Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/263



LOWNSDALE LETTER TO THURSTON 223

1825, thus completing their chain, with that at Fort George, to the Pacific. After having the run of the whole fur trade of this immense valley and its productions, from the Indian manu- facture of skins and in their fisheries until the year 1842 when they became alarmed about the prospect of the country's be- ing peopled by Americans under the treaty as conveying it from its original claimants the Spanish. In 1843, Doctor Mc- Loughlin received orders, as the governor of the western branch of this company, to dispatch agents to Fort Hall and order them to stop the emigration who had come on that far, and if possible prevent them from crossing the Blue Moun- tains. This can perhaps at this date be denied by the managers of this band of friends to the American interest, but I will just cite you to proof of the fact; to Mr. McKinlay of the Hudson's Bay Company, to Mr. Spalding and Eells, mission- aries, who were there a'nd know the particulars ; and if that lamented friend, Marcus Whitman, had not since been mur- dered as well as his papers burned we should have had that evidence which they feared to face. When Whitman, who piloted the emigration of 1843, arrived at Fort Hall, the diffi- culties of the journey was offered as an objection to their con- tinuing on their journey ; next the danger of Indians ; and when they found these men could not be deterred by any other mode they threatened to bar them by the Hudson's Bay Company having possession of the country and would not allow them to settle without coming under their rule. Whitman being a well informed man at once told the emigrants they should have no difficulty as they were making assertions which they could not carry out. Some, however, were deterred, and (by this stratagem being presented to them). The great traveler Hast^- ings (Hastings is now in California at the present and takes sides with the Indians, who have murdered many of the citi- zens of Oregon, and when those who had relations thus mur- dered has made exertions to bring them to a summary justice, he has tried to keep the Indians from being detected and has ever acted in unison with the Hudson's Bay Company against the Americans in Oregon, and not only a splendid description of California given but some say a little golden influence also, several were induced to turn to California. Nevertheless, Whitman succeeded in bringing several to the west of the Blue Mountains, and from thence many into the Willamette valley. On their arriving, they found the best portions selected by the Hudson's Bay Company and several trading posts, and one place in particularly the Willamette Falls, where some ar-