Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/95



CARVER'S SOURCE FOR OREGON 67

the South West side of a large Mountain, but there is not any Iron Ore that is known to be work't among them, from this Town the Inhabitants carry their Gold near Two thousand Miles to Traffick with the Japancies and it's said they have some kind of Beasts of Burthen.

From where the above Rivers join this great River Ourigan it becomes much larger and about four hundred Leagues as the River runs from this Town abovementioned it discharges itself into an Arm or Bay of the Sea at near the Latitude of fifty four and bends Southerdly and entys into the Pacifick Ocean about forty eight, nine or fifty, where it narrow, but to the Northwest where you join this Bay of the Sea at the Entrence of the River Ourigan the Bay is wide, and supposed to have a communication with the Hudsons Bay, about the Latitude of fifty nine near Dobsie's point, 2 from the above description you will do your utmost endeavour to find out and discover the said Country, and take all possible means to obtain a Draft of it, as well as by the Way reporting from time to time to me all your proceedings at every opportunity sending such Scetches or Plans as your Draftsman has taken, and you are further desired to make all the Interest you possibly can with the different Nations that others may pass after your return to open a Trade across the Continent to those People equally advantag- ious to themselves as to us ; On your way should have occasion you may draw Bills on me at any time for the purchase of Goods and Merchandize of Traders that you may meet or for the payment of Indians that you may employ for carrying on the Expedition shou'd your Goods that you have with you, and those I will send you next Fall to Fort La Parrie not be suf- ficient, and such Drafts as a small Sight shall meet with due Honor. And hen you have any thing to send back, as no doubt they Indians will give you Presents, take care to convey them to me by some careful person, that will Honorably deliver them here. And over and above Eight Shillings Sterling p day, you are intitled, if you discover a North West Passage from the Atlantick to the Pacifick Ocean, Twenty thousand Pounds 3 Sterling to be paid to the Detachment which is equally to be divided amongst them by the Honorable Lords of His Majestys Treasury of England and for the other Discovery of the River Ourigan you will be considered by the Government and paid according to the value of the discovery that you may make, to be likewise divided amongst the Detachment.

You must take great care not to be deceaved by the Rivers Missisure or by that falls into Hudsons Bay or by other Rivers that Emty into the Gulf of Californie as every attempt of this

2 Evidently refers to some statement by Arthur Dobbs, an Englishman, who wrote much upon the subject of a Northwest Passage.

3 No such reward was ever offered for a land discovery; it was limited to a discovery by naval vessel or private navigator.