448 
TRAVELS IN OREGON, NO. 1. 
to Fort Vancouver. They landed within a mile of the 
fort, and walked to it by a road through a wood of large 
pines, and an undergrowth of various flowering shrubs. 
The old stumps in the road were overgrown with the 
honeysuckle in full blossom. The}" entered at the back 
of the village, which consisted of about fifty comfortable 
log houses, placed in regular order on each side of the 
road. They are inhabited by the company’s servants, and 
were swarming with children.—whites, naif-breeds and 
■pure Indians. The fort stands at some distance beyond the 
village, and to the eye appears like an upright wall of 
pickets, twenty-five feet high; this encloses the houses, 
shops and magazines of the company. The enclosure 
contained about four acres, which appear to be under 
full cultivation. Large granaries were to he seen be- 
vond the fort. At: one end is Dr. McLaughlin’s house, 
built after the model of the French Canadian, and 
one story, weather-boarded and painted white. It has 
a piazza and some flower beds, with grape and .other 
vines in front. Between the steps are two old cannons 
on sea carriages, with a few T shot to speak defiance to 
the natives, who doubtless look upon them as very for¬ 
midable weapons of destruction. These are mentioned 
by Captain Wilkes as the only warlike weapons to his 
knowledge within the pickets of Vancouver, which dif¬ 
fers from all the other forts in having no bastions, gal¬ 
leries or loopholes. 
