Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/80



propelled by •team. To meet die situation, the Hudaon'e Bay Company on August 27, 1656, ttarted the eteamAip "Beaver * from Graveeend, England, to Vancouver on the Columbia River. The**Beaver** ¥rae built on the Thames River in 1 635t and should not be confused with the Ameri* can sailing vessel of the same namei which was brought into the Columbia River in '1812 by die Astor Company. Because die S. S. "'Beaver** was unable to cany sufficient coal for so long a journey by steam, the prindpal part of the vojrage was made under sail; but there is proof diat she used her engine in oroastng the "doldrums,** the belt of calms between 3^nordi and 4* south of the equator. After a voyage of 1 75 days, she arrived in the Columbia, viith the record of being the first steamship to cross the equator in other ocean. The. **Bcaver * then steamed up the river, where she did valuable service for the Hudson** Bay Company. This wae die beginning of steam, navigation on the Columbia River.

President Sends Comn^issionefs to Oregon. In order

that he rni*^hf know fioni more reliable sources, the wisest policy to pursue in the rlcvelopment of the Northwest, President Jackson, m 1636, sent Mr. W. A. Slacum to secure such information as he could concerning OreLron. On this journey which extended up the Willamette river as far as the present site of the capital, he was careful to note all matters of import;\nre. At that time the country was new and particiihtrly rich in pasture grasses. This fact appealed to Mr. Slacum, and he encouraged the settlers to procure herds of cattle. These could he puTchasecl Irom the Mexicans in California, who were in the habit of slaughtering cattle merely for their hides:\n(\ tallow. To enrourage the project, Sinrum trave a nurnljcr of the settlers free pa.ssage on his ship to California, where the party under the direction of Ewing Young and P. L. Edwards bought eight-hundred head of cattle at three dollars each, and forty horses at twelve dollars each. In the fall .of 1637, their stock was