The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-01-07
For the IDAHO WoRLD.1
Historical and Biographical Notes
THE
E1zploration and Settlement of the
columbia and it's Tributaries.

and still in others of agreeable temperatur
by the fertility Of its soil, and by its min
eral resources eqqaling, if not surpassip
those of California, Australia, and all til
other auriferous conn tries mentioned in his
tory q It affords me pleasure, as one of th
early Colonists, to give you. in an abridge'
form, such d information in relation to tn
early days of the country. geographically 81
favorably situated, and destined to becom
one OF the most important portions Of thu
United States, as the experience of many
years upon the Pacific Coast has enabled
me to obtain am pleased, as briefly as may
be, to trace, with your readers, the progress
of its explorers and settlers, the "a pidty with
which towns and cities have grown, and the
Sudden development which characte rizes the
country in agricultural resources and in min
eral discoveries, and all the accomplishments
of civilization, and to contemplate with them
the harmony and peaceful prosperity which
everywhere reignS among the inhabitants,
which now throng upon those long-deserted
shores. 0t t1sH @
Oregon comes from d Spanish word, signi-
flying big ears" Oregon, consequently, in
an chronological senses means land inhabit-
ed by large-eared people. This name was
given to. the country by one of the earliest
Spanish nayigators who, ascending the,Co7
'lumbia River, perceived that the aborigfnes
along the river had very large ears. This
fact is very true, and familiar to all who were,
at an early day, acquainted with the country.
The tribes fthe Chjnooks, Clatsops, the Cow
1itz, the Clackamas, the Wascos, and other
Indian population, were all principally char
acteristic by their ears of mushroom form.
All these tribes are, also, Flatheads, not by
birth, but by artificial process. The form of
the head is a sign or Indication, of noble
birth. An Indian, among those tribes, with
out this peculiar-shape head, would be con-
sidered as BNTRUs, or a bastard, and would be.
ranked as slave.
Oregon was this. part Of the New World,
bounded on the East by the Rocky Mountains,
on the West by the Pacific Ocean, North by
Queen Charlotte3s Island, and on the South
by Alta California.
Many past centuries have seen Oregon oc-
cupied by immense. Indian tribes. TWAS first
explored, sixty-6ve years ago, BY the indefat.
igabe Canadians, employees Of the celebra-
ted Hudson Bay Company. The principal
seat of the company wasin Canada, at place
called La Chine. It is from this place that
the employees Of the Hudson's Bay Company
started, under the conduct of these BoUR-
GEoIs, or masters, either Canadians English,
Scotch, or men of Irish descent. The object
OF the Company was to explore the country
to procure fnrs, from the trade of viii ch the
owners realized colossal fortunes. These eel.
ebrated Canadian trappers, Of French origin,
appear-in leaving their dear PArR1E--to have
carried with them q civilizing spirit. Three.
centuries separated them from La BELIZE
FRANCE. their mother country. They had
conquered the Hurons, terrified the Iroquois,
and subdued many other tribes as ferocous-
By rudeness- sometimes by Ienity
With courage and perseverance they had be-
come masters of that beautiful part of North
America. They had improved the condition
h., &c a.