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36 PIIYSICALHISTORYOFMAN. 



into the heads of the natives." Several ladies of the American mission 

 had travelled by land from the United States ; and they were, I think, 

 the first White females seen in Oregon. 



In the mission-house, we had a meeting of natives, to whom some 

 of the principal events of our Voyage were narrated ; and with the 

 aid of a map, they seemed entirely to comprehend the course. As 

 some shadow of governmental protection might be useful to residents 

 in this remote quarter, the occasion of our visit was stated, in these 

 words : " our great father had sent out his ships to look after his chil- 

 dren in all parts of the world." In return, they gave us some speci- 

 mens of native eloquence, which, however, did not come up to our 

 anticipations ; the burden of their story seemed to be, that " they 

 were themselves a poor miserable people." No one can be regarded 

 as altogether safe in the 'Indian country;' and, from some supersti- 

 tious idea, a member of the Hudson Bay Company had been re- 

 cently assassinated. 



Mr. Spalding had neat cattle and sheep, which thrive remarkably 

 well ; also a mill, and a plot of ground cultivated by irrigation, a 

 novel idea to the farmer from the United States. A field of wheat 

 looked remarkably well, as also various garden vegetables ; and maize 

 succeeds here, and even, it is said, at Colville, although it had hitherto 

 failed on the coast. Many of the natives had followed Mr. Spalding's 

 example ; and he gave them the character generally of being " an ex- 

 ceedingly industrious people." Here was abundant evidence, were 

 any needed, that the North American tribes are in nowise averse to 

 the arts of civilization, or devoid in any respect of the common attri- 

 butes of humanity. 



The plantations of the natives, situated in a small lateral valley, 

 were visited on the following morning. One man had adopted en- 

 tirely the customs of the Whites, having built himself a comfortable 

 log house, while his wife, an interesting-looking woman, was neatly 

 attired, in the European fashion. The little valley seemed in fact 

 an earthly paradise, which I could not quit without misgivings as to 

 the future. 



After proceeding about fifteen miles, we arrived at the forks, having 

 passed on the way not less than a thousand horses, distributed over 

 the country in scattered bands; while others were here undergoing 

 the process of furnishing hairs for halters. The natives, to the num- 

 ber of some forty families, were congregated in a single circular 

 building, formed of rails : and after some delay, they furnished us 



