Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-03-07
= From the National Intelligencer.
THE OREGON TERRITORY.

thS '>'N"y 'NNNHsoitSS hHO"h WV ~
ngon, has within short time become
subjec. Of general interest, and as a bill
having for It's object the occupation OF this
territory is at present before Congress,
thought that a few dcsultory remarks in
regard TO the country, the facilities which
1t offers to cmigrant,, &c. might not be un.
Interesting to some of your readers.
Within few years, several Anne ricans
OF whom the writer Of this notice is one,
have crossed the Rocky Mountains to the
mouth Of the Columbia, with objects en-
,ircly unconnecied with trade or COM
merce. Mine was the desire to see a new
country, q love Of adventure for its own
kc, and an enthusiastic fondness for ma
:Iral history.
The party with which | travelled left
independence, Missouri, about the latter
part Of April, 1884, and arrived at the
British fort Vancouver in September, ha-
wing performed the whole journey on
horseback. From this time until October,
1886, with the exception of the first win
ter, which | passed at the Sandwich ISL
ands,fn residence was in the Territory OF
Oregon. Dr. Mclaughlin, the chief fac
tor, treated me with uniform and singular
kindness, supplying all my wants, and fur
nshing me with every facility in the pro-
secution of my plans. This is, | believe,
the uniform character of The superin-
t"ndens Of British forts in that country
Travellers, naturaists, and oil who are
not traders, are kindly and most hos
pitabIy treated, bu, the moment the vi
.ior is known to trade beaver skin from
an Indian, that moment he is elected from
the community, and all communication be-
tween him and the officers Of the company
ceases.
Fort Vancouver. the principal trading
post OF the Oregon, stands on the north
bank Of the river, about ninety miles from
its mouth. The fort consists of several
dwellings, storehouscs, work shops, &c. all
Of frame, arranged together in quadran-
gulur form, and surrounded by stockade
of pine logs, about twenty feet in height.
The fort has no bastions, and contains no
armament. There are, to be sure, four
large guns frowning in front Of the Gov
ernor's mansion, two long eighteens, and
two nine Founders, but two of these have
long been spiked, and the others are unfit
for service.
The rainy season commences here abou,
the middle Of October, and continues until
the first Of April. During this period the
weather is almost uniformly dull, foggy,or
rainy. Sometimes rain falls necessarily
for the space Of two or three weeks. Oc-
casionally, during the winter months, there
will be light fall of snow, and in the
winter Of 1895, '36, the river was frozen
over. This intensity Of cold, however,
continued but few days, and was said to
hn very unusual. The general range Of
he thermometer (Fahrenheit) during that
,"nson was 36 deg; but for three or four
DAYS the mercury wns rs low as % deg.
in he vicinity OF Fort Vancouver the
cutie grrze during the whole winter; no
.'rb.iug or stall feeding is ever requisite,
MS TIC extensive plains produce The finest
md most abundant crops Of excellent pra-
irlc grass. Neat cattle, sheep. and horses
are brought from California, where they
can be purchased at very low prices, and
10 The visitor nj Vancouver tho conclusion
il irresistible that this district is one Of the
finest in the world for grazing.
In choosing a sight for settlement on the
main river. it is necessary to bear in mind
tho periodical indundations TO which the
country, is subject, and to choose spot
sclF, although built upon high piece OF
land and nj the distance of six-hundreG
v-rds from the common rise Of the tides
is sometimes almost reached by the fresh
cts in early spring. The soil here, on both
'dcs Of the river is a rich black loan, the
basis being 5asaltic rock. There is no
usually a great depth Of earth, 50 that it i:
probable the crops might in a few years
"xhaust the soil; butithe land is abundant
and the agriculturist is therefore not com.
1eled 10 wait for It's renovation.
The face Of the country from For
George astoria to Vancouver-a distance
ot eighty miles--is very much Of a uni
form character, consisting Of alluvial mea.
dOws along the river banks, alternating
with forests of pine, oak, &c; while be.
Mnd are extensive plains, some o. which
receive esluarics Of the river. While 9th.
-rs are watered by lakes or ponds, many
ol them so large as TO remain filled during
the whole simmer. The pine forests are
very extensive, the trees being Of great
size, and the timber extraordinarily beau
tful, straight, free from knots. All the
timber of the genus pinus, Of which there
are great number of species, is gigantic.
when compared with our trees in this part
Of the world. but occasionally one is met
with huge almost beyond comparjson.-
] measured. with DR.. Gardner. surgeon of
the fort, pine of the species Donglasu,
which had been Frustrated by the wind.
liz height was above tro hundred feet,
and its circumference, .torty.fre feet
Large as was his specimen, its dimensions
are much exceeded by one on the Umrtqua
rlver, measured by the late Mr.. David