SPALDING AND WHITMAN LETTERS, 1837
The following letters from H. H. Spalding and Marcus Whitman relate to their labors of building their missions. They were written to the secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Boston, and are in the archives of the board, volume 138, letters number 21 and 83, respectively.
Spalding to Greene
Nez Perces Mission House Feb. 16 1837
Revd. David Greene, Sect. A. B. C. F. M.
Missionary Rooms Boston Mass.
Revd & Dear Sir: Through the great mercy of God I am permitted to address you from our field of labor which I trust the Lord has appointed us in this region of the world. I trust you have received my letters from Fort Vancouver, dated Oct. 1836, and others from Rendezvoux, dated July 1836, in which I have given a full statement of our journey over the mountains, if not, please inform me and I will give it at some future time. I left Fort Vancouver with the ladies and two boats loaded with supplies for this and Doct Whitmans Station, on the 3rd of Nov. and arrived at Fort Walla Walla 13th. Mr. McLeod with whom we journeyed from Rendezvoux to W. W. Directed the boats. As might be expected so late in the season, we had rain almost constantly night & day. In this country of no wood, we of course were in danger of being without fire for the night. We were supplied however every night, usually from the graves or miserable huts of the poor natives, for a small piece of tobacco. One night in particular the hand of providence was manifest. The men rowed late but saw no wood or any appearance of Indians. Mrs. S. and myself were in the hindermost boat, came to the landing, but confident we were near no Indian camp, consequently without wood concluded to remain in the boat & spend perhaps a sleepless night, without food or dry clothes. Our attention was soon called by the cry of fire. A party of Indians, living some 500 miles up the Columbia, had arrived with wood packed upon their horses, for their own use that night. We shared freely with them & the rain ceasing soon after supper, we were enabled to dry ourselves and get some
