JOHN C. FREMONT. 175 



Oregon and California would receive special at- 

 tention, and probably would attain a successful 

 solution. 



Fremont started forth from the village of Kansas 

 in May, 1843 ; but scarcely had he passed the out- 

 skirt of civilization, when the ignoble spirit of 

 jealousy, which superior merit always awakens, 

 had already been at work at Washington, and pro- 

 cured the issue of orders commanding the return 

 of the expedition. The wife of Colonel Fremont 

 opened the letter which contained this unwelcome 

 information, and refused to despatch it after her 

 husband, as she well knew the heavy and unjust 

 blow which its contents would inflict upon his aspir- 

 ing and enthusiastic spirit ; nor was he aware of the 

 existence of such an order until his return a year 

 afterward to Washington. 



All that immense region of country which inter- 

 vened between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific 

 still remained in a very great measure a terra in- 

 cognita, and Fremont resolved to throw it open to 

 the acquaintance of mankind. He arrived at the 

 tide-water region of the Columbia River in No- 

 vember. Here was situated a station of the British 

 Hudson Bay Fur Company; and, while delaying 

 here a short period to recruit his company, he 

 formed his future plans. He resolved to cross the 



