Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/212

 204 DOCUMENT tuck tribe. Coal has been found here. Dr. McLaughlin now compels the Canadians, whose term of service expires, and who are anxious to become farmers, to settle on this river, as it lies to the north of the Columbia. The reason he assigns is, that the north side of the Columbia river will belong to the Hudson Bay Company. If one side of the river is claimed, with the same propriety they might claim both sides. The navigation of the Columbia is absolutely necessary to the Hud- son Bay Company; without this, they have no passage into the heart of their finest possessions in the interior, New Cale- donia, etc. I know not what political influence they command ; but this monopoly is very wealthy; and, when the question of our western lines of territory is settled, they (the Hudson Bay Company) will make the most strenuous efforts to retain free navigation of the Columbia more important to them than the free navigation of the St. Lawrence is to the people of the United States. I beg leave to call your attention to the topography of "Pugitt's sound" and urge, in the most earnest manner, that this point should never be abandoned. If the United States claim, as I hope they ever will, at least as far as 49 degrees of north latitude, running due west from the "Lake of the Woods," on the above parallel we shall take in "Pugitt's sounc}." In a military point of view, it is of the highest importance to the United States. If it were in the hands of any foreign power, especially Great Britain, with the influence she could command (through the Hudson Bay Company) over the In- dians at the north, on those magnificent straights of "J uan de Fuca," a force of 20,000 men could be brought by water in large canoes to the sound, "Pugitt's" in a few days, from thence to the Columbia; the distance is but two days' march, via the Cowility. I hope our claim to 54 of north latitude will never be abandoned; at all events, we should never give up Pugitt's sound, nor permit the free navigation of the Co- lumbia, unless, indeed, a fair equivalent was offered, such as the free navigation of the St. Lawrence. I am now more convinced than ever of the importance of the Columbia river,