Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/105

CHAPTER III.

SETTLEMENT OF OREGON.

1832–1834.

The Flatheads at St Louis—They Ask for Missionaries—Interest Raised among Religious People—The Churches Roused—Action of the Methodist Board—Jason and Daniel Lee Chosen Missionaries—Wyeth Consulted—Journey Overland from Independence—Preaching at Fort Hall— Arrival at Fort Vancouver—Visit to the Willamette Valley—Mission Site Chosen—Reasons for Abandoning the Flathead Plan—The French Canadians—Campement du Sable—Hall J. Kelley—Something about the Men Who Came with Lewis and Clarke, the Astor Expeditions, Wyeth, Kelley, and Ewing Young.

About the year 1832 four native chiefs from the region round the head waters of the Columbia appeared at St Louis asking for Mr Clarke, of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, then resident Indian agent at that place. Their fathers had told them of his visit to their nation. From various sources, from the praise of pious travellers and the oaths of impious trappers, they had learned of the white man's God, and the book which he had given. And now, would the great white chief grant their prayer and send religious men to point their people the way to heaven? It was promised them according to their request. Soon after two of them sickened and died; of the other two, one met death during his return, and the other reached his people and reported.^[1]

1. Such is the story, simplified from many conflicting statements, and presented in the form of reason and probability. There is no doubt in my mind as to the truth of the matter in the main, though it has been denied by some. As to the date and general incidents, Shea, Cath. Miss., 467 — see also White, in Oregon Spectator, Nov. 12, 1846 — states that since 1820 the Flat-