Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/117



ORIGIN OF THE NAME OREGON 107

and Harmony generally prevailing among them Your Majesty's Petitioner is convinced that a smaller Number of Adventurers, than that at First proposed for this Enterprize, will provide against the Contingent of Mortality: and that therefore the Expence of his First Proposal, may be reduced to a very moderate Sum.

Wherefore ; and because the probable Permanency of Peace, renders it unlikely that the Petitioner should have any sudden Recall into that Walk of Service, in which his Former Efforts against Your Majesty's Enemies, were neither unsuccessful, nor are he hopes Forgotten : He most humbly, from an ardent Desire to be usefully employed, beseeches Your Majesty to order; that the Consideration of that great national Object be now resumed, and that Your Majesty's Petitioner may be directed forthwith to atempt by Land the Discovery of a navigable Passage by the North- West from the atlantic into the great Pacific Ocean, according to the following Route and Estimate.

Route for Major Robert Rogers, in the Proposed Atempt by Land, across the great Continent of North-America, to discover a navigable Passage by the North-West, from the atlantic, into the great Pacific Ocean.

It is meant to begin early in the Spring to engage the Ad- venturers who are to associate for the Undertaking: In the Fit Choice of these, the Proposer's Experience, as former Commandant of Rangers, will prove an unerring Direction: They are to assemble at the intended Rendezvous of Schenect- ady, in or about the Middle of the Month of May ; at which Place Batteaux, Ammunition, and every Species of Implement for the undertaking, will have been previously collected. In Order to it, the proper Officer of the Board of Ordnance, and the Deputy to the Quartermaster general in North-America should be directed to answer the Proposer's Demands in their respective Departments.

Here it is proposed to embark, on the Mohawk River, and to stem that Stream to Fort Stanwix : From that Place to follow the Wood Creek to the Lake of Oneida, and to pass that Lake :