248 ROBERT MOULTON GATKE
the gold discovered in California will induce the Merchants to send goods largely to Oregon? If you are not sure that a supply will be sent at once, then there remains no alternative but for the Mis. Bbard to ship here soon as possible almost every article needed by the 6 or 7 families and 3 or 4 single men now in the employ of the mission for wearing apparel. Not a Blanket, or Kettle or tin pan, or pair of boots, or strong coat or pants or hat fit to wear or pound of Sal Eratus or tea can be bought anywhere in the territory that I know of at any price. A few Ibs sugar, some Manilla coffee, a little rotten sewing silk &c yet remain, but I suppose the sugar crop is neglected at the Islands and if raised the ships are otherwise employed. Oh if we could but hear from you once more then the hope of relief might spring up.
The Advocates sent to this country with my other papers seem to be rummaged or pillaged so that every file is broken, and incomplete and then what is the matter in the clerk's de- partment in the forwarding office. Until nearly the last Nos papers were sent to J. and D. Lee, Shepherd &c then those were stopt, and Bros. Leslies and Wilbur's papers also. Please correct this and if there is to be a regular communication for papers as well as letters, let us have say 50 copies of the Advocate to begin with, all sent to one address and we will endeavor to distribute them and forward the pay for those not taken by the preachers as soon as possible.
The brethren laboring here under the auspices of the Ameri- can Board desire to return to our hands the Dalles Station. They cannot occupy it or their own either at present, and as their losses are enormously heavy, they wish to lesson them by returning this property. They were to pay a little over $600 and my conclusions on the subject are as follows. If the station is ever again to be occupied we can man it better than they. If it is not and the property is to be a total loss it is not much, and I think Brotherly kindness will be promoted by our promptly relieving them of the obligation in view of their broken up condition: And if the establishment is sold to gov- ernment or to some private person, it will bring three times as much in which case we not they ought to have the advantage. So I have said I see no objection to receiving it with the under- standing that they make good any property they may have appropriated and we will look to the government for any dam- age done by the Indians or troops during the war. The troops
