THE ROARING FORTIES 127 



well-organized caravans from Saint Louis every 

 spring. The purpose of the missionaries was 

 to Christianize and civilize the Indians, but the 

 sites selected for the stations were naturally 

 determined by the requirements of the white 

 man s life. The valleys of the Columbia and 

 its tributaries were found to abound in rich 

 agricultural lands. The climate was mild and 

 the rainfall copious. Reports of the attractive 

 ness of the region circulated through the United 

 States, together with highly colored descriptions 

 of the establishments by which the Hudson s 

 Bay Company was maintaining and consol 

 idating the British occupation. As a conse 

 quence demands began to be heard, in Congress 

 and out, for action by the government for the 

 encouragement and protection of an American 

 occupation. Before anything was done, how 

 ever, emigration from the settled States assumed 

 large proportions. From 1841 every spring saw 

 a numerous company start from western Mis 

 souri on the long journey to Oregon, which they 

 were lucky to reach six months later. Arrived 

 in the promised land, they found no semblance 

 of political organization or authority save where 

 the British flag waved over the posts of the Hud 

 son s Bay Company. 



