LETTERS OF REV. WM. M. ROBERTS 47
islature. I send you such parts of the paper as relate to this Country folded in the letter as the safest means of transporta- tion. In truth where an express can take with certainty only such things as may be belted around the man it will not do to burden it with newspapers. The present Editor of the paper is too fond of his cups to give it much interest or credit, and it is likely he will soon be excused from further service.
Monday Dec 27. Up to this moment we hear nothing that is positively certain from the Dalles, and I must close my letters to take a tour up the valley early tomorrow morning. The general opinion is that the property at the Dalles has fallen into the hand of the Cayuses, and that the Company of volunters sent there are encamped in an open bottom 3 miles below awaiting further orders.
The effort is (being made) to raise 500 men which I pre- sume will succeed and then all those who go to the upper Country will not return it is to feared that some will fall a prey to Savage violence there are various opinions entertained as to whether it would be best to do anything more now than rescue the remaining families and wait for the U. S. troops to chastise the offenders, or, to proceed at once to rescue and chastise them ourselves. The Governor inclines strongly to the former course but there are some restless persons in the territory who are determined to go and chastise the Indians at all hazards and it is thought best to place them under proper control. So that no mischief may be done at any rate, for if the disposition of some who desire to go and pay them- selves with what they could take from the Indians were grati- fied, the fields of Oregon could not be planted the comeing season.
The Legislature adjourns tomorrow after a session of three weeks more than half of which time has been occupied by the war. Since commencing these letters, my eldest boy has been taken down with fever it is of a low painless type Identical I suppose with the camp fever which operates so fatally among the Emigrants. While at home I could manage our ligffi afflictions tolerably well but when away from home it would be comfortable to leave one's sick family in the care of a good physician but at present the great physician above is our only reliance.
The present winter has been remarkable favourable the weather has been so mild that the cattle are doing finely,
