conceived and well executed, which secured the Oregon territory to the United States. It was the beginning, too, of a struggle for possession between this country and Great Britain, dating from the meeting of the North-west Company's men with the men of the American expedition at the Mandan villages. Happily, all these struggles for precedence are matters of past history now; and, to-day, both English and American citizens seek and find homes on Oregon soil, where, according to a wise act of Congress, one may be had for the taking.
The first attempt that was made to form a settlement on the Columbia River was by the Winship brothers, in 1810. On the 7th of July, 1809, there sailed from Boston two ships—the O'Cain, Captain Jonathan Winship, and the Albatross, Captain Nathan Winship. The O'Cain proceeded direct to California, to trade out a cargo of goods with the padres of the Missions, and their converts; and the Albatross sailed for the Sandwich Islands, with twenty-five persons on board. At the Islands she provisioned, and took on board twenty-five more men, leaving port for the Columbia, March 25th, 1810.
Arriving in the river early in the spring, Captain Winship cruised along up, for ten days, finally selecting a site on the south side, about forty miles from its mouth, and opposite the place now known as "Oak Point," though its name is borrowed from Captain Winship's place. Here he commenced founding an establishment, and, for a time, every thing progressed satisfactorily. A tract of ground, being cleared, was planted with vegetables; a building was erected; and, while the river banks were gay with the blossoming shrubbery of early summer, our captain and his fifty
