Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-09-16
last fex years, has = DECLINING. At present

last fey years, has - declining. At present
this trade is entirely lost to the United States,
through the Interference of British monopoly,
which has contrived to get it all into its own
hands, and has had the ability to keep it there
Since 1921, the time Of the coalition of the Hud-
son Bay nd Northwest Companies, tho income
to the Americans had, in 1910, been reduced
from S34O, ,99l, aex$4O 900. and in the direct
J trade with China, ,Rfrom $l42, ,369 to $685.
In the same time the inco me to the British Com.
pany has continued to increase in a ratio suffi
cient to raise the stocks from 60 per cent. below,
| to near l5O per cent. above par, since 1928, or
from $4,000 to 100000 annually. 1t was
then 1894 4,S79,S5. This increase, however, has
not an been derived from furs, but from agricu-
ture, commerce, and other sources of profit which
are put within its reach. Animals, yielding furs,
are undoubtedly less abundant than formerly, es-
pecially in the Columbia valley, owing to the in
discriminate slaughter of old and young animals,
and in summer as well as winter; for it should
be known that the agents of the company have
! pursued worry different policy in Oregon, espe-
cialy in the southern part of it, from tina. observ-
ed by thom east of the mountains where their IT,
tie is better founded; there they hunt only few
years in succession in the same district, then
abandon it until it is restockcd. By this process,
the sources of their business remain good, where,
while their possession is only on sufferance, they
take all they can find.
The soil and climate are suited to nearly all
kinds of agricultural productions. AS the prof
its arising from the furs must necessarily de-
crease, as the Country becomes settled, attention
will be turned to the cultivation of the SOIL and the
various grains, together with cattle, hides, tai
low, beef, pork, butter, cheese, and WOOL will con-
stitute the leading articles of export. All these
articles can be produced at little COST and in great
abundance, and find ready market and high pri-
COS, in most of the ports of the Pacific.
Our vessels engaged in the whale fisheries,
which now go into foreign ports for supplies and
repairs, would find their way into the excellent
harbors in Pages Sound and take in all their sup
plies from thoir own countrymen. This would
form source of considerable trade, especially
after it became known that all articles necessary
for the business could be afforded there much
cheaper than at home. In lS4l, over 60 Amer,
lean whaling vessels went into single port in the
Sandwich Islands, which carried near one thous-
and men, 1t is estimated that there a re six hun
dred and fifty vessels employed in the whale fish
cries, more than half of which go into the Pacific
Ocean. To supply the men employed in that
part of the business, with beef pork, -four, &C.,
and TO fit the vessels with casks, all of which can
be more easily produced in Oregon, than in any
other part of the United States, amounts annually
to more than S3,OOO,OOO At least two thirds of
this amount would be purchased in the ports of
that country, if they could be obtained there.-
Nowhere such articles be procured at less ex-
pensc. Besides, the building of tho ships for ,ha.
and other purposes, can be carried on there nj q
less expense than in Atlantic ports. A ship-yard
has already been established a, Vancouver by the
Hudson Bay Company. AT Gray's IIarbor, at
the mouth of the Umpqua, Puget's Sound
extensive establishments might be formed, for the
best timber is found near them and in great abun.
| dance.
No part of the western coast Of America is
better suited TO commerce than Oregon, for none
is possessed Of such immense resources. The
Columbia is the only river of any consequence
from Cape Horn 10 Behring's Strait, and Juan de
! Fuca leads to a barbor equal to any, being easy
of access, safe, and sufficiently capacious for all
the naves of the world.
| Indians.-Thc Indians in this territory are,
comparatively speaking, not very numerous. In
the opinion of the managers of the Hudson Bay
Company, they do not exceed one hundred thous-
and, not more than one to five square miles, Lieut..
Wilkes computes them at twenty thousand only.
In their general character they are less ferocious
and wa rike than those east of the mountains, but
more indolcrt and filthy in their habi!s and des-
ttute and degraded in their condition.
/ From sense of duty to them, and from the
/ feelings of a common humanity, if for other
reason, our Government ought to extend its juris.
diction over Oregon, to protect lis native inhabit-
ants from tho cruelty and fraud now practised
upon them. The present mode of Treatment: adop.
ted by our Government is humane and just, and
the best probably which, under the circumstan.
ces, could be adopted. AT present, Oregon is a
modern land of Nod whore every cruel and inhu
man outlaw, and renegade from civilized nations
may commit his depredations with mpunity, and
the poor Indian, more than any other, becomes
the principal sufferer. lmpelled by the highest
sense of honor justice, PATRIOTISM and philanthro.
Nv, we should extend tho broad wing Of our liber-
al instutions over the unprotected red mon of the
western borders, and secure thom from that base.
ness of private and reckless cupidity of which
they are now made the victims.
i Ofthe Missionary establishments in this Ter.
rtorv, Lieutenant Wilkes remarks: "Litte has
yet been effected bythem in chrstianizing the ma
lives. They are principally engaged in the cul.
tivation of the mission farms, and in the care OF
their own stock, in order to obtain focks and herds
for themselves, most of them having selected
lands. As far as my personal observation went
in the part of the country where the missionaries
reside, there are very few Indians to engage their
: attention; and they seemed more occupied in the
i settlement Of the country and in agricultural pur
suits, than in missionary labors." -
(Tsbe Continued.)
II co.~J.-It ia better TO drink water from 9