184

NELLIE BOWDEN PIPES in the permanent establishment of a military post, occu- pied by a force of five or six hundred men; he added that he had given orders to Lieutenant Wilkes, commanding the Exploring Expedition, to make a careful survey of the Northwest coast, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, the Columbia river, the coast included between this river and California, and very especially the port of San Francisco, represented as one of the finest in the world. He says also that he has ordered the commander of the Pacific squadron to employ a sloop-of-war to make observations in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which includes a port (Puget Sound), the occupation of which he thinks very important, in order to convert it into a station for ships of war, in view of the dangers which these shores present for ships of all classes. Mr. Paulding thinks also that the addition of two sloops, having for their object the re-en - forcement of the Pacific squadron, woud aid efficiently in the defense of the Oregon Territory, and enable the Com- mander of the squadron fully to carry out the instructions already given him relative to the Gulf of California and the Northwest coast of America. The Secretary con- cludes by saying that the sum of $150,000 would seem to him sufficient for the purpose. In 1840, an American lawyer, Mr. Farnham, went overland to the Columbia on a semi-official mission for his Government. He induced the American and French Canadian settlers on the Willamette to ask of Congress the protection of the United States, and he also gathered some interesting information concerning the country. 42 ' In June, 1841, the American squadron 43 visited al- most all the territory and in September left at Fort Van Couver Mr. Hale, of whom we have spoken. Last year 42 Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, the Rocky Moun- tains and in the Oregon Territory. 2 v. Lond. 1843. —de Morfas. For sketch of T. J. Farnham see Thwaites' "Early Western Travels," v. 28, p. 10-14. He was one of the "Peoria party" of 1840 and had no official connection with the government. 43 U. S. Exploring Expedition under command of Charles Wilkes.