Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-02-24
ECON.


u S SENATE:
Within few yenrs several Americans OF whom
the writer OF this notice is one, have crossed the
Rocky Mountains to the mouth Of the Columbia,
with objects entirely uncoDnected with trade or
commerce. Mine was the desire to zee a new
country, u love Of adventure for its own sake and
an enthusiastic fondness for natural history.
The pnry with which travelled left lndepen-
dence, Missouri, about the latter part of April,
1884 and arrived at the British Forr, Vancouver,
in September, having performed the journey Oh
horseback. From this time until October 1885,
with the exception of The first winter, which |
passed at the Sandwich Islands, my residence
was in the Territory of Oregon DIR. McLaugh-
lin, the chiei lactor, treated me with uniform and
singular Kindness, supplying nll my wants, and
furnishing me with every facility in the prosecu-
ton OF my plans. This is, believe, the uniform
character OF the snperrtenden,s of British forts
IN that cousiry. Travellers, ncturasis. and all
who are not traders, are iiudly aud most bospia-
bly, treated, bHt the moment The viser is known
TO trade beaver skin from mn lndmn, that mo.
ncnt lac is elected from the community. Tho
company has sum ot money, amounting to sew
erHl hundred thousand pounds sterling laid aside
at Vancouver for the sole purpose of opposing all
who may come To interfere with lis monopoly, by
purchasing eXorbilant prices all the furs in pos
session OF The lGIlan9, aud thus forcing the settler
To come to terms, or driving him from the cOun-
Try. IL it he IN individual who is thus starved
INTO submission, be then usually clears piece of
land on the Wallenunet river, takes an Indian
wife, and purchases iurs of the natives which, by
previous contract he is bound TO sell to the Com.
iany at an advance which is fixed hy the Cover.
nor.
Fort vancouver, the principal trading post of
the Oregon, stands on the north bank OF The river,
about ninety miles from lis mouth. The fort con-
siss of several dwellings, storehouses, workshops,
&c. all OF frame, arranged together in Il Qliadran.
,yttlnr Il A H., -
logs, about twenty trel in height. The fort has
no bOsIions, aud contains no armament. There
are To- he sure four great guns liownrng in front of
the Governors mansion, two long eiglteens, and
two nine Founders, but Two OF these have long
been spiked aud The others unfit for service.
The rainy season commences here about the
middle of October and continues Intil the first Of
April. During His period the weather is almost
uniformly dull foggy, or rainy. Sometimes rain
falls necessarily for the space of two or three
weeks. Occasionally during tho winter months
there will lie tight fall OF snow, and in the win
ter If 1885 and Ii, the river was frozen over.---
THIS intensity al cold, however, cuniinued but n
lew days. and WINS said to hr very unusunl. The
general runge Of The Thermometer (Fnhrrnheils)
during thai seasoD wa, from SO deg. 10 as, but for
three or four days the mercury was rs low as %.
la tie vicinity OF Fort Vancouver, the cattle
grnZc during The whole winter no siubiing or
stall feeding is requisite, us The extensive plains
produce the hueSl ANA most abundant crops OF eX-
celIent rraiiic grass.
In choosing Il site for settlement on the mniu
river, 1t is always necessary Ii hear in mind The
periodical nuadaous. Fort Vancouver itself,
although butt upon high piece of land, nj The
distance of six hundred yards from the common
rise of the tides, is sometimes almost reached by
The res he's in early spring. The soil here Oh both
sides OF the river il n rich black loan, the base
being hnsultic rock.
The face of the country from Fort George AS.
, lorityio Vanconver--a dist nee of Eighty miles
is very much of Il uniform character, consisting
OF aliuvial meadows along the river banks, alter
mating WI h forests OF pine oak, &C.; while behind
are extensive plains, some of which receive esiu-
aries OF the river, while others are wuered by
lakes or ponds. The pine forests are very extern
sivr, lie trees being of great size, ind The tim
! Der extraordinarily beautiful. All the timber OF
The genus riHus, of which there was great mum.
her u: species, is gigantic. measured. with Dr..
| Gardiner, surgeon of the fort, pine of the spe-
cies Douglass, which had been Frustrated nv The
wind. It's height was above iro hundred feet aud
It's circumference forty fire feet! Large was
| this specimen, lis dimensions are much exceeded
! by one measured by the late David Douglass The
| height OF This tree was N early three hundred feet
and lis circumference fny-sir feel The cones Of
| this pine according TO Mr. Douglass, were from
twelve to fifteen inches in length resembling in
| size and form sugar loaves. Oak timber Of vnri-
|
! ths builonwood, haisan, poplar ash sweet gum
beach, and many other useful kinds, but no hicko.
| ~ or walnut.
The Governor Of Vancouver, who 10 an active
! agricnliuralis,, has exerled himself fer seveta
| year in raising whatever appears aduped to the
soil VIII nt rye barley, peas, and culinary veg
It bes OF all kinds are raised in ample Qnanliiy
Fruits of vnrinus kinds, apples peaches pums
! &c. do remarkably well. remember being par.
tcuIarly struck, upon my arrival at Vancouver in
the autumn, with The display Of apples If. the gar
| den of the fort. The Trees were crowded with
fruit, lint every limb required 10 he sustained bS
| prop, Tie apples were literally packed along the
| branches, and 50 closely That could compare then
TO nothing more apply than 10 ropes OF onions.
In the vicinity Of Wnila. ALA, or Ncz perce
! ForI, the country, in every condition for man,
miles, exhibits an arid aud cheerlsss prospeci.-
The soil is deep sand, and The plain upon whicl
the fort stands produces nothing but bushes of dr.
aromatic w0rmwuod Along The borders of tn,
| small streams, however, the soil is exceedngl,
rich and productive, and on these strips Of anl
the superlntenduni raises his corn, and The yege
tables necessary iorihe consumption OF his people
The prCng-turned antelope occasionally ranges
these p aims; the black tai ed or mule deer Is ioun,
in the vicinity groups Of several species yer!
abundant, and The large prairie hnre Is common
In the auumn and winter, in The vicinity of For
Vancouver, ducks, geese, and swans swarm in i'm
nicnsc numbers. These are killed by the Indian
aud taken 10 the fort us articles OF trade. For
single duck one load of powder ami shot is Civ
Ell for goose, two; aud Tor swan, four loads
For deer, ten loads of ammunition or bottle @
rum is the usual price.
Early in Mny the salmon IRE first seen enterin
The river and The Columbus ami nil its triLularie
teen with these delicious fish. Tie Indians TAX
great numbers by various Misunderstanding al
most wholly upon them during their stay, AM
drying aud packing Them away in matched hut
10 he used for winler store. The sulnon nls
forms clei article vi food for tie inmates q
The fort and hundreds OF casks are suIted dow
every season.
About twenty miles above this, in The Wallam
met valley. is the spot chosen by The MeIbodis
missionaries for their settlement, ard here also
considerable number OF the retired servants Of III
company have established themselves The sol
OF this delightful Wiley is rich beyond cOmpari
son. ani The climate considerably .nilder than thu