The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-23
80 tardy, that can only write Jon few lines, fhas

~ sa1uy, tnnt C&u Ouly WIlto you IeW lmee, t0eb
win contain all the information we have here.
The early part OF the winter was very severe, YOU
will no doubt remember, and the inhabitants and
cattle suffered very much, and great many of the
latter have persisted; but for the last month the
weather has been very fne-very little rain and
plenty of sunshine, that brought out the grass, and
the cattle have recruited very much. The high wa
ter OF last month subsiding, has exposed many new
bars and shifted old ones, SO much that the Oldest
pilot is at loss and the steamers get aground re-
peatedly every trip. The navigation, though diff
cult is not at all dangerous. The three or four
wrecks that have occurred at the mouth Of the river
were caused by other circumstances than any danger
OF the bar The inhabitants have many fears that
so many accidents in SO short space Of time will
deter ships from coming into the river but at pre-
sent there less than ten vessels waiting to be
towed up at Astoria.
There is scarcity Of provisions throughout Ore
gon in consequence Of the great emigration and the
same high prices that existed month ago in Cali.
fornia still exist here as many of the necessaries of
life had to be shipped from there up here. News
from above state scarcity Of provisions at the Dali
las; but from Walla Wala we hear that the cattle
have suffered but little, the only place in the Terri
tory where they have escaped. The emigrants of
last year struggling hard to hold up their heads.
They are scattered about in the towns, looking out
for what little work they can get to do, and waiting
for spring to set in so that they can go out to locate
their claims. A great many have gone, and great
many more are to go, to locate in the neighborhood
OF Pugets sound 1t is contemplated to get road
through from Wala Walla TO the sound, in order to
favor the emigration to that neighbOrh00d the great
difficulty being way over the Cascade Mountains
Vancouver is pleas ant place, and would soon be-
come city were II not that the ground is govern
ment reserve, In consequence OF being occupied by
he Hudson Bay Company; consequently the rel
dents, Independent OF the people III the employ of
the company and the troops here, are only tempo
rary resdents-emgrants who are waiting the open
ing Of spring to locate their claims.
The i've companies OF the Fourth Regiment U. 8.
Infantry four VI which are here and the fifth at the
Dallas, have recovered from the diseases contracted
upon the lsthmus, and the officers are quite indig-
liant that the mortality among their men should be
attributed to their careessness by some spitefal little
public prints, rather that these should be noticed
by the Department. They are gratiied at the OPP
portnnty afforded them to vindicate their innocence
by an endorsement from the Quartermaster General,
OF his reply to a requistOn for clothing that was
lost on the transit calling for report upon the mat
ter from all the officers Of the command. The COM
maEd here will be reduced spring sets in,
as the two companies OF artillery stationed in the
Territory have been ordered home on the recruiting
service, and company of the Fourth goes to Stri-
becom to relieve Capt. Hill, and one more company
will go either to Fort Oxford or Fort Hail.
There are no Indian difficulties here requiring the
presence of troops, and the Assembly appears to
take umbrage at the officers having ball here,
which came off few weeks ago, and think they
might be better employed They talk Of applying "a
the Department for the privilege Of designating posts
tor them. The Oregon Indian is q wretched crea-
tuIe and has not intelligence enough to survive civil
lization Once so numerous here, they have dwinded
down to few families, who support themselves by
duck shooting and have sunk still lower in the scale
OF humanity, almost to the brute. The troops here
useful however, to the civil authorities In en-
forcing the laws of the Territory; the guard house
here is the only prison for the territorial convicts
north of the Columbia. The Oregonians are COM
paratvely law.abidng people, but some difficulties
occur occasionally with the selection Of land claims.
Two men, by the name Of Martin and Duncan-the
former an old man from elphia-have been
confined here for nousebreaking. They have been
here more than week, awaiting their trial. From
their story they have been much wrOnged. They say
they purchased claim with its improvements from
one man, when they were claimed by another; and
when they moved in, the latter had them arrested
the above charge, by warrant issued by magis-
trate elected, but not yet administered They were
brought here by a bona fde sheriff, and the COM
handing officer, according to his instructions, was
bound to receive them. They have no hopes Of OBJ.
tanning trial soon. They look honest enough, and
should certainly not be committed withouk speedy
trial. Such is law in Oregon. Their property In the
meantime is exposed to any one who may chose to
take it in the disputed house. l know Of nothing
more at present. When communication opens l NAV
be able to write you better account of the country.
U. s.