Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/390

382 GOVERNOR GEORGE SIMPSON LETTER Three more merchant Bris are expected in daily ; one from New York, which left January last and will bring us a printing press, 25 the funds to pay for which was raised at this place by subscription. It affords me but little satisfaction to write to you, as I wish to say so many things, and have room for so few. If I could only be with you I could tell you more in half an hour than I could write in a week. I shall write you again in the latter part of this summer, which I will send to the Islands and over- land through Mexico. You will likely receive it as soon nearly as you do this. With great respect, I remain J. W. NESMITH. LETTER FROM SIR GEORGE SIMPSON TO ARCHIBALD McKiNLAY, 1848, WITH INTRODUCTORY NOTE. Editor of the Quarterly : Some question has always remained as to the personal rela- tion of Dr. John McLaughlin toward the accounts he opened so freely with the settlers in Oregon after their arrival in such destitute circumstances. The following letter written in June, 1848, by Gov. George Simpson, then in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company's affairs in America, to Mr. Archibald McKinlay, the chief trader of the Company in charge of their store at Oregon City, throws some light upon that question. When writing this letter Gov. Simpson was at Norway House on Lake Winnipeg, where was usually held the annual council with his chief factors and traders and where he passed upon the reports from the various districts of the Company's terri- tory. The letter was brought to Mr. McKinlay by the express leaving Norway House after the council and crossing the Rocky Mts. by the Athabasca Pass and arriving at Fort Van- couver usually in October. 25 The press upon which the Spectator was printed February 5, 1846 the first newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains in American territory.