384 WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 



was on a visit to Oregon as an agent of our government, he relin- 

 quished the idea, notwithstanding he had already incurred conside- 

 rable expense. 



Mr. Young was, at the time, of opinion, that unless they had cattle, 

 to which he believed the country was well adapted, they never could 

 succeed in creating a successful settlement, and it was necessary 

 to go to considerable expense to obtain them from California, as the 

 Hudson Bay Companj'', or rather the Puget Sound Company, would 

 not part with any. Mr. Slacurn generously offered to advance the 

 money necessary, and to give as many Americans as desired it, a free 

 passage to San Francisco, in California, there to purchase stock and to 

 drive them through to the Willamette. This was accordingly done, 

 and after many difficulties, the cattle reached the Willamette in 1839. 

 Mr. Youno^ took charg-e of the share of Mr. Slacum, which then 

 amounted to twenty-three. Previous to our arrival on the Northwest 

 Coast, we heard from the United States of the death of Mr. Slacum, 

 and on our arrival there, that of Mr. Young was also made known 

 to me. The funds and property of Mr. Young, by general consent 

 of the settlers, was put into the hands of the Rev. Mr. Leslie, who 

 acted as administrator, and informed me, that at the division of Mr. 

 Young's cattle, eighty-six had been put aside as the share of Mr. 

 Slacum, after the proportion of loss and accidents had been deducted, 

 making the increase in four years, sixty-three. Of these cattle no 

 other care had ever been taken than to drive them into the pens for 

 protection at night. Mr. Slacum's share was subsequently sold at 

 the request of his nephew, who was a midshipman on board my ship, 

 to Dr. M'Laughlin, for eight hundred and sixty dollars — ten dollars 

 a head. 



The Willamette is now, through the interest felt and advances 

 made by Mr. Slacum, well supplied with cattle, which are fast 

 increasing in numbers. 



We found the farm of Mr. Young very much out of order, although 

 I understood that two persons had been put in charge of it on wages 

 at one dollar a day. The farm-house, at which we stopped, was 

 entirely open, and every thing seemed to be going fast to ruin. 

 Johnson, in hunting about the premises, found a sick man, a native 

 of the Sandwich Islands, lying in a bunk. In a small kitchen half 

 a pig was hanging by its hind legs, roasting over a slow fire ; and 

 every thing seemed in confusion. We did not stay long, but rode 

 on to his saw-mill, which we found in ruins. It was badly located, 



