Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/223

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SLACUM'S REPORT ON OREGON, 1836-7 215 C. Amount of Mr. Slacum's account, as made out at the Department of State $5,969.74 From which the following deductions have been made at the same, viz. :

  • From item No. 14, one-third of the amount,

being for board, etc., of servant, not allowed $9.08 From item No. 15, one-third of the amount being for stage-fare of servant from Mex- ico to Vera Cruz 47.82 From item No. 16, one-third, being for pass- age of servant to New York 61.66 From item for expenses in Mexico, one-third for the proportion of servant 3.66 From item for expenses in and from New York to Washington, for the same 9.66 From item for hire of the servant, the hire and expenses of whom is allowed from the period of the commencement of the jour- ney of Mr. Slacum, in execution of the duty confided to him, to that of his arrival in Mexico, when it is considered he could have dispensed with his services 6.00 $137.89 $5,831.85 The amount of expenses in the within account greatly ex- ceeds that anticipated; it not having been contemplated that Mr. Slacum would have to charter a vessel at the Sandwich Islands for the purpose of reaching the Columbia river ; but, inasmuch as it appears that this was done by him after a fruit- less attempt to go up the coast in a small vessel, hired on the coast of Mexico, in his anxiety to perform the duties intrusted to him, I have approved the account, and submit it to the Presi- dent for his approbation. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, November 13, 1837. Approved: M. VAN BUREN. JOHN FORSYTH.

  • The servant above alluded to, and on whose account the above deductions

are made, I carried with me from this District to Mexico. His expenses were only charged to the Government from the commencement of my iourney from the west coast of America until my return to this city. He is a native citizen of the United States, a man of well-tried fidelity, courage, and integrity; and I could not, therefore, think of leaving him alone, a stranger, in a foreign and dan- gerous country. W. A. S.