Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/211

Rh just laid out in the Willamette Valley the plan of a city to which he has given the name of Oregon, and with one accord the colonists, English, American and French, have offered him provisionally the government of all the Territory. He is aided in his duties by a chief factor, a Scotchman, Mr. James Douglas, a very intelligent young man, who is occupied more especially with the active and mercantile part of the business. Following some travels in California, Mr. Douglas, having, thoroughly understood all the advantages the Company would derive from an establishment in that province, founded a post there in 1841, at the same time that he had those located in the Sandwich Islands.

We arrived at Fort Van Couver on board one of the Company ships, coming from California and furnished with letters of recommendation and credit from Mr. William Rae, son-in-law of Doctor MacLoughlin, an agent of the Company at San Francisco. The Doctor received us cordially; but it must be said that Governor Sir George Simpson, who had been at the fort several days, was at first astonished at our appearance