Here the settlers and Slacum parted ways. While in the Willamette Valley, Slacum noted the dependency of the pioneers on the Hudson's Bay Company. This was especially true when it came to cattle, as the HBC only leased cattle to the settlers. Any offspring were the property of the HBC. So the lieutenant offered to take any of the settlers to California to buy cattle, and even provided $500 for the venture. After returning to the United States, William Slacum prepared a report on the information he gathered on the Northwest Coast. In his report that was read in Congress on December 18, 1837, Slacum details the activities in the region and advocated that the United States extend jurisdiction over this area with a border of no further south than the 49th parallel. Amongst other things, one recommendation of his was to cut a channel through Cape Disappointment in order to improve accessibility to the Columbia River and avoid the dangerous bar of the river. On November 1, 1839, Slacum died. After his death, Slacum's estate tried to receive funds from the United States government for Slacum's expenses from his trip to the Oregon Country.