VI PREFACE. 



Lewis and Clarke, Kotzebue, Beechey, and Belcher, all 

 contain important information as to the geography of the 

 countries under consideration ; but as regards the events, 

 which lie within the province of the historian, we have only 

 the accounts of the Astoria enterprise, by Franchere, Cox, 

 and Irving, all interesting, yet all limited to the occur- 

 rences of three or four years. In the most popular histo- 

 ries of other countries, and especially of Great Britain, the 

 circumstances relating to North-West America, are, in 

 every material point, misrepresented, either from neglect 

 on the part of the authors, or from motives less excusable ; 

 and these histories, being universally read and received as 

 true in England and in the United States, it is not astonish- 

 ing, that erroneous ideas should be generally entertained 

 by the people of both nations, upon points, which have 

 been, and will continue to be, the subjects of discussion be- 

 tween their governments. 



The Memoir, above mentioned, contains the outlines of 

 the History now presented ; for which the same authorities, 

 with many others since collected, consisting of private and 

 official reports, letters and accounts, journals of expeditions 

 by sea and land, and histories and state papers of various 

 civilized nations, have been carefully examined and com- 

 pared. Many errors of fact as well as of reasoning in the 

 former work, have by this means been corrected ; and 

 new circumstances have been brought to light, and new 

 arguments have been founded upon them, calculated per- 

 haps materially to modify the views of those to whom the 

 settlement of questions relative to North-West America 

 may be hereafter entrusted. The principal object of the 

 author has been to present the facts relative to the discov- 

 ery and settlement of those countries, fairly ; and to investi- 

 gate the claims which have been deduced from them, 

 agreeably to the immutable principles of right, and the 

 o-eneral understanding of civilized nations : and although 

 i.e fully appreciates, and endeavors in all cases to place in 



