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[Illustration: ASTORIA IN 1811.]
A HISTORY
OF
OREGON,
1792-1849,
DRAWN FROM PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND AUTHENTIC INFORMATION.
BY
W. H. GRAY,
OF
ASTORIA.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR FOR SUBSCRIBERS.
PORTLAND, OREGON: HARRIS & HOLMAN.
SAN FRANCISCO: H. H. BANCROFT & CO.
NEW YORK: THE AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY.
1870.
CORRECTIONS:
FIRST LETTER.
4th page, 2nd line from bottom, after the word horror, read _at_.
6th page, 2nd line from bottom, " quote.
7th page, end of paragraph, ".
23rd page, in place of 283, page 273.
24th page, after zealous priest of, read _the_.
26th page, 5th line, for missionaries, read _missions_.
SECOND LETTER.
5th page, first word, for abrogate, read _arrogate_.
8th page, in this letter, read in _his_ letter.
23rd page, for unmbers, read _numbers_.
29th page, 1st paragraph, for dispersing, read _dispensing_.
30th page, 2nd paragraph, for barely, read _basely_ betrayed.
32nd page, for mith, read _with_ many thanks.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by
W. H. GRAY,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the
District of Oregon.
INTRODUCTORY.
The reader will observe that when we commenced furnishing the historical
articles for the _Marine Gazette_, we did not know that they would be of
sufficient interest to justify arranging them in book form; but few
articles had been given, however, before there was a call for back
numbers of the paper, which were not on hand. It was then decided to
continue the articles, giving an opportunity to correct errors in
statement of historical facts, and collect such as were printed, with
all just criticisms, review the whole, and complete the manuscript for
publication.
As will be seen, we have endeavored to narrate events in plain language,
and as nearly in the order of occurrence as possible.
We make no claim to literary merit or attractive style; the facts we
have collected, the proofs we are able to give of the policy and
practices of one of the most gigantic frauds ever continued for a series
of years by one professedly civilized and Christian nation upon another,
in chartering and continuing to license a monster monopoly; and the
manner in which they have sought for a series of years to prevent
American trade and settlement of the western portion of our country, is
contained in the following pages. We can only give the principal events,
which in the future may be better arranged in an interesting and
authentic history, which we must leave for others to write. The reader
will find in the following pages:--
I. The American history of the Hudson's Bay and Puget Sound Agricultural
companies.
II. The causes of failure of the Protestant missions, the causes of
Indian wars, and the causes that must tend to the utter destruction of
the Indian race on the American continent.
III. The adverse influences that the early settlers had to contend with
in coming to and settling in the country, fully explained.
IV. A concise history of the early settlement of the country, a short
sketch of many of the public men in it, their public character and
proceedings, and the organization of the provisional government.
V. The mining and agricultural interests of the country.
There are two grounds upon which every fact is based:--
1. Personal knowledge, observation, and participation in what is stated
for one-third of a century.
2. The written and printed statements of others, so compared that
conclusions are intended to be without a possibility of truthful
contradiction; thus making this a standard history of the country for
the time included within the period from its discovery by Captain Robert
Gray to 1849.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
First discovery of the river.--Natives friendly.--British
ship.--Brig _Jennet_.--Snow _Sea Otter_.--The _Globe_.--
_Alert._--_Guatimozin._--_Atahualpa._--Lewis and Clarke.--
Vancouver.--Hamilton.--Derby.--_Pearl._--_Albatross._--First
house built in 1810.--Astor's settlement.--The _Tonquin._--
Astor's Company betrayed to the Northwest Company.
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