The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-12-28
Letters from the Oregon Territory.
Correspondence OF the HERALD

try, Is the salmon VI the numbers OF this f1sn taken
annually, in the Columbia river and its tributaries,
il would be impossible to state. They have been
estimated at ten thousand barrels annually. which
think is not.too large. The salmon is a beautiful
fish, long, round and plump, weighing generally
about twenty pounds, very fat. and yet no food OF
any kind is ever found in the stomach. What they
eat no one can tell. Sir Humphrey Davy supposed
that the gastric juice Of the salmon was so power
ful as Instantly to dissolve all substances entering
the stomach The salmon in this country is never
caught with the hook; but they are sometimes Ia
ken by the Indians with small scoop nets, and gen.
orally with sort of spear, of very peculiar con-
struction, and which will describe. They lake a
pole, made Of some hard wood, say ten feet long
and one zach in diameter, gradually sharpened to
a point at one end They then cut off piece from
the sharp prong Of bucks horn, about four inches
long, and hollow out the large end Of this piece go
that it fits on the end of the pole. About the mid
die Of the buck.horn they make hole, through
which they put a small cord or leather string,
which they fasten to the pole about two feet from
the lower end. When they spear fish, the spear
passes through the body, the buck comes of
the pole, and the pole pulls out of the hole made by
the spear, but the buck thorn remains the oppo-
site side OF the fish, and he is held fast by the string,
from which IT IL impossible to escape. All the
salmon caught here are taken by the Indians, and
sold 10 the wines at about ten cents each, and fire.
quently for less One Indian will take about twen-
ty per day upon an average. The salmon taken at
different points vary greatly in kind and quality,
taken. The latest and best salmon are caught at
the mouth of the Columbia; the Yext best those
taken in the Columbia, few miss below Vancou
vers at the Cascades, and at ~ Dalles. Those
taken a, the Willamette Falls are smaller and in
ferior, and are said 10 be OF different kind. What
is singular, this fish cannot be takenin any consid-
cradle numbers, with large senes This fish Is too
shy and too active to be thus taken. believe no
white man has yet succeeded in taking them with
the gig. The salmon make their appearance In
tt- vicinity of Vancouver, first ia the klackamss
is very large fish, caught with hook and line.
and is good eating. They are raken in the Walla.
mette below the Falls, and in the Columbia at all
points, and In Snake river ashish up as Fort Baise
NAvlaATIoN.--As have before stated, the navi-
CATION Of the Columbia il good to the Tales, with
the exception of the Cascades. The river near the
ocean Is very vide forming bays and Is subject ts
high Winds which render the navigation unsafe for
small craft. The difficulties at the mouth OF the
river will rapidly diminish the business increases,
and they have regular pilo.s and steam tow boats
Ships pass up the Willamette some five miles
above Linntan, where there is bar but small
ships go up higher, and to within seven eight
miles of the Falls. Above the Falls, the Walla-
nette IS navgable tor steamboats, about nifty miles
boats up TO the forks, the distance cannot say
The navigation OF this, the first section, is much
better than that Of the second section
and o.
out this section. The water power at the Falls OF
the Willamette cannot be surpassed in the world.
Any quantity OF machinery can be put In notion
Willamette Falls Every where on the Columbia
and Willamette rivers there mill sites as good,
but not SO large as the Falls. Most of the mill
sites in this country are 0vershots. But we have
not only The finest water power, but we have the
finest
TrMBER.-The timber of this section Of Oregon
constitutes one main source OF IFS wealth.. It 10
found IN inexhaustible quantities on the Columbia
and on the Willamette, just where the water pow
er is at hand to cut it up, and where ships take
i on board The principal timber of this section
the mr., white cedaI Ghi ,s oak and black ash
red, all OF them fine timber for plank, shingles,
boards, and ris. The white fir makes the best
Shingles. The mr. Is species Of the pine. grows
very tall and Straight, and stands very thick upon
the ground. Thick as they stand upon the ground,
when you cut one It never lodges, for the reason,
this timber never forks. and the limbs are too small
to stop falling tree. You can find them in the vi
entity of Linntan from eight feet diameter to small
saap.lngs; aud the tallest of them will measure
about 225 teet Ia the Cascade mountains and
near the mouth OF the Columbia river they rise to
well, and makes the finest boards OF any timber
have ever seen. | cut one tree from which sawed
"a cuts Of three foot boards, and there are plenty
OF such trees all around me, yet untouched. The
white cedar is very fine timber, nearly If not
quite equal 10 the red cedar in the States
The wild animals Of this the first section OF
Oregon, the black bear, black tailed deer, rae
coon, panther, poIecat, rabbit, wolf, beaver, and
a lew Others. Deer and wolves aie plenty: We
have no bufia0es antelopes, or prairie chickens
here. In the second section prairie chick are
plenty As Tor BIRDS we havesthe, bluejay, larger
than the jay OF the States, and deep blue. We
have also the nut brown wren,a most beautiful and
gentle little bird, very little lager than the hum
ming bird, Also, Htpt cies OF bird which resem
that sings The llvelong night but although have
heard them often, have never seen one The
bald eagle, 80 well described by Wilson, is here
found all along the rivers but he has here to catch
his owa game, as there are no fishhawks to do 1t
for him. The eagle here feeds principally upon
the dead salmon that float down the rivers, for you
are aware, perhaps, that out OF the myrads OF sal
mon that ascend the rivers Of Oregon, not ever
~. l.. war back to the ocean. They are never
found swimming down stream, but their last effort
is to ascend. The eagle also feeds upon wild
ducks, which he catches as follows = He darts III
the duck while IN the water, and the duck dives,
but soon as he rises to the surface, the eagle,
having turned himself, strikes AT the duck again,
and the duck again dives. This manGuvre the
when the eagle nabs him just as he rises to the top
of the water The duck seems to be afraid 10 at
tempt escape upon the wing. We have also phea-
SAINTS very abundant, and they are most ctlleni
eating. Like old Ireland itself, there are no pol
reptiles insects in this section of Oregon
The only snake is the small harml. garter snake,
and thcre are no flies to annoy the cattle.
MouSTAINs.-W have the most beautiful scene
ry 10 North Amrrlca-the largest ocean, the purest
aod most beautiful streams, and oitest and most
beautiful trees The several peaks OF the Cascade
range o. mountains are grand ard imposing OBJ.
jec,s. From Vancouver you have a fair and full
view OF Mount Hood, perhaps the talest peak OF
the Cascades, and which rises nearly sixteen thou
SAND feet above the level OF the Pacific and ten thou
sand above the surrounding mountains This lofty
pile rises up by ITSELF and is in the form of regn
lar cone, covered with perpetual snow This is
!ne only peak you can Sc, see ~, IRON vancouver, as
mouth OF the Willamette, as you enter the Column
ble. You have view of both Mount Hood and
MouGt ST. Helens. From Linntan you have We
~ faIr aud full view of Mount st Heens, about
fifty miles distant; but it looks il il was within
reach This peak is very smooth, and in the form
al auI nj anita AL