Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/244

190 seen in the course of this work, it is rather towards the old Spanish provinces of Texas, New Mexico and Upper California that this movement has operated.

The Americans know that these southern provinces are much superior to the Northern regions of Oregon, and that besides a milder climate and a more fertile soil they possess inexhaustible mineral treasures. Nevertheless, it is seen from the foregoing that in these disputed territories the Americans are still very far from possessing the same elements of population, ships, commerce and agriculture which constitute the strength of the Hudson's Bay Company, representing the English interests.