Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/81

 *tion. It is probable they will ultimately become tributary to Great Britain, Russia, or America; and in the event of war between any of these nations, the power in possession of the islands, from their commanding position, will be able, during the continuation of hostilities, not only to controul the commerce of the Pacific, but also neutralise, in a great degree, the advantages likely to be derived from the Grand Junction Canal.

Several of our domestic quadrupeds are now reared on the islands; such as cows, sheep, goats, and horses. The last are brought from California, and are a small hardy race. The cows at Woahoo are the descendants of those left there by our navigators, and are perfectly wild. We purchased two of them from the king; and he ordered upwards of one hundred men of his body guard, with several chiefs, to proceed to the place where the animals were grazing, to assist us in catching those we had bought. It was situated a few miles from the village, in a handsome valley, studded with cocoa-nut trees. A couple of hundred additional natives volunteered to join us. They proceeded cautiously in the first instance, until they surrounded the herd, which they succeeded in driving to an inclosure. One more expert than the rest then advanced, under the cover