Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/382

 374 SPALDING LETTERS 16 or 18 miles. Abundance of corn, potatoes, peas, garden vegetables, cattle, hogs &c., raised here. Natives very friendly, formerly very dangerous cannibals, one man perfectly safe among them anywhere now. Cheyooses 2 ^ [sic] and Walla Walla speaks the Nez Perces language; one of us will probably settle on the W. river. About six days to Walla mountains, the valleys became covered with a short fine bunch grass, evi- dently a very strong species of grass, from the fact that cattle and horses grow very fat on it, summer or winter. Our cattle were in good flesh when they ended their long journey. They are now good beef. The cattle and horses of this country ex- ceed for fatness, anything I ever saw in the states. This grass extends for hundreds of miles around. The Walla Walla country is consequently good for herding. The system of the Hudson Bay Co. forbids them to sell cattle to any person, even their own traders or clerks. They will lend to any extent, none killed. In this way, the country is fast filling up with cattle. However, a few have been killed this year at Vancouvers, and Dr. McLoughlin has ordered Mr. Pembran 2 3 a to kill one fat ox at this fort we are to have half of it. There are at Vancou- ver, 700 head of cattle ; from 20 to 100 at several other posts. Three days after arriving at this fort we started on a visit to Vancouver, 300 miles; went down the Columbia in a boat pro- pelled by six oarsmen, were detained two days by head winds, and reached Vancouver the seventh day. We were very kindly received by Dr. McLoughlin the chief factor in Colum- bia. We were much disappointed at the abundance of neces- saries and comforts of life here to be obtained, and cheaper than in the city of New York, from the fact that all goods come to this country free of duties. Two ships from London this year heavily ladened with goods. Two now in port, one from the Sandwich Islands : both sent this fall. Two more expected soon from the coast. The company have also a steamboat for the coast. The farm at Vancouver produced 4,000 bushels of wheat and other grains except corn, in proportion. The Dr. has a beautiful garden of about 15 acres, containing all 23 Cayuses. 233 Mr. Pambrun,