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ORIGIN OF THE NAME OREGON 111

CARVER'S FIRST PETITION

From P. R. O. Colonial Office, Class 323, Vol. 28, p. 153. To the Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council

The Petition of Captain Jonathan Carver, late Commander of a Company of Provincial Troops of Massachusets Bay in New England Most humbly Sheweth,

That Your Majestys Petitioner having had such Command as aforesaid and having from his Service therein gained some knowledge of the Indian Languages and Customs, and of part of the Interior and unfrequented parts of America was in the Month of May 1766 applied to at Boston in America by Captain Robert Rogers late Commandant of Michillimackinac, who alledged he had Instructions 1 and was armed with all proper power and Authority from Your Majesty to employ able and fit persons to explore the interior and unknown Tracts of the Continent of America at the back of Your Majestys Colonies, and to Inspect the same and make Observations Sur- veys and Draughts thereof, And the said Captain Rogers to Induce Your petitioner to undertake so hazardous an Employ, assured your said Petitioner that he should be provided with fit persons to Assist him therein, who should have every neces- sary provided for them at the Expence of Government, and be properly rewarded for such Service in so dangerous and hazardous an Undertaking, and that Your Majestys said peti- tioner should have all Incidental Expences whatsoever de- frayed, And also eight Shillings a Day for such his Service; until his Return from such Expedition to his own Residence in New England, and Captain Rogers also promised and En- gaged that the Journals plans & other Discoveries to be made by your said petitioner should not be required of him 'till the Terms and Conditions aforesaid were fully satisfied and paid to your said petitioner.

That Captain Rogers at the Time he so applied to your

i Major Rogers had no such instructions. There is no mention here of any search for the North-West Passage.