, 1853-05-28

OF ram TO bring any crop to perfection, and
this rarely falls during the summer months
AT the season when we arrived, nothing
could be more beautiful, or TO appearance
more luxuriant than the plains, which were
covered with flowers Of every color and
kind among these were TO be seen Ranun-
culus, Sclla, Lupines, Collinsia, and Balsa-
moriza (a,small sunhower peculiar 10 Ore
gon) but The soil is quite thin, and barely
sufficient for these in many places. The
best land occurs where the prairies are in
tcSected or broken by belts of woods, that
have a dense underground, consisting Of
Hazel, Spirea, CornuS, and Prunus. On
the borders Of these belts are scattered oaks
and some ash, arbutus, birch, and poplars,
and in some places the yew is to be found ;
but the predominant character of the vege-
tation is of the tribe OF Conifere, which seem
to occupy large ranges Of the country, and
among which the cedar is found to attain a
large size.
In connection with the Company's estab-
lishment at Nisqually, they have large
dairy, several hundred head of cattle, and
among them seventy milch cows, which
yield large supply Of butter and cheese
they have also large crops of wheat, peas,
and oats, and were preparing the ground
for potatoes. These operations are conduc-
ted by farmer and dairyman, brought from
England expressly 10 superintend these af-
fairs. A few Indians arc engaged in at
tending the focks, and the Company's ser
wants are almost exclusively employed as
laborers.
have mentioned these agricultural estab-
lishmenis as connected with the Hudson
Bay Company, and they are in reality so
but as their charter precludes their engage
ing in these operations, another company
has been organized, under the tille Of the
Puget Sound Company" the shares Of
which are held by the officers, agents, aud
seryanls Of the Hudson Bay Company, and
its officers are exclusively chosen from
among them. DR.. M'Laughlin, for instance,
chief officer and governor of Fort Vancouver,
on the part of the Hudson Bay Company, is
also a director of the Puget Sound Company,
and has The entire management Of its con-
Germs: his salary is five hundred pounds.
The capital Of the Puget Sound Company
is FIVE hundred thousand pounds, divided in
10 shares OF one hundred pounds each only
two hundred thousand pounds of this have
been paid in. The operations Of this Com
pany arc in consequence large they began
by making large impoItalions of stock from
California, aad some of the best breeds Of
cattle from England they have also enter
cd into farming on an extensive scale, using
as laborers the servants of the Hudson Bay
Company, who are bound by their contracts
to do all manner OF service that may be re-
quired of them, even 10 the bearing oI
arms.
This Company have the supplying Of all
the forts and stations of the Hudson Bay
Company on the west side Of the American
continent, and also furnish the Russian ports
with grain, butter and cheese Of the for
mer article the Russians take about fifteen
thousand bushels, 1t is also their intention
when they shall have succeeded in breeding
a sufficient stock of cattle and sheep, to ex.
port hides, horns, tallow, and wool, to Eng
land, in the return ships, which now &C
home comparatively empty, as the furs oc-
cupy only a small portion of the capacity
of the ship. In this way it may readily bt
perceived that they will be enabled to drive
a profitable trade, particularly when ii il
considered how little care the cattle require
in this territory, in consequence ofthe grass
and natural hay which the soil affords at al
seasons. II is the prospect of the advanta
geous results 10 be derived from these ope
rations, that has induced the Hudson Bal
Company 10 change their trading establish
ments into large agricultural ones. Fo
some years previous 10 our arrival, they haC
not been able to meet their own wants, anC
at the same time fulfil their contracts will
the Russians. They were therefore obligeC
TO purchase from the settlers in the terrific
ry, as well as send 10 California, 10 procur,
the requisite quantity of agricultural pro
ducts. A demand was consequently created
for wheat, and all that could be raised il
the Willamette settlements was bought fo
six shillings (seventy-fve cenis) a bushel
and paid for In drafts on their stores il
goods, at fifty per cent. advance on the frs
London cost. This gave an encouragement
to The small farmers, that was fated to mee
with grievous disappointment the next seasor
for the Company was able not only tt
meet their engagements, and their OWL
wants, but bad, besides, a surplus. Thr
prices consequently would be merely nomi
nal, unless raised by the influx of new set
tiers. Whether the latter cause had any
effect in creating a market, know not bu
] understand that in ls42 some Of the set
tiers fed their horses upon their finest wheat
The scenery around Nisqually is yer,
much enhanced in beauty by the splendid
appearance Of Mount Rainier, which lie
nearly east Of it; and from some of tn
open prairies there are three of these mag
nifcent snowy peaks in sight They ar
all nearly regular cones, with cleft tops, a
though they. had terminal crater on thci
summit, was exceedingly anxious I