Travels In The Great Western Prairies (The American Scene: Comments and Commentators)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1843. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. Departure from Vancouver--Wappertoo Island--The Willamette River--Its Mouth--The Mountains-- Falls--River above the Falls--Arrival at the Lower Settlement--A Kentuckian--Mr. Johnson and his Cabin--Thomas M'Kay and his Mill--Dr. Bailey and Wife and Home--The Neighbouring Farmers--The Methodist Episcopal Mission and Missionaries--Their Modes of Operations--The Wisdom of their Course --Their Improvements, &c.--Return to Vancouver-- Mr. Young--Mr. Lee's Misfortune--Descent of the Willamette--Indians--Arrival at Vancouver--Oregon--Its Mountains, Rivers and Soil, and Climate-- Shipment for the Sandwich Islands--Life at Vancouver--Descent of the Columbia--Astoria--On the Pacific Sea--The Last View of Oregon--Account of Oregon, by Lieut. Wilkes, Commander of the late exploring Expedition. On the morning of the 21st, I left the Fort and dropped down the Columbia, five miles, to Wappatoo Island. This large tract of low land is bounded on the southwest, south and south-east, by the mouths of the Willamette, and on the north by the Columbia. The side contiguous to the latter river is about fifteen miles in length; the side bounded by the eastern mouth of the Willamette about seven miles, and that bounded by the western mouth of the same river about twelve miles. It derives its name from an edible root called Wappatoo, which it produces in abundance. It is generally low, and, in the central parts broken with small ponds and marshes, in which the water rises and falls with the river. Nearly the whole surface is overflown by the June freshets. It is covered with a heavy growth of cotton-wood, elm, whiteoak, black-ash, alder, and a large species of laurel, and other shrubs. The Hudson Bay Company, some years ago, placed a few hogs upon it, which have subsisted entire...