Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/299

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Report on Oregon Territory
291

POPULATION.

It is extremely difficult to ascertain with accuracy the amount of population in the Territory, particularly of Indians, who change to their different abodes as the fishing seasons come around, and if [this fact were] not attended to would produce very erroneous results.

The following is believed to be very nearly the truth. If anything, it is overrated:

Vancouver and Washington Islands 5,000 From the parallel of 50 to 54 40' north 2,000 Penns Cove, Whidbeys Island, and mainland opposite (Scatchat) 650 Hoods Canal (Suquamish and Toando) 500 At and about Okanogan 300 About Colville, Spokane, etc 450 Willamette Falls and Valley 275 Pillar Rock, Oak Point, and Col. R 300 Clallams: Port Discovery 150 Port Townsend 70 New Dungeness 200 Walla Walla, including the Nezperces, Snakes, etc 1,100 Killamouks, north of Umpqua 400 Closset tribe: Cape Flattery, Quiniault, to Point Grenville 1,250 Blackfeet tribes that make excursions west of the Rocky Mountains 1,000 Birch Bay 300 Frazers River 500 Chenooks 209 Clatsops , 220 At the Cascades 150 At The Dalles 250 Yakima River 100 Shutes River 125 Umpquas 400 Rogue River 500 Klamets . 300 Shastys 500 Kalapuyas 600 Nisqually 200 Chikeeles and Puget Sound 700 Cowlitz Klackatacs 350 Port Orchard Suquamish 150 Total 19,204

The whole Oregon territory may be estimated as containing 20,000. Of whites, Canadians, and half-breeds there are between 700 and 800, of whom about 150 are Americans; the rest are settlers and the officers and servants of the company.