OREGON. 



OREL. 



10 



becomes navigable ; ia itself navigable by email vessels for a consider- 

 able distance ; and drains one of the moat fertile valleys in the territory. 

 The rivers which rie west of the Cascade Mountains have mostly a 

 short course and are of little service for navigation. The principal 

 are the Umqua and the Clamet. The Umqua, which after the union 

 of its two head branches, flows nearly west to the Pacific, into which 

 it falls by Cape Gregory, about 43 54' N. lat, is in its lower course a 

 wide but comparatively shallow stream, and like all the other rivers of 

 Oregon which fall into the Pacific, has iU mouth obstructed by a 

 (and bar. The Clamet, the most southern river of Oregon, is also the 

 longest south of the Columbia, but there are few settlements along its 

 banks, and its navigable capabilities are very limited. 



Of the geological features of Oregon only very partial examinations 

 have been made. The mountain ranges belong generally to the igneous 

 and palaeozoic formations. Granite, trap, basalt, hornblende, and 

 other eruptive and metamorphic rocks occur very widely, with slates, 

 limestone, sandstone, &c. Gold ia found in the sands of several of 

 the rivers which flow from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific ; and 

 it is said to have been also found in various places east of that range. 

 Other minerals, especially iron, lead, and tin are also said to occur, 

 but none of them have, we believe, been worked. We have not heard 

 that coal has been found, though it is known to exist in Washington. 

 Saline springs occur in the middle section of the territory, and near 

 its south eastern corner occur several soda and magnesia springs. 



Climate, I'roductiuns, Ac. The climate ia very varied in the different 

 section* of the territory. Along the Pacific, and generally wait of 

 the Cascade range, it U mild and genial during the entire year. The 

 winter is very short and far from severe, and snow seldom lies long 

 on the ground. In the middle section the changes of temperature 

 are much greater, and the winters much colder ; but the air is more 

 bracing and the climate appears to be generally healthy. It is aoid 

 that no dew falls in this section. In the vicinity of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains the change* of temperature are extremely great and rapid. In 

 the south-eastern part of the territory along the line of the great 

 emigration route, the climate U very variable, but rain seldom falls, 

 and there is little mow. 



Wheat u the principal grain crop ; but a considerable quantity of 

 oats is also grown. Maixe is cultivated but not to any great extent. 

 The other grains are scarcely cultivated at all. Peas and beans, 

 potatoes, and a few other vegetables are raised. Small quantities of 

 tobacco, flax, Ac., are frown. Most of the European fruits flourish iu 

 the valleys of the Columbia, Willamette, Ac. At present however 

 the chief dependence of the settlers is perhaps upon the rearing of 

 stock, which with scarce any attention thrive abundantly on the 

 excellent pasture. Horses, horned cattle, sheep, and swine are already 

 very numerous ; and butter, cheese, and wool receive much attention 

 from the agriculturist*. 



Oregon was formerly exceedingly rich in fur-bearing animals, but 

 their numbers are rapidly diminishing; beavers, musk-rats, and martins 

 are the chief which are left Their collection is still carried on almost 

 exclusively by the officer* of the Hudson's Bay company. In the 

 forest* bean, wolves, foxes, deer, elks, antelopes, and other game are 

 still very abundant. Vast quantities of aquatic birds frequent the 

 river* in the spring and autumn. Along tho coast whiles are found ; 

 and edible fih are extremely abundant both along tho coast and in the 

 rivers : the Columbia especially swarm* with fish, which form tho 

 chief food of the Indians. The principal fish taken are salmon, 

 sturgeon, cod, ray, carp, smelt, and innumerable other small fish, 

 with crabs, oysters, muaeU, and other shell-fish. 



At present manufacturing industry is chiefly confined to the pro- 

 duction of the articles required in a very thinly peopled agricultural 

 country, and those connected with the shipping trade. The commerce 

 of Oregon U not unimportant, a considerable coasting trade being 

 carried on with California ; the exports consist of large quantities of 

 Inmber, boards, flour, and provisions generally. There is alto a good 

 deal of trade carried on with New York, Boston, &c. The direct 

 foreign trade is of little consequence. 



Dititiont, Towni, <tc. The territory of Oregon is divided into ten 

 counties. Salem is the political capital. AH the towns ore ta vet 

 but small : we notice some of the principal places ; tho population is 

 that of 1850 : 



Salem, the capital, stands on the right bank of the Willamette ; it 

 ha* a small population, and little trade, but contains the state 

 buildings, Ac. 



AHoria, on the Columbia, 8 miles from its mouth, population 252, 

 is one of the oldest American trading places in Oregon, having been 

 founded by -Mr. J. Astor in 1811, but its present increase is very slow. 

 Milton Ci'y, Washington county, population 692, is one of the rising 

 towns of Oregon. Oregon City, on the right bank of the Willamette 

 River, 35 miles N.E. from Salem, population 692, is the chief town of 

 the Willamette Valley, the best nettled and most flourishing district 

 in Oregon. The city possesses a great amount of water power, and 

 appears likely to become a place of considerable importance. Port- 

 land, on the left bank of the Willamette, above its confluence with 

 the Columbia, 47 mile* Jf. by K. from Salem, population 821, is also 

 a busy and flourishing place, being the port of entry of an extensive 

 and rich country. 



The constitution was enacted by Congress in 1843 ; by it the right 



of voting is vested in every white male inhabitant of Oregon, 21 years 

 of age, and a citizen of the United States, or who shall in the usual 

 manner declare his desire to become one. The legislature consists of 

 a council of 9 members, elected for three years; and a house of 

 representatives of uot less than 18 nor more than 30 members elected 

 for one year. All laws passed by this legislature must be submitted 

 to Congress for approval. The governor is appointed for four years. 



The coast of Oregon was visited both by the English and Spaniards 

 in the IGtu century, and it has been much disputed to the mariners of 

 which country the honour of the discovery is to be ascribed. Spanish 

 writers claim its discovery for Ferrelo, the pilot of Cabrillo, who 

 they assert reached 43 N. lat in 1543 ; while those who claim for 

 England the honour of the discovery show that Drake in 1579 attained 

 to 48 N. lat. The mouth of the Columbia, although Heceta in 1775 

 and Vancouver early in 1792, suspected the existence of an important 

 river from the general appearance of the bay into which it empties itself, 

 was not actually discovered until later in 1792, when a Captain Baker 

 of the English merchant service and a Captain Gray, the master of an 

 American merchant vessel, entered the testuary of the river. On tho 

 priority of Gray's entry the United States government some years 

 later founded its claim to the territory drained by the river and iu 

 tributaries ; but the river was actually ascended for the first time by 

 Lieutenant Broughton, R.N., who a few months after Captain Gray 

 had entered ita mouth, went up it for above 100 miles, and formally 

 took possession of the country iu the name of his sovereign George III. 

 The sovereignty of Oregon was in 1789-90 a matter of grave dispute 

 between the governments of England and Spain, but the question was 

 terminated in 1790 by the Couvention of Madrid, by which the right 

 of exclusive possession was relinquished by both countries. The 

 Americans subsequently formed a trading settlement at Astoria, which 

 during the war in 1314 was taken possession of by the English, but 

 given up at the close of tho war. After the treaty with Spain iu 1819 

 the United States government first set up a claim, founded on the 

 right of discovery, and also on their having by the treaty succeeded 

 to the Spanish right of occupancy, to the exclusive possession of 

 Oregon ; and the claim involved the English and American govern- 

 ineuts on more than one occasion in very serious disputes. The 

 question was not finally settled till 1846, when a treaty was concluded 

 between the two powers, giviug to the United States the entire country 

 up to the parallel of 49 N. lat, including therefore the whole tract 

 since formed into the territories of Oregon and Washington, but 

 reserving to England the free navigation of the Columbia River as a 

 line of communication with the Hudson's Bay Territory ; and Oregon 

 wo* constituted a territory by Act of Congress August 14th, 1848. 



(Stalittical Gazetteer of tke United State*; American Almanac; 

 Seventh Ceniiu of the Untied States; Wilkes, Narrative of the United 

 State* rpiorijr Expedition ; Qreenhow; Falconer; Wallace; Twiss; 

 Nicolay, Ac.) 



OREGRUND. [SWEDKN.] 



OREL, a government of Great Russia, situated between 51 50' and 

 55 N. lat, 32 50' and 39" E. long., is bounded N. by Kaluga, N.E. 

 by Tula, E. by Tambow, S.E. by Woronotz, S. by Kursk, S.W. by 

 Tschernigov, and N.W. by Smolensk. Its area is 18,176 square 

 miles; the population was stated to be 1,502,900 in 1846. 



The country has a cosiderable elevation, but it contains no moun- 

 tains. There are some chains of calcareous hills, and some eminences 

 along the banks of the rivers. The soil is generally sandy, and 

 extremely well adapted to all kinds of grain : in some parts it is com- 

 posed of compact clay and loam. There is very little unproductive 

 land, and few heaths and morasses. A portion of the surface belongs 

 to the basin of the Volga ; but the greater part is included iu the 

 basin of the Dnieper, and slopes to the south. The principal river 

 U the De-na, which comes from Smolensk, passes through the circles 

 of Briansk and Trubtachewsk, where it becomes navigable, and, having 

 received several other rivers, runs iuto the government of Tscheruigov. 

 The second river is the Oka, which rises on the frontier of Kursk, and 

 would be navigable at Orel if the stream were not obstructed by 

 numerous mills. It receives several small rivers, 'by which it is so 

 enlarged, that during the whole summer it is navigable for flat- 

 bottomed boat* of 250 to 400 tons : no part of it is obstructed by 

 rocks. The third principal river is the Sosna, the source of which is 

 near that of the Oka; it runs to the north-east, receives on both sides 

 several smaller streams, and falls into the Don on the frontier of 

 Woronetz. There are no large lakes, but the province is extremely 

 well watered by streams. It is of a very uniform temperature and 

 very healthy. A general failure of the crops is extremely rare. The 

 waters are frozen at the end of November, and thaw in the beginning 

 of March. 



All kinds of corn are cultivated, a little flax, much hemp, and some 

 tobacco. Horticulture is pretty general ; culinary vegetables and 

 fruits are cultivated ; also abundance of hops, apples, and cherries, 

 and in some parts pears and plums. There are woods and copses in 

 all the circles. The commonest trees are birches, alders, firs, aspens, 

 limes, elms, and willows. Oak-forests cover the banks of the Desna, 

 but there is so much waste that they are rapidly diminishing. Foxes, 

 hares, and quails are abundant. 'Hie horses are a fine breed, fit both 

 for draught and the saddle, and there are many studs, which are 

 supplied with stallions from other countries. The oxen arc large and 



