rambled untill noon, before we went into camp. The cherries are very fine equal to any we find in the states. When we arrived Mr Gray had the dinner ready waiting for us. Our employment this afternoon is various. Some are washing their shirts & some are cutting their hair, others are shaving preparatory to seeing Walla W & some are asleep. For my part I endeavoured to divert myself the best way I could, doing a little mending for Husband, & trying to write while he & Mr Gray are streached upon the ground enjoying the refreshment of a sound sleep. The men who went for the animals returned late. We all regreted this hindrance, for Mr McLeod intended to see Walla W today & return again with a mushmellon for Mrs Whitman (so he said) He will go in tomorrow. It is the custom of the country to send heralds ahead to announce the arrival of a party and prepare for their reception.
"31st Came to Walla W river, within eight miles of the fort. Both Husband & myself very much exhausted with the fatigue of this day's lengthy ride. Sandy most of the way, and no water for many miles. When we left Mr S Husband rode an Indian horse one that he had never mounted before. found him a hard rider upon every gate except a gallop & slow in all his movements especially on a walk. He could not pace as mine did, so as to make up the deficiency in that easy way, so for the last six days when the ground would admit we galloped most of the way."
These letters show that on August 30th, camp was moved down Pine Creek toward, and perhaps near, the present town of Weston, Oregon; and that on the 31st, they proceeded about thirty miles over dry hills, now devoted to wheat raising, between Athena and Vansycle in Oregon, and to a late camp on the Walla Walla River. This camp was near what is now Nine-mile bridge, on the state highway between Wallula and Walla Walla. All discomforts of the journey were offset the following morning by the warm welcome at Fort Nez Perce (Walla Walla) of the Hudson's Bay Company, as fully described in Mrs. Whitman's letter of September 1st. The Spalding party arrived at noon on September 3rd, and received similar welcome.
