EWING YOUNG AND His ESTATE 173
as were attempting to gain a foothold there. Under these circumstances the experiences of Mr. Slacum as the agent of the American government in spying out the situation are nat- urally interesting. He had no sooner entered the Columbia before he found that the Hudson's Bay Company had matters well in hand. Two of the Company's ships outward bound laden with valuable cargoes were met as he approached Fort George, the guard post at the sea entrance to this domain.
The authorities were keenly alert when apprised of the arrival of an American vessel without a cargo. In a few days he had duplicate invitations to visit the center of operations, Fort Vancouver, and soon was embarked thither in a boat of one of the partners, Mr. Douglass. On his arrival he "met a hospitable reception" from the chief factors, Dr. John Mc- Loughlin and Mr. Duncan Finlayson. It was made agree- able for him to use nearly half of the period of his stay in Oregon in visiting the farm of the post and the Indian lodges about it. He estimated the whole number of persons there congregated as from 750 to 800. The farm of 3,000 acres in cultivation was producing some 20,000 bushels of grain, 9,000 bushels of peas and 14,000 bushels of potatoes. Its live stock consisted of 1,000 head of cattle, 700 hogs, 200 sheep, 450 to 500 horses, and 40 yoke of working oxen.
When ready to make a survey of the American establish- ments up the Willamette he was furnished with canoe, oarsmen and all necessaries for the trip. He ascended the river to Champoeg and the settlements in its vicinity. To Champoeg Jason Lee had come to meet him as Dr. McLoughlin had ar- ranged. They visited all the settlers of the lower settlement, and the next day the mission house and upper settlement some eigh- teen miles from Champoeg. On French Prairie, stretching on from Champoeg to the mission station, he lists thirteen retired servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, quite a proportion of whom had established themselves four or five years before.
