DEDICATION OF THE MCLOUGHLIN INSTITUTE. 309 families to The Dalles, over the unexplored lands along the Columbia River. That was the end of going by wagons. There was not then a feasible route for wagons over the Cascade Mountains. They must go by water to the Willamette Valley and leave their cattle east of the Cascade Mountains until the next spring. They had no boats. Sickness, starvation, and disaster threatened them, and especially the children. The Indians were preparing to massacre these immigrants. To carry out the policy of the Hudson's Bay Company, Dr. Mc- Loughlin had simply to let them alone to do nothing to leave them to their fate. But the diplomatic plans of his country and the policy of his company were brushed aside, for the time being, or forgotten by Dr. McLoughlin. He was a Christian and a gentleman. These American immigrants, the opponents of his country and of his company, Dr. Mc- Loughlin protected from massacre by the Indians. He wel- comed and treated these immigrants as friends. He supplied their necessities, he furnished them with food and clothing, he cared for the helpless. He placed the sick in the company's hospital at Fort Vancouver, under the care of a competent physician, until they were restored to health. Many a mother's heart was made glad by his treatment and care of her children. He furnished boats and batteaux to these immigrants to trans- port them and their belongings through the perilous waters of the Columbia River to the Willamette Valley. He furnished them, on credit, with food and supplies until they could sup- port themselves. He loaned them wheat to sow during the coming season, implements to farm with, and the necessary cattle. He did all these things, not as charity but on account of humanity. The Good Samaritan had his actual existence in Dr. McLoughlin. And so he acted to the immigrants of 1844 and 1845, when he was forced to resign from the Hud- son's Bay Company because of his aids to these early immi- grants. The latter two immigrations needed his assistance to as great an extent as did the immigrants of 1843. Even after his resignation took effect, in 1846, he was the friend of the Oregon immigrants and helped them as far as he was able to
