Warre and Vavasour, 1845-6. 49 indebted to the H. B, Company for boats, etc., to forward them to their future homes. This emigration scattered themselves over the face of the country, many of them remaining at the Falls, where saw mills had been erected by Dr. McLoughlin and by Americans ; the claims [were?] surveyed and divided into town lots, which were sold to whoever desired to become a purchaser. In 1844 about an equal number of emigrants arrived from the United States as in the preceding year, and avowedly under the sanction and protection of the American Govern- ment, who oflFered a premium of 640 square acres to any American citizen becoming a settler [sic], seeking by this means to overrun the country and strengthen their claim to the disputed Territory. In 1842 the American Government appointed Dr. White, previously surgeon to the Methodist Mission in that country, their agent in Oregon, and he exercised the duties of this office, drawing his salary through the H. B. Company on the American Government till this year (1845), when he returned to the United States. On our arrival on the Columbia in August last we found a much more numerous emigration than on any former year arriving from the United States, having been escorted to the Rocky Mountains by 300 dragoons of the U. S. Army under the command of Colonel Kearney — who, we believe, have returned by the same route. Lieutenant Fremont, of the Corps of Topographical Engi- neers, accompanied the emigration of 1843, remained a short time in the country and returned in the autumn, but being prevented by the snow from recrossing the Rocky Mountains at so late a season of the year, he entered North California, where he wintered, and reached the United States in the following summer. His report has been published by order of Congress at Washington, and is said to contain much val- uable information, which we regret not having been able to
peruse.----
