40 LIEUTENANT HOWISON REPORT ON OREGON, 1846
getting vessels into the river; and again, if more means of transportation presented themselves, the surplus produce of the country would find a sale, and be conveyed to a foreign mar- ket thus enabling the farmer, the miller, the sawyer, the shingle-maker, the gatherer of wool, and the packer of salted beef and pork, to share i'n the advantages of a more extended demand ; in short, some thousands of people in this country are suffering at this moment in consequence of the inadequate means of commercial exchange between it and its neighbors of California and the Sandwich islands.
The granaries are surcharged with wheat ; the saw-mills are surrounded with piles of lumber as high as themselves; the grazier sells his beef at three cents per pound to the merchant, who packs it in salt and deposites it in a warehouse, awaiting the tardy arrival of some vessel to take a portion of his stock at what price she pleases, and furnish in return a scanty supply of tea and sugar and indifferent clothing, also at her own rate. I feel it particularly my duty to call the attention of govern- ment to this subject. This feeble and distant portion, of itself, is vainly struggling to escape from burdens which, from the nature of things, must long continue to oppress it, unless par- ental assistance comes to its relief. The first measure necessary is to render the entrance and egress of vessels into the mouth of the Columbia as free from danger as possible ; and the first step towards this is to employ two competent pilots, who should reside at Cape Disappointment, be furnished with two Balti- more-built pilot boats, (for mutual assistance in case of accident to either,) and be paid a regular salary, besides the fees, which should be very moderate, imposed upon each entering vessel. A light-house, and some beacons with and without lights, would aid very much in giving confidence and security to vessels ap- proaching the river ; but more important than all these would of course be the presence, under good management, of a strong and well-built steam tug. The effects of these facilities would be to render certain, at least during the summer months, the coming in ahd going out of vessels, subtract from the premium
