The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-02-19

Z. age to the Sandwich Islands. No Eng
lish or white woman was ut the fort bu
great number OF mXedblood lndial
extraction, such as belong to the British
) fur-trading establishments, who were trea
ted as wives, and the families of children
taken care of accordingly. So that every
thing seemed to combine to prove, tina
this fort was TO be permanent establish
ment. At Fort Vancouver. the goods o
the Indian trade are imported from Lon
don. and enter the territories of the United
States paying no duties and, from the
same point, the iurs taken on the Other
side of the mountains are shipped. The
annual quantity of these lurs could not be
exactly ascertained but Mr.. Smith was
informed, indirectly, that they amounted
to thirty thousand beaver skins, besides
otter skins and small furs. The beaver
skins alone, at the New York prices,
would be worth about $250,000. TO OBJ
tain these furs, both trapping and trading
are resorted to. Various parties, provid-
ed with traps, spread over the country
south of the Columbia, to the neighbor-
hood of the Mexican territory and in
lS24-5, they crossed the Rocky Noun
tains, and trapped on the waters Of The
Missouri river. They do not trap north
of latitude 800, but conlinc that business
to the territory of the United States.
Thus, this territory, being trapped by
both parties, is nearly exhausted of bea-
vcrs and, unless the British can be stop
ped, will soon be entirely exhausted, and
no place left within the United States,
where beaver fur, in any quantity, can be
obtained.
The inequality of the convention with
Great Britain, in 1918, is most glarng
and apparent. and its continuance is a
great and manifest injury to the United
States. The privileges granted by it
have enabled the British to take posses
sion of the Columbia river, and spread
over the country south of II; while no
Americans have ever gone, or can venture
to go, OH the British side. The interest
of the United States and her citizens en-
gagged in the fur trade requires, that the
convention Of 1918 should be terminated,
and each nation be confined TO its own
territories. Besides this commercial in
terest there are other considerations re-
curing the same result. These are, the
influence which the British have already
acquired over the Indians in that quarter,
and the prospect of a British colony, and
military and naval station on the Colum-
bia. Their influence over the Indians is
now decisive. OF this the Americans
have constant and striking proofs, in the
preference which they give to the British
in every particular.
Fort Vancouver, the principal depot of
the Hudson's Bay Company west of the
Rocky Mountains, stands on a gentle
ACTIVITY, four hundred yards from the
shore, on the earth bank Of the Columbia,
or Oregon river, about one hundred miles
from its mouth. The principal buildings
are enclosed by picket, forming an area
of $50 by $50 feet. Within the picket,
there are thirty-four buildings Of all des-
criptions, including officers dwelling
houses, workshops for carpenters, black
smiths, whceIwrights, coopers, timers,
&C., all Of wood, except the magazine for
powder, which is of brick. Outside and
very near the fort there are forty-nine
cabins for laborcrs aud mechanics, large
and commodious barn and seven buildings
attached thereto; hospital ard large boat
house on the shore, six miles above the
fort. On the north bank, the Hudson
Bay Company have erected saw-mill on
a never-ialling stream Of water. that falls
into the Columbia; cuts 1000 to 2 400
feet of lumber daily; employs twenty
eight men, chiefly Sandwich Islanders,
and ten yoke of oxen; depth of water,
four lathoms, at the mill, where the ships
of the company take in their cargocs for
the Sandwich Islands market.
The farm at Vancouver contains, at
this time, about three thousand acres of
land, fenced and under cultivation, en-
ploymg generally one hundred men, chief
" Canadians and half-brecd Iroqunis
the mechanics are Europeans. These,
with the factors, traders, clerks, and do
mcslics, may be estimated at thirty.
The laborers and mechanics live outside
the fort, in good log cabins, two or
three families generally under one roof
and, as nearly every man has a wife, OF
lives with an Indian or half.breed woman
and as each family has from two to five
slaves, the whole number OF persons abou
Vancouver may be estimated ut sever