot into it; and that was the way in which he got his foot and leg burned. This Indian came to the fort to get Doctor Barclay to administer some remedy to cure his foot. From a point on the mountain immediately back of Linnton you can see five peaks of the Cascade range. As we passed from the Atila [Umatilla?] to Doctor Whitmarsh's [Whitman's?] we could distinctly see Mount Hood, at the distance of about one hundred and fifty miles.
Climate.—The climate of this, the lower section of Oregon, is indeed most mild. The winter may be said to commence in about the middle of December, and end in February, about the 10th. I saw strawberries in bloom about the first of December last in the Fallatry [Tualatin?] Plains, and as early as the twentieth of February the flowers were blooming on the hill sides. The grass has now been growing since about the tenth of February, and towards the end of that month the trees were budding, and the shrubbery in bloom. About the twenty-sixth of November we had a spell of cold weather and a slight snow, which was gone in a day or two. In the month of December we had a very little snow, and it melted as it fell. In January we had a great deal of snow, which all melted as it fell, except once, which melted in three days. The ground has not been frozen more than one inch deep the whole winter, and plowing has been done throughout the winter and fall. The ink with which I now write has stood in a glass inkstand, on a shelf, far from the fire, in a house with only boards nailed on the cracks, during the whole month of January, and has not been frozen, as you may see from its good color. As regards rains in the winter, I have found them much less troublesome than I anticipated. I had supposed that no work could be done here during the rainy season; but a great deal more outdoor work can be done in the winter season than in the Western States. The rains fall in very gentle showers, and are generally what you term drizzling rains, so light that a man can work all day without getting wet through a blanket coat. The rains are not the cold, chilly rains that you have in the fall and spring seasons in the East, but are warm as well as gentle. Since I have been here I. have witnessed less wind than in any country I have ever been in: and I have heard no thunder, and only seen one tree that had been struck by lightning. If the tall timber we have here were in the States, it would be riven and blown down, until there would not be many trees left. The rains are never hard enough here to wash the roads or the fields. You can find no gullies washed in the roads or fields in this region.
Commercial Advantages.—I consider the commercial advantages of this country as very great. The trade with the Sandwich Islands is daily increasing. We are here surrounded with a half civilized race of men, and our manufacturing power will afford us a means of creating a home market besides. South America, the Sandwich Islands, and California, must depend upon us for their lumber. Already large quantities of shingles and plank are sent to the Islands. We shall always have a fine market for all our surplus; but, until this country is settled, we shall have a demand at home. Most of the vessels visiting the Pacific touch at the Sandwich Islands, and they will be glad to obtain fresh supplies of provisions there. The Russian settlements must also obtain their supplies here. We have China within our reach, and all the islands of the Pacific There can be no competition with us in the way of provisions, as we have no neighbors in that line. I consider Oregon as superior to California. The climate of that country is too warm for men to have any commercial enterprise. Besides, in California, pork and beef can not be put up; and consequently, the grazer loses half his profits. For a commercial and manufacturing people, the climate of Oregon is warm enough. We can here preserve our pork and beef, and we have much finer timber than they have in California, and better water power, and not the drouths they have there. I do not wish a warmer climate than this. A very warm climate enervates mankind too much.
Towns.—This is a new item in the geography of this country, and one that I have never seen before; but of late towns have become quite common. As all the towns yet laid out in the country are upon the water, I shall begin at the mouth of the Columbia, and come up wards. First, there is old Astoria revived. Captain Applegate and others are now laying off a town at old Astoria, to be called Astoria. They have not yet sold any lots. Next is Linnton, laid off by Burnett and McCown. This place is on the west bank of the Wallamette River, four miles above its mouth, and is the nearest point on the river to the Fallatry [Tualatin] Plains, and the nearest eligible point to the head o f ship navigation for large vessels on the Wallamette. Next in order is Oregon City, laid out by Doctor McLoughlin, at the falls. At this place there are four stores, two sawmills, one gristmil], and there will soon be another built by the Doctor, to contain about three run of stones. There is quite a village here. The last town I shall mention is Champoe, on the Wallamette, at the head of navigation. I do not know that any lots have as yet been sold at that place. Business of all kinds done in the territory is very active, and times are flourishing. Lazy men have become industrious, as there is no drinking or gambling here among the whites; and labor meets with such ready employment and such ample reward, that men have more inducements to labor here than elsewhere. This is, as yet, no country for lawyers, and we have the most peaceable and quiet community in the world. Mechanics find ready employment, as well as ordinary laboring hands. Farming is considered the best business in this country. This may be seen at once from the prices of produce, and its easy production. The business of making and putting up butter, which is here never worth less than twenty cents, is very profitable. Good fresh butter, I am told, is never worth less than fifty cents, and often $1 per pound in the Pacific Islands. There are now in operation, or will be this summer, mills enough to supply the population with flour. There are several mills, both saw and grist, in operation up the Wallamette, above the falls. There is no scarcity of provisions at the prices I have stated; and I find that our emigrants who came out last year, live quite comfortably, and have certainly improved much in their appearance. When an individual here has any idle time he can make shingles, which are worth $4 for fir and $5 per thousand for cedar. Any quantity of them can be sold at those rates. We have the finest spar timber, perhaps, in the world, and vessels often take off a quantity of timber for spars. The sawmills at Wallamette Falls cut large quantities of plank, which they sell at $2 per hundred. Carpenters and other mechanics obtain $3 per day and found, and ordinary hands $1 per day and found. The fir timber of this country makes excellent coal for blacksmiths; and what is singular, neither the fir nor cedar, when burned, make any ashes. It has been supposed that the timbered land of this country will be hard to clear up, but I have come to a very different conclusion, from the fact that the fir timber has very little top, and is easily killed, and burns up readily. It also becomes seasoned very soon. It is the opinion of good farmers that the timbered land will be the best wheat land in this country.P. H. B.