The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-22

prices. one man could easily have brought forth two
from this peculiar State q affairs They have no compe:
tton 10 prevent them from keeping up their prices and
they are daily advancing upon all their domestic goods;
am told nv those ius reiurnng from San Francisco that
goods OF every description selling much lower al the
latter place than at any place IN Oregon. !,
have not had opportunity OF visiting the valley oil
the Willamette Iregret il much il is reputed TO be the
richest part of the whole territory in an agricultural
poini Of view Vancouver well situated for mercan-
tile city The river at this point is wide, and affords
very good anchorage Tor vessels OF any draught think
Astoria or Vancouver will be the principal mercantile
many natural advantages over the former but is about
ninety miles up the river, which is an objection.
Oregon city, lhe present seat Of government, i thirty
mas rapids, which prevents all navigation 70 the city.
The town can boast Of the finest water privileges in the
world am informed by good judges that Lowell and
Lawrence will not bear comparison with il There
are many large saw mills already IN operation and others
The lumber trade is the principal business at the pres
ent time The demand is much greater than the supply.
No boards readily bring ninety dollars thousand, and
yes a least This country is destined to be the greatest
place for lumber probably the world II boast of
abundant materials the whole country is almost Forest
good water privileges exist in every quarter, and the
whole Pacific coast offers market, as well many Of
The Legislature has Just closed its session Of fty-ve
days They have adopted code OF laws mostly TAX en-
from the iowa statutes One, however which may in
terest the people Of the North is the prohibiting Of "ne
. ano TSs am v u q
uary 10 the inclination OF the people.
The message of Governor Lane (Which, by the way,
learn he had right 10 deliver and this fact he not
aware OF till after the legislature had been in session
some days) is brief document, giving history OF the
Territory, pointing out the course which ought 70 be pur-
sued in future He urges the importance OF at once
qurng the Indians to give up the individuals engaged in
the Whitman massacre. This is an important matter,
and iii The Indians in The vicinity Of the Blue Mountains
and Walla Walla valley
From the limited observations that have been enabled
70 make during my brief soourn here have been sadly
disappointed in the character Of the people OF this
country. expected 10 lind active, Industrious, and
thrifty class, but general fact the reverse is the
They all seem to settle down anticipation. Believing
that the Territory of Oregon is to be the country Of the
Pacific. and that large cities to be built within few
years al Vancouver, Portland, Oregon City, Dyersvie
and Astoria they expect from the of lands 10 realize
vast fortunes Speculaons already going on. and
land in Astoria has sold for fifty cents per foot where
there but fifteen buildings in the whole town, and
portion Of these Indian log huts There not three
acres of land cultivated in the place. But one small
Sore 1ny PaIay s1ocheo, one oaIpenie and one TN
school churches OF any kind This is the place that
spoken of by all the people Of the region the great
city Of Astoria! The bay at this point is good the
ura advantages for building wharves cannot be exceled
but whether it can become great city within the pres
ent century is very questionable.
The Columbia bad river to navigate; sand bars and
rocks scattered throughout There is immense
sand-bar stretching entirely across the mouth, which is
about eight and half miles wide excepting about
quarter Of mile, which put down by all the officers of
the several vessels in the river the worst place
they ever Many of them avow, that il they are
lucky enough to get out they will not be caught attempt
ing to cross again The breakers run al height of
forty and sixty feet usually when there is little wind
Psssentng most beautiful picture 70 the eye from Cape
terly wind can be heard distinctly forty miles up the
Two vessels have recently been lost on this bar One
the French barque Etoe Du Matn, from Havre loaded
with brandy, rum wines, tobacco, cigars, Catholic
priests, sisters of charity, nuns, &C. The other an
-Is.kx .1aAx f.... Il.
The Slvie de Grasse, fine American ship owned in
New York, and formerly Havre packet lost three
was loaded with lumber for San Francisco she struck
sharp rock about mdships. and broke entirely in two 1t
10 impossible to come in or go out over this bar but with
peculiar wind The ketoe, from San Francisco, has
been lying outside nearly month, waiting for fair wind
to the bar She got out OF water about ten days
sgo and sent her whale ashore. with crew Of SIX
the shore, and started TO return the first breaker cap
sized the boat and drowned three Of the Sailors within
waiting for chance to get out: The Ocean Bird, 81
Newark, n. y, Capt T. A. Hall the Henry, Capt Rob
Fielder and Sacramento Pierce. There three others
and San Francisco The Ocean Bird was purchased BY
her present owner for $4,000 last August She viii
earn them $4,000. They got 500 per NJ for freight on
lumber and everything else in proportion They all 20
q e w 1 ii n ssn s Tw Long
large Boston ship, the Walpole lying opposite Astoria
Probably she will remain during the winter, on account
Of the inability Of the captain to obtain crew.
The pilot boat VIM. @. Hacksaf, Capt White, for
merly favorite boat in New York harbor,' was run
ashore 81 the mouth OF Rogue river in gale few days
ago. and attacked by the Indians living the river
who killed two of the passengers She had some fifteen
thousand dollars worth of dry goods intended for the
Oregon market
have just returned from visit 10 the Chinook In
dian country, where witnessed most revolving cere
monythat of burying the living with the dead One OF
the old chiefs lost daughter-a fine looking woman
about twenty years OF age. She wrapped up in a
rush mat together with all her trnkets, and placed in
canoe. The father had Indian slave bound hand and
loot fastened to the body Of the deceased, and then
closed the two in another mat leaving out the head OF
the living one. The Indians then took the canoe and
carried Il 10 high rock, and left it there Their custom
70 let the slave live for three days, then another slave
forced to srange il by cord drawn around the neck
They also kill the horse that may have been favorte OF
The deceased. and bury at the head of the canoe was
dssous Of interfering and saving The life Of the moor VIC
TIM but MIR. Hirris the gentleman with me, and the tive
Indiana. our companions assured me that should ony
get myself into serious troubles and as we were great
distances from the settlements, and our party 80 small
selfpsesevaon dictated different course from the in.
clinslions OF our hearts. 1901 T7I,- - !
This whole region from the Cascades to the Pacific
efe 4nAn nunpsous, especially the latter II is common
% - them into The yards and about The cabins Of
the go(tIers Mr. Rymising and myself killed three in
one day. They are considered quite harmless here and
eeIdom refaate on the hunter The grisly hears are
difefent They well sustain the ferocious cbaraeieY
given them by all travellers The elk deer and cougsr
found In large numbers Wild fowls are nlenti2.I