Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/103

Rh to the distance from the ship. The tobacco came from Brazil, a soggy molasses smeared leaf, twisted into a rope an inch in diameter, and sold by the inch of rope. Millions of dollars of this sort of trade was transacted in the trade region, of which this city is now the distributing point, for nearly fifty years, without a dollar of gold or silver coin or money—currency of any kind. The first merchants were fur traders; and their first customers were Indians.

The first organized effort to transact a mercantile business in the region of which Portland is now the distributing center, after the failure of Astor at Astoria, came from the great English corporation known as the Hudson Bay Company. It is true that the Northwest Fur Company, commonly called the Canadian Fur company had some stations and transacted some business in the Columbia river valley for a few years, after Astor's wreck; but it was soon absorbed and driven out by the Hudson Bay people. And as this latter company did so long rule this region and to a marked extent shape its future, it will be material to this narrative and interesting to the reader to give the origin and Oregon career of this first great organized trading monopoly of the Pacific coast.

The Hudson Bay Company was a British corporation created May 2, 1670, by royal charter from Charles II, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc., which declared:

"Whereas our dear entirely beloved cousin, Prince Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland; George, Duke of Albermarle; William, earl of Craven; Henry, Lord Arlington; Anthony, Lord Ashley; Sir John Robinson, and Sir Robert Vyrner, knights and baronets. Sir Peter Colleton, baronet; Sir Edward Hungerford, knight of the bath. Sir Paul Neele, Sir John Griffith, Sir Philip Carteet, and Sir James Hayes, knights, and John Kirke, Francis Millington, William Prettyman and John Portman, citizen and goldsmith of London, have, at their own great cost and charges, undertaken an expedition for the Hudson's bay in the. northwest parts of America for a discovery of a new passage into the South sea (Pacific ocean), and for the finding of some trade for furs, minerals and other commodities, and by such, their undertakings have already made such discoveries as to encourage them to proceed farther in pursuance of their said design, by means whereof there may probably arise great advantage to us and our kingdom.

"And Whereas. The said undertakers, for their further encouragement to the said design, have humbly besought us to incorporate them, and grant unto them, and their successors, the whole trade and commerce of all those seas, straits, and bays, rivers, lakes, creeks and sounds, in whatever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the straits commonly called Hudson straits, together with all the lands, countries and territories, upon the coasts and confines of the seas, straits, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid, which are not now actually possessed by any of our subjects, or the subjects of other christian prince or state.

Now know ye. That we, being desirous to promote all endeavors that may tend to the public good of our people, and to encourage the said undertaking, have of our special grace, and mere motion, given, granted, ratified and confirmed unto our said cousin. Prince Rupert, (and the other nobilities and persons named) all and singular the most extensive rights of a private corporation, and also the sole trade and commerce of all those seas, straits, bays, rivers, lakes, creeks and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall be, together with all the lands and territories upon the countries, coasts and confines of the seas, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid, together with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and other royal fishes in the seas, bays, rivers, within the premises, and the fish therein taken together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts, and all mines, royal as well discovered as not discovered, of gold, silver, gems and precious stones, to be found or discovered with the territories, limits and places aforesaid, and that the land be from henceforth reckoned