ORIGIN OF THE NAME OREGON 97
North America are, St. Lawrence, communicating with the sea at the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; the Mississippi, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and the Christineaux, which dis- charges itself into Hudson's Bay. There are great numbers of smaller note, that join these in their courses from the heights of the country to the seas." In the introduction the author plainly states that his information about the more western country was derived from the Indians. He himself up to that time had not been further west than Detroit and in later years never went further than Mackinac. Another book entitled "Ponteach ; or the Savages of America," published anonymously in the winter of 1766 after Major Rogers had returned to America, was evidently inspired if not actually written by him. It is in the form of a drama and contains nothing of interest to this discussion.
The position of governor commandant at Mackinac did not free Major Rogers from his debts and bad habits but rather increased both. He paid little attention to the regulations laid down by his superiors, General Gage and Supt. Johnson, and administered the affairs of the Post arbitrarily and extrava- gantly. He sent agents into the West without authority and engaged personally in the Indian trade. He was suspected of planning an uprising of the Indians and of negotiations with the French at New Orleans and St. Louis. In December he was arrested by orders from Gen. Gage and the following May was taken to Montreal for trial, which in December resulted in acquittal from the technical charges but suspension from the office. Failure in America to obtain restitution took him to London again, in July, 1769. He was for a time again received there with favor and was able to secure payment of expense and salary drafts which had been dishonored in America. This money satisfied only some of his most greedy creditors and he served a term in the Fleet street debtors prison; and political influence soon deserted him. Although remaining in London until the growing troubles in the colonies lured him back to America he was able to secure no positive
