2 Settlers Trail Darien Ct
Pei Tebow
On the morning of the 21st, I left the Fort and droppeddown the Columbia, five miles, to Wappatoo Island. Thislarge tract of low land is bounded on the south-west, southand south-east, by the mouths of the Willamette, andon the north by the Columbia. The side contiguousto the latter river is about fifteen miles in length; the sidebounded by the eastern mouth of 201 the Willametteabout seven miles, and that bounded by the western mouthof the same river about twelve miles. It derives its namefrom an edible root called Wappatoo, which it producesin abundance.[2] It is generally low, and, in the centralparts broken with small ponds and marshes, in which[14]the water rises and falls with the river. Nearly the wholesurface is overflown by the June freshets. It is coveredwith a heavy growth of cotton-wood, elm, white-oak,black-ash, alder, and a large species of laurel, and othershrubs. The Hudson Bay Company, some years ago,placed a few hogs upon it, which have subsisted entirelyupon roots, acorns, &c. and increased to many hundreds.
The river, thus far, appeared to have an average widthof four hundred yards, water limpid. As we approachedthe falls, the eastern shore presented a solid wall of basalt,thirty feet in perpendicular height. On the top of thiswall was nearly an acre of level area, on which the HudsonBay Company 203 have built a log-house.[4] This plainis three or four feet below the level of the water abovethe falls, and protected from the floods by the interventionof a deep chasm, which separates it from the rocksover which the water pours. This is the best site in thecountry for extensive flour and lumber-mills. The valleyof the Willamette is the only portion of Oregon fromwhich grain can ever, to any extent, become an articleof export; and this splendid waterfall can be approachedat all seasons, from above and below, by sloops, schooners,&c. The Hudson Bay Company, aware of its importance,have commenced a race-way, and drawn timber on theground, with the apparent intention of erecting suchworks. On the opposite side is an acre or two of brokenground, which might be similarly occupied.
The falls are formed by a line of dark rock, whichstretches diagonally across the stream. The river waslow when I passed it, and all the water was dischargedat three jets. Two of these were near the eastern shore;the other was near the western shore, and fell into thechasm which divides the rocky plain before named, fromthe cliffs of the falls. At the mouth of this chasm 204my Indians unloaded their canoe, dragged it up the crags,[16]and having borne it on their shoulders eight or ten rods,launched it upon a narrow neck of water by the shore;reloaded, and rowed to the deep water above.
The scene, however, was too interesting to be left sosoon, and I tarried awhile to view it. The cataract roaredloudly among the caverns, and sent a thousand foamingeddies into the stream below. Countless numbers ofsalmon were leaping and falling upon the fretted waters;savages almost naked were around me, untrained by thesoothing influences of true knowledge, and the hopesof a purer world; as rude as the rocks on which theytrod; as bestial as the bear that growled in the thicket.On either hand was the primeval wilderness, with itsdecaying and perpetually-renewing energies; nothingcould be more intensely interesting. I had passed buta moment in these pleasant yet painful reflections, whenmy Indians, becoming impatient, called me to pursuemy voyage.
Their object in settling in Oregon I understood to betwofold; the one and principal, to civilize and christianizethe Indians; the other, and not less important, the establishmentof religious and literary institutions for thebenefit of white emigrants. Their plan of operationon the Indians, is to learn their various languages, forthe purposes of itinerant preaching, and of teaching theyoung the English language. The scholars are alsoinstructed in agriculture, the regulations of a well-managedhousehold, reading, writing, arithmetic and geography.
The principles and duties of the Christian religionform a very considerable part of the system. They havesucceeded very satisfactorily in the several parts of theirundertaking. The preachers of the Mission have traversedthe wilderness, and by their untiring devotion to theirwork, wrought many changes in the moral condition ofthese proverbially debased savages; while with theirschools they have afforded 212 them ample meansfor intellectual improvement.
They have many hundred acres of land under theplough, and cultivated chiefly by the native pupils. Theyhave more than a hundred head of horned cattle, thirtyor forty horses, and many swine. They have granariesfilled with wheat, oats, barley, and peas, and cellars wellstored with vegetables.
A site had already been selected on the opposite sideof the river for an academical building; a court of justicehad been organised by the popular voice; a military corpswas about to be formed for the protection of settlers, andother measures were in progress, at once showing that[23]the American, with his characteristic energy and enterprize,and the philanthropist, with his holy aspirationsfor the improvement of the human condition, had crossedthe snowy barrier of the mountain, to mingle with thedashing waves of the Pacific seas the sweet music of abusy and virtuous civilization.
I could return no answer to these questions, exculpatoryof this national delinquency, and therefore advisedthem to embody their grievances in a petition, and forwardit to Congress. They had a meeting for that purpose,and afterwards put into my hand a petition, signed bysixty-seven citizens of the United States, and personsdesirous of becoming such, the substance of which was,a description of the country, their unprotected situation,and, in conclusion, a prayer that the Federal Governmentwould extend over them the protection and institutionsof the Republic. Five or six of the Willamettesettlers, for some reason, had not an opportunity to signthis paper. The Catholic priest refused to do it.[15]
These people have put fifty or sixty fine 214 farmsunder cultivation in the Willamette valley, amidst themost discouraging circumstances. They have erectedfor themselves comfortable dwellings and outbuildings,and have herds of excellent cattle, which they have fromtime to time driven up from California, at great expenseof property and even life. The reader will find it difficultto learn any sufficient reasons for their being left by theGovernment without the institutions of civilised society.Their condition is truly deplorable. They are liable tobe arrested for debt or crime, and conveyed to the jailsof Canada![16]
For, in that case, the business of British subjects isinterfered with, who, by way of retaliation, will withholdthe supplies of clothing, household goods, &c., whichthe settlers have no other means of obtaining. Nor isthis all. The civil condition of the territory being suchas virtually to prohibit the emigration to any extent ofuseful and desirable citizens, they have nothing to anticipatefrom any considerable increase of their numbers,[25]nor any amelioration of their state to look for, from theaccession of female society.
215 In the desperation incident to their lonely lot,they take wives from the Indian tribes around them.What will be the ultimate consequence of this unpardonablenegligence on the part of the Government upon thefuture destinies of Oregon cannot be clearly predicted;but it is manifest that it must be disastrous in the highestdegree, both as to its claims to the sovereignty of thatterritory, and the moral condition of its inhabitants.
My original intention had been to pass the winter inexploring Oregon, and to have returned to the Statesthe following summer, with the American Fur traders.But having learned from various credible sources, that216 little dependence could be placed upon meetingthem at their usual place of rendezvous on Green river,and that the prospect of getting back to the States bythat route would, consequently, be exceedingly doubtful,I felt constrained to abandon the attempt. My next[26]wish was to have gone by land to California, and thencehome through the northern States of Mexico. In order,however, to accomplish this with safety, a force of twenty-fivemen was indispensable; and as that number couldnot be raised, I was compelled to give up all hopes ofreturning by that route.
218 Here he has erected a saw and grist mill, andopened a farm. He has been many times to Californiafor cattle, and now owns about one hundred head, a fineband of horses, swine, &c. He related to me manyincidents of his hardships, among which the most surprisingwas, that for a number of years, the Hudson BayCompany refused to sell him a shred of clothing; and asthere were no other traders in the country, he was compelledduring their pleasure to wear skins.[19] A falsereport that he had been guilty of some dishonourableact in California was the alleged cause for this treatment;but perhaps, a better reason would be, that Mr. Youngoccasionally purchased beaver skins in the Americanterritory.
The rainy season had now thoroughly set in. Travellingany considerable distance in open boats, or amongthe tangled underbrush on foot, or on horseback, wasquite impracticable. I therefore determined to availmyself of whatever other means of information were inmy reach; and as the gentlemen in charge of the varioustrading-posts 220 in the territory, had arrived at Vancouverto meet the express from London, I could nothave had for this object a more favourable opportunity.The information obtained from these gentlemen, andfrom other residents in the country, I have relied on ascorrect, and combined it with my own observations inthe following general account of Oregon.
Oregon Territory is bounded on the north by the parallelof 54 deg. 40 min. north latitude;[20] on the east by theRocky Mountains; on the south by the parallel of 42 deg.north latitude; and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
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