Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 21.djvu/218



206 F. G. YOUNG

[Designation endorsed on back :

"Mr. Young's Petition to the Govr California"] To His Excellency Gov of the State of Up California.

Sir : Your Petitioner would beg leave to inform Your Ex- cellency that there is on the Wallamette River south of the Columbia a small settlement of Citizens of the United States. This community have from their origin laboured under many difficulties for want of horned Cattle of which they have none. But knowing that your Excellency is aware of the advantages they confer, your petitioner cannot think it necessary to ex- press in detail the reasons why Cattle are indispensable to the prosperity of an Agricultural People. Under these circum- stances a part of the Citizens of said Community on the 13 day of January A. D. 1837, formed themselves into a joint stock Company for the purpose of procuring Cattle from Upper California. The object of your petitioner as well as that of said company, are expressed in the following extract from their Articles of association viz "Whereas we the undersigned settlers upon the Wallamette River are fully convinced of the utility and necessity of having neat Cattle of our own in order successfully to carry on our farms and gain a comfortable live- lihood, and whereas we find it impossible to purchase them here as all Cattle in the country belong to the Hudson's Bay Company, and they refusing to sell them under any circum- stances, and as we believe that the possession of cattle will not only benefit us personally, but will materially benefit the whole settlement, we the undersigned do therefore agree &c. &c."

In pursuance of the object expressed in these articles, a party of Ten American Citizens and three Indian Boys of whom I was chosen Leader, took passage in the American Brig Loriot, Capt Bancroft, of which vessel Wm. A. Slacum Esq of the United [States] Navy was charterer.

In compliance with the wishes of said Association, your Petitioner would pray your Excellency's permission to pur- chase Cattle to the number of Five or six hundred head of the Citizens of California for the purposes expressed above.