me to assist, in procuring him a canoe immediately. I was very inquisitive to know if there was any difficulty above. He said four Frenchmen had died recently, and he wished to get others to occupy their places.
I immediately got him a canoe, and concluded to go in company with him in order to get some medicine for the Indians, as they are dying off with measles and other diseases very fast. I was charged with indifference. They said we were killing in not giving them medicines, and I found, if we were not exposing our lives, we were our peace, and consequently I set out for this place. This side of the Cascades I was made acquainted with the horrible massacre that took place at Wailatpu last Monday. * * *
ALANSAN HINMAN.
The words "(on the 4th)" are put into the letter of Mr. Douglas by the historian to call the attention of his readers to the discrepancy in the dates of the two letters. Upon these two letters he makes the following comments, among others (page 531):
There is one other fact in connection with this transaction that looks dark on the part of Sir James Douglas. It is shown in the dates of the several letters. Mr. Hinman's is dated December 4th; Mr. Douglas's, December 7th; that to the Sandwich Islands, December 9th. Now, between the fourth and seventh are three days. In a case of so much importance and professed sympathy, as expressed in his letter, how is it that three, or even two, days are allowed to pass without sending a dispatch informing Governor Abernethy of what had happened, and of what was expected to take place?
The distance from Wailatpu (Dr. Whitman's mission) to Walla Walla (Fort Nez Perces) was about twenty-five miles, and from Walla Walla to Wascopum (Mr. Hinman's place at the Dalles) about one hundred and forty miles. The massacre took place on the afternoon of Monday, November 29, 1847. Mr. McBean states in his letter, dated Tuesday, the last day of November, 1847, that he was first apprised of the massacre early that morning by Mr. Hall, who arrived half naked and covered with blood. As Mr. Hall started at the outset, his information was not satisfactory; and he
