Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/186

 178 DOCUMENT and, generally, endeavor to obtain all such information, polit- ical, physical, statistical, and geographical as may prove useful or interesting to this Government." That, on the 1st of June, 1836, your memorialist commenced to perform this commission. He left Guaymas, which is situ- ated near the head of the Gulf of California, on that day, and proceeded to Petic. He arrived there on the 4th of the same month, and purchased mules, provisions, &c., for his journey to the Columbia river. These preparations being made, he was informed by the best authority that the land route to the Columbia was, at that season of the year, impracticable. (See letter No. 1.) Accordingly, he was compelled to abandon that attempt,, and he returned to Guaymas, in the hope of being able to procure a vessel, by which to effect his object. There, so anxious was your memorialist to fulfil the trust confided to him, he chartered the only vessel he could procure, being a small boat of 12 tons burden, (and which had formerly been the long-boat of the ship James Monroe, of New York,) and in her he set sail for the Columbia river, on the 7th of July, 1836. (See letter No. 2.) After navigating about 400 miles in this frail boat, having been out in her 19 days, and been well-nigh lost, your memorialist was forced to put into Mazat- lan in distress, and there abandon her. (See letter No. 3.) At the latter place your memorialist heard that a vessel was lying at La-Paz, Lower California, that was soon to sail for the Sandwich islands. This being now the only hope left of accomplishing his mission that year, your memorialist deter- mined to proceed to the Sandwich islands in her, and there procure, if possible, a vessel to go into the Columbia. Accord- ingly, he sailed from La-Paz on the 10th October, (see letter No. 4,) and reached the Sandwich islands the 5th of Novem- ber following. There he chartered the American brig Loriot, and set sail for the Columbia on the 24th of the same month. (See letter No. 5.) He arrived in the Columbia river on the 22d of December, 1836. Your memorialist here begs leave to refer your honorable body to his memoir, which accompanies this memorial, (marked