THE WEST SHORE.
63
first discovered and visited the country, when they saw the Indians with big flle pacific, founded Upon information given by
wire enlarged by the load of ornaments, were naturally inclined to call them .. , . , . . , . .
orcjon (big ears). That nickname, first given to the Indians, became also the the natives; and Upon many maps Of tll6 eighteenth Ceil-
name of the country. This explains how Captain Carver got it and first made ixv, published before Carver's lOUniCY WHS liliulo, bUoli li
line of it. But the travelers, perhapB Carver himself, not knowing tl HjwiWi " . .. , . . . , ,.
useoni. " . . .L. , ! ... UtrAnm wna liiilwMitnil. honrintf variously tho nameH
orcjii't "r ' 1 - i -
name of the country. This explains how Captain Carver got it and first made tuTV, published before Cnrver'fl jouniCY WHS lillUiO, bUuu li
; Pnf tl,n frnvnlnrfl. nArhans Carver himself, not knovrinff tfif, Hnnnish 1 ..... . ....
iZtwtl nor tho cuiiurprouuuoiation of the j m BpanUh, or facility sake stream was indicated, bearing variously tho names
would hnvo written it ftna pronouoceu u uregont uiblwiu ui vre-jon, m oiuuikiuk " mver 01 tllO iVfiHt, 1UV0F XUPgliyO. XlO iW U'H
lli2&"''0nmn 11 k." (Admiral Fonto's mythical stream), and "lliver
This is certainly a scientific explanation, and were it of Aguilar." The first definite account of the River of
only sustained by facts would be a satisfactory one; it the "West was given by a Yazoo Indian to Dupratz, a
will not, however, stand for a moment the light of inves- French traveler, many years before Carver's journey,
tigation. At the time Carver wrote his book no Spanish The Indian assorted that he had aHcondcd the Missouri
explorer had set foot in Oregon nor had the least com- northwesterly to its source, and that beyond this ho en
munication with its native inhabitants; they were not countored another groat river flowing towards the setting
even familiar enough with the coast line to be aware of sun, down which he passod until his progress was nr.
the existence of the Columbia River. Consequently they restod by hostilities existing between trills residing
had not and could not apply the title Orcjon to its in- along the stream. He participated in tho war, and in a
habitants-people whom they had never seen and of battle his party captured a woman of a tribo living fur
whom they knew nothing. No allusion is made to the ther west, from whom ho learned that tho river entered a
natives of this unknown land in the record of any Spanish great water where ships had been soon sailing, and in
explorer previous to that date, and the bishop's supposi- them were men with beards and white faces. In view ol
tion that they discovered and visited this country," the fact that no ships had then visited that jxrtum of the
bIiows how unfamiliar he was with the history of Spanish Oregon coast, it is safe to oons.der the latter part of iho
explorations on the Tacifio Coast His assertion that account as simply an embellishment by tho Indian or
Carver crossed the continent to the Pacific is equally at Dupratz. Several maps published nftoon years .prior to
variance with tho facts, for the worthy captain, though Carver's expedition had indicated upon them tho Kivor
he claimed to have traveled much farther than historians of tho West.
are willing to admit, never oven hinted at having made so Captain Carver left Boston in 700, and travel. ng by
extensive a journey. The two great foundation stones the way of Detroit and Fort Michdimac.nao reached tho
i oTIch tho bishop's theory rests having thus crum- headwaters of the Mississippi The o joe of ha, 5our
b ed to dust, the whole superstructure falls to the ground, ney, as stated m his account, was
and the natives of Oregon are thus relieved of those breadth of the vast continent which extends from lie
nor mous wllh must have been so burdensome to Atlantic to the Pacific 0 jb J-
them The facts bearing tfpon this subject are so scat- tween tho forty-third and forty-sixt degrees of north
mSh gSmd that it is impossible to latitude. Had I hcen uUhio acamplf . I
u J rllZZll thoLnpass of an article of this to have proposed to Jj
naie, but tho most important ones may bo briefly given in s
Tn . Snanish explorer Martin do Aguilar, belongs to the English. This, I am convinced, would
coastodTfar" SSt hlgrees, where says greatly facilitate JTSS
Torquemadanho land forced a capo.
frbtltrivewith ash trees, w 1(l
brambles and other trees of Cas i e on its ' -s , m . u r
they endeavored to enter, but could no from tho fo.ee 1 1 . r
tho current." The vessel then returned to Acapulco; and do ubtf 1 S t. .
races all tho Spaniards knew of Uregon - hU) ftt tho BUHtin of tt
at to Carver's journey, though it was customary Lomlm W" proceeds of its sale
upon their charts a groat river in ine nu . nm,,HiticH, )
French explorers before alluded to.
this embr
subsequent
for them to mark
vinmirir nf tlio fnrfv.
it with tho Colorado and transforming California into an
island.
writings
To him must bo
inA . n i i.tKi. FnLdiHh La credited, however, the first use of tho word "Oregon,
Prior to tho conquest of Canada by the Engl "h, La juw, 0ly original thing in his
Hontan, Marquette, Charlevoix, f ile says: "From the natives, together with my
ntl.Ar FrnP.h exnlorers traversed the country about the uook. a 9 . .
r ... il -
asserted in the existence 52 their ourc. iu tho same neighborhood,
ward from the vicinity of the headwaters o! the Missouri V est we