# Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 37/The Coming of the White Women, 1836, part 2

See also part 1 and part 3 of this series
THE COMING OF THE WHITE WOMEN, 1836
By T. C. Elliott
(Part II)
A previous chapter has described the last few days of travel and the arrival at the Columbia River of the first white woman, Mrs. Narcissa Whitman, to make the journey from the Missouri River over what later came to be known as the Oregon trail; her companion, Mrs. Eliza Spalding, arrived two days later. These two now become the first of their sex and nation to travel from Fort Walla Walla down the Columbia to the Hudson's Bay Company headquarters at Fort Vancouver, a distance of about three hundred miles by the river's course. The journey, as described by Mrs. Whitman, is now continued.
Women had traveled upon the Columbia during previous years; the heroines Sacajawea and Madame Dorion, for instance, Mrs. John McLoughlin and her children, Mrs. James Douglas, and the wives of other fur traders. The waterways wherever possible furnished the regular routes of travel during the fur trade period. This journey becomes a novel experience for these two white women. The boat which carried them was itself novel. It was of the canoe type but better called a batteau, propelled or guided by paddles or oars, between thirty and forty feet long and carrying exceedingly large loads.
​The Spalding party, which had been left in Powder River Valley to travel more slowly with the livestock, arrived safely, by what trail across the Blue Mountains we do not now know. The northeast bastion of the fort was assigned to the Spaldings for sleeping quarters; bunks for beds and blankets for bedding. Access to these bastions was by stairs from inside the stockade. The fort stood in a desolate place, exposed to frequent and strong winds blowing from the southwest through the scenic gorge, now called Wallula Gap; winds still dreaded by every housewife in the city of Walla Walla, thirty miles away. The site had been selected as it was a strategic point for the trade with the Indians, and as it was above high water mark. No flood yet known in the river has ever reached it, not even that of 1894.
The earlier travelers referred to by Mrs. Whitman as having much less favorable travel conditions were Jason Lee and his associates in 1834. But let Mrs. Whitman tell the story.
"Sept 2 Have busied myself today in unpacking my trunk & arrangeing my things for a visit to Vancouver. Mother will wonder at this & think me a strange child, for wishing to add three hundred miles to this journey not from necessity but because my Husband is going & I may go, as well as to stay here alone If we were obliged to go on horseback I think I should not wish to undertake it, but we are going in a boat, & it will not take us more time than six days to go there. A very agreable change & I think I shall enjoy it better than to stay here alone. I feel remarkably well & rested, do not need to lounge at all & so it is with us all. I can scarcely believe it possible of myself but it is true. I feel as vigourous & as well able to engage in any domestic employment as I ever did in my life. Covered a stock yesterday for my first work here for Husband I have not yet introduced you to the Lady of the House. She is a native From a tribe east of the mountains. She appears well does not speak English but her native language & French The ​cooking and housework is done by men chiefly. Mr. Pambran is from Canada Is very agreable & much the gentleman in his appearance
"3rd Mr. McLeod & Townsend left for Vancouver today Since our arrival new arrangements have been made about our going. Mr Pambran is going in a boat by himself & offers us a passage with him Mr. McLeod is so loaded as not to be able to give us a comfortable passage We expect to leave next week. About noon Mr and Mrs Spaulding arrived with their company, having made better proggress than was anticipated The animals all come in except one horse that has been injured in packing & entirely given out & is left. Here we all are at W W. through the mercy of a kind Providence in health & all our lives preserved. What cause for gratitude & praise to God. Surely my heart is ready to leap for joy, at the thought of being so near the long desired work of teaching the benighted ones a knowledge of a Saviour & having completed this hazardous journey under such favourable circumstances. Mr Pambran said to us the day we arrived, there never had been a company previous to ours, that came in to the Fort so well fed as we had been for the last days of the journey All our friends of the East company, who knew any thing about the country dreaded this part for us very much. But the Lord has been with & provided for us all the way. And blessed be his Holy Name. Another cause of gratitude is the [preservation] of our animals in this difficult dangerous & lengthy route, while many parties previous to this have had every animal taken from them & left on foot in a dangerous land exposed to death. Two horses have given out with fatigue & left, two have been stolen or lost. Most that we have now have come all the distance from the Settlements & appear well. two calves only have been lost the remainder came on well except those we left at Snake Fort.
"Sab 4th This has been a day of mutual thanksgiving with us all. Assembled in the Fort at twelve o'clock for worship. Our feelings are better imagined than described. This first Sabbath in September a sabbath of rest, first after completing a ​long journey, first in the vicinity of our future labours. All of us here before God. It is not enough for us alone to be thankful. Will not my beloved friends the deciples of Jesus unite with us in gratitude & praise to God for his great Mercy. It is in answer to your prayers that we are here and are permitted to see this day under such circumstances. Feel to dedicate my [self] renewedly & unreservedly to his service, among the heathen & may the Lords hand be as evidently manifest in blessing our labours among them as it has been in bringing us here, & that too in answer to your prayers, beloved christian friends. "5th Mr and Mrs Spalding have concluded to go with us to Vancouver, as nothing can be done by either of the party about location, untill the Indians return from their Summer hunt Expect to leave tomorrow. Have had exceeding high winds for two days & nights past, to which this place is subject. Our room shakes and the wind makes such a noise, that we can scarcely hear each other converse.
“Sept 7th We set sail from W W yesterday 2 o'clock P.M. Our boat is an open one, maned with six oars & the steersman. I enjoy it much, it is a very plesant change in our manner of traveling. The Columbia is a beautiful (river). Its waters are clear as crystal & smoth as a sea of glass, exceeding in beauty the Ohio of the east. But the scenery on each side of it is very different. No timber to be seen. High perpendicular banks of rocks in some places, ruged bluffs and plains of sand is all that greets the eye, as we pass down the waters of this Majestic river, we sailed untill near sun set landed piched our tents, supped on tea bread & buter, boiled ham & potatoes, commited ourselves to the care of a kind Providence then retired to rest. This morn arrose before sunrise, embarked & have sailed untill nine o'clock & are now landed for breakfast. Mr Pambrans cook is preparing it while Husband & myself are seated by a little shrub in the sand writing. We are this moment called Farewell”
One and one half day's travel brought the party to the rock reef extending across the river at Celilo Falls, then called Des Chutes. These falls are at the south side but their night camp was near the station Wishram of the “North Bank” railroad. ​Portage next morning was over the half mile or more of the rough reef to reload just below the present railroad bridge at that place. It is not clear from Mrs. Whitman's account whether about four miles further downstream they again portaged round Ninemile Rapids (Upper Dalles) or "ran" through that half mile of narrow current. Low stage of water in September would have permitted this. About four miles further down are Fivemile Rapids, so designated by the engineers but more often called Grande Dalles, where the immense flow of the Columbia turns literally on edge for one and a half miles between rocky walls scarcely two hundred feet apart. Attempting to take a close view of this wonderful work of nature, Mrs. Whitman disturbed a nest of troublesome insects, much to the discomfort of herself and the other travelers during the remainder of the day. The boat was carried over this rocky and sandy portage of nearly two miles and put into the water again just below Big Eddy of the present day. (Building of the railroads and canal has changed entirely the land topography at that point). Camp that night was probably at or near the present city of The Dalles. The Dalles was the highest point on the Columbia to which the “canoe” Indians of the Chinookan family were accustomed to ascend. During the next day's travel opportunity was afforded to observe closely the flattened heads, customary among those tribes. Mrs. Whitman mentions meeting the express boat of the company and later tells of the return of the same to Fort Vancouver. This was the fall express, which carried mail and sometimes passengers, ascending the Columbia to the western end of Athabaska Pass in British Columbia. There it met the officers returning from the annual council at York, on Hudson Bay, or Moose fort, and bringing letters from Montreal and the east.
"8th Came last night quite to the Chutes, a fall in the river not navagable where we slept & this morning before breakfast made the portage. All were obliged to land, unload carry our baggage & even the boat for a half mile. I had frequently seen the picture representing the Indians carrying their canores, but now I saw the reality. We found plenty of Indians here to assist in making the portage. After loading several with our bag​gage & sending them on, the boat was capsized & placed upon the head of about twenty Indians, who marched off with it with perfect ease. Below the main fall of water are rocks, deep narrow channels, many frightful precipices, all this distance. We walked deliberately among the rocks viewing the scene with astonishment, for this once beautiful river seems to be cut up and destroyed, by these huge masses of rocks. Indeed it is difficult to find where the main body of water passes. In high water we are told these rocks are all covered, the water rising to such an astonishing height. After paying the Indians for their assistance (which was a twist of tobacco each the length of the finger) reloaded went on board, sailed about two miles, then stopped for breakfast. This was done to get away from a throng of Indians. Many followed us however, to assist in making another bad portage three miles below this.
"Sept 9th We came to the Dalls yesterday just before noon. Here our way was stopped by two rocks of immense size & height, all the waters of the river passing between them, in a very narrow channel, & with great rapidity. Here we were obliged to land make a portage of two & half miles carrying the boat also. The Dalls is the great resort of Indians of many tribes for taking fish, we did not see many however for they had just left. Now Mother If I was with you by the fireside, I would relate a scene that would amuse you, & at the same time call forth your sympathies. It may (not] appear well on paper, or worth mentioning but for my own gratification I will write it let the consequences be what they may. After we landed curiosity would lead us to the top of that rock to see the course of the river through its narrow channel. But as I expected to walk this portage Husband thought it would be giving me to much fatigue to do both. I went with him to its base to remain there untill his return. Took with me a handful of hazle nuts, thought I would divert myself with cracking & eating them. had just seated myself in the shade of the rock, ready to commence work, when feeling something unusual on
FALLS AT CELILO
Sister S had gone past hearing To stand still I could not. I climed up the rock in pursuit of my Husband, who soon saw & came to me. I could not tell him but showed him the cause of my distress. On opening the gathers in my dress arround my waist, every plait was lined with them. Thus they had already laid themselves in ambush against a fresh attack. We brushed & shook & brushed for an hour, not stopping to kill for that would have been impossible. By this time they were reduced considerably & I prepared to go to the boat. I was relieved from walking by the offer of a horse to ride from a young Chief. This was a kindness for the way was through sand mostly & would have been a fatigueing walk found the confinement of the boat distressing on account of my miserable companions who would (not) let me rest for a moment in any one position I was not the only sufferer, every one in the boat was alike troubled both crew & passengers. As soon as I was able to make a change in my appearal I found relief. We made fine progress this morning untill nine o'clock when we were met with a head wind & obliged to make shore. The wind that works against us will assist others that are going up the stream. We met Mr Cowee last night with the Montreal express. This express goes from & returns to Vancouver twice a year Eve. Have lain still all day for the wind. This is a detention. Intended to have been at Vancouver by to morrow eve. A party of Indians came to our camp this eve. Every head was flattened. These are the first I have seen so near as to be able to examine them. Their eyes have a dull & heavy expression
"10th High winds & not able to move today
"11th Came to the Cascades to breakfast another important fall in the river where we are obliged to make a portage of a mile. The boat was towed along by the rocks over the falls with a rope. This is another great place for Salmon fishery. A boat load was just ready for Vancouver [as we] arrived. I saw an infant here whose head was in the pressing machine. This was a pitaful sight. Its mother took great satisfaction in un​binding & showing its naked head to us. The child lay upon a board between which & its head was a squirrel skin. On its forehead laid a small square cushon, over which was a bandage drawn tight around pressing its head against the board. In this position it is kept three or four months, or longer, untill the head becomes a fashonable shape. There is a variety of shapes & among them some are sharper than others. I saw a child about a year old whose head had been recently relessed from its pressure as I supposed from its looks, all the back part of it was of a purple colour as if it had been sadly bruised. We are told this custom is wearing away very fast, there is only a few tribes, on this river who practice it.”
It was the custom of the fur traders when traveling to stop before reaching their destination and make their toilets, which meant shaving by the men and change to presentable attire. On this journey such a stop was made at the sawmill of the Hudson's Bay Company, located on the north bank of the Columbia a few miles below the present city of Camas.
At Fort Vancouver Mrs. Whitman finds two English ladies, Mrs. Capendale, wife of the manager of the dairy farm, and Mrs. Jane Beaver, wife of the chaplain of the company. Also Mrs. Douglas, formerly Amelia Connolly, wife of Chief Factor James Douglas and to become in later years the highly respected Lady Douglas of Victoria, British Columbia, her father a gentleman of high rank in service of the company in Canada. Also Mrs. McLoughlin, formerly Marguerite Wadin, whose father, Jean Etienne Wadin, was a Swiss merchant in Canada; she was a woman of instinctive ability. Her daughter, Eloisa Maria, also mentioned, was married sixteen months later to William Glen Rae of the Hudson's Bay Company. One of the gentlemen (as the officers were usually referred to) then at the fort, in addition to the factors, McLoughlin and Douglas, was Doctor William F. Tolmie, trained physician from Scotland, who had
center of trade and civilization in the entire Pacific northwest. It is noticeable that no mention is made of her companion, Mrs. Spalding. These two women remained at Vancouver until November 2nd. The service and courtesies rendered by the officials of the Hudson's Bay Company to the entire missionary party serve to disprove criticisms of the company by W. H. Gray, in his so-called History of Oregon, published in 1879.
"12th Breakfasted at the sawmill five miles from Vancouver & made preparations for entering it. You may be surprised to hear of a saw Mill here when I said there was no timber on the Columbia. Since we passed the Cascades the scene is changed & we are told there is timber all the way to the Coast, above the Cascades we saw none. Eve. we are now in Vancouver. The New York of the Pacific Ocean. Our first sight as we approached the Fort were two Ships, lying in the harbour, one of which, the Neriade, Capt. Royal had just arrived from London. The Columbia Capt Darby came last May & has since been to the Sandwich Islands & returned. On landing we first met Mr Townsend whom we saw at W W but did not then say who he was. He is from Phillidelphia, has been in the mountains two years, He is sent here by a Society to collect the different species of bipeds & Quadrupeds peculiar to this country. We brought a parcel of letters to him the first he has received since he left home, Mr Townsend led us into the Fort. But before we reached the house of the Chief Factor Doct McLaughlin, were met by several gentlemen, who came to give us a welcome. Mr Douglas Doct Tolmie & Doct McLaughlin of the Hudson Bay Company who invited us in & seated us on the Sofa. Soon after we were Introduced to Mrs McLaughlin & Mrs Douglas, both natives of the country (half breed) After chatting a little we were invited to a walk in the garden. And what a delightful place this. What a contrast this to the barren sand plains through which we had so recently passed. Here we find fruit of every discription. Apples peaches grapes. Pear ​plum & Fig trees in abundance. Cucumbers melons beans peas beats cabbage, tammatoes, & every kind of vegitable, to numerous to be mentioned. Every part is very neat & tastefully arranged fine walks each side lined with strawberry vines. On the opposite end of the garden is a good Summer house covered with grapes vines. Here I must mention the origin of these Apples & grapes A gentleman twelve years ago, while at a party in London put the seeds of the grapes & apples, he eat in his vest pocket & soon after took a voyage to this country and left them here. Now they are greatly multiplied. After promonading as much as we wished & returning were met by Mrs. Capendel, a Lady from England who arrived in the Ship Columbia last May & Miss Mariah, Daughter of Doct McLaughlin quite an interesting young Lady. After dinner were introduced to Rev. Mr Beaver & Lady Clergiman of the Church of England, who arrived last week in the Ship Neriade. I mentioned in a former letter that they were expected by the way of Montreal. But they have come by sea around Cape Horn. This is more than we expected when we left home that we should be privaleged with the accquaintance & society of two English Ladies. Indeed we seem to be nearly allied to old England itself, for most of the Gentlemen of the Company are from thence & Scotland. We have not found Mr Parker here to our great disappointment. He went to Oahu in the Ship Columbia a few weeks before we arrived. We have mourned about it considerably for we thought it would be so acceptable to our dear Parents & friends at home, to hear him say that he had seen us alive here, after completing this long unheard of journey & besides I wish to send home many things which I cannot now. More than all this his counsels & advice would have been such a relief to us at this important time concerning location character of the Indians &c. But it is wisely ordered & we submit. He appears to have been a favourite here & to have done much good. The Messers Lees left Vancouver on Sat. last for their Station on the Wallamut. Mr Daniel Lee has been out of health, & for ​the year past has been at Oahu, returned in the Neriade, benefited by his visit
"13th This morn visited the School to hear the children Sing It consists of about 50 Scholars, children who have French Fathers & Indian mothers & many orphans. All the labourers here are Canadian French, with Indian wives. Indeed some of the gentlemen of the Company have native wives & have adopted the costom of the country not to allow their wives to eat with them. French is the prevailing language here. English is spoken only by a few. Just before dinner we went on board the Ship. The First I ever saw. She is a man of war & goes to the North West Coast soon. The Com. have lost three ships on this Coast. The Columbia returns to London this fall.
"14th Were invited to a ride to see the farm have rode fifteen miles this afternoon Vancouver is finely situated on the Columbia 130 miles from the ocean, Just above the mouth of the Wallamut Called on maps Multnomah. We visited the barn stock &c They estimate their wheat crops at 4000 bushels this year peas the same oats & barley between 15 & 1700 bushels each. The potatoes & turnip fields are large & fine. Their cattle are numerous, estimated at 1000 head in all their settlements. Also sheep & goats. But the sheep are of an inferiour kind. We find also Hens Turkeys Pigeons but no geese. You will ask what kind of beds are used here. I can tell you what kind they made for us after we arrived, & I have since found it a fashionable bed for this country. The bedstead is in the form of a bunk with rough board bottoms, upon which were laid about one dozen of the Indians blankets. These with a pair of pillows covered with calico cases constitute our bed & covering. There are several feather beds in the place, but they are made of the feathers of wild game, such as ducks cranes wild geese &c. I intend to make me one of these materials as soon as I can obtain them, not this winter however. There is nothing here suitable for ticking the best & only material is brown linen sheeting. The Indian Ladies make theirs of deer skin. Could we obtain a pair of geese from any quarter I should thing much of them.
"16th Every day we have something new to see. Went to ​the stores & found them filled with the cargos of the two ships both above & below, all in unbroken bails. They are chiefly Indians goods & will be sent away this fall to the several different posts of the Com. in the Ship, Neriade. Find here also every article for comfort & durability we need, but many articles for convenience & all Fancy articles are not here. Visited the Dairy also here we find butter & cheese in abundance Saw an improvement in the manner of raising cream Their pans are of an oblong square, quite large, but Shallow. Flareing a little, made of wood & lined with tin, in the center is a hole with a long plug. When the cream has all arisen to the surface, place the pan over a tub or pail, remove the plug & the milk will all run off leaving the cream in the pan only. I think these in a large dairy must be very convenient. They milk between fifty & sixty cows here. On visiting the mill did not find it in a high state of improvement It goes by horse power, has a wire bolt. This seemed a hard way of getting bread, but better so than no bread, or to grind by hand. The Com. have one at Colvil that goes by water & two on the Wallamut. Colvil is five days ride above W W from whence we expect to obtain our supplies of flour, also potatoes & pork. They have three hundred hogs there. Doct McLaughlin promises to loan us enough to make a beginning, & all the returns he asks is that we supply other settlers in the same way. He appears desireous to afford us every facility for living in his power. No person could have received a more hearty welcome or be treated with greater kindness than we have been since our arrival.
"17thA subject is now before the minds of a certain number of individuals, in which I feel a great interest, especially in its termination. It is that we Ladies spend the winter at Vancouver, while our husbands go seek their locations & build. Doct McLaughlin our host is certain that it will be best for us, & I believe is determined to have us stay. The tho'ts of it is not very pleasing to either of us for several reasons I had rather go to W. W. where if we failed of making our location or of building this fall, we could stay very comfortably & have enough to eat, but not as comfortable nor have as great variety to eat as here, & besides the difficulty of ascending the river in high water, ​not to say anything of a six months seperation when it seems the least desirable But all will be ordered for the best.
"18thSab Mr Beaver held two services in Doct McLaughlins house today His form of worship, or that of the Church of England differs in no respect from the form of the Episcopal's in the States. Enjoyed the privaledge much. The most of the gentlemen of the Fort are Scotch Presbyterian & but very few that are Episcopalians. The great mass of labourers are Roman Catholics who have three services during the Sabbath, one of which is attended at this house in which Doct McLaughlin officiates in French, translates a sermon or a tract & reads a chapter in the Bible & a prayer. The singing in Mr Beavers church was done by the children. Some of their tunes were taught them by Mr Parker. Others by Mr Shepherd of the Methodist Mission.
"19thThe question is decided at last that we stay here perhaps four or five weeks. There is so much baggage to be taken up now that the boat will be sufficiently loaded for safty without us. Have the cheering promise that they will come for us in a short time if prospered. One thing comforts us they are as unwilling to leave us as we are to stay & would not if it was possible for us to go now From this we infer that they will make every possible effort to return for us soon. We are told the rainy season will commence soon & continue through the winter & late in the Spring, while at W W their is none Vancouver is subject to the Ague & Fever. These are quite good reasons for prefering W. W. even if we have to live in a lodge. Have been making some necessary purchases for our two boys Richard & John, which we are glad to do, partly as a reward for their faithful care of the cattle during the journey. We left them at W W. They regreted our leaving them & now to stay away from them all winter, I cannot feel willing too. Their anxiety to study continues the same especially Richard's. We love them both & feel deeply interested in their welfare & shall treat them as our own so long as they deserve it
"20Doct McLaughlin gave my Husband a pair of Lether ​pantaloons today. all the gentlemen here were them for economy. Riding horseback & carrying a gun is very destructive to cloth pantaloons. Our Husbands have been making every preperation to leave us today, but have found so much to do as not to get ready to leave much before night. Have concluded to start the boat a short distance and camp, while they with Mr Pambran & Mr Gray remain in the fort to leave in the morning
21stOur friends left us this morning early. One thing I should have mentioned as decided before they left, was the propriety of making two stations. After consideration it was concluded best to for several reasons. The Cayouses as well as the Nez Perces are very anxious to have teachers among them. They are a numerous tribe and speak the same language as the Nez Perces. There are many other fields open ready for the harvest. O! that there were many other labourers here ready to occupy them immediately. Several places have been recommended which they will visit before fixing upon any place. You will recollect that we had Grand Round in view when we left home, as a location. Our reasons for not fixing upon that place are insurmountable. The pass in the Blue Mount[ains] is so difficult & the distance so great, that it would be next to impossible to think of obtaining supplies sufficient for our support. We could not depend upon game for it is very scarce & uncertain. Mr Parker recommended a place on the Koos Koos ke river six day ride above W W. I hope to be able to give you our exact location before I send this.
"22dDoct McLaughlin has put his Daughter in my care & wishes me to hear her recitations. Thus I shall have enough to do for deversion while I stay. I could employ all my time in writing & work for myself if it were not for his wishes. I sing with the children every evening also which is considered a favour.
"23I have not given you a description of our eatables here There is such a variety I know not where to begin. For breakfast we have coffe or coaco, Salt Salmon & roast duck, wild, & ​potatoes. When we have eaten our supply of them our plates are changed & we make a finish on bread & butter. For dinner we have a greater variety. First we are always treated to a dish of soup, which is very good. Every kind of vegitable in use is taken & choped fine & put into water with a little rice & boiled to a soup. The tammatoes are a promanant article. Usually some fowl meat duck or any kind, is cut fine & added if it has been roasted once it is just as good, (so the cook says) then spiced to the taste. After our soup dishes are removed, then comes a variety of meats, to prove our tastes. After selecting & tasting, change plates & try another if we choose so at every new dish have a clean plate. Roast duck is an every day dish, boiled pork, tripe & sometimes trotters, fresh Salmon or Sturgeon, yea to numerous to mention. When these are set aside a rice pudding or an apple pie is next introduced. After this melons next make their appearance, some times grapes & last of all cheese, bread or biscuit & butter is produced to complet the whole. But there is one article on the table I have not yet mentioned & of which I never partake, That is wine The gentlemen frequently drink toasts to each other but never give us the opportunity of refusing for they know we belong to the tetotal Society. We have many talks about drinking wine, but no one joins our society. They have a Temprance Society here & at the Wallamut, formed by Mr Lee. Our tea is very plain, bread & butter, good tea plenty of milk & sugar.
"30th—We are invited to a ride as often as once a week for exercise, & generally ride all the afternoon. Today Mrs McLaughlin rode with us. She keeps her old habit of riding gentleman fashion. This is the universal costom of Indian women generally, they have saddles with high backs & fronts We have been recommended to use these saddles as being a more easy way of riding but have never seen the necessity of changing our fashion. I sing about an hour every evening with the children, teaching them new tunes at the request of Doct ​McLaughlin. Thus I am wholly occupied & can scarcely find as much time as I want for writing.
"Oct 18thThis afternoon the Montreal express arrived, and a general time of rejoycing it is to every one. News from distant friends both sad & pleasing. Mr. Spalding has come with it & brought a letter from my Husband filled with pleasing information. The Lord has been with them, since they left us & has prospered them beyond all expectation. They have selected each a location & Husband remains their to build while Mr S comes for us. Cheering thot this to be able to make a beginning in our pleasing work so soon. He writes me that our location is on the Walla Walla River an eastern branch of the Columbia about 25 miles east of the Fort & about the same distance South east of the mouth of Snake or Lewis River. He is pleased with the situation thinks the soil very favourable & will be able to cultivate next year quite extensively. The spot selected can be enclosed with 80 rods of fence & brushing up the rest along two streams, by which it is most surrounded & by which may be watered. It is thought to contain 300 acres. There is no want of good land for cultivation & herding. This is the country of the Cayouses, who speak the same language as the Nez Perces. Mr. Spalding has fixed upon a place 110 miles east of us on the North side of Snake river near the mouth of CoosCoos river a small branch The land is very good but not very extensive but sufficient for the establishment, & most of the Indians. Enough may be found near on other streams for the remainder. Plenty of good timber, stone clay & water that is, fine springs, more timber on this location than on ours. We have enough for present use however such as it is, no pine all cottonwood shall be obliged to go to the mountains fifteen miles for pine. The Nez Perces are exceedingly anxious for the location. Make many promises to work & listen to instruction. They do not like to have us stop with the Cayouses. Say they do not have difficulty with the white men as the Cayouses do ​& that we shall find it so. The Walla Walla river has many branches and much good land on all of them. The Fort is on Columbia river just above Walla W. river. We shall be near neighbors to them. They intend to build both houses this fall & winter and be prepared for crops next spring. Say they shall put in their crops next spring & if they cannot fence, employ Indians to guard during the day, and yard the animals at night. When they left here did not expect to make but one location this fall, feel that they are greatly prospered in making both. We expect to leave here on the first of Nov, would be glad to go sooner if we could get our things made on account of the rain; have had none yet which is quite remarkable. Have the promise of having a room ready for me as soon as I get there. Mrs. S. goes immediately to her location without waiting for a house to be built.
"Oct 22d.It has rained today considerably the first I have seen since the 22d July. In all the journey have not suffered any inconvenience from rain, while last year in the early part of it their was rain almost continually
"25I thot I would tell what kind of a dish we had set before us this morning. It is called black pudding. It is not a favourite dish with us Americans. It goes from the table untouched. It is made of blood & the fat of hogs well spiced & filled into a gut. The grapes are just ripe & I am feasting on them finely. There is abundance now on the table before me they are very fine I save all the seeds of those I eat for planting & of apples also. This is a rule of Vancouver I have got collected before me an assortment of garden seeds which I take up with me, also I intend taking some young sprouts of apple peach & grapes & some strawberry vines &c from the nursery here. Thus we have every thing we could wish for supplied us here we brought an assortment of seed from Cincinati with us over the mountains. I think every time I look into the glass if Mother could see me now she would not think my cheek bones were very promenant. We have every comfort we can ask for here, enough to eat & drink & are as well provided for as we should be in many boarding houses in the States
"Nov 1st I have seen a sight today which makes me shudder. ​A poor Indian woman sailing in a boat with her husband just below here yesterday who was shot dead by the chief of the tribe. The ball that killed him went through her arm & just grazed her breast but did not kill her. She came into the Fort today a pitiful object. Mr. S. has told us of a case which occured just after they arrived at Walla W. from here a woman sickened & died leaving a little child. She was buried. Her husband obtained a woman to nurse the child for him. A few days after in the absence of the Father of the Child The Father of the Childs mother came & took the child away from the woman & carried it to the grave of its Mother, dug it open and placed the child in & buried it alive with its mother. When its Father returned & heard what had become of the child was very much greved, & wished to have the man shot. But no measures were then taken to redress the wrong. These things with others make me feel that I am on heathen ground.
"Eve. My school of singers are assembling, & invite my attendance. They have improved much in their singing & learned very many tunes for the short time I have been here. Doct thinks it a great assistance to them in learning to speak the English language. All regret my leaving Doct says if I was not situated so far off he would send them all to me. 18 of them are orphans which the Doct has pick'd up & saved alive. Mrs. McLaughlin has a fine ear for music & is greatly delighted. She is one of the kindest women in the world. Speaks a little French, but mostly Cree, her native tongue. She wishes to go & live with me her Daughter & Mrs Douglas also. The Lord reward them for their love & kindness to us.
"9 o'clock. The Doct urges me to stay all winter, he is a very sympathetic man is afraid we shall suffer, presents many obstacles in the way of our going which appear so to him but not to us. I have just learned that we cannot leave tomorrow. The new boat is not ready quite. No work done for us today because it is the Roman Catholic All Saints day, a Holladay. You will see the Seal of my host upon the enclosure of this journal. They are over nice in following rules of etiquette here in some particulars. It is considered impolite to seal a letter with a wafer for the reason that it is wet with spittle. ​Very impolite to send spittle to a friend. You will laugh at this I know, but so it is. We are both of us without a Seal & if I use wax I shall have to make a stamp of my thimble. How does Frances do C & J.G. I want to hear from them also Mary ann But when shall I? You will write me every one. I hope. I want to hear every one speak H & Livinia Clarissa & J.A.H. & Edward all all write Husband is so filled with business that he writes but little. He often speaks of writing you but says I must write for him untill he is less hurried in his business (he is far away now poor husband three hundred miles If I had wings I would fly) adieu
"I intended to have written this so plain that Father & Mother could read it without difficulty Perhaps I have failed in doing so."
Vancouver Nov 1st 1836
Dear Parents Brothers & Sisters
This is the last opportunity I shall have of writing you untill next Spring. We shall intend writing by the Montreal express, which leaves here in March. Possibly you may hear from us by that route, before you get this. We send these in the Ship Columbia, to Oahu, to the care of Rev Hiram Bingham, to be forward by the first opportunity. I expect to leave here tomorrow, for my future home among the Cayouses. Doct McLaughlin sends two boats to carry our baggage up the river. The water is very low at present in the river & we have had no rain yet of any consequence. We hope to have a favourable passage up. The lower the water is the safer passing those formadable obstructions, the Cascades Dalls &c. Usually the rain commences before this season & continues all winter, so we are told. We are greatly blessed in finding conveniences for building, housekeeping &c far, very far from our expectations when we left our home. The Company let us have goods as cheap as can be affoarded, & cheaper probably than we can get them from the States. They only charge us a hundred per cent more than the prime cost, or England prices. All their goods are of the best quality & will be durable. Husband has ​obtained a good stove of Mr Pambran of W. W. & we take up sheet iron enough for the pipe. My Tin ware has all been made within a week past of the first rate block tin. I have six large milk pans Coffe & Tea pots, Candle sticks & moles. Covered pails & a baker, very good, the first of the fashon seen here, &c &c And besides this the blacksmiths have all been employed in making our farming utensils &c and are nearly or quite finished, so that we shall be able to have our accounts closed up & goods boxed ready to leave tomorrow. There are a few deficiencies in the cloth line. No provision is made for beding except blankets & these are dear. No sheets, nothing for shirting except striped or calico. I have found a piece of bleach linen which I take for sheets, the only one in the store price 75 cents per yard. I miss the cotton batting for quilts & comfortables very much, but can make the blankets do me very well, only it will be heavy washing for they are all white. We are supplied with good butter & cheese, which I know you will not expect us to find so soon. Indeed every thing we could wish for to make us comfortable contented & happy is at hand. I could not have received more attention at home than I have here. I feel that I have come to a fathers house indeed, even in a strange land has the Lord raised us up friends & praise be to his holy Name. Beloved friends, all comfort your hearts concerning us. The Lord has provided & "the Lord will provide" for us, even to the end of our pilgrimage here. I expect we shall be two weeks in going to W W where we have another excelent & kind Friend in Mr Pambran & wife they will be our near neighbors, only twenty five miles apart, Mr S 110. We find that we shall be under the necessity of teaching the English language considerably, indeed we cannot escape it. We are in want of books, elementary books in every branch & we shall look home for supplies of that kind, for they are not to be obtained here. We should like all the best help, to teach the English language, cards, prints &c if they could be sent us. We expect to see Brother Weld here from Chocto just as soon as he can come & we could hope many others. Husband & Mr. S has written to Robert L. Porter & ​given him an invitation to come we hope he will except. Another request I would make, if our friends wish to do us good they will send us religeous books, papers &c. We were obliged to leave nearly all we purchased at Cincinati with Brother Merrell at the Otoe Village & those we attempted to bring are nearly destroyed. If any one wishes to come by land (& by the by it is the best for the health & the cheapest) let them send all their outfit to Oahu by ship & take only the suit they wish to wear & a few changes of under garments, packing their provisions only & they will make an easy pleasent trip & less expensive than we made. Our expenses over were 3295.58, which Dr. McLaughlin says is cheaper than we could have come by sea. I mean the whole expense from home for us all seven in number, & we might have come much cheaper if we had not undertaken to brought so many things with us... We see now that it was not necessary to bring anything because we find all here. But I see I shall exceed the limits I have marked for myself. I could write much more but must close. farewell Dear Dear friends. You will not fail to write all of you the first opportunity. Father will write & Mother also I hope, if it is but little.
From your affectionate Daughter & sister Narcissa Whitman
PS. Do not fail to give my love to Sister Dryer tell her I think of her often. Husband if he was here would unite with me in sending love to you all & other dear friends who are interested in us Brother & Sister Hull, Brother & Sister Bridgeman & our Amity friends. Aunt Phelps wished me to send her my journal in my own hand writing but I have not been able to coppy it for her. If you think best to favour her with a copy I shall be highly pleased for I love her & all our Onondaga friends. Tell me all you know about them when you write. Husband wish me to send a copy of my journal to Mother Loomis. I have done so. farewell
Narcissa Whitman
* ↑ Oregon Historical Quarterly, June, 1936.
* ↑ The quotations from Mrs. Whitman's journal herein used were copied from her original manuscript, now in the library of Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, a photostat copy of which is available at the Oregon Historical Society, Portland. The journal as printed in the Oregon Pioneer Transactions, 1891, differs in slight details from this manuscript.
* ↑ Described by John Dunn in History of the Oregon Territory, 62; also by Peter H. Burnett in Recollections of an Old Pioneer, 128-29.
* ↑ Mrs. Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun, of Cree descent; a frequent visitor at Mrs. Whitman's home during the next five years. Some of her great-grandchildren, now living, became students at Whitman College eighty years later.
* ↑ See later mention, after arrival at Vancouver.
* ↑ See “Marguerite Wadin McKay McLoughlin," by T. C. Elliott, in Oregon Historical Quarterly, XXXVI, 338-47.
* ↑ John Kirk Townsend. Evidently his letters had been in care of Mr. Spalding. He wrote Narrative of a Journey across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River, 1839.
* ↑ Samuel Parker, companion of Doctor Whitman as far as Rendezvous in 1835; author of Journal of an Exploring Tour beyond the Rocky Mountains, 1838.
* ↑ Quite certainly not the family residence of Doctor McLoughlin. The reference is obscure.
* ↑ The three missionaries, Whitman, Spalding and Gray.
* ↑ At the gentlemen's table in the large dining hall. The women residing or visiting at the fort were not served at this table with the men. The food was cooked in an adjoining building and carried into the dining hall.
* ↑ Soon to be known as the Wa-i-lat-pu mission among the Cayuse Indians. Mrs. Spalding was to be at the Lapwai mission among the Nez Perce Indians, about 125 miles further away from Fort Walla Walla.
* ↑ This seems to correct a common belief that Mrs. Whitman's cooking was all done over an open fire.