Page:A History of the Pacific Northwest.djvu/69



kenzie suggested, then the possession of the mouth of the Columbia, and the territory south on the Pacific to the same parallel would justify a claim of territory eastward to the Mississippi. In other words, the British could be prevented from gaining territory west of the Mississippi in two ways: first, by making our own people strong on the Missouri; second, by gaining control of the Columbia.

An Exploring Expedition justified from several points of view. Now an expedition which would ascend the Missouri to the source of one of its principal branches, find a connection with a branch of the Columbia, and descend that river to the sea would be perfectly adapted to secure for the United States both of these advantages. Jefferson said of such an expedition: ** An intelligent officer, with ten or twelve men fit for the enterprise, and willing to undertake it, might explore the whole line, even to the Western Ocean, have conferences with the natives on the subject of commercial intercourse, get admission among them for our traders, as others are admitted, agree on a convenient deposit for an interchange of articles, and return with the information acquired in the course of two summers." Here the President speaks only of commercial and scientific objects. These were important. But the political objects were possibly not less important. At all events, through a combination of favouring circumstances Jefferson was now enabled to execute a long cherished exploring enterprise destined to establish an overland route to the Pacific.