A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
While at the Dalles, the three clergymen succeeded in converting, as
they supposed, a large number of the Indians. While this Indian revival
was in progress the writer had occasion to visit Vancouver. On his way,
he called on the missionaries at the Dalles, and, in speaking of the
revival among the Indians, we remarked that, in our opinion, most of the
religious professions of the natives were from _selfish motives_. Mr.
Perkins thought not; he named one Indian that, he felt certain, was
really converted, if there was a true conversion. In a short time Daniel
Lee, his associate, came in, and remarked: "What kind of a proposition
do you think ---- (naming Mr. Perkins' truly converted Indian) has made to
me?" Perkins replied: "Perhaps he will perform the work we wished him to
do." "No," says Lee; "he says he _will pray a whole year if I give him
a shirt and a capote_." This fact shows that the natives who were
supposed to be converted to Christianity were making these professions
to gain presents from the missionaries. We have witnessed similar
professions among the Nez Percé and Cayuse Indians. The giving of a few
presents of any description to them induces them to make professions
corresponding to the wish of the donor.
With Messrs. Griffin, Munger, and Wright, came Messrs. Lawson, Keiser,
and Geiger, late in the fall of 1839; also a man by the name of Farnam,
who seemed to be an explorer or tourist. I met him at Vancouver, where
he was receiving the hospitality of the Hudson's Bay Company, and
collecting material for a journal, or history of Oregon. It is said of
him that, on starting from the States, he succeeded in getting himself
appointed captain of a company consisting of some fourteen men. He soon
attempted to exercise absolute control of the company, which caused a
division. The party voted to suspend his official functions, and finally
suspended him and expelled him from the train. On returning to the
States he published a book, which, as was to be expected, was favorable
to himself and friends (if he had any), and severe on his opposers or
enemies. The professed object of the party was to form a settlement in
Oregon. In consequence of the course pursued by Farnam, it all broke
up. A man called Blubber-Mouth Smith, Blair, a millwright, and Robert
Shortess were of the party. These all found their way into Oregon, while
the balance of the party went south and wintered in the mountains. Mr.
Farnam was furnished a free passage to the Sandwich Islands by the
Hudson's Bay Company, for which his traveling companions and those best
acquainted with him have given the company credit, as one good act.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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