DRAWINGS BY GEORGE GIBBS IN THE FAR 

 NORTHWEST, 1849-1851 



By DAVID I. BUSHNELL, Jr. 



(With i8 Plates) 



INTRODUCTION 



George Gibbs, whose drawings form the subject of this article, 

 was born July \J, 1815, at Suns wick, Long Island, New York, near 

 the present Astoria. He died in 1873. At the age of 17, failing to 

 receive the desired appointment to West Point, he accompanied an 

 aunt to Europe, where he devoted 2 years to travel and study. Return- 

 ing to New York, he soon entered Harvard, where he was graduated 

 in law in 1838, and subsequently entered the law office of Preston 

 Hall. However, the profession did not appeal to him, and during the 

 next few years he wrote several works on historical sul^jects which 

 were highly acclaimed. 



The Far West was now becoming of interest, and the mystery of 

 the wilderness appealed to many. Gibbs was among those who were 

 thus attracted, and in 1849 he accompanied the Mounted Rifle Regi- 

 ment to Oregon, where he arrived early in October. That same 

 autumn he became deputy collector of customs at Astoria and was 

 later attached to the Indian Commission in Oregon. In 185 1 he was 

 a member of the McKee party and visited the northwestern part of 

 California. During the journey he learned much concerning the 

 various native tribes with whom he came in contact, especially those 

 who were encountered in the valley of the Klamath. Later he settled 

 near Fort Steilacoom, Washington, where he devoted much time 

 to the study of the languages of the different tribes and prepared 

 extensive vocal)ularies which, together with brief lists of words, are 

 now in the Smithsonian Institution. Although interested primarily 

 in linguistic studies, Gil:)bs collected ethnological material, much of 

 which is preserved in the collections of the National Museum, being 

 among the earliest specimens gathered in the country beyond the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



Gibbs was preparing to return to New York and so wrote to his 

 friend, Prof. S. I"". Baird of the Smithsonian Institution: "North 

 West Boundary Survey, Fort Walla- Walla. Nov. 16, i860. I arrived 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 97, No. 8 



