Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/283

Peter Skene Ogden, Fur Trader. 261 lowing the quicker route on horseback through what is now Banff National Park and across by Simpson's Pass, the same route followed by Gov. Simpson himself /and described in his "Journey Around the World." They reached Fort Van- couver late in August, after being only sixty days en route. And now we will pause to mention one of the first bunco games known to have been played in Old Oregon, at Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia river. Among the instructions given to Mr. Ogden by Gov. Simpson the most important was that relative to the taking possession of Cape Disappointment and the isthmus back of it. This was to be attended to> at once, ostensibly with a view to the formation of a Trading Post and Pilot's Look-out," but really for the use of the British forces, if need be. Fort George was to be abandoned and a trading post established at Baker's Bay ; a clerk named Richard Lane was sent from Red River with the party to be left in charge there. Pursuant to instructions, Mr. Ogden quickly and alone visited the Cape, but found there a rude house already erected and a man named James Sanler in possession, whom he at once bought off for the sum of $200.00. Upon visiting Oregon City to file the claim of the H. B. Co., Mr. Ogden found that two other persons, Messrs. Wheeler and McDaniel, were the real claimants, and that Sanler had been put there merely to hold possession for them. What Mr. Ogden may have said then and there is not recorded, but in a letter to Lieut. Warre on Oct. 2nd he re- ported his failure, and the willingness of Wheeler and Mc- Paniell to sell for $900.00, but his refusal to pay the price. Then followed a vigorous correspondence between Mr. Warre and Mr. Ogden, the former urging to buy and the latter declining to do so because not strictly authorized by the letter of Gov. Simpson, which distinctly stated that neither the cape or any other place was to be taken possession of "if already held by any citizen of the United States." On Feb- ruary 14th, following, however, Mr. Ogden informed Mr. Warre by letter that he had concluded to purchase and had