220 
SOUTHERN OREGON. 
well acquainted with the various characters of the people who were 
settled there. They generally consist of those who have been hunters 
in the mountains, and were still full of the recklessness of that kind 
of life. Many of them, although they have taken farms and built 
log houses, cannot be classed among the permanent settlers, as they 
are ever ready to sell out and resume their old occupation, when an 
opportunity offers. Our party found them, with one or two exceptions 
well disposed. 
The gentlemen of the party, who had more time and opportunity 
to become acquainted with the operations of the missionaries than I 
had, were less favourably impressed than myself. One of the prin¬ 
cipal complaints of the settlers against the members of the mission 
was, that they never had any religious service, although several 
ministers of the mission were unemployed. This complaint, how¬ 
ever, could not be made on our part; for, the first Sunday the party 
was encamped, the Rev. Mr. Leslie invited them all to his house for 
that purpose, which invitation was accepted. Tibbats, one of the 
party, was sitting by an open window during the sermon, and, as 
many have done before him, was nodding, in which motion he threw 
his head back and struck the stick that supported the sash, which 
coming down suddenly, caught him by the neck. This accident 
occasioned no small disturbance in the congregation, but no injury 
resulted from it to the man, who was inclined to join in the laugh 
that unavoidably took place after he was extricated. This anec¬ 
dote will show the character of the class of settlers which the mis¬ 
sionaries would have to deal with, and I am inclined to believe that 
for the neglect of duty imputed to them, those who make the charge 
are themselves chiefly to blame. 
It was the general impression of our party, however, that the field 
for a mission was but small, and not sufficient to warrant the ex¬ 
penses that have been lavished upon it. Their school was in opera¬ 
tion, and included twenty pupils in all. Dr. Babcock mentioned 
to one of our gentlemen that he had a native boy for a. servant, of 
whose qualifications and education he spoke, saying that it was a 
-great trouble to get him into cleanly habits, such as washing his face 
and hands in the morning, before he milked the cow. He next taught 
him to make a fire, boil a tea-kettle, and make tea; he then taught him 
to fry and bake; he could w^ash clothes, and would in a short time be 
able to iron. 
All our gentlemen experienced the same kind treatment and good 
fare that I have before spoken of, and nothing seemed to be wanting 
in the way of substantial comforts. 
