In their slow progress, these persons have encountered, as in all
former instances, and as all succeeding emigrants must, if this or
some similar bill be not passed by Congress, the continual fear of
Indian aggression, the actual loss through them of horses, cattle and
other property, and the great labor of transporting an adequate amount
of provisions for so long a journey. The bill herewith proposed would,
in a great measure, lessen these inconveniences by the establishment
of posts, which, while having the possessed power to keep the Indians
in check, thus doing away with the necessity of military vigilance on
the part of the traveler by day and night, would be able to furnish
them in transit with fresh supplies of provisions, diminishing the
original burdens of the emigrants, and finding thus a ready and
profitable market for their produce--a market that would, in my
opinion, more than suffice to defray all the current expenses of such
post. The present party is supposed to have expended no less than
$2,000 at Laramie's and Bridger's Forts, and as much more at Fort Hall
and Fort Boise, two of the Hudson Bay Company's stations. These are at
present the only stopping places in a journey of 2,200 miles, and the
only place where additional supplies can be obtained, even at the
enormous rate of charge, called mountain prices, i. e., $50 the
hundred for flour, and $50 the hundred for coffee; the same for sugar,
powder, etc.
Many cases of sickness and some deaths took place among those who
accomplished the journey this season, owing, in a great measure, to
the uninterrupted use of meat, salt and fresh, with flour, which
constitute the chief articles of food they are able to convey on their
wagons, and this could be obviated by the vegetable productions which
the posts in contemplation could very profitably afford them. Those
who rely on hunting as an auxiliary support, are at present unable to
have their arms repaired when out of order; horses and oxen become
tender-footed and require to be shod on this long journey, sometimes
repeatedly, and the wagons repaired in a variety of ways. I mention
these as valuable incidents to the proposed measure, as it will also
be found to tend in many other incidental ways to benefit the
migratory population of the United States choosing to take this
direction, and on these accounts, as well as for the immediate use of
the posts themselves, they ought to be provided with the necessary
shops and mechanics, which would at the same time exhibit the several
branches of civilized art to the Indians.
The outlay in the first instance would be but trifling. Forts like
those of the Hudson Bay Company's surrounded by walls enclosing all
the buildings, and constructed almost entirely of adobe, or sun-dried
bricks, with stone foundations only, can be easily and cheaply
erected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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