222 MEMOKIAL OF GEORGE GIBBS. 



sonages and the politics of that stirring period. It is written in strong, 

 nervous style, AYith great clearness and simplicity. It is questionable 

 whether at the time the publication of these volumes was of benent to 

 the young lawyer. The law in those days was supposed to allow of no 

 divided suit for her favor, and literary lawyers received few briefs. 

 This publication, under the title of " The Memoirs of the Administration 

 of Washington and Adams, edited from the papers of Oliver Wolcott, 

 Secretary of the Treasury," was printed in 1846, in two volumes octavo. 



In 1848 an event occurred which strangely affected the minds of all 

 those restless spirits who chafed under the confinement of city life, and 

 yearned for the freedom of nature. Gold-fields were discovered in Cali- 

 fornia. The wonders of the fifteenth century were renewed in the very 

 current of our daily life, and a new El Dorado opened an inviting field 

 for adventurous character. Dissatisfied with the dull routine of a slug- 

 gish practice, and urged on by "his unwearied taste for practical scientific 

 research, Mr. Gibbs took advantage of an occasion which the march of 

 the Mounted Eifles overland from Saint Louis to California afforded him, 

 and accompanied them to Oregon, where he established himself at Colum- 

 bia. 



Before he left New York he had taken a lively interest in politics, and 

 was an active member of the whig party. Not a man to remain quiet 

 when his feelings were aroused, he soon became prominent among men 

 of the whig opinion, and was a leader in the councils of the young 

 men's committee. Wben Mr. Fillmore succeeded to the Presidency of 

 the United States, Mr. Gibbs received, in 1854, the appointment of col- 

 lector of the port of Astoria, which he held during his administration. 

 Later he removed from Oregon to Washington Territory, and settled 

 upon a ranch a few miles from Fort Steilacoom, at a small settlement 

 called by the same name. Here he had his headquarters for several 

 years, devoting himself to the study of the Indian languages, and to the 

 collection of voc,.ibularies and traditions of the northwestern tribes. 

 During a great part of the time he was attached to the United States 

 Government commission in laying the boundary as the geologist or 

 botanist of the expedition. Each commission in turn sought eagerly for 

 the aid of his practical experience, his varied and extensive acquirements, 

 and the comfort of his brave, cheerful, genial nature. He was specially 

 attached as geologist to the survey of a railroad-route to the Pacific 

 under Major (afterward General) Stevens. His associates on this expe- 

 dition were Drs. George Suckley and J. G. Cooper as naturalists, to 

 whose reports Mr. Gibbs made large contributions. 



In 1857 he was appointed to the northwest boundary survey, under Mr. 

 Archibald Campbell as commissioner, with General J. G. Parke as chief 

 engineer, and after the close of the survey prepared an elaborate report 

 on the geology and natural history of the country. 



It must not be supposed that the life in Oregon in those days was a 

 life of ease or leisure — rather a rude struggle with nature for even exist- 



