more than half the native children in the Willamette and Columbia valleys were infected. A fourth lingered in a scrofulous condition for two years, and then died, leaving but two of these Mission wards remaining. During the autumn the Calapooyas brought a young child, the daughter of a chief who was dying of consumption, to be cared for by the missionaries, but she soon followed her father to the grave. Of the fourteen children received the first year, five died before winter and five ran away; of the remaining four two died during the next two years, leaving two for secular and sacred ministrations.[1] This was brave work indeed for champions of the cross. To the poor missionaries, about this time, the place seemed as profitless as that of dentist to King Stanislaus, obtained by L'Eclure the day upon which the king lost his last tooth; and Jason and Daniel talked about it, and wondered if hitherto heaven's light had come to them colored as through a painted window, for it was as clearly apparent to them now, as the mark of the avalanche on the mountain side, that their efforts were a failure. And later Daniel Lee was called upon to satisfy public inquiry by giving the reasons which caused his uncle to abandon the Flatheads and settle among Canadians and half-breeds.[2]
- ↑ During the winter of 1835 a singular complaint attacked the Indian children. The first symptom was a violent pain in the ear, which rapidly spread through the head, the pulse being feeble and not very frequent. The extremities soon became cold, and a general torpor spread over the system. Unconsciousness and death shortly followed. Parker's Jour., 165.
- ↑ See chap, iii., this volume. In the Or. Pioneer Assoc. Trans., 1880, is given a paper under title of 'Copy of a document,' wherein McLoughlin speaks plainly upon this subject. He admits that he used all his influence to induce the missionaries to settle where they did, giving among others the reasons afterward furnished by Lee. He told them that to do good to the Indians they must station themselves where the Indians could be collected about an agricultural establishment, taught to cultivate the ground and live without hunting, while receiving religious instruction. He assured them that the Willamette afforded a suitable situation for this purpose, and promised the same aid in beginning farming which the Canadian settlers received, all of which engagements were generously kept. In giving advice, however kindly intended, the great fur magnate did not lose sight of what he deemed to be the best interests of his company. He could not know how missionaries would be received among the warlike tribes of eastern Oregon. Should there be hostility, war would follow; the company must punish any shedding of white man's blood. War tended to diminution of profits. By inducing the
