Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/214

196 with a favorable description of the country and the announcement that he had discovered a fine bay at the mouth of the Cowan River. This important discovery was little heeded by the founders of Port Orford, who were bent upon establishing their settlement on a more southern point of the coast.

Tichenor left his California party at Port Orford well armed and fortified and proceeded to Portland, where he advertised to land passengers within thirty-five miles of the Rogue River mines, having brought up about two dozen miners from San Francisco and landed them at Port Orford to make their way from thence to the interior, at their own hazard. On returning down the coast the Columbia again touched at Port Orford and left a party of Oregon men, so that by August there were about seventy persons at the new settlement. They were all well armed and kept guard with military regularity. To some was assigned the duty of hunting, elk, deer, and other game being plentiful on the coast mountains, and birds of numerous kinds inhabiting the woods and seashore. A whitehall boat was left for fishing and shooting purposes. These hunting tours were also exploring expeditions, resulting in a thorough examination of the coast from the Coquille River on the north to a little below the California line on the south, in which distance no better port was discovered.

The 24th of August a party of twenty-three under T'Vault set out to explore the interior. T'Vault's experience as a pioneer was supposed to fit him for the position of guide and Indian-fighter, a most responsible office in that region of hostile savages,