Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/242



234 DR. MCLOUGHLIN TO SIMPSON

38. The American settlers on the Wallamette had a public meeting- last May and wanted the Canadians to unite with them in organizing themselves into a Government, but the Canadians would take no part in their plans of organization and govern- ment. The Americans with a few English who came by the way of the States and some foreigners formed themselves into a body, elected three men as an executive board, three others as magistrates, a sheriff, and three constables, and I am happy to say all the people have been quiet and in general very in- dustrious.

39. In May, a party of Americans who came fall 1842 from the States left this under the command of a Mr. Hastings, an American lawyer to proceed to California, and if they did not find that country to suit them they are to go from there to the States. I learned that they safely arrived, that Mr. Hastings is highly pleased with the country and has a grant from the California Government of ten leagues of land.

40. In company with the immigrants there came a Lieut. Fremont of the Topographical Corps of Engineers, U. S. Service. He got some supplies from us and left this on the 13th Nov. He expected to be at Washington in March and to return here this season to finish his survey and it is said a large immigration will accompany him to this country.

41. As to the immigrants come this year [1843] they have placed themselves all on the South Side of the Columbia River, in the Wallamatte, Falaty Plains, about Fort George and Clatsop and give out that they believe the Columbia River will be the boundary and they think it is settled by this time. I know that several of them come strongly prejudiced against us in consequence of false reports raised as you will see, more particularly noticed in my letter, paragraph [number left blank] to the Governor and Committee, arising from a letter published in the papers by Captain Spaulding who was here in 1840 with the large re-inforcement for the Methodist Mission and whom you may remember we saw at Woahoo. However, I believe their sentiments are changed and they are convinced that they