New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-11
The Umpqun Valley.
From The Psci6c News. Dec. 23d.


Yesterday, about noon, the brig Kate Heath
entered our harbor after an absence of nearly
three months, spent in exploring the Umpqua
river in Southern Oregon, and surveying the rich
bottoms of its tributaries This vessel left San
Francisco on the 9th September last, having on
board company of seventy five persons, exclu-
sive of those belonging TO the brig, who went
with the desgn'of making permanent settlements
in that beautiful and inviting region
In consequence Of the head winds prevailing at
the time Of their departure, thirteen days were
spent in reaching point which will hereafter be
gained by steamers like the New Orleans In thir-
~. six hours The cargo Of the X ate Heath was
discharged at Umpqua City, two miles within the
mouth Of the river, TO the left as one escends At
this location, which is destined to be the great
point TO which the commerce OF the entire por
ton of South. western Oregon will be forever d.
rected, a number Of durable houses and stores
were erected thus laying the foundations of a
city which must have growth proportiOned 10
that of similar points in our State.
After landing at Umpqua City, the passengers
Of the brig made the best OF their way up the
river, in boats and canoes,-as was done above
Sacramento city, one year since, before the steam
ers had been made which now navigate these
waters-as far as Scottsburg, distance OF about
thirty miles. They scattered themselves from that
point and took up "clsims in various unoccupied
portions of the fertile bottoms above.
Ii may be well to remark in this connection,
showing the appreciation in which this newly ex.
plored portion Of Oregon Territory is held by the
other Inhabitants of that region, that from August
the date Of the former explorations OF the Umpqua
Company of this city, 20 October last, nearly
every claim from Scottsburg 10 the Fort, dis
lance Of sixteen miles, and also much beyond, was
taken up by the Oregon people themselves
They even left good claims in the renowned Will
lamette Valley without waiting for purchaser;
or sold them to some raw recruit from California
and removed with all their household, cows tur-
keys, chickens and children, into the better val
ley OF the Umpqua. And to show that this was
not done merely from love Of change, we will
state that previous to the explorations OF the COM
pany they had but little knowledge Of the whole
region. Being composed mostly OF Western peo-
pie, they know more about tracking the painless
forest or prairie than about navigating along the
coast and exploring the mouths Of It's rivers
They had crossed the upper Forks Of the Umpqua
and the Trinity, and here their knowledge ended.
At present with that keen sagacity which they
are Lot lacking, they discover that little to the
south OF the Willamette, lies land with vallies
more fertile, climate more bland, and accessible
by one half the distance to 2 market superior 10
any other in the world. They are thus getting
possession OF some of the choicest portions OF
that territory leaving TO those recently arrived
from California via the Columbia and to immi-
grants over the Plains, those portions which they
themselves consider Of less value And thus
there is growing up, at almost the only other
poMt IN the COAT, alter san Francisco, an order