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A , Q. 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OREGON 
 
 DURING THE PAST FORTY YEARS. (1838-1878) 
 
 ThESK SKKTCHES originally APrEABEl) IV TlIK P(»KTLAM). OrKGON, "L'aIHOI.U; 
 SkNTISEI." in 1878. ThKY were 8UB8K(|IENTI.Y I'lHI.ISHED IN BOOK KOKM. 
 
 This second epition has hken cokkecikd by the avtiior, the momt 
 
 Rev. Francis Nohbkkt Blan«iikt, 1). 1).. kihst Aiuiibishop <.f 
 
 Oregon, bekork his dkath, whk ii occfuuEi) june 18th 188:1 
 
 SXSTOS t. 
 
 (published febrdaby 7th 1H78. ) 
 
 THE history of the Catholic Chun h— even 
 in the most remote ren;ioiis wluTf its be- 
 nign influence is feU — possss-sew «:nat iuirrest 
 not only for those who belong to --ilie house- 
 hold of the FHith" but, moreover, to c\ .ryonc 
 interested in the history of civiliziitinii iind 
 Christianity. Nations have their reli<.nous 
 historical aspect as well as those bt^iter known 
 and more studied chapters pertaiiiiiijf m wocu- 
 lar advancement, yet, wliil.«t historians luve to 
 record the triumphs which mark the pathway 
 of the pioneers of the forest, they are very 
 reticent rewarding the labor, the trial." and the 
 heroism displayed by tlie pioneers of the Cross. 
 Yet these heroes of heaven-born Kailh — armed 
 with no weapon save ihe sijiii of man's re- 
 demption, and bearing aloft the standard of 
 Christianity — penetrated into the remotest re- 
 cesses of Ihe earth, guided by the unerring 
 voice of God wlio calls tl.em to take up their 
 cross and follow Him. until His precepts be- 
 come known tLroiigliotit the world even "from 
 tlie risking of the sun until the going down of 
 the same." 
 
 It is our pleasant duty, then, to place before 
 our readers a few glimpses of the IoiIm and 
 trials which the pioneers of the Cross endured 
 in their early struggles to plant the seeds <»f 
 t'iiristiauity in the great Northwest, ami in 
 
 doing so we feel that every Catholic who per- 
 Uf^es these sketches will treasure in his heart a 
 ;.r.iieful remembrance for those whose names 
 will he inscribed in the niche of immortality 
 so deservedly accorded by faithful Catholics 
 to the apostles of the Cross. 
 
 The world has its heroes, but to the mis- 
 sionaries of the everlasting Gospel must be as- 
 signed H far higher ghiry, because they are the 
 herahls of a King whose footstool is the uni- 
 v»r-e ! It is in His service that deeds of he- 
 roism are performed which make all worldly 
 actions pale into utter insignificance. The 
 reason is obvious : the hero of the world dis- 
 plays hi" valor for earthly glory alone, whilst 
 the missionary (f the Cross is animated by the 
 highest and holiest aspirations that can illu- 
 mine the soul — the hope of enjoying with Got! 
 the eternal reward promised to those who scat- 
 ter the seeds of Faith among the tribes and 
 peoples who are without the knowledge of the 
 true God. 
 
 This, then, was the high and ennobling mis- 
 sion III which the pioneers of the Cross in 
 Oregon engaged when they undertook to cross 
 the almost trackless plains which then separ- 
 ated the Atlantic from tie Pacitic, and, as we 
 follow them through ti.eir long and arduoua 
 journey, let us not forget to chant a requietn 
 over the graves of those who have passed to 
 their reward, whilst we accord to those who 
 are stil) eugaged in God's siprvice tliat homage 
 so justly accorded to venerable age, holincsti 
 of office, ai>d sanctity of life. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THK 
 
 The Fiust Catholics <'k Oregon. 
 
 W'lieu the renownedJesuit missumary auil 
 Ma.wqnent martyr to the Faith— Father I»nao 
 .lojrufs— first j.lnuted the seetisof Faith nnioii<r 
 iliX Iroquois IiuViaiis on the hanks of tiie Mo- 
 liawlt, ill 1642, lie little tho»j,'lit the grain of 
 niii«iaril.»eed thus sown would eventually 
 ..row up iuto a jjreaf tree whose hraiurlies 
 woiiia reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 
 But, when we reflect that "the hh)o(l of the 
 iii.irtyrs is the seed of the < "hnrch," wc need 
 not wonder at such a miracuhuis manifestation 
 of (iod's will, and the mutilated hands iiiid tor- 
 lured limbs of that suflTeriujr imssioiiMry were 
 iwcepted by lleaveu as so many holocausts 
 ..ffcred up"^for the propajjalion of the Faitli 
 fliroughout every portion of the American 
 
 .-.iniineut. . 
 
 Another element of population throujrh 
 wliose presence in Ure-jon the Cailmlic creed 
 was propa-ratcd. was the Canadian loyigevrit. 
 lar-e numbers of whom were eujia-ed to uc- 
 cMinpany the several expeditions of Lewis and 
 Clark ill I8O0, .Jolm Jacob Ast.>r in 1810. and 
 ihat of Capt. Hunt in 1811. In Astor's ex- 
 iH-dition there were thirteen Canadians nearly 
 all of whom were Catholics, and m..i»y of these 
 i.i...ieers afterwards settled in the Willametie 
 (ori'nal-v called Wallamette) valley where in 
 18:58 still reshled Mici.ael La Framboise, Stc- 
 phiMi Lucier, Louis Labont^ and Joseph Ger- 
 viiis. Capt. Hunt's expedition havin<r encoun- 
 u-red -reat hardships on the route across the 
 plains" many of the members deserted from its 
 ranks and remained amou}? the Indians; this 
 fact will serve to account for the preleiiec of a 
 ■iiiiiiber of Iroquois Indians who were fouinl 
 amon'r the Flatheads in 1816. Lar^'e nu n- 
 bersol" Canadians and Ir quois were also e.i- 
 .r-,.r,.a in the service of both the N..rth West 
 Companv and the IIud..?cn Bay (Company as 
 -r.olerd and trappers at their diflerent statnms 
 xvi -t of M.e Rocky Mountains. Tiiese hardy 
 piutieers led a roamiu}< life, but, true to their 
 .sirlveducalion, amidst all the scenes of savage 
 life througii which they passed, they never for- 
 .r,,t their faith, but oil every occasion, when 
 ?\ lifer threatened them, they souglit the God 
 . f rwlvatioa in prayer. In this uiauuer the 
 
 Indians, by whom they were surrounded, re- 
 ceived the "first knowledjre of •the white man'* 
 God," and through the Cat' olics they also 
 learned of the B'nik-fiown long y*nrs beftirc 
 they were visited by a priest. To the Cai.- 
 adians and Iroquois, therefore, is due the honor 
 of opening the way for the Catholic missionary 
 in Oregon. 
 
 The First Colonists in Oregon. 
 
 In 1824. Dr. John McLaughlin, chief Factor 
 of the Iludsoti liiy Co.. was appointed Gov- 
 ernor of the Hudson Bay Oo's. posts, with 
 head-qiiarliTs at Vancouver. Washington Ter- 
 ritorv . where a Fort wa> erected that year. 
 He w:«s one of "nature's noblemen" in every 
 spin re of life. Of commanding presence, strict 
 integritv, sound juilginent. and correct prin- 
 ciples of justice, no man was better qualified 
 for the positimi he occupied as the father and 
 friend of both the Indians and the whiles who 
 then jointly occupied the Pacific Northwest. 
 Dr. ivi' Lan^jhlin was the arbiter to whom both 
 whites and 'ndiaiis looked for the settlement 
 ol their differences, and the friend from whom 
 thev sought relief in all their difficulties. His 
 ashes test lieiicatli the shadow of the cathedral 
 cross of Oivgon City, where he died in 1857. 
 He was originally a member of the Ang!i<:au 
 dinrili. I III wasconvertedby archbishop Blan- 
 ch I in 1«1-', and was ever afterwards a most 
 exi mpl.iry Catholic. May his soul rest in peace. 
 I'niler the impartial supervision of this good 
 and great niiui the business of the Hudson Bay 
 Co. prospered amazingly; he preserved peace 
 between the Indians and the employees of the 
 company, and established twenty-eight trading 
 jxwts d);riog the fourteen years he presided 
 ovci- the iiflairs of the corporation he so ably 
 represented. Under Dr. McLaughlin's di- 
 rection a number of the e;nployees of the com- 
 pa'iv, whose term of service had expire* were 
 sr jplied with provisions and farming utensils 
 to enable them to settle in that portion of the 
 Willamette valley, wliich has since been known 
 as French Prairie, and which afterwards be- 
 ca;iK! the nucleus of a large and prosperous 
 Catholic settlement. He also extended assist- 
 ance to every immigrant whose necessities 'e- 
 
Catholic Church in Obkoum. 
 
 1 
 
 qiilreil it, ADd hiH good deeds have enxhrlued 
 liiit iiHiue amidst tiie most honored of the pi- 
 oiitt-rs of the Pacific coast. 
 
 Ill 1834 the first wa' e of iminigriuioo reaeh- 
 «-il the shores of Oregon. These cuiuprised a 
 iiumlierof Methodist miniMers sent out hv the 
 BiiHnl of Foreign Missions. In 1836aiiiim- 
 her uf Presbyterian mitiistersarrived, and the 
 t'ullowing year a second insiulmen' of Method- 
 iiil preachers were sent thither in order to lielp 
 Die iirsi under the ostensible purpose of set-u- 
 riii^ souls for the Lord's vineyard, but in re- 
 ality to secure large tracts of land, liir^'c bauds 
 of cattle, and to eularge their numurotis com- 
 mercial speculations. Again in IM88 the 
 I'resby terian missionaries were re-inforced. so 
 that, prior to the arrival of a Catholic mission- 
 ary in Oregon, the sects were repreficnted by 
 twenty-nine rc'rular preachers bebulcs a uu- 
 iiu-ruus retinue of agents, colporters. and other 
 members — male and female. Tliene forces 
 were pretty well scattered over the country, 
 the Methodists having esiablishments south of 
 the French Prairie, in Marion county, and also 
 at the Dalles, in Wasco county. The Pres- 
 byterians were located at Wailatpu, on the 
 Walla Walla river, among a portion of tlie 
 Ciiyiise Indians, and also at Lapwai, on the 
 4 'learwater. Besides these, Mr. Heaver rep- 
 resented the Anglican church at Vancouver, 
 n.x chaplain of the Hudson Bay Co., so ilutt 
 I lie missionary Held was well occiipiod prior lo 
 ihu advent cf a Catholic priest, and it is well 
 to understand the situation so that the reader 
 may brHer realize the ainouut of opposition 
 which uie pioneer missionaries of the Catholic 
 Church had to encounter in their eiforls to 
 plant the Cross in Oregon. 
 
 Let us now pause for a while in our career 
 iifier the cross-bet.. ors of the west, whilst we 
 leiini from coiitemporiiry evidence the manner 
 i I which the sectarian missionaries preached 
 thvi Gospel to the Indians whom they came to 
 convert. Tiie first Protestant missionaries left 
 the eastern states amidst great e<;lat, under the 
 iiiijiressiou that they were going to the Flat- 
 iiciul Indians for the purpose of having them 
 t\\\i\ all adjacent tribes take up the Bible as 
 ihi'ir rule of faith. But, after a very brief tri- 
 al, these gentlemen found the situation not so 
 
 congenial as they anticipated, and they aban- 
 doned the Flalheads to their perfidious fate. 
 Mr. Tow nshend, w hose work on the Rocky 
 Mountains is our authority on this point, says 
 that when he traveled a few days in the com- 
 pany of these "missioiiHries," he soon discov- 
 ered that their object in going west was not so 
 much for the purpose of spreading Christianity 
 among the Indians as it was "for the gratifi- 
 cation of '•eeing a n<w country and participa- 
 ting in strange adventures." They candidly 
 admitted to Mr. Town!<hend that the means of 
 subsistence in a region so remote and so d'"- 
 licult of access were, to say the least, vi.y 
 doubtful. Hence, as these propagandists of 
 Protestant error could not be assnrcKl of a well- 
 stockeil larder, they quietly *'folded their tents" 
 and left the Fhitheads in the mist of that pa- 
 gan (iarkness in wliicli they found them en- 
 shrouded. Lii'le did these tourists think when 
 they ^illr^o(ik the poor Flathead Indians that 
 there were I hose coming after them who would 
 never forsake ihe mission given them from on 
 high, but who could say with St. Paul: ''Even 
 unto this hour we boih hunger and thirst, and 
 lire naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed 
 aboda." (1 Cor. iv. 1 1 .) These are the Cath- 
 olic luiseioiuiries whose labors once begun were 
 never almiuloued, and whose efforts we shall 
 fi.id crowned with (-"i-cess. so that the whole 
 Fln'head Iribe of Inniaus embraced the Cath- 
 orcfiii'ii,iin<' re tinlay among the most happy 
 an I fuosper. is people i the t re republic. 
 
 ^u-m' onaries" were e sertpa' hedio 
 represent the various sects iu y laud under 
 more favorable auspices than were those 1m 'lies 
 and gentlemen beloagini; il #« M< ^ list 
 Episcopal church who proflPer 'it- ir nt-ry ires 
 to leave their eastern home.- 
 ot e« an<ielizinp the savage Iij 
 "wilds" of Oregon. The hist. 
 orable band has been written b 
 missionaries in language more 
 complimentary to their compauic 
 
 Dani« 1 Lee and J. H. Frost wer. 'O ol f he 
 evaugelical elect who were sent oot 'brin. 
 the Indians to grace," and in their 'Miti- 
 
 iled -'Tea years in Oregon," they gi ■ 
 
 unbiassed insight into the manner iu 
 the Master's service was abandoned b 
 
 urpose 
 
 t»i dst the 
 
 rini mem- 
 
 o of these 
 
 hful than 
 
HISTORICAT. SKKTrilM OF THR 
 
 ••iniMionariM," in onlor llmt ilu'V niij^lit eii- 
 tiT into ttie dUvcry of Maimnoii. The«« gen- 
 lUiu.ii tell us lliKt the Orejron mission invol- 
 \f.l an expenditure of forty-two tliousantl <loi- 
 Jiiri* ill a single year, ami iio womltT, when there 
 wert! sixty-eigiit prBCUs fohnected witli the 
 ••niijisiou" each of them represented by n rerfs 
 l..(iable array of figures on the yearly pay-roll. 
 
 SKESCS It. 
 
 (published KEBKUAKlf MTH 1878.) 
 
 I'KOTijrANT Missionary Laboks ik Okkoon. 
 
 ,Yf(IlE Methodists, Prcsbyterinu?, nnd other 
 1^ sei-ls, us we liave already seen, wi-rc rep- 
 r.setited in Oregon a? early as 1834 by a eorps 
 <.f niis-sionaries ►nfficient in number— if liiey 
 (mly had a divine mission to sustain them 
 throughout their labors— to convert all llie In- 
 dians from Arizona to Alaska, but Dr. Stephen 
 Oliii, LL. D.. a Melhodist bishop, tills ns ihat 
 ••very few of the Indians came uuili-r the in- 
 fluence of their labor,' and adds this rather 
 damaging deelaration :— "The niissiouari.s 
 were, in fact, mostly engaged in secular affairs 
 
 concerned in claims to large iniclsoi liiiid, 
 
 <laiius to city lots, farming, maichandizing, 
 blacksniilhing. grazing, horse-keeping. Imu- 
 bcring and flouring. We do not btdieve," con- 
 tinues Dr. Olin, "that the history of Chrisluui 
 missions exhibitsanolher such spectacle," The 
 good Doctor was evidently amazed al the trans- 
 formation from missionaries of the Gospel into 
 land-sharks and horse-jockeys. It is no won- 
 d.r. th;-i,, llial lie tells ns "the mission became 
 iilion.- lo the growing popiilalion.' and he c» u- 
 flndes his evidence hy asserting llial --of all 
 tlio Indians who had ever held relalionsof any 
 li iud wi<h these men, none vow remain." This 
 i> not very flattering testimony for the success 
 of Protestant i>ropagaiidist8 coming from a 
 I'loiestant source ; bnt "let the truth be Kdd 
 though the heavens fall" was evidently a prac- 
 ili-al maxim in the mind of the Methodist Epis- 
 , opal bishop we have quoted. Nor need we 
 \\onder that missionaries who traded in horse 
 
 fl.»!i luid town bus, and who had "oallle on n 
 thovsanil hilN ' should become 'odioii-*" to lh« 
 sellhrs around them, whilst the Indians in- 
 stead of seeking the light of the Gospel as eniin- 
 cialed by these holy horse-tra<lers, sought rath- 
 er to retire to their primitive wigwams amidst 
 the solitude of the woods 
 
 "where rolls the Oregon 
 And hears no sound save its own dashing," 
 than to encounter a civilization the very preaeh- 
 t-rs of which sought first the kingdom of this 
 world, and took the chaiuis of "all things 
 else" being added thereto. Kev.G.C. Nicolay. 
 a minister of the church of England, visited 
 this country i" 1843 and has left his impres- 
 sions of what he saw among the missionaries 
 of the Willamette valley, in a work entit' 
 "The Oregon Territory," which we have b. - 
 fore us. lie was evidently unbiassed ) his 
 judgment and speaks his mind only because 
 his experience had received a serious shock in 
 the manner in which he found the so-called 
 missiotuiries comporting themselves. Under 
 the cha^t^r devoted to "settlers in Oregon' 
 this aiiihori'y »a}S with truth: — 
 
 "It se. ins but the right and proiier order of 
 tliinur* I bat the niisMionary In uncivilized lands 
 sbnultl lit- I be barldnger not only of the bU-sa- 
 liiys of Ibo t'liristiaii religion, but of civiliza- 
 tion alfo. and tberel'ore that he should be fol- 
 lowed ill liirt track by the settler and farmer, 
 ■Ik UK I'll nic i.iid artisan, who obtain as the 
 nv, ai'i ot tlieir superior intelligence and 
 kiH.wkd^ie tlie wealth and iiideijendence 
 wliicli in tlieirowncoiintrythelrsirapleequal- 
 it.v with otlurs could not expect; and this is 
 jiist, the benefit they confer Is incalculable: It 
 d'.ieM not decrease Its value that others in dis- 
 tant lands possesa the aame, but rather in- 
 treuses it as tilt means whereby they may be 
 raised t 1 the smie eminence. Now, though 
 I his is to lie exi^cted and desired, it has ever 
 bwii tbouarht a just ground of complaint :•- 
 gainst men whose lives are devoted to the ser- 
 vice of (iod ^nd the spread of His Gospel, if 
 they let other «R'Cupatioii8 interfere with that 
 which ought lo be their primary one, or seek 
 to make a 'gain of godliiiess;' and still more If 
 the inlUience accorded to them, in congruence 
 of their important duty and sacred otnce, be 
 <'onvert<l into an engine for political purposes, 
 i.r Ihev teach other doctrine with respiect to 
 our nel«hbors than the words of theuiK>gtle — 
 'Follow peace with all men.' (Heb. xfl. 14.) 
 
Catholic Church in Ohkoi. 
 
 fi 
 
 "lu rRvUfwiiiK the hiittorv of the Mcttleri* of 
 Oreguii, hII thid will up|H*ar by i heir own show- 
 iiiKtolieiit th«<l(Nirof the Aiihtlcuii iniHMlon- 
 arien wh<> Suve e««tubliMh«><t tli^Miwh -a ilit-re; 
 and the iict«i«Hity for ilrawiiit<a(t«iiti< n to it itt 
 IIiIm, that no HUtiafiiutory uuL-ount of Or.>);<>n 
 could \>c nh'tiii withoutMoine notieuof the Wil- 
 luniette Hettienient, and ceituinlv no true hIu- 
 tenient of uffuirtt there can Ite gi^en witliout 
 thewi facts t>«liiK referred to. In their nettlc- 
 nienUt at Okana(<aii, Walla Walla, Cowlit-% 
 and NeiMiUHlly th*H charge Ih ho far true, that 
 their princii>al »t ;ntion, at Lieut. Wiliiei* tet*- 
 titleM, tHdevotot' /aKricnlture, buton tlie Wil- 
 lamette they » ': into political aKi-hti* and 
 would-be legl?' •>«. TIiIh the '>i«tory tif th • 
 .s(^>ttlenient will nulflciently evidence." • 
 
 "From this beKinniiiK the colony lucre; «■• ! 
 till when Lieutenant WiiiieH viHlted it in 1 P 
 it counted sixty families, who, he »a.\ h, c. .. 
 Minted of American iniHaionarieH, trappe.M, and 
 ( 'itnadlans, wlio were formerly servants of tlie 
 lludcon's Bay Co.; and that the origin of llie 
 settlement has l)een fairly stated, ni.iy t>e gutii- 
 ere<l from the conclusion he arrived at coir 
 ccrniiij.; it. All of thee ippeared to t*u (loing 
 well; but he was, he says, 'on the whole dis- 
 appointed, from the rejMirts which had l>een 
 made to me, not to tiiid the settlement in a 
 greater state of fttrwanlness, (considering (lie 
 advi'.ntages the mijsionaritN have had;' — tlius 
 making tlie prosperity and advaiiceiiieiit of 
 the settlement depend in a great iiieaMun-. if 
 not eniirely, upr:i them: but that tlieir in.s- 
 sionary intentions have merged, in a great 
 measui-e, inotliersmon '(»ely connected with 
 t'oae and <;oiiifort, Iss more plainly evid- 
 enced by the followinj. count given oy him 
 uf tlie Wesleyi ii Mlssl • there: 'Tie land-t of 
 the Metli(>di><t Ml :«loii are situate<l on the 
 banks of the 'v Jl uuette river, on a ricli plain 
 ad' •■^eiit tofli I'.'vslBof oak and pin.'. I'liey 
 ai b;>uteight uiles bey .md tlie Catuolic Mis- 
 si( I asoutheiii diiXHJtion. Tlieir tteid-t are 
 well enclosed, and we p.wsed a large one of 
 wheat which we undji-stjwd was half s»wn by 
 ilie last year's crop which had leen lost thro' 
 neglect. Tlie crop so lost amounted to nearly 
 a thousand bushels, and it is su|jp.isc>d that 
 this year's crop will yield tweiity-iive bushels 
 to ihe aero. About all the iireiiiises of this mis- 
 sion there wap an evident want of the atten- 
 tion rec^uired to keep thlng.s in repair, and an 
 alisenceof neatness that I regretted much to 
 witne.ss. We had the expectation of getting a 
 sight of the Indians, on wlioiii they were in- 
 culcating good habits and te.iching the word 
 of God, but, V th the exception of four Indian 
 servants, we saw none since leaving the Catli- 
 olic Mission. 0;i inquiring 1 was in.'jrraed 
 
 that they had a »<Ii<niI of twenty pupil« yoou' 
 ten nilles distant at ilie mill, that tlK're \«ei'«' 
 but few tidiilt Indiiki.B in the n<>igl>lH>rli'>'>il, 
 and ti attlu-ir intoiiiioti .iid priiici|Mkl l.upc 
 was to estaltUsh a colony, ami by t heii «-.\ample 
 to inducw white seitleis t.> locate neir iliein, 
 over whom they iiisied lo e*erii«> a inirul 
 and religious inliiieiice.' " 
 
 "At theiiiills, which were badlysituatt d and 
 managed, he saw twenty lay inemliers of the 
 Misflioii under the charge of a principal, and 
 abotii. tweiity-flve Indian lioys, who, he was 
 told, were not in a condition to 1m* visiicd or 
 iiisiiected. Tlu-y were nearly grown up, ratrged 
 ami half clotheil, and lounging about underthe ^ 
 triv-s. He might well adil, "riieirappearaiict' , 
 
 Maiiytiiingl)UtMallsfuctory,and I must own 
 : was greatly disapiMiinti'd, for I had Iteen led 
 lo . xiM-ct that order ami neatness at least (he 
 could mMn-ely liave expected Ivan) would have 
 be»'n fouiiil animiir them. muMiih'rin;/ tlie utrrnxj v' 
 f'onrof inis! iiiDiiritsi luiniiiil lu II . From theniim- ^ 
 iter of iH-rHiins alH>ut the premises tills Ultle « 
 spot wore the air and stir of a newaeculu ' set- * 
 tleineiit. It was intended (o Ite the home and <,^ 
 i(H-a(l(>n of (be nii&sion, and the niiMsionaries ^ 
 had niudc individual sihctitniK of lands to thea- 
 mountofor.x thousand acicseach, in proHpeci 
 of the whole country falling under the Amer- 
 ica)! domiiiioii. 
 
 Hohllng tlicse \W\\k and with such interests 
 to incite them, it is not surprising to tlnd these 
 mis-sionaries among the first to excite |>olitical 
 changes, and to introduce the eonse«|ueut dis- 
 cussions and dissensions." 
 
 Such is ihe character of the work inuugu- 
 rated by nii-ssionaries who left the Atlantic 
 slope under tlic liallucinatiou tliat tliey were 
 called to preach sal vat ion to i!:ose that sat 
 in darkness and in the shadow of death, but 
 whose trading propensities overcame tlie'r re- 
 ligious zeal, until finally the cause ofChrio'- 
 anity was wrecked on the shoals of self-ag- 
 gradizeraeui. 
 
 The foregoing extracts, taken entn.ly 'rom 
 impartial Protestant sources, will give iji" ^n- 
 eral reader a very lucid view of the "severe 
 trials" whicli the early Protestant mi.ssionariea 
 underwent in their so-called ^'missionary la- 
 bor" in Oregon, but we have, by no meau^, 
 exhausted the evidence extaut on that score, 
 as Hon. Alexander Simpson, in his work en- 
 titled "The Oregon Territory" tells us, iu al- 
 lusion to the Methodist and Catholic missions 
 in the Willamette valley, that "the latter con- 
 
 ^ 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OP THB 
 
 sisted of about one hundred families, a very 
 regular congregation, ministered 1o by Mgr. 
 Blanchet, a most estimitble and indefatigable 
 priest of the Roman Catholic faith," whilst the 
 Methodist Mission, he adds, consisted of /our 
 families : a clergyman, a surgeon, a school- 
 master and an agriculturnl overseer." Evi- 
 dently the temporal welfare of the well-fed 
 Protestant missionaries was far more iniport- 
 aut in their own estimation than any spiritual 
 comforts which they pretended to extend to 
 the Indians. 
 
 (published FEBRUARY 21 ST 1878.) 
 
 Origin of the Canadian Mission in Oregon, 
 
 BEFORE THAT OF THE FlATHEADS. 
 
 ■TPN the mean time the Canadians who had set- 
 '1 tied in the Willamette valley began to pine 
 for the presence of a priest in their midst. The 
 nearest bishop to whom they could apply was 
 the venerable prelate of Bed River; they sent 
 him two petitions, one dated July :}rd 1834, 
 and the other February 23rd 1835, earnestly 
 praying for some priests. In answering tliem, 
 July 8111 1835, the bishop, addressing the gov- 
 ernor, requests him to deliver them his letter. 
 Those documents are too precious and too inte- 
 resting to be omitted, therefore we insert them. 
 
 The Bishop of Juliopolis to Dk. John 
 McLauohlin. 
 
 Red Klvei-,June()th 1835. 
 To Dr. J. McLaughlin. 
 
 Hir: I iuive rect'ived last winter and this 
 suriMg a wtitioM from certain free families set- 
 tled on the Willamette river, requcstiuit that 
 inis-'iormrii'si be sent to ir.struct tlielr children 
 •111(1 lheMi-*elve«. My Intention Is to «lo all 1 
 c m to grant them their rerjuest us soon as pos- 
 sible 1 have no priest disposable at Red River, 
 but 1 am g:)lng this year to Euro|)e, and I will 
 en<U-!ivoi' l<> procure those fi-ee people and the 
 Indi ins afterwards, the means of knowing 
 Go.l 1 send togi'ther with this letter an an- 
 swer to the petition which I have rece'ved; I 
 re(i'i«--< von to delivei- It to them; I add some 
 eateiiiisins which might l»e useful to those peo- 
 
 ple. If there is any one among them thit cm 
 read. Tiiose people say they are protected by 
 you. I'lease Indnr-e them to do their best, and 
 to (k'scive liy giwid behavior, to derive benettt 
 from the f.ivor they Implore. 
 I have the honor to be. Sir, 
 Your most humble servant, 
 ^ J. N. Provencher, 
 
 Bishop of Juliopolis. 
 
 The Bishop ok Juliopoms to all the 
 
 families SETTLED IN THE WILLAMETTE 
 VALLEY AND OTHER CATHOLICS BEYO ^ D 
 
 THE Rocky Mountains, Greeting: — 
 
 I have received, most beloved brethren, your 
 two |)etition8, one dated July 3d 1834, and the 
 other February 2Hd 1835. Both call for mis- 
 sionaries to instruct your children and your- 
 se'.v.s. Such a r.quest from persons deprlvetl 
 of all religious attendance, could not fall to 
 touch my heart, and if it was In my power, I 
 would send you some this very year. But I 
 have no priest disposable at Red River; they 
 must be obtained from Canada or elsewhere, 
 which requTes tlmo. I will make It my bus 
 inesa in a jiuirney which 1 am going to make 
 this .year in Canada and in Europe. If I sue- 
 fi din my efforts, 1 will soon send you some 
 lie In. 
 
 Mvlntcntion Is not to procure the knowledge 
 of God to you and vour children only, but also 
 to the nunieious Indian tribes among which 
 you live. I exhort you meanwhile to deserve, 
 by a >f ood l)ehavlor, that Got! may bless my un- 
 dertakiug. R use your children the best way 
 vou can. Teach them what you know of re- 
 ligion. But remember, my dear brethren, that 
 ihe proper means of procuring to your children 
 and your wives some notion of God and the re- 
 ligion vou profess, is to >{lve them good exam- 
 ple, by a life moderate and exempt from the 
 great disorders which exist among the Chris- 
 tians l)evond the niouotaiiiH. What idea do 
 you give"«»f God and of the ; c-llgion you profess, 
 to the Indians esiwclaHy, who see in you, who 
 are calling yourselves the servants of t hat great 
 God, dlsfirders which etiual, and perhaps sur- 
 pass their own? Yon thereby prejudice them 
 uyalnst our holy religion which you violate. 
 When this same religion, which condemns all 
 crime, shall ite preached to them, the Indiana 
 will object the wicked conduct of those who 
 profess it as a protest not to embrace it. On 
 receiving thl« letter which apprizes you that 
 probably you will soon receive the priest whom 
 you seem to pray for earnestly, renounce then 
 at «)nce sin; l)egin to lead a life more conform- 
 able to your belief. In order that, when tha 
 mlsslunarieti will arrive among you, they wiU 
 
c5UJ ^. ^, 
 
 Catholic Church in Orkgon. 
 
 <rv>— «— ^,^»^ \i 
 
 iZji^ ,<^-u^>^, 
 
 ^f^~f 
 
 find you dispdeed to avail yourselves of the in- 
 structions and other religious assititance which 
 they shall brin^ you. 1 wiub God niaj' touch 
 your hearts and change them. My greatest 
 consolation would be to loam hereafter that 
 as soon as this letter was read to you, you be- 
 gan to pay a little more attention to the great 
 affair or your salvation. 
 
 Given at St. Boniface of Red R!ver, on the 
 Sthday of June 1835. 
 
 ^ J. N. Provencheb, 
 
 Bishop of Juliopolis. 
 
 Demand or a Passage for two Priests. 
 
 The only aieansofcounnunication from Can- 
 ada to Oregon being in the hands of the Hud- 
 son Bay Co., by scndiug every year a unmber 
 of canoes laden with goods and conducted by a 
 number of Canadian voyageurs, the bishop of 
 Juliopolis made an application for the pas^iH^^e 
 of two priests in one of the cauoes to Oregon, 
 with the design of forming an establishmeut in 
 the Willamette valley. To this last point the 
 Governor and Committee in London objected, 
 but would grant a passage on the condition 
 that the priests would form their establishment 
 on the Cowlitz river. The bisliop of Juliopolis 
 having complied with the suggestion, Sir Geo. 
 Simpson wrote to the archbishop of Q;iebcc, 
 that if the two priests would be ready at La- 
 chine to embark for the interior about the 25th 
 of April, a passage would be aflPorded them. 
 The following is the correspondence on the 
 subject : — 
 
 LkttebofSih OkoroeSimp^ox, (!ov- 
 
 KRNOR OF THE HirDSt)>? BaY Co. IS THE 
 
 Interior, to his Lordship the Akch- 
 
 RI8HOP OF QUEHEC. 
 
 Hudson's Bay House, London, 
 
 Feb. 17th 1838. 
 
 "My Lord: 1 yesterday had the honor of 
 re(soiviim a letter fioiii the iji^hopof Juiio|)olis, 
 dattd Red River, Octolier 13th, 1837, wherein 
 I am requested to oininunicate with your 
 Lofilsliip.on t he snliject of sending two priests 
 to tlio Colundtia river for tlie purpoeeof estab- 
 It ;l;iiiu' a Catholic Misalon In that part of the 
 countiy. 
 
 "VVlien tlie liirflirn) first mentioned this sub- 
 ject. Ills view WHS to fiirni the Mission on the 
 banks of the Willamette, a river falling in the 
 Columliia from the south. To the establish- 
 
 ing of a Mission there, the Governor ii ml (.*( in- 
 niittee in London, and the Council in Ili.d- 
 son's Bay, had a decided ol.jiction, as the so- 
 vereignty of tliat country is ^till undeeide<l; 
 but L l"^t summer, intimated to the bishop 
 that if he would estaldisli the Mission on the 
 banks of the Cowlitz river, or on the Cowlitz 
 Portage, falling into the Colnmbiu from ilie 
 noitliward, and give his assurance that the 
 missionaries would not hieate thtiiiselves on 
 thesouthsideof the Columbia river, but would 
 form their establishment where the Co's rejj- 
 nsentatives might point out as the most eli- 
 gible situation on the north side, I should rec- 
 ommend the Governor and Committee to af- 
 ford a passage to the priests, and such faculties 
 t<>wariis the successful accomplishment of the 
 object in view us would not involve any gre-Jt 
 inconvenience or expense to the Co's service. 
 "By the letter received yesterday, already 
 ulludetl to, the bishop enters fully into my 
 views, and express*^ his willifigness to fall in 
 \\ ith my suggestions. That letter I have laid 
 before the Goveriior and Committee, and am 
 now instructed to intiunite to yv>nr Lordship 
 that if the priests will be ready at Lacbine to 
 embarli for the interior about the 25th of April, 
 a pass:ige will l>e afforded them, and on arrival 
 at Fort ViiiKouver measures will !« taken by 
 the Co's representative there to facilitate the 
 establishing of the Mi^sioll, and the carrying 
 Into effect the olgetls thereof generally. 
 
 I have the honor to be, my Lord, 
 
 Your Lordship's most obedient servant, 
 
 Geo. Simpson. 
 
 Appointment of Missionaries. 
 
 The archbishop of Quebec had no sooner 
 received the foregoing letter than he immedi- 
 ately gave the charge of the Mission of Ore- 
 gon to Rev. Francis Norbert Blanchet, then 
 curi dea Vedres, district of Montreal, by send- 
 ing him letters of Vicar General under the 
 date of April 17th 1838, and instructions bear- 
 ing the same date. His companion. Rev. Mo- 
 deste Demers, who was already at Red River, 
 was to be named by the bishop of Juliopolis. 
 The.se instructions were as follows: — 
 
 Instructions oivkn to V'ery Rev. F. 
 
 N. BliANCHBT and REV. M. DEMEBS, AP- 
 POINTED Mission ARIF.8 for that part 
 OF THE Diocese op Quebec WHirn is 
 
 SITUATED BETWEEN THE PACIFICOCKAN 
 AND THE ROCKV MOUNTAINS. 
 
 31 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THB 
 
 April 17tb 1838. 
 
 My Rev. Fathers. 
 
 You must connider as the first ohject of your 
 Mission to withdraw from barbarity and I he 
 disorders which it produces, the Indians scat- 
 tered in that country. 
 
 Yourseciuid oiilet-t is, to tender your services 
 to tlie wicked Christians who have adopUni 
 there the vices of Indians, and live in licen- 
 tiousness and the forgetfulnessof their duties. 
 
 Persuaded that tlie preaching of the Gospel 
 is the surest means «>f obtaining these happy 
 results, you will lose no opportunity of incul- 
 cating its principles and maxims, either in 
 your private conversations or public instiuc- 
 
 tions. . ... 
 
 In order to make yourselves sooner useful to 
 the natives of the country where you are sent, 
 vou will apply vourselves, as soon as you ai- 
 rive, to the study of the Indian languages, and 
 will endeavor to reduce them to regular prin- 
 ciples, so as to be able to publish a grammar 
 after some years of residence there. 
 
 You will prepare for baptism, with all pos- 
 sible expediticiu, the infidel women who live 
 ill concubinage with Christians, in oruer to 
 substitute lawful marriages for these irregular 
 
 ui'l'^ns. . ^ , .,1. , , 
 
 You will take a particular care of the Christ- 
 ian education of children, establishing for that 
 purpose, schools and catechism classes in all 
 the villages which you will have the occasion 
 
 to visit. ... .. . . 
 
 In all the places remarkable eillier lor then- 
 iiosition or the passage of the voyagers, or the 
 fathering of Indians, you will plant cnwses, 
 «o as to take possession of those various places 
 in the name of the Catholic religion. * * * 
 Given at Quelicc ou the 17th of April, 1838. 
 ^ Joseph Sign AY, 
 
 Bishop of Qiiclec. 
 
 (published FEBRUARY 28th 1878.) 
 
 Journey of the Mie^ioNARiES from 
 Lachimb to Fort Vancouvkr. 
 
 t CCOMPANIED by chief trader Har-jrave, 
 
 \ Vicar General F. N. Blanchet embarked 
 
 hi one of the light bark canoes carrying the 
 
 express of ll\e Hudson Bay Company, leaving 
 
 Montreal on Thursday, May :3rd 1838, reach- 
 
 ing Fort Vancouver on the 24th of the follow- 
 ing November. The journey from La^Mne to 
 Red River (2,100 niili's) was' made in caii.-"'8, 
 with occasional portages, in thirty-three days. 
 The journey from Red River to the Rocky 
 Mountains (2,025 miles) occupied eighty-four 
 days, including detentions. The river route 
 was made in eleven light barges and the land 
 trip — occupying five day 8 — was made on horse- 
 back Horses were also used in making the 
 tedious trip across the Rocky Mountains, from 
 Jasper's House to Boat Encami)inent or Big 
 Bend on the Coluuibia river. This trip occu- 
 pied nine days, a band of seventy-two horses 
 being provided for the use of the company. It 
 took six days to make the ascent on the East- 
 i-rn slope, and three days to descend to the 
 plains on the Pacific side, but the missionaries 
 were well repaid for tlie toils they underwent 
 in the gramleur of the scenery that surrounded 
 thei.i at every step. The remainder of the 
 journey, from Big Bend to Fort Vancouver 
 (about 1.200 miles) was made in light boats 
 down the Columbia river. 
 
 Vicar General Blanchet, having passed 35 
 days at Red River, took his departure in com- 
 pany .vith Rev. Modeste Demerson July 10th, 
 slopping en route at Norway House and Forts 
 Constant, Cumberland, ('arleton, Pitt and Ed- 
 innudton on the Saskatchewan, and Fort As- 
 siniboine and Jasper's House on the Athabaska 
 river. During this journey the missionaries 
 baptized one hundred and twenty-two on the 
 Eastern slope aud fifty-three on the Western. 
 After passing the snmniit of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains the missionaries stopped at the House of 
 the L ' "S and Forts Colville, O'Kauagan, and 
 Walla Walla, at each of which immense 
 crowds of Indians af sembled in order to behold 
 the Black-gowns whose presence they so long 
 waited lor. During this long and tedious trip 
 the missionaries had the happiness of cele- 
 brating Mass and delivering an instruction 
 every Sunday, and ou every day at which they 
 sojourned at the Forts on their route. By this 
 means the consolations of our holy religion 
 were bestowed on many Catholics who for 
 years had been strangers to the presence of a 
 |iriest. 
 
 MN 
 
 m 
 
 
Catholic Cbvbch im Orkoon. 
 
 9 
 
 GONBBCKATION OP THB RoCKT MoCNTAINS 
 
 TO God. , FmsT Mass m Oregon. 
 
 As the summit of the Rocky Mountaius was 
 to be reached and crosBed ou Wednesday the 
 10th of October, the missionaries thought it 
 iiicunibeut upon them to celebrate Mass, and 
 pronounce the glorious words whiclj make the 
 God-man descend upon earth, in thanksgiving 
 for God's protection and favors, and to con- 
 ecrate, in a special manner, to their Author 
 these sublime Rocky Mountains which by their 
 •rrandeur and sublimity seem anxious to cor- 
 rejipond to the invitation of Holy Scripttire : 
 >'0 ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord ; 
 praise and exalt Him aboi^e all forever. "(Dan. 
 iii. 15.) The country or region of the Rm-ky 
 Mountains appeared as a vasl^ sea of number- 
 less isolated high mountains, and abrupt peakf 
 of all shapes, where the eye of the traveler fan- 
 cies seeing here and there perfect t(»wers, beau- 
 tiful turrets, strong castles, walls and fortifica- 
 tions of all kinds ; as well as barren heights 
 which forms the base of higher hills and moun- 
 tains raising majestically their lofty heads to 
 heaven. Magnificent indeed is the spectacle 
 displayed before the eyes of the voyagers in 
 •he greatness of the gigantic nature where the 
 hand of the Eternal was pleased to retrace the 
 image of His creative power. Early on that 
 day therefore, at 8 a. m. the vicar general cele- 
 brated the holy sacrifice of the Mass, to con- 
 secrate to their Creator these mountaius and 
 abrupt peaks whose prodigious heiglils ascend 
 towards heaven to celebrate in such beautiful 
 language the praise of the Almighty. 
 
 It was ou Saturday, the 13 of October, a day 
 dedicated to the Immaculate Mother of God, 
 that, being at the western foot of the most lofty 
 mountains, the two missionaries began to tread 
 beueath their feet the long-desired land of Or- 
 egon; that portion of the vineyard alloted them 
 for cultivation. Filled with joy they retired a 
 short distance from the place where the car- 
 avan was resting oo the bosom of a beautiful 
 prairie, aud there fell ou their knees, embraced 
 the soil, took possession of it, dedicated aud 
 oousecraled their persons, soul and body, tu 
 whatever God would be pleased to require of 
 them for the glory of His holy Name, the prop- 
 
 agRtion of His kingdom and the fulfillment of 
 His will. The caravan joyfully reached Big 
 Bend towards the evening. The fact of find- 
 ing there but t wo boats insieud of four required, 
 grcntly checked the joy of all. The captain 
 of the expedition decided that one thii*d of the 
 parly should remain until the rest having 
 reached the House of the Lakes one ox the 
 boats would return to their relief. 
 
 The following day (Oct. 14lh 1888) being 
 Sunday, it was on that day that the holy sac- 
 rifice of the Mass was offered for the first time 
 in Oregon at Big Bend, ou the banks of the 
 dangerous and perilous Columbia. At this 
 greflt act of religion, performed by Rev. M. 
 Demers, the two missioimries being much 
 moved, consecrated themselves to the Queen of 
 angels, imploring her special protection for the 
 rest of the voyage. The boats being laden and 
 rea<ly, aud the last prayer made on the shore, 
 the two missionaries shook hands with their 
 dear companions whom, alas ! they were to see 
 no more, and started at 1 p. m. on the tnrbu- 
 leiii waters of I he upper Columbia. Therange 
 of mountains lowering, as it were, amphithe- 
 atrically, continues from BigBeitd to the lakes. 
 The days are short in so deeply embanked s 
 river which runs fifteen miles an hour, in h 
 succession of rapids or rather cascades. The 
 distance from Big Bend to the House of the 
 Lakes is 105 miles, which were run in ten 
 hours : two hours ou the 14th, six on the lath, 
 and two on the IGih of October. 
 
 The rapid of the Dalles of the Dead is a nar- 
 row channel turning nearly at right angles on 
 the left rocky high bank. The boats must 
 keep close to the pcint of the left bank in order 
 to avoid being rushed into the infuriate waves. 
 That dangerous rapid was run down safely on 
 the 15th, the boats being light with baggage 
 and passengers, aud well managed by eight 
 men, six at the oars, one at the stern, and the 
 other at the prow with long and large paddles 
 used as rudders. 
 
 EIOUTKKM DATS AT THK HoUSE OF THE LaKES. 
 
 Fik 1 MissiuNAKY Labors IM Orboon. 
 
 LOflS OP I'WKLVE Ll\ E8. 
 
 Tbt boats w«re do sooner arrived at the 
 
 1/ 
 
10 
 
 HI8T0BICAL 9KF.TCHE3 OF THE 
 
 House of the Lakes that one of theiu was iiu- 
 loaded, and sent back to the relief of the party 
 left behind. The House of the Lakes beiuj? 
 still in constructio n, the missior .rieseucainped 
 as usual under their tents. The first week 
 was spent iu prayer, celebration of I he Mass, 
 teaching the Indians, singiii<r canticles and 
 evening exercises. The Indians of the Lakes 
 soon came to visit the priests, anxious as they 
 were to see and hear the black-gowns so often 
 spoken of by the Canadians. They were found 
 to be of a mild, peaceable character an<l well 
 disposed to receive the words of salvation. 
 They being the first sheep of the vast fold en- ' 
 trusted to their care, the missionaries took 
 pleasure in instructing them, speaking of God, 
 t f the creation, of tHe fall of angels and man, 
 and of the Redemption by the Con of God. 
 The Indians listened with attention, assisting 
 at Mass with awe; and before the return of 
 the boat, they brought their children (17) to 
 be baptized, regretting not to have the same 
 happiness to make their hearts good. It was 
 painful to the missionaries to leave them ua- 
 ba Jzed. 
 
 When the day on which the boat was ex- 
 pected had passed without its arrival, a gloomy 
 presentiment began to seize the heiris of ull. 
 It increased iu intensity the following day. At 
 last, on (he •24th at the CDiicliision of Muss, a 
 boat appeared afar off, half broken, coming in 
 mourning, iv'iliout the usn-il joyful cliant at 
 arriving. Tlie men were hardly able to move 
 their oars. As the boat approached all ran to 
 the shore. At the sight of so fuw m n, wo- 
 men and children, a heart-rending spectacle 
 took place ; an indescribable scene of d wola- 
 liou and shedding of tears began ; cries and 
 piercing lamentations were long heard and 
 echoed bv the nei:rhbi)ring mountains. For, 
 alas ! the boat had capsized, and out of twenty- 
 six souls, twelve had perished. 
 
 At Big Bend the boat was found too much 
 embarrassed with baggage ; room was hardly 
 left for pasreu/ors. At the datigerniis Dalles, 
 all went ashor-. w'l'h only a portion of the bag- 
 gage. The bo it starttMl, struck a rock, filled, 
 but was brongli' o'l s'mru. Having been emp- 
 tied and reloaded, the tur packi^cs left in the 
 bullom having got wet, rendt -d the boat 
 
 heavier. The passeuj-ers embarked with the 
 greatest repugnance. On the next rapid the 
 boat filled up again. Then commenced a scene 
 of desolation and dread with cries nnd scream- 
 ing of women and children. The pilot com- 
 manded all to remain still, as they were ap- 
 proaching the «hore. But Mr. Wallace^ an 
 English botanist, pidled off his coat, stood up, 
 put one foot on the side of the boat and leaped 
 into the water wi'h his young wife ; the boat 
 lost its balance and upset, and of twenty-six 
 persons sirnggling in the water, twelve lost 
 their lives, ^ ailace and his wife iu the num- 
 oer. Some reached the shore, others were 
 saved on the keel of the boat which fortunately 
 fastened itself on a rock three or four feet deep 
 at the head of a rapid. This calamity hap- 
 pened in the dnsk of the evening. The body 
 of a chiW was found caught under the boat. 
 Sad, long and excruciating w^^s the night. The 
 next day, the boat having been repaired, the 
 siirvivers continued their sorrowful journey. 
 
 (published march 7th 1878.) 
 
 Missionary Labors at Colville, O'Kanaoan 
 AND Walla Walla. 
 
 "•f S soon as the ill-fated boat had arrived, an 
 ^1% Indian canoe was dispatched to Colville 
 for a boat and provisions, which had become 
 so scarce as to threaten starvation and oblige 
 each to receive a daily allowance. The repaired' 
 boat was sent the following day to the scene 
 of desolation, to look for, and bring down the 
 dead bodies of the lost friends. It. brought 
 down only the bodies of three children to whom 
 were given a solemn Christian burial. Wood- 
 en CI osses were blessed and placed over their 
 graves. 
 
 The express boat which had left for Colville 
 ou the 16th had returned ; the one sent for i>v 
 an Indian express had also arrived with pro- 
 visions ; there were then two good boats. All 
 being ready and the missionaries biddingadieu 
 to the good Indians of the lakes, the caravan 
 left ou November Srd the House of the Lakes, 
 
Catholic Church in Oukoon. 
 
 11 
 
 where llie Irtst ten days of sojoiirniog h\f\ been 
 go sorrowful, and reached Colville on ih'* 6ih. 
 Tin; exiiress boat had aniioiinfed the ooiniii-j; 
 of lln! /Iinrkgowni.; the news had spread like 
 lij^htuiii^, hence the gathering there of the 
 chief* i)f fi.e uationa. As soon ii ; they !*aw 
 the hoiilft coining they riisbed lo the shore and 
 placing themselves in file, men, women and 
 children, they begged to tone!) tlie hands of the 
 priests, which ceremou took a ioiig time. A 
 large house having been placed at their disoo- 
 sal, they nsed it to assemble the Indians in, 
 and g »ve them all the instrnction they could, 
 during the short time of four days they ent 
 Rt this ]U)st. 
 
 Having baptized nineteen persons and cele- 
 brated Mass before the chiefs ".nd the-- people, 
 who assisted at the sacred mysteries as if i 1- 
 rcady fervent Christians, the missionaries left 
 Colville on November the 10th and reached 
 Fort G Kanagan on the I3lh, after having 
 j)a8sed through many dangerous rat)i<ls, dalles 
 and portages. During the twenty-four hours 
 ihey remained at this post, they had occasion 
 to be convinced that ihe Indians who fre- 
 quemed it needed only what is required in or- 
 der to become good Christians. Fourleen bap- 
 tisms were made, and one Mass celebraled at 
 this Fort. Leaving Fort 0'Kanaj>«n on No- 
 vember 14th, they readied Fort Walla V/uIIh 
 (now Wallula^ on Sunday morning, the IHih. 
 During the twenly-iour hours they remained 
 at this post they had three baptisms, celebrated 
 one Mass, and were visited by the Walla Walla 
 andCayuse India. :s, who, liaving heitrd liy the 
 express of the coo'ing of the priests, hail come 
 to see and hear them on their passage, not- 
 withslai.ding the contrary orders of the Head 
 of the Wailalpu mission. Holy Mass was cele- 
 brated before the Indians, who assisted at it 
 struck with amiizeineut. In so short a time 
 the priests could give them btii a short explan- 
 ation of tlie most necessary iru'hs of salvation. 
 
 As this is the closing chapter descriptive of 
 the (rip (.-f ihe missionaries across the plains, 
 ;»n(i as our recital liereafier will be iniiinly 
 ih'voled to events and incidents which trans- 
 pired during the residence (;rthe missionaries 
 in the Northwest, we think it desirable to iii- 
 .>o't the following interesting letter of his 
 
 Grace Most Rev. Francis Norbert lilanchet, 
 then vicar get. eral, to tlie archbishop of Quebec, 
 desc-ribing in detail the daily incidents of the 
 journey across the plains and the arrival of 
 the missioiuiries at V'aucouvt r. 
 
 LiCTTKROF VICAR OKNKH.AI, BlA.NCHET 
 T()HIsL()l!I>8HIPj<)SEI'H8mNAY,AHCH- 
 Bti^IlOI' OK QUKHKf, <JIVlNO AN ACCOUNT 
 OK THK JOtRNKY OF THK MISSIONARIES 
 TO ORECiON. 
 
 Fort Vancouver, March 17th, 1S39. 
 
 Mv LoRn: It is for me a very sweet and 
 agreeable tjisk, toseiid to your liordslilp r ews 
 from the two iiiissioiiarlch wlioiii, in your zeal 
 for Ibesalv.itlon of I be souls entrusted to your 
 (listoi! 1 n)Iicitudc, y«.u have sent to Oregon, 
 to ( uliivaic the vircyard ot tl e Lord. After 
 numerous lutioships jind fatigues, dangers by 
 land and wa'cr, in our journey across the con- 
 tin< nt, ve Imve the pleasure, Kev. Deniersand 
 T, to annoiiiice, with love and gratitude to- 
 wards God iind the blessed Virgin Mary, that 
 we nave reached Inippily theend of ourvoyage, 
 yet not witln.ut losing twelve of our compan- 
 i( i-,s, di« wi «il in the Colunibia river. Please 
 join in « nr tl t;ilifgivinf.'8 to Gcd for the pro- 
 tection and caie of His rr«)vidence over us. 
 
 As t'l < n !K ve airlvtd, we vient to work. 
 '11 ♦•f.e!d is v:l^t,olir( (cupationsaretiumerous, 
 1 have sciKely lime to write. But I know 
 with wbiit imxiety ai d interest your Lordship 
 isex| cctiiigM n;e i oti sregiirdingourjouruey, 
 tlu- ■ountiy. tlie lattors begun and the bouea 
 given l)y the Oregon mission. May the inu)r- 
 nialioii I am going to give satisfy your expect- 
 ation aiitl till tlieardent desires which you In- 
 ces9;iiiily feel f >r y< ur Hock. 
 
 I willliegin with an account of my trip from 
 Lacbine to Ileil River (St Boniface"), where I 
 had to stop to receive the orders of Mgr. Pro- 
 vencher, bishop of Julio| olis, and to take along 
 Rev. M. Demeis, my traveling companion, al- 
 •^jady therefor a >ear. I left Montreal, Thurs- 
 ■ v 'May 3rd 18S3. The 700 leagues from that 
 
 y to Red River were travele<l in aH days, 
 
 •ivliig arrived there on tbetitb day of June, 
 on one of tlie Hudson Bay Ct>'8 canoes, c«ra- 
 matided by Mr. Hargrave, chief trader. The 
 loaded catn es which st^irtefl some days after 
 the light ones, with a number of families, ar- 
 rived three wieks af'ev. 
 
 Everyone knows liow dangerous this mode 
 of traveling is. Tosi>end daysand often nights 
 in an uneomfoi table position; to undergo the 
 Inclemency of seasons, the gusts of wind and 
 the torrential rains; to run down numberlesa 
 rapids at the peril of one's life; or to travel ou 
 
u 
 
 Historical Skktches of the 
 
 foot long portages thmujrh forests, rooks ami 
 ponds; to «)an'p "Ut in cold and damp plat-es; to 
 devour In haste a scanty meal, badly prepai-ed; 
 to stop at the different posts, inhabited by 
 white people and visitetl by Indians, for the 
 administiation of tlie sacrament**, tlie visitri- 
 tion of tliesicit and tlie exhortalion of jKior 
 sinners; such was, my Lord, the life of the mis- 
 sionaries on their way to the far West. 
 
 For eiKlJt days we went up, Mr. Hargrave 
 
 and I, tlie Ottawa river. We left It and went 
 
 up anotlier river to its source. That took us a 
 
 whole dav. After that came a ponage, tLree 
 
 miles ill length, where Is the summit of the 
 
 lan<' - dividing the waters of tlie Ottawa from 
 
 thone fliwlnginto lake Nipisslng. At the end 
 
 of the iMirtage, we came down a little river in 
 
 one day. We were then on lake Niplssing, 
 
 which we crossed in twenty-four hours. Alter 
 
 a sliort portage, we began to go down French 
 
 river tlirough which the lake discharges its 
 
 waters into lake Huron; that also took us a 
 
 whole day. The crossing of lake Huron to 
 
 Sault 8te. Marie, took us three days. From 
 
 thence to Fort William on lake Suiierior, six 
 
 days and a half. Leaving lake yuperior, we 
 
 astinded, for three days, the Timlnistigouia 
 
 river up to a portage nine miles long, wliicli 
 
 is the height of lands, and divides the waters 
 
 running into lake Superior from those ttowing 
 
 into lake Winnipeg, and thence into the Hutl- 
 
 sonBay. After that long maid we embarked, 
 
 "near ito source, on the river IJes Embarrux, 
 
 which flows into the Milk Imcs. We crossed 
 
 the latter and also lake La I'luie liefore reach- 
 
 iiic tlie Fort of the same ninne. Our journey 
 
 from the height of lands t<> this post had la aed 
 
 live days. It took us ihi-ee da\8 to go down 
 
 the river La I'luk, two days lo iiross liike Des 
 
 £o/s. thri-edayslogodown the \Vinuip.g,<.ne 
 
 dav to cross lake Winiili>ej.', and another d-y 
 
 to 'ascend Red river up to Kt. B<>nif..ce, the 
 
 residence of the bishop of Juliopolis. 
 
 Our Canadian and Iroiiuols traveling com- 
 panions were exhausted. Itwasthesamewlth 
 Mr Hargrave and myself, and that for good 
 reisons; for, very often, we would leave our 
 camp at one in the morning, and encamp only 
 at about 7 or 8 in the tvcning. Many times 
 we were exposeil to great dangers, in the mid- 
 dle of lake-s or in coming down or going up 
 rapids. Tlie current used to set adrift our ca- 
 n'ot-on liidden n.cks, and .nceouri'miill bark 
 canoo was nearly daslieil to plec«^s on »»ne <if 
 these hitidi-n rocks. The mournful cros-^s to 
 bj seen ab .ve and below the rapids area sign 
 or lilt' dangers these places afford. 
 
 According to my calculation of the hours of 
 triveling, I counted from Lachine to Matawan 
 115 leagues on the Ottawa; hence to Sault 8te. 
 
 Millie, 134; on lake Superior, 140; from Fort 
 William to the height of lands, 50; hence to 
 lake La Piuk Fort, 98; llu-nce to Ftirt Alexan- 
 der, down the Winnipeg river, 12l»; and at last, 
 from that place to St. Bonliaee, between 3oaiia 
 37; total 700 leagues, iravled in 488 hours, or 
 ;^ ' days of forced marches. 
 
 At the extremity of lake La Pluk, I met the 
 worthy missionary of the riauteux, Rev. ff. 
 Beicoiirt, who was then vlsHIng thecamjisof 
 that nation. I crossed lake Winnipeg on the 
 uth of June, and on the 6th I arrived at St. 
 B<iniface where I met bishop Provencher, Rev. 
 Thllieault and Rev. Demers, appointed to the 
 mission o '>re;.'on. Rev. Poire, missionary in 
 the White Horse Prairk, came two days after. 
 Rev. Belcourt returned from his mission <»u 
 the 14th. On the 18th Rev. Poire left to ac- 
 company a caravan of 800 or 900 wagons on a 
 buffalo hunt. It was after his return that this 
 geiiileman went to Canada with Mr. Belcourt. 
 Rev. Mayrand arrived on the 22nd. 
 
 It is easier l<i feel than to expn.ss the joys 
 and emotions, the souvenirs and hopes caused 
 by the meetingof those zealous lab«>rers in the 
 vineyard of the Lord. This was the most nu- 
 merous gathering of priests ever witnessed by 
 the inhabitants of these remote regions. The 
 mustard-seed was beginning to appear as a vi- 
 gorous tree, already shadowing a multitude of 
 souls draw n from the darkness of idolatry and 
 tninsplanted in the kintrdom of God ; precious 
 fruits of tl e evangelical zeal animatinK these 
 missionaries. Hajipy the prognostics of a still 
 richer harvest to be gathered. 
 
 Having spent five weeks in v.iiitingall the 
 missions of Red river, we started. Rev. Demers 
 and I, on the 10th of July for our destination, 
 after having sang a high Mass in honor of St. 
 Ann to ask from God the benediction of heaven 
 on our journey; for we had to penetrate Intoa 
 country never yet visited by a Catholic priest. 
 The rivers, lakes, mountains, prairies, forests 
 and hills of Oregon would soon resound with 
 the praises of the holy name of Jesus; the cross 
 would be planted from place to place, from 
 shore to shore, over the thousand leagues we 
 had vet to travel, and the word of Him who 
 said that that sign would "attract ail to Him" 
 in the person of these po«>r wandering sheep 
 to which we were sent. What a joy! What 
 a sweet consolation f<«r missionaries! 
 
 From St. Boniface we went. In seven days 
 of dangerous navigation, to Norway House, a 
 small fortres.*, 130 leagues distant from our 
 starting point, and 10 leagues from lake Win- 
 nipeg. Tbe'.ommandinsr chief Factor had the 
 kindness to give us fof lodging and chapel the 
 apartments destined for the Governor of the 
 company. We sjieiit there eight days, saying 
 
Catholic Church ?s Okkcon. 
 
 13 
 
 holy Maps, dl(«tributiug catechisms, haptizinjr 
 chiklroii and some adults, itmtrucliiigaiid t>x- 
 hoiUipfj the whites and Indiniis ai the Fort. 
 We h1s>> iKTfi Hilled two marriaKes tiiere. On 
 rtuiidity, the 22iid, there wasa higli Mass, ves- 
 pers iiiiid I WD serinoiis, to whieh some of tlie 
 jivjitlemen aiideierltsof tlieeonipniiy assisted. 
 Dniinir 1 1 lis brief stay of eljrhtdavM, many small 
 buiKls i>f travelers came fr uu York Factory, 
 on Uu Ison's Bay, to Norway House, from 
 wheiu-e ;hey were all to start together to cross 
 the mountains. 
 
 On til" 26th of July every tidiig was ready. 
 The brlrwle assembled and liegaii to march 
 uiidtir tliB command of Jolni Rowand, Esq., 
 Chief F.ictor of the Comoany, a Catholic, 
 whose at tent ion, Itindnessaii I constant efforts 
 to alleviute the fatigues and privations of tiie 
 route, we will never forget. The lirigadecon- 
 air,ied of eievon boats laden with inerchaiidiM?, 
 agreat number of hired men, women and chil- 
 dren. Among the travelers were Messrs. \V;il- 
 lace and Banks, botanists, sentfioin Etigliiii'! 
 by a scientific society. 
 
 Having passed the head of lake Winniiejr, 
 the river .Saskatchewan, or 8t. Peter, wliicli 
 we had to ascend for 37 days, apjieared with 
 the <lrand rapid that requires a jnirtage of 
 everything. We crossed tlielaUeffe Traixrn, 
 Bourbon, des Cedres and dci Vase,'*. On Sunday, 
 Vugust 15th, we reached the little Fort (-'oii- 
 stant, built on the right shore. We li.ul trav- 
 eled 93 leajrues with oar, piTcn, sail and line, 
 h iving been ften obliged, at the principal 
 lapidt), to unbuul our lioats. We had b ip;ized 
 on the way a child who died an hour Liter. 
 I [aviirj;, that day, sang high Mass in the pres- 
 ence of the CVjs Indians of the lu'ighborhood, 
 wlio iip eared to lie well disposed to ivcive 
 th" seed of tlie Word of God, we .starte.l liuht 
 awav,aiid arrived on the 7tli at Fort CnmbiT- 
 laiid" on tiie laUu' of thi' same name, .■$ > I M;;ues 
 from Fort Constant, and (Ui the ISth .it Fort 
 Carletoii, 88 leagues from the last. 'I'nere we 
 peit'ornied 36 liaptisms and 7 iiiariiag<'s. .\- 
 mong tliose l).iptize<l were the coniiii inder of 
 tlie post, Mr. Patrick Small's family, compo- 
 sed of 8 I ersoiis, of wlioiii lliree wt-re adults. 
 At Fo t Pitt, 87 le.i^'ms furl her, we had 11 bap- 
 tisms and at Fort K imuntoii, also called 
 H'ort d vi /'m/rr.s. in cliargeo' chief Factor John 
 Row.itid, we had 3i» liaptisms, « f which 5 were 
 adults, and 3 marriages. 
 
 Tiii-. last fort, wlilihc-r we arrived on theOth 
 of September, is 101 leaifues distant fn»m Fori 
 Pitt, amidst tiie UrLs. It would be quite fit .o 
 btcome a stati"! ' • ii missiimaiy who would 
 unierstand these Indians' language. Mean- 
 wliile, a priest could, in good weather, goon 
 horsi back across the prairies, from Red River 
 
 to Fort Ciirleton in \!i days, hence to Fort Ed- 
 muntoit 1/ 12 days, allowing time to slop nl 
 every fori along the road His visit would do a 
 gre.it deal of g<i<id to iln- employees and to the 
 poor Iiidians, with wliom they trade in fms. 
 On the 2l)th of September, we had at Fort Ed- 
 niunton, asttlenin Mass and vespers, and two 
 sermons. On the Idih, liefoie leaving, we 
 blessed and planted a cross. This we did all 
 along tho road, wherever we had wild Mass, 
 eitlier near the forts, or on the shore, or in the 
 Ulterior along the roaii. 
 
 For six weeks we had followed the crooked 
 course of the Saskatctuwaii. We had then to 
 quit It and to change our small fleet for a car- 
 avan of 66 horses, in order to reach, by land, 
 across forests, ponds, prairies, rivers, ditches 
 and lieaverdams. Fort .Assinilioineon the Ath- 
 aliasea, a distance of34 leagues, which required 
 tlve ilaysof fatiguing and dangerous walking. 
 On Septeml'er 16tli, we left Fort Asslniiiolue 
 f.nd began to struggle against, the rapidn and 
 daii!.'eiN of tiie Atlialiasku which we ascended 
 f.ir 17 days. On tlie 28th, we saw for the first 
 time the imposing forms of the Rocky V oun- 
 tains, the highest summits of which are per- 
 petually covered with snow. On the 2na of 
 October, we liad corneas far as Jasper's house, 
 4 leagues inside tlie Rocky Mountains, and 
 were then 5i2 leagues from Fort Assiniboinc. 
 There were there 3o baptisms, for the greatest 
 part children of half breeds, or free people, 
 living in the v.oods as Indians and hunting 
 tlie beaver. Holy Mass was celebrated ou the 
 opposite side of tlie river, far from the noise of 
 Jasper's. 
 
 Tlie Athalusca being no longer navigable, 
 we changed, on the 5tli, <iur boats for a car- 
 avan of 72 liorses, a great deal worse and more 
 im|)eifect tliaii those of Ertmunton. These 
 ' animals were ea.sily frightened, and throwing 
 ott" iioisemaii and baggage tliey woul'^ either 
 start for tlie woods or run into ponds or mud 
 holes. The organization was ditficult and the 
 departure slow. We went along the right shore 
 of the river whicli, running In zigzags in a val- 
 ley well timbered and bordered vith high 
 iii'ouinains, produced high and long points 
 tliat we had to cross straight over, in order to 
 shorten tiie distance. We had to cri«8 chan- 
 uvU. and sand iiars; we traveled alongside of a 
 lake at the head of which is the Prairie Caiup- 
 meiit, where we halte<l. We were 3 lea:^ue» 
 fro.ii Jasjwr's house and had come there In 4 
 hours. 
 
 On the 6lh we had to cmss forests of thick 
 woods and climb up hills and rocks dipping 
 into the water. We had to pass on the side of 
 these hills whence the eye sees with awe the 
 yawning abyss. Woe to the rider whose hone 
 
14 
 
 HmOBICAL SKKTI^HUa OK THE 
 
 •-Nil 
 
 wouldmis.->a«lii!rle!«tt'|.! AfU-r b:iviiipc11iil>- 
 ed very liigli rtK-U.n luiii traveleil 4 I*>iik"*^<' '" 
 3^ hourn, we c-aiiipetl 0)>i)0!!itf tl»« nick cHllfd 
 the (Md Mii». 
 
 On thf Till, after two lioure of iiiun-b over a 
 nice little prairie liiilitly covered witli wimmK 
 on a level ground, we took breakfast hi a ttne 
 l>rairie. \Ve then went up and down 12 <ir 
 18 hills and rocks covered with w<iodn. We 
 crossed lour little rivers, the Vnmpofthc Vow, 
 pretty >fr.>ve«of li;jlit woods and beautiful wil- 
 lows."' H ivlng walked 7 leagues in If, hours, 
 wecampe I near th.- south fork or branch of the 
 Athabas .a in a place covered witli burnt tives. 
 
 (PUBLISHED MARCH 14tH 1878.) 
 V'ICAH (IKNERAI/S I.ETTKR CONrLfDKn. 
 
 /In tlie Hth, the luggage and pet)|)le were 
 \f carried over, in a canoe wliitii liad been 
 brought BO far witli infinite pains and lubur 
 from Jasper's. The horses sw;mi across. This 
 branch of the river was a real torrent, 45 steps 
 or yards wide. The southwestern branch is 
 but 30 feet wide, we had to cross it on horse- 
 hack from its right shore at a place civlled 27« 
 Hole, where the horses lost f«K)ting for 18 feet. 
 The baggage and horsemen did not get v.et; 
 SIS to tliose who were on foot they had toswini, 
 holding the luggage or the hoi-se"s tail. Pro- 
 ceeding now along the shore, then on the top 
 of iiigb roclss, we met with niaiiy olts acles 
 offered by hi!<h rocks, thick timlierand fallen 
 'rees. A hill apijeaivd; in order to f;icilitate 
 its stet'i) Mscension, we climbed up in zigzags. 
 \Veha<lt< dismount our horses In places where* 
 the h n-ses had to jump or climli. Fr 'Ui the 
 top of this hill apiteared the most enchanting 
 scenery. Our sight rested w itii pleasure on a 
 large Viillcy bordered with foi-ests niising their 
 iieads up to one fourth of the mountainous 
 lieight In the middleof Ibis valley wecould 
 see the river, with its thou -and turns and as 
 many points or hills producel by its course. 
 It w;isa m:ijf'dfl<ent and encljantitig8|iectacle 
 which caused our hearts to rise to Ciod, and 
 whlcli we weivsorry to leave. VVequitted the 
 river, c ossed several hi lis and groves and again 
 leaelic t I be river. We came to Moose Piaitk, 
 wlR'le :i ni<'e waterfall, several hundred feet in 
 heiirbt, falls from the top of the moi'iitains in- 
 to the 1 iver. The road liad been b.i<l and dan- 
 gerous that day. The live leagues which the 
 light cavalry liad run in CI boui-s, were trav- 
 eled in two liours more by the loaded animals. 
 
 On the ftth, we croftsed new points and high 
 hills l)efore n*aching the first grand l)each two 
 nub's wide, covered witli fine gravel, l)»ird«'ivd 
 with mountains, and in the midst «f which 
 the river ^e«^med t«) play, making a thousand 
 turns from one sIo|M' of the mountains to the 
 other. We cnwsetl a second l»eaeh llirnugh 
 which the river flowed in like manner, i but 
 day we bad to cross it &'i times in order t<t 
 shorten tlie distance. Wt- saw many glaciers 
 in the mountain passes, went through many 
 a snow Imnk, and also saw a waterfall a» coti- 
 siderable as the first. It was tlie Barrel FaU. 
 We iialted at the Oun Vamp, surrounded wilh 
 high )H-aks white with snow. We had trav- 
 eled that day 8 leagues in 7 liours. 
 
 On the 10th, l>eing > U leagues from the top 
 of the Rocky Mountains, at 3 o'clock in the 
 morning, I celebrated under a tent the august 
 sacrifice of ilie Immacnlale Lamb in tbanks- 
 giving for all the l)eiKfits the Lord hud be- 
 stowed upon IIS, and to consecrate by the sac- 
 rifice of the ( r. ss these sublime mountains, to 
 tlie glorv of their Creator, the all-powerful 
 God, of whom ihey sing the praise and power. 
 Having walkt.d with much fatigue 2^ hours, 
 across ponds, rocks, fallen trees and other obs- 
 tacles, on the slope of mountains, alongside of 
 tiio narrow Itui swift torrent, we came, by a 
 steep way to the gorge or pass half a league 
 ill width t'erweiMi (he two mountain ranges, 
 liiotrn and Honker, wliose grand summit, per- 
 petually coviitd with snow, rises some 17 or 
 1K,0»;0 feet above tlie level of the sea. This 
 pass, pretty sle«'p in its central slope, Is cov- 
 ered on both sides with masses of rocks fallen 
 from the ab; upt mouiituins, whilst otberrocks, 
 Hiispendeii atnive, seem to threaten the fright- 
 ened traveler. 
 
 Half way in the gorge is a round lake called 
 Puiich Bowl. It is 311 yards in diameter. Its 
 wateis communicate, uiiuerground, with twc 
 other lateral lakes, whciein originate two riv- 
 ulets. One is the source of the east branch of 
 the Atliabasca, the other is the source of the 
 Por(age river of the Wi-st. These two rivers 
 are supplied l)y a great many streams from the 
 mountains; so little at first they soon become 
 impracticable torrents rolling their waters 
 with an extraordinary noise. There, at Punch 
 Bwrl. we were but one league and a half from 
 our morning camp, and it had taken us 2j 
 hours to travel that sliort distance. We were 
 27'. Iciigui-M from Jasper's. 700 leagues from St. 
 Boniface, and 1,400 from "lonti-eal. One may 
 Judge, thereby, of the obMucles encountered in 
 that day, witliout speaking of the obstacles 
 and dangers met witli for 6 days on the East- 
 ern slo))e, in the ascent and descent of bills, 
 rocks and heights, from Jasper's. We still 
 
Catholic Choicb in Okkoon. 
 
 15 
 
 walked one mile and a half in 2 boure, going 
 down tlie WeMtern Mupe, niucb atet-per timn 
 tl>o EaxU-rn; and going over rocks, frugments 
 of rockw, and tre«B along the Portage river. 
 We liuliod a abort dietanoe from La Grande 
 ihtf, A great ateen hill we liad to dt.iicend, and 
 whither our loaded horses arrived but 2 hours 
 aftev thoste of the light cavalry. They were 
 tired ami unable to go any further. 
 
 On the 11th, the Onat HtUapwared with its 
 Icing circuits In zigzags, to facilitate the steep- 
 ness of it't descent. We descended it in 3 hours; 
 the first part on horseback, the second on foot, 
 and the third on horseback again; after which 
 the caravan rested for acme hours on a t>eauti- 
 ful buxh-prairie, the first portion of the large 
 field we were sent to cultivate. We took pos- 
 session of it, and consecrated ourselves to Its 
 cultivuti.in. We crossed the Portage river 8 
 times, and made 4 leagues in 5} hours. 
 
 On the next day, our riding hordes walkeil 2 
 leagues in 4\ Itours through the mud boles of 
 the grcttl timber Point. It took the laden ani- 
 mals 8 hours to make that distance, l)ecAnse 
 they had to be unloaded and loaded again, 
 every now and then. 
 
 On the l.Sth, the traveling was easier and 
 more agreeable. Having walked for 6 hours 
 and crossed several points of w(M>ds and hills, 
 we reached Boat tneampment on the right shore 
 r)f the Portage river, some distance below Its 
 ji! nctlon with tlie Canoe river flnwi iig from the 
 North. We had come down the West slope of 
 t he njoun tal ns I n .S days. We were 13} leagues 
 from Punch Bowl, 41 from Jasper's, 4-5 froin t he 
 entrance of the Ricky Mountains of wliich the 
 range seems to continue up to the head of the 
 lakes, .55 leagui-s further below. 
 
 The t'oUunbla river has its source 5) leagues 
 on the South. From Boat enrjimpment, it ab- 
 ruptly turns to the West, hence the name of 
 "Big Bend" Is given to this curve. It then 
 flows Southwest down to the Spokan ■ river, 
 below Colville;then Northwest to Okimagan; 
 then Southwest to Wallulu; thencj West to 
 Vancouver; thence Northwest to Cowlitz; 
 thence West to the Pacific Ocean. This rapid 
 river, about 60 yards wide at Bij Bend, which 
 rolls itsswollen watersamtdst nunitMtrless dan- 
 gers and was to ofter us In Its rapids, its whirl- 
 pools, its dalles, its falls, its abysses, a tliou- 
 sand more dangers than all the rivers we had 
 yet navigated, was now iiefore us. We had 
 iiow to eiic >unter Us dangers; and we were 
 remly to meet them. 
 
 On tlie I4tli, it being Sunday, the h<»ly sao- 
 rittce of the Ma;^ was celebrated to consecrate 
 us to the Queen of angels and beg her to take 
 us under her protection. It was tlie first Mass 
 <Milebruted In the territory of our mission. At 
 
 1:30 p. m., the iHMta were loaded, the prayers 
 having been auld on the shore, %«e shook bands 
 with our traveliiigcompunlons whom we quit- 
 ted, alas! never to meet again, and we began to 
 sail. Having traveled 10 leagues In 3J hours, 
 we canified in the middle of tne rocka, and to- 
 wards dusk we went down fiom this bad place 
 to choose a better site. 
 
 On the 15th, the grand and famous Dalles of 
 the Dead appeared; it seems to be but 20 yan' i 
 wide. Wuat makes It dangerous la the curved 
 form or elbow of high and perpendicular rocka 
 against which the whole body of water rushea. 
 Hence the fury of the waves and the necessity 
 to pass cl<«e by the opposite shore. Here we 
 had to leave the boats to carry ofT every iblng. 
 The barge Is then conducted by 8 men, 6at the 
 nais and one at each extremity as pilots with 
 long and wide paddles. In that way the DaUu 
 of the Lead was passed wltiiout much danger. 
 The little Dalle.- d« low, 30 yards wide, was also 
 fortunately run down with loaded boats. We 
 also went ihrough 3 big rapids and 30 smaller 
 <mes, besides a strong continuous current and 
 abysses which threaten the unskillful traveler. 
 My barge broke o})en In the morning, during 
 a fog, on a hidden rock, which put usin great 
 danger. MyrompHUlon wasin the other ba~ge. 
 The river, which from the Baneg encampment, 
 looks as a canal cut through toe mountains, 
 began to flow, towardsevening, In a less moun- 
 tainous country. In this canal the horizon 
 always appears on a level with *.he top of the 
 treesof ihefcllowlnfT rapids and the high walls 
 of rock, now crowned with forests, and then 
 with beautiful rov.sof willows, terminate at 
 every ripid by a fall, or kind of step making a 
 real nniphitheatre. It Is a grand, magnificent 
 and delightful sight, but the dangers offered 
 by the canal prevented our enjoying it. On 
 that day we had traveled 40 leagues In 6 hours. 
 On Tuesday the 16th, liaving made 5 leagues 
 in 2i hours, we reacii<;d the Hougeof the Lakes. 
 Two hours after, one of our l)oats went back to 
 the Barges encampment to fetch down the third 
 of our companions we had left there for want 
 of room. Theother boat started for Vancouver 
 with the express. It t«K>k 6 days to the first 
 to go up tlie 55 leagues which separated them 
 from us;ltarT5ved hereon the 21st. Next day 
 It started down, got filled with water at the 
 Dallesofthe Dead, was emptied, but again filled 
 in the following DaUfs; It was going ashore 
 ^tien some one jumping in the water upset It. 
 Hence the loss of 12 persons out of the 26 who 
 mounted it. It was about dusk when thiscal- 
 amlty occurred. Tlie broken barge went on its 
 way the following day and arrived on the 24th 
 in the morning at our camp. Great was tbe 
 consternation at this sad news; an express was 
 
ir> 
 
 HiSTORfCAI. FunTCHRtl OP THK 
 
 dent tarolvlllp for a Uvtt luid goiuo provlxloDs. 
 Tlieotl)t'roiie \vt\* tvpuireil mul went biiek to 
 the unfortunate Hpot to liriiiK (liv druuneil bo- 
 dies doun. Tlmt iiccidentdetuined UMlSduys 
 at the Hoiimqfthe LriAvju. Thin lime wuHM|x>iit 
 in inHtrnciInK itie Indiunn who appeannt quite 
 docile and well diHposed; they were >»orry not 
 tn have the happineHH of toeing biiptixetf lil<e 
 tlieir ciiil Iren. 
 
 At luBt <in the 3rd of November, havini; per- 
 formed 17 buptisitiH, one marringe, Htid liiiried 
 3 drowned children, (the only b idien found,) 
 Mt the fo:»i of H vroMS erected ii few utepn from 
 nuroanij), where we celebrated holv Mastsevery 
 day, we embarke<I in 2l>oat8, upon tlie waters 
 still keepins; in their lionoru nine of our com- 
 
 J>aulons We cro-«ed I lie Hrst lake, 13 leu^uet* 
 ong, and one wide. Then came the second 
 lake. IH leagues by 2 niilen. Below the lakes 
 on the left in the Kootenuy river, whicili njv 
 peured to be 30<) feet wide; and four hours' dis- 
 tance below, 'lie Flat 1 tend river falling into t lie 
 Columbia, through a beautiful fall some sixty 
 yards wide. Tlie ninth rapid below the 1 lUes 
 forms the Little IMle.t where the water passi's 
 through a camd 10() feet wide, iK'tween high 
 rocks or basaltic columns. VV'e can «ay tluit 
 the Rocky Mountains extend us far as the 
 lakes. Tlie day twfore we arrived ut Fort ('i>l- 
 ville, the want of tlmlwr — wi>ichftl)ounded up 
 to the Qreat Dalles — began to lie noticeuiile. 
 
 After having traveled 72 leagues in :i days', 
 we reached in the forenoon of the6lh. Fort Col- 
 ville where we remained 81 days occupied in 
 celebrating holy Mass and in i'nstruetinn 'he 
 IndiaiiN of tlve nations who assisted with as 
 much resjtect as if they had bten fervent (Mi ris- 
 tians. Hav'Mg performed 19 baptisms, we left 
 tliat fort o- le lOlli, and went to c niip two 
 miles lieli'W in order to avoid the ('Imudierea 
 fall, wliich stops navigation at that place. 
 
 On tile 11th in the morning, we were triv- 
 e'ing upon tlic Columbia wliicli a]i|)eared full 
 of dan^jers. The giiiiid rapid appeared, 2n 
 others followed. On the 12th, we passed the 
 fork of ihe Spokane on the left shore, And tli.it 
 of the .Simpoils on the rijilit. On the l.Htli, we 
 reached Fort Okunagaii, si ii.iled on the right 
 shore, 64 le.mues from Colville. NVf had trav- 
 eled that distance in 3 days, inissing through 
 innuincrable rapids, at the mosi dangerous of 
 whicli the jieopie had to land in order to ligiit- 
 en tlie boats. 
 
 We started again on the I4th, after having 
 baptized 14 |)er.sons, celebrated Mass and in- 
 slructed the neighboring Indians during the 
 24 liouis of our stay at tlie fort. The little river 
 (Jkaiiajian apijeared lijilit away. Wc juni|)ed 
 12 lapids on that day. On tlie ne.xt day, the 
 I.jUi, a rapid was formed by the liock Islands. 
 
 The passengers went ashore, and yet it did not 
 nrcvent the b< at, carrying our chnich ki (mIh, 
 mim t-trikiiig a rock and breaking, in coming 
 down a eusi-adi>. It was Hlling witli water as 
 it api>roaeh(>d the shore. On tlie]«th, wesuw, 
 at a lieight of 100 feet in tlie Assure of a rcH-k, 
 H pet rifled tree. While Jumping the 4 Priest's 
 Rapids, lur Istut struck on Ihe bottom l>ut did 
 not break. Behiw these rupids, tlie high and 
 mountainous shores of llie river give place to 
 low and level prairies, over which the sight 
 can extend with ease. On that very day, we 
 enjoyed a »|H'ctacle of which we hatl been «ie- 
 prived since we left Winnipeg, that was the 
 sunset. The ren.ainder of this day and also 
 the next, we sailed on quiet waters. The low 
 shores gave ns a chance to see the Blue Moun- 
 tains, iSoutliof Wallnla, and those of Puget 
 !S< und or .Mount Rainier. We left behind us, 
 on tlie ri>;lit, the Yakima river, and l)elow,on 
 the left, the Snake liver, also called Lewis and 
 Clarke, wliieli iip|H'ared to lie 500 feet wide. 
 
 On Sunday, the IHtii, we arrived early in the 
 morning at Foil Walla Walla, built on the left 
 I'ank of the Columbia, a short distance from 
 the river (if that nuin*'. Peter C. Pambruii, 
 Ks«j., in clia;g(.' of tliut important fort, a Cath- 
 olic, received the two missionaries with the 
 giraUst cordiality. He was born in the parish 
 of Vaudreuil, district ef Montreal, Canada, anil 
 was foinnrlv Lieutenant in tlie Vaitigeura Va- 
 tiiiilliDy. His excellent wife was, at the time, 
 at F«)ri Vancouver with her little girls, Maria, 
 aged 12. Eda 3, and Harriet 1« months; and 
 tlie lioys Andrew D . 17 years, and Peter C, 15. 
 Tlie girls were IwptiMd with their mother on 
 IXceiiiber IS, and the (at her had his marriage 
 idessed on the same day. It was a beautiful 
 and hap|>y day for ine. 
 
 The holy saciittceof tlie Mass was celebrated, 
 afterwl.idi the chiefs of I lie Cay uses and Wal- 
 la Wallas came with their ptniple to see the 
 pricKls. '1 he Cayuses were divided into two 
 tiibes;oiieof which on Ihe Walla Walla river, 
 known as Wailai])u, formed the Presbyterian 
 mi.>4sioii, estalilislied by Dr. Whitman in 1836. 
 The other camp lying on tlie Umatilla river, 
 .SO miles hence, was under liie command of the 
 young cliief Taiiatoe. The day was pissed in 
 .s|>eaking to them of (iod and religion. They 
 were so glad to see the Blackyoicns so long ex- 
 jiecteil. There were three baptisms made at 
 this place, and on a subsequent visit by Rev. 
 M. D( mers, the young ciiief brought bis ciiild 
 to be baptizt>d by the priest, Mr. Pambiun 
 having consente<l to be its godfather, which 
 gained for him great blame and displeasure 
 from the Doctor. Since that time the young 
 
 chiofand his band always pi-eferred the priest's 
 religion to that of the minister. 
 
Catholic Ciicrch in OnKcoN. 
 
 17 
 
 SSSXOS TXX. 
 
 ( PTTBLISHED UASCH 2l8T 187S.) 
 ViCAK OKNKRAL'8 LKTTRR CONCM'DKD. 
 
 An iiinnd«y, the 19tli, we left Fort Wallu 
 Xf Walla will) it«exuellviitcoiniuaiider. 'he 
 little rivnr Wnlla Wallii, uii the left, wa lol- 
 lowed hy theUmatllluoii the name ttide. iStveti 
 loasuei^' below the fort, we leaped the (iraiid 
 Raphl M Itbout ae<.'ldeiil. From thence, we be- 
 wail t<i we the white Hiiniiult of Mount H(mk1, 
 whose tMtBelii the Cttflcudes range. On tlilsday, 
 the 2llth, our provialonH becoming short, two 
 horneti were purchased for fiKxl, for which the 
 Indiann were paid $10 a piece. The Columbia 
 beinu pretty low at thWafuson of the year, our 
 two boats touched the ground In descending 
 the 7th rapid on that day. We left the little 
 river John Ikiy on the left. 
 
 On wednetiday, the 2lHt, we saw on the same 
 side La riviere dot Vhules, (the river of the Fallw) 
 so called by the Canadian voyageurs, not for 
 having falls, but because of it« uroxiuiity to 
 the falls to be found on theCohuunia. We ap- 
 proached them <m the right shore, with grext 
 precaution, on account of the slrexm. "These 
 falls," (ChvUeg In French) says Father Deniers, 
 In the report of his first trip to C'olvill<i in 1839, 
 "are a series of rocks, a mile or twii long, which 
 extend across the Columbia and leave hut a 
 snail channel on the left shore. These rocks 
 rise ever so little in an amphitheatre and are 
 divided l)y a great number of channels which 
 the mass of water has cut for a passage, in the 
 course of time. The ttntckute is pretty rt-gular 
 and from 2) to 30 feet wide. 1 went at far as 
 possible to examine them more closely. Dieir 
 nun>l)er and variety are surprising. Tlicv are 
 not equally deep, rtome are dry, whereas In 
 others, passes u large volume of water. The 
 falls are from o to 12 and lo feet hl<{h. One 
 ntuy be astonished to lean* that these chitteg, 
 so terrible at low water, are i uu»oth and still at 
 very high water, which does not hapiK.'ii every 
 year. Then It Is that, instead of fearing Ihem, 
 the voyageurs hasten to appro..ch them, to 
 light their pipes and rest.' 
 
 Heiv we had a long portage of boats and bag- 
 gage for a mile. The task was m.ide still more 
 (litlienlt by sleet. The Indians of this place, 
 who !tp|)eared very poor and destitute, came 
 to tlie assistance of the men, but not without 
 having been earnestly and IncessaiUly beggeil 
 •A wiiiie. TlKit portage took us 4 hours. Tlie 
 f'.iitM DnUen, (.Small Dalles), so called by the 
 fii ' French Car.adlan vt)yageurs, are about 
 hi\ir an hour's march from Chulcs. We passed 
 
 them without nocldenl; they area mile Ion;; 
 and about 25n f«fet wide, walled on both sides 
 with iMNaltlc columns, with pn>Jeetlng points 
 ami recesses, which form a canal, or dalle, 
 tlipMigh which the stream move<l with the 
 swift .less of a dart. The danger had been null 
 so far, but It came on after crossing the Dallfji; 
 for our tMiat l>eing caught by the curieni of a 
 whlrlpo«tl was carried close to a rock, where, 
 had It struck and been broken, It would Mton 
 have sunk. 
 
 One league flirt her down we found the Gran- 
 der Dalles, »n called t>y the French Canadian 
 voyageurs and HoFm/xim by the Indians. Here 
 the CTolumbia is intercepted by a chain of solid 
 rm-ks, through wlilcb — woi'derful to say and 
 see — the strong mass of waters have opened a 
 channel tothemselvis. TbeOrofidml/a/fesare 
 4 ndles long, Impassable In the high water of 
 May and June, but paaaable in the low waters 
 of the Fall; and even then, not without a dis- 
 cbarge of ptrsoi is and baggage for the tw o first 
 miles. The first part Is a canal of about 150 
 feet wide, walled with busaltic columns about 
 60 feet hl|tb, ending In a platform about 80 feet 
 broad, and terminating with other basaltic col- 
 iimnstiOfet't high. During the high watertbe 
 swollen Columbia passes over the platform. 
 In low water It only runs through the lower 
 channel; projecting points and recesses In the 
 walls form waves and whirlpools very danger- 
 ous, even for light bmits managed by 8 men, 
 at the (;Hrs, one at the stern and the other at 
 the prow, with long and wide paddles used as 
 rudders; nevertheless, they are never passed 
 without dread. The two first ndles were run 
 in 10 minutes. Duringthemiddlestageof the 
 water the whirlpools are very dangerous; I wat- 
 told that several years ago a boat was caught 
 by one of them, and soon disappeared In Its 
 large and deep funnel. After crossing the 
 Qrar.dej' Duller we saw on the left the buildings 
 of the MetluMlist mist^lon fur the Indians, es- 
 tablish' d in 1837. 
 
 On thursday, the 22nd, we passed the Great 
 R(»ck of t he Dead . From the Dulles to the Cas- 
 cadcfto\xr navigation was quiet and pleasant, 
 on the smooth water of the Columbia, Dordered 
 on iHith sides with picturesque mountains. On 
 friday tbe2.^rd, we reached the Cascades which 
 stop the navigation for 4 miles, and require the 
 ixirtage of the baggage. But they are far from 
 being what their name indicates, a series of 
 caf^eailes; for the two first miles, tliey uro sim- 
 ply a big rapid passing between the contracted 
 banks of the river, followed by a swift current, 
 a wavering water along the shore of the river, 
 on the lef% while the unloaded boats can be 
 brought (own with a line along the shore of 
 the right oank for the fii-st two miles; then, 
 
 m.i 
 
18 
 
 Historical •^Kn-iiKii or tiir 
 
 rnrtly linlfii Mie.v rnn the IhkI iwo miU- Mith 
 warN. V\e rviicl.t.! rhe ri,i>er ro^udtii wuU 
 Mr.'ut run- uti«| .aily iiioukIi U-fcrf imm.i. to 
 iimkf tia li.hK iM.r'UKe on Hit- muiiu' iliiv, mut 
 ♦•ncum|. at (lit- /> w< r Cim-iuIk. On .s,iiir.|:,v 
 tli«a4tli. \Vf wtiH on with Mill iiiiit .mi>;tti'- 
 .•ft on ,.iir riKhi the high rock .•«IIh1 ( V,,^ H..,» 
 l)ylruvil.r«oiui,connlolv»in«liin<| Worm often 
 |«revHlliiiK there. WV puHm-d iiiaiiv IslancU. 
 an.l wlun MpproaehinK Kort VaM«l..uver the 
 baai8 went ashore to allow the travelers to 
 niiike tlu Ir toiletn, and *<nii: after we were at 
 the eiDl ot our lonjf Joiirnev, at o p. ni 
 
 We exiKTieiioed eold from Colvllle lo the 
 nmmha IMltM. It was ho ftevere, Home .hivn 
 as to form lev oti the oarn of the men. Home 
 eveniiijp* we found the Kround covered with H 
 «)r 4 inehen of Htiow, whhh we hud to ivmove 
 to i.itch our tentH. Some nightM the eol.l waH 
 !• degreeN of Itt-aumur. Such iilKhtH a!4 we 
 imsHed under a tent at Home dlHiiiiee from a 
 w'unty rtiv, on aeeount of eheneareitv of drift 
 wocKl to be found on the nhore, weref;ir from 
 Ik'hik pleuHunt. At />». dnUfn portage, the 
 ground wan eovere*! with a hard ^'lazed fr(«,t 
 I lieeecleHiantical .sinUane or c.ifimwk of ijriest.i 
 whieh is the tvpe of the "neamleHH garment". )| 
 rhrmt and of HIh Chureh, and the Klor'on^ 
 hah t of the clergy of Canada, was w..ni l.v ii« 
 all the time during our long journey from Tan- 
 ada to Oregon, and nlnee our arrival. It wuh 
 then, euHy for ihe C'anadians to recogni/A^' thnii^ 
 |iriL-N(8, and the IndiMiiH the Blackgown.s an- 
 iioiineed to them. Thin practtce we will eon- 
 tniue to olwerve, at home and abroad. 
 
 At Fort Vane mver, we were 40 leigiie.s from 
 the oeeun; 20 from the (.'a.'H'ades; 40 from the 
 lii'lles; m from Walla Walla; 14o from Okana- 
 gan; 20'.t fn.m ('olville; 287 from the linns,- of 
 the Lukes: ;|42 from Big Ik-nd, uinlav, tVom 
 J'liiieli Howl. 
 
 Iiielosing thin long letter, I U'gK.hf I'l . ve I 
 to reler your Lordshii) to a general report of 
 our receplioii at Fort V;ineouver and ourmis- 
 «ioiiar> li.hors. Please hlesHyoin- two mUsioi- 
 ri.s III the oreat far West, their tloek and their 
 labors, and ..ccpt tlif homage of the senti- 
 ments ol vehi'iiition with whieh 
 I have the honor to U-, my Lord, 
 
 of .\ our Lordship, 
 (ill- most hunilile and olxlieiit servant 
 h\ N. Bi.AMUKT, V. (i. 
 
 AlJUlVAI. ASI> UtCKKflON OK THE MlSSIUN- 
 AIJIKS AI FOKT VaNCOCVEK. 
 
 Tile two mi.ssiouarie.s being anxious to reacli 
 the destination of their long and arduous jour- 
 
 ii< y. the brigade s'nrted Iroiii Fort Walla Wal 
 la (ii.w W;,i|„|.,) „„ M,„„|„y „„,niiug. Nov, 
 libh. rea.-hiii;,. K„n Vaiieouver nn the follow 
 ing Saiiirtljiy. aher a weekV Mlowathl ledioiip 
 deH<eiii ».f ilie Colninhia river The .same dis 
 iHiiee is now traveled in steamers in two days 
 
 When the flotilla appeared in sight, as it 
 iiia.le iifl wi V down the Cohimbia, all was ex- 
 eiteiiunt at • o fort, where news had already 
 been receive., of the ealaiuity which had o«'- 
 eiirred to the parly and the eonseq-ient loss of 
 life. All the populace nmlied to tlie river hank 
 ill order to feast their eyes on the Hrst Cath- 
 olic missionaries wlio.se presence they had loug 
 expected. Prominent among the assembly 
 sl(tod Jamcd Douglas, who was acting Chief 
 Factor and (lovenior of the establishments of 
 the llndsoii Hay Co. west of the Rocky Momi- 
 lains, in the absence of Dr. John .McLoughlin 
 who was then absent on a visit to Canada and 
 Kngland. Me was the first to welcome the 
 missionaries to the scene of their future labors. 
 t'ondnctiiig ihem to the fort, where the fla" 
 was flying in honor of their arrival, the Gov^ 
 crnor ushered them in apartments prepared 
 fi-r ihfin. appointed a servant to wait on them, 
 and in every way manifested his hospitality 
 and his delight at their arrival. 
 
 No .sooner had the missionaries reached the 
 fort than they ,vere waited upon by Joseph 
 (Jervais. Stephen Liicier and Peler Beleque, a 
 delegation re(iiv.<enting the Canathans of the 
 Vyillaiiietie valley, who. liaving heard t'.at the 
 missionaries were coming, had left their i.o.nes 
 in a body in order lo greet the long-looked for 
 Catholic missionaries on their arrival at Van- 
 couvtr: hut nearly all had been obliged to re- 
 turn h .iHL in consequence of the delayed ar- 
 ri.e! of the missionaries thrngh the disaster 
 of ti.i Oa'es of the Dmd. 
 
 T saving the missionaries located at Van- 
 co.r . r, Ihcre to return thanks to God for hav- 
 ing preserved them through their long and ar- 
 duous journey, let us glean from confempora- 
 I ioiis history a sketch of Fort Vancouver as it 
 ihcn exi.*ted. We copy from 'The Ore-ron 
 Territory" by Rev. C. G. Ni. olay, and issue.l 
 III Loudon in 1846. Describing the forls of 
 the Hudson Bay Company, that writer snya: 
 
 -W: rl,. 
 
Cat^uk Ciiurcn in Orkgon. 
 
 •ilia WmI 
 iii^'. Nov, 
 U' follow . 
 Ill le(lioll^ 
 Mdine ili<« 
 
 two (1||}K 
 
 jllti H8 it 
 I WHS ex- 
 I nlri-ndy 
 ha<i oc- 
 rit I0M8 of 
 verhnnk 
 ■at Cath- 
 
 llHll lou^ 
 
 iSMeiiibly 
 i« Chief 
 neiitg of 
 y Muiiii- 
 toii^hiiti 
 ada and 
 )me the 
 ) labor8. 
 the fla<: 
 fie Gov- 
 repared 
 n them, 
 ipitality 
 
 Jied the 
 Joseph 
 teque, u 
 I of the 
 t'. at the 
 • iiwines 
 ked for 
 «t Vao- 
 i to re- 
 yed ar- 
 iisaster 
 
 Of all tUeh>,ri\ VMiMouver Ih low the prlii- 
 • pal: here Dr. .McL..ukI.11„, th.. k..v. ,n!.r f 
 the terr torv remd«.. an.l here In the pihuiiwl 
 
 hiteriorare warehoiiH«M|; u Ih|„,1m.,1 the »iiid«,. 
 rtun, of trade from Kau.ehatka u. c"lit*.rX 
 
 19 
 
 .5:;^^^i\j;i'tsrM^a!si=i 
 
 
 t Van- 
 or hav- 
 find ar- 
 il! pora- 
 er as it 
 Oregon 
 
 issued 
 
 'oris of 
 
 ..f WC...U... wall. .nade,;^-^ck;,H;; wi^^i:.";; 
 
 flnulv flx«l In the around, and t-UmeTy rt?Sd 
 ogetlier 25 feet blK^, un.i strongly -ecJred on 
 the Inside by buttrH««.; the are* h. oultlTat^ 
 and Hurrounded by houHes and otllcM,. th« J ,V- 
 ernor's rehldence being In the centre there Ih 
 a cha|>t.| and sch.wl. T'heoffleen.of heC™i ! 
 pany dine together in the oonunon h-ll, tlio 
 governor uresldlng; but it h.» been remarked 
 
 nf .hJ 1, • nT"' '*'*l'" *»veHand the females 
 of the f«ta.jli8hnient fn»m tiie table does n.t 
 eontributc. to the reHnement of ,3,",^' 
 1 here l«al«, a public "batchelor's hall," where 
 after dinner the time Is passed in conversation 
 and smoking but the fatter In said to l^ d " 
 dining as u liablt. The hospitality «»f Fort 
 \ ancouver and ts governor has bt*i. ligl iy 
 praised, especially by American WiUers. It 
 tiiiouldseem not without g.K»d reawmt,: and the 
 jr^-neral feelmg of .vgret at leaving thesociery 
 It affords speaks much la praise of the offlwi^ 
 ..t he ( ompany, not less than the gmnl clieer 
 of tile «;.)vernor. * '^ -"cvr 
 
 Uevond the fort are large granaries and 
 sK.reWuses; and before It, on till bunk of tS 
 river, U the viilajre in whicli tliewrvantwof the 
 ( ompany reside; in all, ihe residents may be 
 seven huudr-d. In the v.ll.ge is an l..«.pltaT 
 Attached to Fort Vai , .uver is a niagnlfl. 
 cent farm of moiv thun .;,00() ac-i-es; s.nv-,n|||s 
 cutting many liundred thousand feet iier an- 
 iiuin; grist niillH, and every otii.r reuuwite for 
 • ^omnien-e ami agriculture. Ver^els of 14 feet 
 draught can cme abreast of the wli .rf at low 
 water (sayH Lieutenant Wilkes), and at the 
 store of tlie Company every necejis.ry cui Iw 
 Jiui.;.:ied asclieapasin tlio Ijnited States; i.ils 
 however must l)e taken witli considerable Hm- 
 itatiop, and refers probaUly t«. the English 
 goods i„ p:,riicular. kron. hence theComSany 
 carries on a kicrallve tra.le wll h ( 'aliforniaVthe 
 ftan.wich Islands, and tlie Russian st/ttle- 
 ments, besides its exporte to England 
 <. ll'l <''""l>«"y'8 servants are principally 
 -ootdi and Canadians but therplHulwalrreat 
 liumW .. i.aif-l.ree.ls, cliildren of the Com- 
 I'uiiy ssirvunisund Indian women. These are 
 |<.-ner»; .v a well feature*' race, ingenious, ath- 
 Itiic, a.ul remarkabler xl h..r8enten; themen 
 «mke excellent trappers, and the women, who 
 ir.quently marry officers of the Comfwuiy 
 
 Uu.^ "'^'"' ^"•"•'»'. ""rt "tlentive wivev 
 tlM-3 are ingenious needlewomen, and g.NKi 
 i.aiu.gen.. 'Yhey frecjueniiy attend the Ir^.u^ 
 b«n«l«on their trading excuwlons. 1 which 
 
 ar tiesol heir Indian Hi.cestors, among w bio , 
 l« the not unfreouent use of the nioeassli 
 
 l»H.gh Hsually it /sniadeof orn«me,"ed Zh 
 Instead of (Iwr Skin. "vino, 
 
 uJ!u.V'fi'"'u '^* "•••" ".'* Pri»cl|)al establish- 
 ment of the Hudw.n's B«y Conifmny in the 
 V\ est gives the stianger a high Idel, of its pA«u 
 
 •erit> and n,portanw;thethkkly,.eople0^vll. 
 fage the hghly cultivated tlelds he aUwnce 
 of Hi guanU and defences, tl ^ guns of thTfort 
 having long since been dlsmounletl, theclvl" 
 Ized ap,Haiam;e of Its interh)r, and tbe activity 
 and eneigy w l.leh nrevalls -the noble riveV^ 
 lure l,m yards wide, on whieh perhaps some 
 of i.e Company' j,, origs, or steamers 
 
 wHlupp.ynt. d, m. «nd armed, ai; at In^ 
 
 chor. and . h. ■ -eighteiiod h. 'the effect 
 
 b> the inagn. ^-oeiiery by which it issur- 
 
 rounded; tVis- r ..e w<hm1» flanking the inlghty 
 stream, and bt. ed by lofty mountains the 
 sn..w-covered ,.eHks of^Mounts Ho<Xli Ht 
 Helens «oH;eringover all; while tbe wild flow- 
 
 ed his selu lion of its site. Here is, andUoubt- 
 iesh will com nue, the chief trade of Western 
 America, until tlieincreHsingdemands of com. 
 lupn^and imilonal industry transport it to he 
 shores of Juan de Fuca straits anaAdmlrelty 
 Inlet; yet even tiien, as the only naval and 
 merc-anti le station in South Oreg<u,, and as J^ 
 ctMving I he trade of all branebesof the CoW 
 bla.ai.. I.aving Immediate and rapid wmnect- 
 ion with Pugefs Sound by the 6owlit" a^d 
 Msqua Iy ami with (iray's Harbor by the 
 Chehalis— thus connectinK the great fnih 
 water with the great salt-water n^vLS 
 the Columbia with the Strait of FuSlwf 
 |)ccuuv only the sec.nd phtw. sir H. Pellv 
 111 hfs letter to Lord Gieneig, in 1887 glv^ 
 hi. account of the state of the ComJk.fiT- 
 ibe Company now (occupy the couiitrv h*. 
 tween the ft,H=ky Mountair.^ and Uie Siflt 
 by six permanent establisliments on the «>a9t 
 si.xteen in the interior country, besides sevcra 
 migratory an-. ,:, ••i':gpartle»,kiidtheymain- 
 
 \essel on tl ,f,i...t. u,- m u-inclpal estabiish- 
 '.'.t for U}o trail* of the coast and 
 Mi'.ed nifiGt V nti -s from tbe Paci- 
 ni " i.'iiH i t!i >Columbia,and 
 •V! •!» Ih.l .i' {' that celebrated 
 ai< iielg-t, ir lood they have 
 
 ment :i>id 
 Interior Is s 
 flc, on the i 
 called Van. 
 navigator; 
 
20 
 
 Historical ?ketchm or the 
 
 large posture nnd graii. farms, nffordiiig nif*t 
 ahuiidaiitly every species of ugru-ulUiral nio- 
 (iuce, and nuiintaiuing large herds of st.x-k j.f 
 every dt^'eriuti^ln. 'I'liese have been gra(hmll> 
 eslablinhod, and it is the Intention of tluConi- 
 mnv still further not only t«» augment and ir- 
 crease thttn, und to establish an ex p<iit trade 
 in wool, tallow, hides and other things, Inil to 
 encourage the settlement of their retired ser- 
 vant* und the Inmiigrants under their proiee- 
 tion; and he asserts further, that the soil, «Mi- 
 mate and other clrcunistanee^of the country, 
 are as mneh, If not more adapted to agncuUn- 
 ral purposes than any other spot in America. 
 
 H»^ » 
 
 (POBLISHKU MARCH 2STH 1878. ) 
 INTKREHTINO LETTER FROM RKV. MoUKSTK 
 
 Dkmers to Rev. C. F. Cazeai-, 
 Secretary, Quebec. 
 
 Vancouver, Oregon, Mandi 1st, 183!). 
 
 Rev. dear Sir:— . . ,, ,i,.> 
 
 When I was appointed totlie 
 mission of Oregon In 1837, tojjether willi tlie 
 Vtrv U°v. Father Blanclu-t, tliei)assageot tlie 
 iiiisiionaries from Montival to Fort Vain-ou- 
 ver across the American eontinent and in the 
 e^in'oes of the Hon. Hudson Bay Coinp.iny, 
 met obstacles which prevented tlieir imme- 
 diate departure. 
 
 Bishop Provencher, who sto »d in nci-d ot a 
 missionary, st?cured a pass-i^v lor me to Ited 
 Kiver. Tliis was twenty one liundnil miles 
 KAved ill inv journey to Ori'gon. 1 was ilVaid, 
 however, that when I should hMveac<iiitred a 
 knowledge of tlie language of the Sanleaux, 1 
 would not bo allowed to proceed on my j .uriiey 
 if an ..pportunity nresenU-d itself; but Divine 
 Providence took all dilflculties (mt of the way, 
 for as soon as the missdonar en for Oregon had 
 obtained :ipas->a)i:e,liish<.pl'rovenclierallowe<l 
 ni«' to proceed, ami 1 had the lnippine.-« of 
 uii-etin^ with the Very llev. Father Blan- 
 ,-litton P d River in W.iH, on Ids passage to 
 Oregon Leavins? to the vu- ir geneail the re- 
 cital of the Ules of his iripfr-.m St. U .nifaceto 
 Fort Vancouvei, I will give you an account «>f 
 mv mil istrv: For tlie last three months this 
 f.)i t, hiM* with the Canadlansand Indians here, 
 .,.ciipiv d -ill n.y lime. I luive found liert'»<>me 
 I' insolation, (iod has given me the grace to 
 leiiin the Chinook language In ashort time. It 
 is Ml this jargon that I instruct the women and 
 .•hildreu of the white settlers, and the savages 
 
 who come to «e me fn ni fir : nd near. I am 
 M> busy ironi morning (ill night that I can 
 scarcely tind time to write the following con- 
 cerning the savages settled on the west of the 
 Rocky Mountains. I would ask, therefore, 
 your Indulgence; as I merely passed through 
 the ditl« rent Indian tribts scattered along the 
 Columbia from the Rocky Mountali.s to the 
 I'acittc Ocean, the following sketch must of 
 lie* .ssity be very ImiH-rfeet. I hope, however, i 
 it will besuflclent to make known to you thoee 
 divers tribes, under the most interesting as- 
 nect— that of religion. My re«ent arrival In 
 this country and the mnltipliclty of my occu- 
 Datt< ns do iiot permit me to give more than a 
 fulntske'ch. Unwilling as I am to expose my- 
 self t.. the danger of giving false impressions 
 and wrong information, I will wait until I 
 may have acquired a more thorough knowl- 
 fdire of those unknown tribes. 
 
 Lake Hocbe. ^ , , , 
 
 The first savagts we saw are called Lake In- 
 diam. These Hist <.f the large fold comniitted 
 to .)ur care coiivsp«md well to the description 
 uiveii us of them by ihe Canadians, who had 
 lieeii forson.e time telling them ot their own 
 chiiffc— !l.t b'ock iob«e— and had given them 
 I he hoi)e tlmt some of them would arrive and 
 give tlnni a knowledge of the Master of life. 
 He who made them, "Kaekfruien tshoyien." 
 \Vc can ei!sih Imagine with what joy they re- 
 (vive.l tho^e chiefs for whom they had bee" so I 
 long waiting. For 17 days we remaiiied at the 
 Hoiise of tiie liakes and labored In this new 
 viiuvard, which promised from the very begin- 
 ning of our visit to iM an bundant fruit. Alter 
 the first instruction on God and His attributes, 
 on the ci-eation, tlie fall of Adam and the ne- 
 (vssilv of Baptism, those who hiid little chil- 
 dreii hastened to bring iheiii for Baptism, to 
 have t beir hearts made good." They regretted 
 tliatthev, themselves, could not receive the 
 same happiness. These Indians desire noth- 
 inir more than to know G<h1 and the religion 
 that leads to Him; they anxiously long for the 
 moment when a priest may come among them 
 U. teach them the holy truths and niaxims of 
 our divine religion. It was not without gr ef 
 that these i>«»or people saw the missionaries 
 have them; and on our part we were not in- 
 different to the expression of their warm af- 
 ftrlitin. Quomodo audkut .sine prcedicantef 
 
 COI^VILLE. 
 
 In this fort we saw Indians belonging to 5 
 dlfterent trib*s, who had come from the ne;gh- 
 borhoo4i to meet us. A barge which had pre- 
 cidcdusdown the river, had br«»ught them 
 the newt, that the long expected chiefs were 
 aiming. Hardlv could they perceive the barge 
 In which we were, than they all, men, women 
 
Catholic Chcrch in Oukgon. 
 
 21 
 
 ;nui children, hastened to the shore with joy 
 fleiiicted on their ciiunteiianees, to bid us wel- 
 come. It was not without emotion we saw 
 this* demonstration of tlieir Kratiftcation. We 
 liad to tear ourselves away from them, to ac- 
 companv the c«»mmaudant to the fort. The 
 chiets of tlie Oiaudieref, SinpoUs, tipokam, Pia- 
 knos and of the OkMnagans with some of their 
 people, received such instruction as our time 
 would allow us togivethem. All gathered to- 
 )j;etber in a larjje liouse given to tlieni for the 
 (Ktcasion, and waited in hilence for the moment 
 I when we should speak to tliem. With what 
 attentive eagerness they listened to the Word 
 of God, which being translated to them by the 
 chiefs, acquired a new force and an additional 
 weight. SVe forgot nothing that was calculated 
 to fortify them in the principles of the Catli- 
 olic religion; thus, in a short time, we liave 
 scattered s>>me of the seed of the divine Word, 
 and we have the sweet hope that, according 
 to (iod's merciful designs. It will liear fruit In 
 this p<)rtion of the human family so long ne- 
 •rlected. We easily can see what progress 
 (Christianity would make among tribes so well 
 I disposed, but fides ex audMn. 
 
 The live tribes mentioned above, the LaJce 
 I Indiana and the Flat Heads, of whom we shall 
 (•peak later, speak languages so similar that 
 ! iliov readily understand each other; It wouM 
 i»- enough to know one of these language.-* t<» 
 -,.eak ihem all. The.iolbe Indians and the 
 1 ( 'iiuiieres are the most numerous of all. 
 Okanaoan. 
 During the 24 hours t hat we remained at this 
 uortt, we became acquainted with the Indians 
 who frequented It; they are tolerably nunier- 
 i ourt. We may say of them what we li ive said 
 .)f those mentioned above; to m.ike fervent 
 I Cliii-stiuns of tliem It would sutn<« u> teach 
 ihein the Christian doctrine. Nothitig more is 
 iieeiled. Between Okanagau and Wall i Wall i 
 we have seen «)nly a few Indian huu«. F.ir 
 want of interpreters we could liardly make 
 oui-selves understood. 
 
 Walla Walla. 
 Some of the chiefs of the Ciyuie triim ha 1 
 I I'oine toyet her at tills post to see the chiefs ot the 
 I I'leuch (Canadians). All over, t he same wixl 
 J iiul the suuKi eagerness tt» know O mI, the same 
 I i.>y and satistaction in seeiii'.? the black rtilK-s 
 
 I uf" whom thev had heard hi* much. Although 
 h->*. .vol Christians, tliey firmly lielieved the 
 ( ruths <if the religion we explained to them on 
 
 I I li.f wav. Tijey speak the language of the Nez 
 1 /' rcp» which is <ilt»>gether different frimi that 
 i ot the Oiauiierj.1 and of Ihj Flat Heads; they 
 
 .:.ni CMU verse with those of Walla Walla whose 
 
 1 ! I I /u *ge la spoken as far as Djj* Ckateii. Some- 
 
 <.vli.it U'.-liiW are the Dalle:i Indians, who can 
 
 speak with th«i«e of Des ChuUs and of the J 'as- 
 cudes, 20 miles distant from Vancouver. -V 
 
 J'reat many of the Indians speak the Chinook 
 argon of which there will be meutlou later. 
 Vancouver. 
 The C.'hlno<)k Indians'are scattered along the 
 Columbia river from this fort down to the Pa- 
 cific Ocean. Before the year 1830, they were 
 the most numerous tribe Inhabiting the banks 
 of this river. This rendered them proud and 
 haughty. Beside this, they were rich; but 
 about this time came the disastrous malady 
 known l)y the name of fever-and-ague which 
 carried a great many to their graves. In the 
 heat of the fever they would leap Into the river 
 In the hoiieof relieving themselves of their suf- 
 fering, but they found death as quick as it was 
 certain. It was found necessary to burn a 
 wlH)le village where the dead bodies were piled 
 <.ii»- nm>n another; for the survivors were not 
 capable of burying tlieir dead. This calamity 
 which God sent tiese Indians on account of 
 their ubomtnable lives, came to visit them 
 every year, and always made some of them its 
 victim's. We are told they reformed their lives, 
 except tbot-e who lived near the fort, who are 
 wicked and denntrallzed on account of their 
 amimunlcatlon v ith the whites. They make 
 a shameful traffic In crime; they have female 
 slaves whtin) they hire at a price to the first 
 who asks Iht m. They have seen us and see us 
 vet M Kb an indifference that makes us regrvl 
 tlieg«K)d Indians of the upper river; but the 
 part of the tril)e situated not far from Fort 
 George, (n. w Astoria) down the river, is not 
 as dt pravtd, which jjlves us the hope of being 
 able to Chri'-tianize them, with the assistance 
 of Hlni wlio wills that no one should perish, 
 but lliat ull should con\e to the truth. At the 
 very nionieiit 1 write this, I learn that their 
 cliief, with a great luany of his men, has lust 
 Hirivtd toseetlie Freiu-li prieste. A few days 
 ago lie had sent depnti« s to know wliether they 
 would instruct bis Indians. 
 
 The real language of the Chinook Is almost 
 unlearnablo;it differs entirely from that of all 
 the neighboring tribes; but they speak thejai-- 
 Kon also, which is used as the medium between 
 the Canadians and the whites in general, and 
 the Indians whoaresettled nearthefort. The 
 Jargon Is composed of words taken from dif- 
 ferent languages, disfigured in their ortho- 
 ffraphy and pnniuuciation. It is all borrowed 
 from different languages which makes it easy 
 to acquire. It possesses only from four to five 
 hundred words. It nas no participle; one and 
 iLe same word has several meanings. For In- 
 stance: Wawa, means to speak, to learn, to tell, 
 to answer, to ask; Komtux, means to know, to 
 learn, to oompreheud, to bear, to think and to 
 
2i 
 
 Historical TiiHTciiKS of tiik 
 
 holi(>ve;tlui!<, by .uMiiij^ Xdvitkn, oertaiiily; we 
 iiiivo, Xdirilhi luilk-ii komlux Snlxilce I'lUjie, 1 be- 
 lieve in (J'mI; heiic** it followslbat it isiioteasy 
 tiitraiisliiie Frencli expressions ir.to it, we liave 
 to use |):iiM|)li ruses. For tlie last niontli I l<now 
 tSiisjiirt^oiisutHeientlywell tittfiveii structioiiM 
 and to teaih tlie cate'ehisin wiilioul beinj? ob- 
 lige<l ti> write tbeni down. I have translated 
 the rtiirii of the Cross, and the way to uive 
 one's heart to (1 >d. I cannot send the trans- 
 lation of tlie other prayeix, as they are not (iiii"e 
 finished. A good many of the tascade Imli- 
 ana who understand this j MKon, and some of 
 the KlieUalula, attend the catechism undeve- 
 lunKpravers. In order to impress deeper upon 
 their meniiir' the truths contained in tlieaiMw- 
 tles' Creed I have tried to arraiiKt' it toa (per- 
 tain air. The Indians love music very much; 
 they kno.v nearly by heart the canticles that 
 v/ere suii.- at Mass last Sunday. I expect to 
 learn the Klickatat language, winch will l>euf 
 great use in instructing this tribe, an I those of 
 I)es (Miutes and of the Cascades, wh > Uiider- 
 stand it well .ThegreatesldilHcullyin learning 
 the languajje spoken on this side of the m un- 
 tains consists in the pronniici ition which is 
 such, that w^ are many limes at a loss to tind 
 characters to represent" it, as in S:ih'ih'c Tnyw, 
 (J'.d, (Chief.above) hihkt, one. Tim- d.)es not 
 all iw me to expatiate on tl.is matter. 
 
 Tiik Indians of Cowlitz. * 
 The Cowlitz Inilians love with revereni-ethe 
 missionaries who are established aniin^ liiem. 
 They have a language of their own, ditterent 
 froni that of the Chinook In li .ns. Tliey are 
 tolerably numerous but p 'or. Thfy -rive ns 
 hopes of their conversion, .\f.cr the visit of 
 the vicar general, they said t<> the -'etiersof 
 ("owlitz: ' rhepriestsaregoiiigtost ly wiih us; 
 we are (xior, and have nothing to g ve (lit in: 
 ThihirirhiDi iitsdiko, inilr ikta ii('y(vk<(: we want 
 todosonielhingfortliem, we will work, make 
 fences, and whatever else tliey wish us to do." 
 Several of them came to see the m ssioiiarics 
 iit Vancouver, and expre.sst>d the m )si ardeut 
 desire to have them come and rem .In wiih 
 
 Thk Willamettk Indians 
 
 Tlie vieir general who pass • lamo iih among 
 the Canadians established on this river, could 
 not speak highly of the Indians be had seen — 
 the Kuldixmi'i^- They were very numerous 
 l.tf.>re tlie levrrs. but are now re 1 need to a 
 smaHnimiber, winch keeps decrea-*ing every 
 dav. Thev aie poor and lazv; thieving may be 
 
 '^ Cowlii/. is a corruption of the original In- 
 dian word ro-idl-ifz used by the early settlers. 
 
 coi.sidered their prednirnant pj'ssion. They 
 wi-h to keep away from the ndssionaiii-s as 
 much as I he Cowlitz Imliaiis wish to be n<ar 
 them. Hardly any of them were seen by ihe 
 vicar general at tne chapel assisting at the in- 
 structions. lUit it seems «e might succt-id bet- 
 ter among the diHer»nt triltes<.f this nation 
 who are settled on Ihe triluifaries of Ihe Upper 
 Willamette. From these they take (heir dif- 
 ferent iianies. I learn there are fourteen or tlf- 
 teeii dift'eieiit dialects spoken by these triUw; 
 tliey are noi so e-s«'nlially different lint that 
 they can understand each other. Moreover, 
 the Chinook jarg<m is spoken among the Ka- 
 
 Thk Northkun Indians. 
 
 In Fi.rt Okanagan we had information of a 
 >;r( at many Indians w ho are settled at a great 
 distance ir'om the H<n ky Mountains, towards 
 Ihe North. Some C iiadians in the service of 
 the lion. Huil.-on Hay Co , in tho.se quarters, 
 loul Us that pi iists wi ultl do « ell among them, 
 altlu.ugh ihey are i.ol civili/.ed as those of the 
 Cidumliia. \Ve will let them know the object 
 of our arrival in this country, but we cannot 
 st'iid word to them before next summer. 
 
 The Ncz PerccK tribe is very numerous. They 
 ate mostly settled on large prairies not far from 
 lite mduiitaiiis towards the North. TheCan- 
 ; diaiis who live among them lor the purpose 
 ol (ibtaiiiing the beaver fur, have for a long 
 lime spoken to tliem of the black robes — the 
 <hi« fs of the Flench. Naturally good, mild, 
 iiiid full of resiM ct for the prayer to the Master 
 of life, they anxiously (hsire that priests may 
 come lo ills; I lift them, and make known lo 
 I hem the religitni of the French. They have 
 even imtigined tl at they could buy one, and 
 have inquiietl of lilt Canadians how many 
 horses and beavtrs it would take to h:ive one 
 stay with them, saying, that "he would want 
 for iiothinj:, and that the best of the spoils of 
 the chase w<iuld lie given to him." (lOod dis- 
 cipline and morals reign among them. May 
 we not here exclaim with the Savior of the 
 world: Slems qiikkm wulta, opemrii autem pnuci. 
 What can two missionaries do ani<iiigsomany 
 tribes but desire that the Lord may send mis- 
 sionary priests to six w tliem the way to heav- 
 en, for which they have been created, and to 
 tell them that their souls ate the price of the 
 Blood of the Savior, lioyule ti-yo dominum mea- 
 »w ut mitUit openirios in nusmn smun. 
 
 Ileccivc, Rev. IX-ar 8lr, 
 
 The assurance of my esteem, 
 
 M. DEMERS, 
 Missionary priest of Oregon. 
 
 P^ 
 
 W^ 
 
 m^'mmKm 
 
 tfi-VK "nT^rrvunk 
 
Catholic Cixkcii in Okkgox. 
 
 23 
 
 (published APRIL ilf:? 1878 ) 
 
 First Ma^s at Fobt Vancouver. 
 Condition of the Country. 
 
 VOVEMBER 25th, 1838, was as beautiful as 
 ^\ a summer day. It bciii^r Sunday, prepar- 
 ations were made in the school house for the 
 first Mass ever said in lower Oregon. Tiie 
 huildini.^ was too small to contain the iTi>wd 
 composed of the gentlemen, ladies and Cath- 
 olics of the outside camp. A solemn high Mass 
 of thanksgiving was sung by the vicar general 
 who gave an instruction suitable for the occa- 
 sion. Vespers were also chanted in thi after- 
 noon. The divine service was moving, even 
 to tears, as many of the Cauadians had not 
 heard Mass for ten, fit^een and even twenty 
 years. For them that day was one that would 
 never be forgotten. They saw at last that they 
 liad priests among them, to instruct themselves, 
 their wives and their children, to admini.sier 
 to them the sacraments, and give them at the 
 last ai:d awful hour the consolations of holy 
 C'liiireh. In all this they felt happy, aii<l giv- 
 iuii thanks to God, they were willing an I ready 
 to obey iheir pastors faithfully. 
 
 It may be well to take a view of (he couitry 
 in relation to the It.'u n tribes, the servants 
 of the Hudson BayC'i ,and Catholic uii I I'rot- 
 fstaiit settlers, in order to have a cunvirt idea 
 of tlie condition of things in the mission en- 
 trusted to their care. Their mission extended 
 t'idin California (42nd paMllel' to the North- 
 orn ;:lHcial sea, between the Painfic OvVaii and 
 the Rocky Mountains. The Indian tribes were 
 II lunerous, scattered all over I he coniii ry, speak- 
 ing a multitude of divers and difficult tongues, 
 and aiidicted to poligamy and all the vices of 
 liagaiiisnj. The servants of the H. B. Co. in 
 uiive ser.ice in its 28 foris for the fur trade, 
 were ill ;:reat majority Catholics; so also were 
 tlie four families settled in Cowlitz, and the 26 
 « -it.'iblished in the Willamette valley, with their 
 wives and children. .Many of the servants and 
 -it tiers had forgotten their prayers and the re- 
 li:;i<»u« principles they had received in their 
 V'ltith. The woinea they had taken for their 
 
 wives were pagans, ar baplized without suffi- 
 <ieiH knowledge. Their diildivn were raised 
 in ignorance. One may well imagine that m 
 many places disorders, rudeness of murals and 
 indecency of practices, answered to that stale 
 of ignorance. 
 
 There were also found in the vjilley of the 
 Willamette some Protestant settlers, and in 
 different parts of the country about 30 Prot- 
 estant ministers, with their numerous attend- 
 anis, their wives and children. The Meth- 
 odists had two missions, one in the Willamette 
 valley, and the other at the Dalles. The Pres- 
 byterians were established at Wailatpu among 
 the Walla Wallas, at Lapwai among the Nez 
 Perces. and en the Spokane river. Besides 
 the.-'", the II. B. Co. had its own chaplain at 
 VancJHiver fur two years These ministers 
 were zealous, making efforts and using all 
 means possible to gain converts to their sees. 
 
 As to the Cat holic settlers and their families, 
 although considerably numerous, they were not 
 cily without any clergyman of their faith to 
 teach them and tlieir families the Catholic doc- 
 trine, but were nu>reover exposed to the most 
 seducing tenipiaiions of perversion ; for, if on 
 the one hand, they were deprived of all the 
 means recissary to practice the worship com- 
 manded by their faith and claimed by cons- 
 cience, on the other hand, the practice of their 
 separated brethren and the exhortations of the 
 ministers, were immediately at hand, as no 
 pains were spared and nothing neglected to 
 induce iheiii to join the sects. 
 
 Kev. Mr. Beaver, who arrived from England 
 at Fort Vancouver as chaplain in 1836, was 
 anxious to bring the < 'at holies of the fort to his 
 Sunday services; but h.< ^'hs checked by the 
 good Dr. McLaughlin ; nevertheless, he re- 
 newed his efforts after the Dr. left for England. 
 And strange to say, a report came later that a 
 list containiDg the names of Catholics begging 
 Mr. heaver tu attend to them, had appeared in 
 one of the newspapers in London. No doubt 
 this was a forged Irick; but it is certain that he I 
 joined with the Methodists in saying; *'No need 
 of priests ; I suffice here, and the Methodists 
 iu the Willamette valley." As for the Meth- 
 odist ministers, we have seen before, they were 
 visiting the French settlers, and succeeded in 
 
24 
 
 Historical Sketches of ihb 
 
 V) 
 
 \ 
 
 bringing some of them to their Sunday meet- 
 ings, baptized 8<)me women and performed 
 marriages. This being so, one may under- 
 stand why the grant of passage by the H. B. 
 Co. met with so much opposition. The firsi 
 request of the bishop of Juliopolis was refused. 
 On a second application it was granted for two 
 priests in the canoes of 1837, but was after- 
 wards withdrawn, for the reason, no doubt, 
 of not favoring an establishment on a foreign 
 ground, but also in order to give the Protestant 
 ministers more time tostreugthen their position 
 and to make proselytes. Hence, of the two 
 missionaries appointed to start in 1837, only 
 one was allowed to reach Bed River that same 
 year. Such was the situation of the country 
 in 1838. Nevertheless, in spite of all com- 
 binations and obstacles, the two Catholic mis- 
 sionaries, Deo jiivunle, arrived safe, and were 
 lodged in the room which Mr. Beaver and lady 
 had left three weeks before for England. 
 
 From the foregoing, it is easy to understand 
 what the missionaries had to do. They were 
 to warn their flock against the dangers of .se- 
 ll ;i<rt ion, to destroy the false impression al- 
 rciidy received, to enlighten and confirm .he 
 fiiitlt of the wavering and deceived consciences, 
 10 bring back to the practice of religion and 
 virtue all who had forsaken them for longyears, 
 or who, raised iu infidelity, had never known 
 nor practiced any of them. They were to 
 tJHch the men tiieir duties, the women and 
 cliildren their prayers and catechism, to biip- 
 tize lliem, bless their unions, and estnlilisli 
 good order and holiness of life e^erywheri!. 
 In a word, they were to run after the sheep 
 when they were iu danger. Hence their pass- 
 ing so often from one post to another — for 
 neither the whites nor the Indians claimed 
 their assistance in vain. And it was enough 
 for thi'Ui to hear that some false prophet had 
 penetrated into a place, or infeirdeiT visiting 
 iome locality, to induce the missionaries to go 
 there immediately, to defend the failh and pre- 
 vent error from propagating itself. 
 
 In the mean time let no uue imagine that 
 all this was eff'-jcted by enchantment ; no, on 
 the contrary, they had to make many jour- 
 neys, and had to undergo much pain and pa- 
 tience in order to caution the flock against the 
 
 dangers of seduction and error, to enlighten the 
 ignorant, to recall the wavering consciences, 
 and bring back to the true fold the lost sheep. 
 Oue may well understand what time and pains 
 were required to come so far, and that after 
 having succeeded, it would not have been pru- 
 dent to abandon them too soon to themselves. 
 This said, let us now follow the two mission- 
 aries iu their undertaking. 
 
 Missions to various places and among 
 
 THE Indians in 1887 and 1838. 
 
 Mission at Vancouver. 
 
 The mission at this post lasted four months 
 and twenty days, (from Nov. 24, 1838 to April 
 1 .'i, 1839) without interruption, attended by the 
 two missionaries, save nine days spent by the 
 vi. r general on a visit to Cowlitz, and 34 for 
 \ui '^oing to and giving the mission at Willam- 
 etto. The Catholics of the place did not re- 
 main indifferent to the favor afforded them to 
 have tie premises of the apostolic labors of the 
 two priests; they faithftiUy corresponded to the 
 grace. The missionaries took but two days to 
 rest from their long and tedious journey, for 
 the fouriji and fifth day after their arrival saw 
 them at work ; the first, in favor of the servants 
 and their families, the second, in favor of the 
 ladies and I heir children at the fort. On Mon- 
 day the 26th, they were invited by theGovernor 
 to 'make a visit to the stores and depots of the 
 Company, of the clerk's office, the houses of the 
 bourgeois, clerks and their families. On Tues- 
 day, he accompanied them on their visit to the 
 village, which lies next to the fort and contains 
 the houses of the servants and their families. 
 The census made, gave 16 Catholics, Canadians 
 and Iroquois. They especially took the names 
 of the men and women who were to be separ- 
 ated before being married. The Indian pop- 
 ulation on the shore of the Columbia and neigh- 
 borhood was supposed to be 300 souls. 
 
 The holy ministry began for the men and 
 their families on Tuesday evening, by gather- 
 ing them in the fort, on that day and hence- 
 forth, iu regular meetings in which, after the 
 evening prayer maf' '•' common, a pious read- 
 ing was made anil o. J songs were "•:;i\r 
 in French; a praci h '. wntinuedaud js 
 
 em 
 
 I*— i^ 
 
 im 
 
Catholic Ciici;ch in CrKGON. 
 
 kept with the ;ireatc8t 8alit>fafiir)i: ; in conse- 
 quence of whicli the whole assembly wns soon 
 iusitriKted to sing 'he first verse of 50 hymns, 
 the men forming one choir, and the women, 
 the girli* and the children, tli« other; each choir 
 singing alternately after the Ist, 2tid, 3rd, &c., 
 verse snng by the aolna. These meetings be- 
 came so attractive as to draw, on many occa- 
 sions, the bonrgeois, the clercs and their fam- 
 ilies to enjoy the pleasant and harmonionit con- 
 certs. The Indians themselves did not remain 
 insensible to the charms of these chants, nor 
 were they the last to come and hear them in 
 large numbers, sometimes 70 and 100. On 
 Feb. 20ih, 1839, there were 140 assisting at 
 the evening prayers. 
 
 The holy work began for the ladies and liitle 
 girls of the fort on Wednesday, the 28th, by 
 teaching them their prayers and catechism in 
 French. By persevering in this holy work, 
 many of them soon became able to say the Ro- 
 sary, a holy practice of devotion in honor of 
 the immaculate Mother of Qod, which the two 
 missionaries established in Oregon from the 
 beginning. Rev. M. Deuiers, who made the 
 beads, <Ustributed fif^y of them in a short time. 
 The catechism was held in ihe forenocm. The 
 afiernoon was reserved for teaching the pray- 
 ers and holy truths to the Indian women and 
 children of the village,in order to prepare them 
 tor baptism. The difficulty here was great, as 
 they ha«l to learn these prayers in Fn'iicli, and 
 the task -ould not be completed but by a long 
 and tedious repetition of them for weeks and 
 months. This catechism was frequented by 
 CO women and girls, and 18 little boys. 
 
 The Indians were not neglected ; they were 
 gathered twice a day, in the forenoon atid in 
 lite evening. Rev. M. Demers, who had learn- 
 ed the Chinook jargon in three or four weeks, 
 was their teacher. Later, iu January, having 
 translated the i^i^n of the C/o««. the Our Father 
 and the Hail Mary, into that dialect, he taught 
 them to these poor Indians, who were ninch 
 pleased to learn them. In Febriuiry, he suc- 
 ceeded iii composing some beantiful hymns in 
 the same dialect which the Indians, as well as 
 tlie mill, women and children, chante«l in the 
 < liurch w'!th the greatest delight. Thus by pa- 
 lience and coustaDcy iu teaching, the niission- 
 
 iirics were pleased to see that their hard labors 
 were beginning to bear some fruits. 
 
 The forenoon catechism lasted generally 
 from 8 to 1 1 :30 o'clock ; the afternoon session 
 from 1 to 5, and sometimes 6 o'clock. The 
 interval was interspersed with singing Chinook 
 hymns, teaching catechism, and some relaxa- 
 tion. While Fr. Demers was instructing the 
 Indians, the vicar general taught the Cana- 
 dians, nnd gave instructions in French to the 
 hoys who were able to read English, so that 
 by such means, some of them were soon able 
 to assist in teaching the prayers and catechism 
 toothers. The Gregorian chant, a.id serving 
 ft Mass were not forgotten ; and it was after 
 these exercises that the missionaries heard the 
 confessions of those who had do time to come 
 during the day. By all this it may be seen 
 that the two priests were far from being idle. 
 
 1 
 
 oSbJvA wis tS* 
 
 (PUBLISBKD APRIL 18tH 1878.) 
 
 Rkharkablk Conversion 
 OF Doctor John McLaughlin. 
 
 ^T is but just to make special mention of the 
 mportant services which Ur. McLaughlin 
 — though not a Catholic — has rendered to the 
 French Canadians and their families, during 
 the fourteen years he was governor of Fort 
 Vancouver. He it was who read to them the 
 prayers on Sundays. Besides the English 
 school kept for the children of the bourgeois, 
 he had a separate one maintained at his own 
 expense, in wliieh prayers and the catechism 
 were taught in French to the Catholic women 
 and children on Sundays and week days, by 
 his orders. He also encouraged the chant of 
 the hymns in which he was assisted by 1 " 
 wife and daughter, who took much pleasure \a 
 this exercise. He visited and examine<l his 
 school once a week, which already numbered 
 several good scholars, who suuu Icnruud to read 
 French and became a great help to the priests. 
 He it was who saved the Cathblics of the furt 
 and their children from the dangers of per- 
 version, aud who, flnding the log church the 
 
'>() 
 
 Historical Sketches of the 
 
 CHnaJiHiiJi Imd liiiilt, n few miles below Fnir- 
 liekl in 1836, not properly locnted, ordered it 
 to be removed, and rebuilt on a large prairie, 
 its present beautiful site. 
 
 To that excellent man was our holy religion 
 indebted for whatever morality the missiona- 
 ries found in Vancouvt r, as well as for the 
 welfare and temporal advantages the settlers 
 of Cowlitz and the Willamette valley enjoyed 
 at that time At the time the twn missionaries 
 arrived Dr. McLaughlin was al).>i nt on a visit 
 to Canada and England, but was expected to 
 return in the following Heplembcr. 
 
 The good work of that upright man deserved 
 a reward ; he received it by being bntught to 
 the true Church in the following manner: — 
 
 When he was once on a visit to Fort N'is- 
 qually, a book entitled "The End of Contro- 
 versy," written by Dr. Miluer, fell into his 
 hands. He read it with avidity, and was over- 
 come and converted at once. On his return to 
 Fort Vancouver, he made his abjuration and 
 profession of faith at the hands of the vicar 
 general on Nov. 18th, 1842. He made his 
 icnfession and had his marriage blessed on the 
 same day, and prepared himself for his Hrst 
 ciunmuiiion by fasting during tlie four weeks 
 of Advent, which he passed on his claim at the 
 "Willamette Falls," now called Oregon City, 
 in having the place surveyed into blocks and 
 lots. Being thus prepareil, he made his first 
 communion at Fort Vancouver, at midnight 
 Mass on Christmas, ' ith a large numlK>r of 
 the faithfid women and servants of the Hud- 
 son Bay Go. The little chapel was then full 
 of white people and Indians ; it ivas beauti- 
 fully decorated and brilliantly illuminated; the 
 plain chant was grave, the Christmas hymns, 
 in French and in Chinook jurgon, alternately 
 by the two choirs of men and women, was im- 
 pressive ; as well as the holy functions around 
 the altar ; in a word, it was cuptivating and 
 elevating to the minds of the faithful, comme- 
 morating the great day of the birth of our Sa- 
 vi<ir. It was on such an occasion that Hon. 
 Peter H. Burnett, being at Vancouver in 1843, 
 and alti-ndini; lii^^li Mass as a mere spectator, 
 at midnight om (.hrislmas, received the first 
 iiiipressions lending to his conversion, as men- 
 tioned in the preface of his book entitled ''The 
 
 Path •-.'hich led a Pr.Jtestaut Lawyer to fJie 
 Catholic Church." 
 
 From the time of his conversion Dr. John 
 McLaughlin showed himself a true, practical 
 ('hristian, and a worthy member of the < 'hiirch. 
 never missiag Mass nor vesper-* on Sundays or 
 holy days, going to c«)mmnnion nearly every 
 month, and preaching by word and example. 
 On going to church each Sunday he was often 
 accompanie<i by some Protestant friends ; one 
 of them inviting him to go and assist at the ser- 
 vice of his church, he answered : "No sir, I go 
 to the Church that teaches truth, but not 'o one 
 that teaches error." He was kind to his chil- 
 dren and grand children ; his son-in-law fol- 
 lowing his example. 
 
 Dr. McLaughlin was born in the district of 
 Quebec, Can., and died at his residence in Or- 
 egon City on Sept. 3rd. 1857, aged 73 years ; 
 fortified with all the consolations of the Church, 
 after a lingering illness of two years, which he 
 bore with Christian patience and resignation, 
 about three months before the return of arch- 
 bishop Ulanc!ict from South America in 185*7. 
 
 Dr. McLaughlin was the father of the or- 
 phans and servants of the H. B. Co. ; the father 
 of the French-Canadian colonies of Cowlitz 
 and the Willnmette valley; of all the American 
 iuimi<;ranls,andagreat benefactor of the Cath- 
 olic Church. On hearing of this great man, 
 our holy Father, Pope Gregory XVI. sent him 
 the insignia of the knights of the distinguished 
 onler of St. Gregory the great, which arch- 
 bishop Blanchet delivered to him on his re- 
 turn from hJurope lu August, 1847. 
 
 Missionary Labors at Fort Vancouver. 
 
 Af\er the arrival of the priests, the Lord's 
 day had been sanctified by regular public ser- 
 vices, consisting of a high Mass with an in- 
 struction in the forenoon, and vespers and Sun- 
 day school in the afternoon. The chant at 
 Mass and vespers was the Gregorian, for some 
 of the men were already able to sing the Kyrie, 
 Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, or were soon 
 able to do so. The singing of French hymns 
 by the choii-s of men and women, as aforesaid, 
 added not a little to the solemnity of the service. 
 The large building granted for the purpose was 
 
 iriFTwasa.*' y r-^fw 
 
r to tiie 
 
 )r. John 
 )rHCtio«l 
 • 'hnrch. 
 idrty8 or 
 ly every 
 xample. 
 H8 often 
 u\h ; one 
 tiie ser- 
 sir, I go 
 3t to one 
 liis chil- 
 Ihw fol- 
 
 strict of 
 ■e in Or- 
 J years ; 
 Church, 
 'liich he 
 ^nation, 
 of arch- 
 n 1851. 
 
 the or- 
 e father 
 Cowlitz 
 nericau 
 le Cath- 
 il inaa, 
 eut him 
 giiished 
 Ij arch- 
 
 his re- 
 
 TVEB. 
 
 > Lord'd 
 )lic ser- 
 
 • an io- 
 ud SuD- 
 hant at 
 DT some 
 
 * Kyrie, 
 sre soon 
 
 hymns 
 jresaid, 
 service, 
 ose was 
 
 Catholic Ckcrch in Okeqon. 
 
 27 
 
 •.'.neriilly full of Catliolic.*, lunon^r vhom witj 
 ntien .<e<wi ii luiiuber of noii-Catliolivs. 
 
 As lo the Protfstiiut service on Sunday, 
 nliifh was ti.e Kpiscopnl, it was held in the 
 iiirjre hall of the governor's liousi- an<l reail by 
 liiui. The American ministers who traveled 
 pretty often and were always lod;;red and polite- 
 ly treated l»y the governor and other bour- 
 geois, were seldom or never invite)! to hold the 
 Kjtiscopal service on Sunday. Their singin<' 
 with their wivjs in their rooms late in tlioeve" 
 uings. (Ml many occasions, was the means of 
 drawing .some of the ladies and children to 
 hear thi-m. 
 
 Chrisimas Day, which in 1838 came on 
 Tuesday, and being observed as a general hol- 
 iday by the Company, the men had u chance 
 to celebrate it. There were two low Masses 
 at inidn ght irt the room of the priests at which 
 some a.s8iste<l. The hi ' Mass, vespers and 
 iiistruelion took place a, .isuni (ui Sundays. 
 The music which accompanied the (Gregorian 
 .bant at Mass, aud that of the hymns at vcs- 
 |>c rs in place of the anthems after the psahns, 
 rendered the office of Chri.stmas more soletnn 
 liian iisiuil ; so that all returned home well 
 pleascil and contented. 
 
 As tlie Company used to send over the 
 Itocky Mountains in the beginning of March 
 every year an express to carry its papers to 
 Canada, the missionaries avaikMl themselves 
 of the opportunity to .send to Quebec the his- 
 tory of their journey from Lachine to Van- 
 couver, with an accfuint of their labors during 
 the journey and since their arrival, an item oT 
 which, extending lo Man-h 1st 18;^!>, was: 
 baptisms, S09; marriages, Gl; burials, !>. Out 
 of the 309 baptisms, 175 were made on the 
 journey and 131 since their arrival. Out of 
 the 174, 122 were made on the east und .)3 on 
 thewest of the Rocky Mountains. Out of 1,34 
 74 were from the VVillaniette. .'>3 from Van- 
 couver, and V from Cowlitz. Of the Gl mar- 
 riages. 25 were from the Wilhmiette, 24 from 
 Vancouver, and 12 from the east uf the liocky 
 Mountains. 
 
 First Visit to Cowlitz Mission. 
 
 According to an agreement made between 
 lie bishopof Juliopolis and Sir George Sirap- 
 
 •■'on. governor of the Hudson B.iy Co . the prin- 
 cipal sta'ion of the Catholic nr.vsioiiaries was 
 to be at the settlen;ent on the Co.vliiz ri\er. 
 because it was not, like the Wilbimette settle- 
 ment, on grounds whose owner-xliip was dis- 
 puted by Great Britain and the United Stale.*. 
 To the end, therefore, to -how his willingness 
 to carry out that Hgrecmen'. and order the 
 buihiing necessary for a residence, the vicar 
 general accoaipanied bv Augustine Kochon, 
 a servant brought f-nmCanada, left Vancou- 
 ver on Wednesday afternoon. December 12th. 
 1838, in a canoe paddled by four Indians, aud 
 reached the Cowlitz setlKnienf on Sunday, the 
 IGih, at 10 a. m. The tirst Mass ever cele- 
 brated at that place was said on that day, and 
 anoihcr one on Monday in the house of Mr. 
 '!?'"\"I' ^'"""^"''on, before the settlers and <heir 
 families, who "era much pleased to learn that 
 the priests were to reside among Ihe.n. Haviu" 
 visited 'he place and chosen for the mission a 
 piece of land of clear prairie of f;40 acres, 
 strewed oidy with rare borders of timber, he 
 left his servant there to square the timber for 
 a hou.«e and barn, and lo make rails for fences. 
 'J'he Cowliiz .«etllenient has been five years 
 in existence, li is on the west side of the river, 
 in a I rairie .'•ix miles long and two miles wide, 
 boiuided tin the east by the river, on the west 
 bya iargequantityoftimber. It is a very fine 
 location for a ccdony. Its soil is rich aud fer- 
 tile; grass, fishing and game are in abundance. 
 The sitnation if, beautiful: in the north west 
 appears Mour.i, Rainier, and Mount St. Helen 
 on the east, whose high peak is always covered 
 with snow. The Hud.son Bay Co. has a farm 
 there on which a large number of men are em- 
 ployed in farming on a large scale. The young 
 colony was then composed of only four Can! 
 adian farmers, whom Dr. .McLaughlin had dis- 
 charged from furt:,er long services. The Cow- 
 litz river runs from north to south and empties 
 into the Columbia ; it is very tortuouS and full 
 of snags, which renders its navigation difficult 
 aud dangerous, especially for small crafts, and 
 by reason of its numerous rapids of dangerous 
 ascent 
 
 Having made seven baptisms, given to the 
 men the necessary advices, and recommended 
 Mr. Fagnant, on' of he farmers, who was able 
 
 -yi^w^ "xas^yaigsgsi^ia^Ms^cBiA my^^iM i i i^ M i-i tnn w i ■ 
 
28 
 
 Historical Sivetciiks of the 
 
 to read, to leiu-li tlie pniyvrs and i-iilechisiii In 
 tlic women and diildreii. llie viciir ;;enenil left 
 on Tiu'stLiy inoriiiii;; llie 18tli, luid reHehed 
 Vrtueoiiver on Tlmrsday tlie 20tli. at 4 :30 j). !:i. 
 Governor Douglas had tlie politeness to go and 
 meet him on the shore with Father Demers, cu 
 his arrival. On liis way up and down he vis- 
 ited some Indian lodges to announce to them 
 the arrival of the Blackyowns who comes to 
 speak of the Great Spirit and make theiu good. 
 
 First Mission to the Willamette Vallev. 
 
 This mission lasted about 30 days ; from 
 Jnnuary 5th 1839 to February 4th. This val- 
 ley takes iti name from the river which flows 
 through it from south to north. It is a con- 
 tinuance of large and level prairies strewed 
 with timber which is found specially along the 
 banks of the streams. The east shore of it 
 may well be called the granary of Oregon, the 
 western shore being generally mouutainous. 
 The settlement of this valley began as follows: 
 Thei-e remained in the country three French 
 Canadians, remnants of the old expedition of 
 Hunt a»id Astor, viz : Stephen Lucier, one of 
 the former, and Joseph Gervais and Louis La- 
 bonte of the latter. S. Lucier being tired of 
 leading a wandering life began in 1829 to cul- 
 tivate the land near Fort Vancouver, and get- 
 ting dissatisfied with his first choice, he left it 
 in 1830, and, removing to the Willamette val- 
 ley, settled a few miles above Champoeg, then, 
 called by the Canadians Campemevt de Sable. 
 Following his example the two others, J. Ger- 
 vais and L. Lab(mt^ followed him in 1831 and 
 settled some distance south, one on the right 
 and the other on lhelet\ side of the river. Some 
 old servants of the Hhdson Bay Co., being dis- 
 charged frou', further services, went over to 
 them and increased their number. The good 
 and generous Dr. McLaughlin encouraged the 
 colony ami helped it with all his power. It 
 continued to grow up every year, and its set- 
 tlers began to feel the necessity of having some 
 priests to reconcile them to God and also to 
 instruct their wives and children. The nearest 
 bishop they could apply lo was at Red River. 
 They sent him a petition in 1834, asking for 
 priests. Their request was without success, 
 so they renewed their petition in 1835, and 
 
 this time it stemed they were to be heard, for 
 the bishop of Juliopolis obtained, in 1H3('', a 
 passage for two priests in the canoes of 18.J7 
 to Oregon. But in the interval of the appoint- 
 ment of the missionaries, other reflections su- 
 perseded the first ; and on remarks being made 
 that, as there were in that country Anglican, 
 Methodist and Presbyterian ministers, the dii- 
 ference of tt-achings might create dissentions 
 among the Indians ; for this reason, and per- 
 haps to give them time lo proselyte, the grant 
 of passage was withdrawn. But having made 
 new eflbrts the bishop obtained the chiimcd 
 passage in the canoes of 1838, hence their ar- 
 rival and their labors at Vancouver. 
 
 (published APRIL 2oTH 1878.) 
 
 THE Catholics of the Willamette valley 
 were very anxious to see among them at 
 least one of the priests they had so earnestly 
 as-kcd for. On llie day appointed for going, 
 two large canoes from the valley, conducted by 
 two of the most respected ciiizens of the colony, 
 Mr. Stephen Lucier and Mr. Peter B^l^que, 
 w ere ready at Vancouver for departure. The 
 vicar general, leaving to Father Demers the 
 ch.irge of cimtinning ihe mission of Vancouver, 
 started on Thursday, Jan. 3rd, at three p. m. 
 
 The Willamette Fall, 
 
 a beautiful fall of 30 feet, across the river, 
 which requires a portage of canoes and bag- 
 gage for a quarter of a mile, was passed early 
 on Friday ; and on Saturday at 10 a. m. the 
 campemtnt de Sable, (Champoeg) was reached. 
 The four miles from thence to the log church 
 (for there was a church already) were made 
 on horseback. And as Mr. Lucier and Mr. 
 B^l^que were neighbors, and on his way, the 
 vicar general stopped and visited their fam- 
 ilies, who were so glad to be the first to see 
 the priest and see him in his true ecclesiastical 
 Robe or Soutane, which the two missionaries 
 continued to wear in traveling, at home, and 
 iu the town of Oregon City untill 1849. 
 
Catholic Cucrch in Orkook. 
 
 29 
 
 TliHt log church was built in 188C, ns scon 
 11- liiey had any hopes of having priests. It 
 was H building 70 feet by 80, built on a prairie 
 uu the eastern side of the river, on the road to 
 C lianipoeg. The vicar general took possesn- 
 ion of a part of the churt^h, at the back of the 
 iillnr, measuring 12 by 30, which being after- 
 wards divided by an alley of 6 feM, gave suf- 
 ficient accommodation for two bed rooms on 
 one side and a kitchen and dining room on the 
 other. Later on, in order to make room for 
 some orphans, the alley became the kitchen. 
 
 The aAernoob of that day was s^ent in re- 
 <'i-iving visits, as r!I, especially the women and 
 the half-breed children were very an^cious to 
 
 e the priest so long announced and expected. 
 
 hat day was indeed n day of joy and lender 
 (motions to all. 
 
 The following day, January 6th, being Sun- 
 day and the Kpiphany of our Lord the church 
 ^vas blessed under the patronage of the great 
 apostle St. Paul, after which was celebrated 
 tlie first Mass ever said in the yalley, in the 
 presence of all the Canadians, their wives and 
 children. It was surely a great day for them 
 all; for t lie Canadians who had uot seen a priest 
 nor heard a Mass for iO, 20, 30, and some for 
 nearly 40 years ; and for their wives wIk> were 
 at last beholding one of those priests their hus- 
 bands had so long ago spoken to them about. 
 Sweet and touching indeed were the sentiments 
 these Canadians experienced on seeing them- 
 selves at the foot of aii altar, of the cross, and 
 before the face of a priest. These p<H)r people 
 were overjoyed, and the women were amazed 
 in beholding the priest at the altar in sacer- 
 dotal vestments and prayer. The holy Sac- 
 ritice of the immaculate Lamb of God was of- 
 liTfd ; the pastoral letter of the bishop who 
 had heard their voice and sent them priests was 
 rt-ad ; the commaDdnieuts of God and of the 
 Ciiurch were published, as well as the rules to 
 l)e observed during the mission; and all term- 
 inated with reflections and advices which were 
 very touching on both sides. All went home 
 liappy and willing to obey the Church, even 
 in regard to separation from their wives until 
 Hieir unions would be blessed. And so great 
 wito their desire to have their wives and chil- 
 •h-en instructed, and to lose nothing of the in- 
 
 structions given, thi.t they brought them from 
 home to live in tents around the chiircii. The 
 men wotild not do less ; those living the ueares^t 
 came every day to hear Mass and passed the 
 whole day at the church, returning home in 
 time to attend to their business and prevent the 
 wasting of their crops by their hired and slave 
 Indians. Those who lived farthest away re- 
 mained several days before returning home, 
 sleeping in the large hall uot yet divided by an 
 alley. And let no one suppose that in that 
 season the people had to suffer from the in- 
 clemency of the weather; uot at all ; for the 
 weather was so extraordinary flue and mild, 
 and so similar to the mouth of May in Canada, 
 as to make the good Canadians say : "The good 
 God has pity on us ; it is tor us that He has 
 sent this flue weather." 
 
 The exercises commenced every day by 
 the celebration of Mass with an instruction, 
 after which followed the recitation of prayers 
 in French, the explanation of the Apostles' 
 creed and the most important truths of religion, 
 intermixml with singing of bymi:s, from Mass 
 till 12 a. m., and from 1 to 4 p. m. And as 
 the women did not all understand French, and 
 there were among them a variety of tongues, 
 some being of the Chinook, others of the Col- 
 ville aud FUthead tribes, the difliculty was o- 
 vercome by using different interpreters to con- 
 vey to them the words of the priest. At dusk 
 took place the evening prayers, the reading of 
 pious books and singing of French hymns ; 
 after which some boys were taught to read in 
 French and serve at Mass. There was at that 
 time in the valley a young man, 26 years of 
 age, bom in Havre de Grace, France, called 
 Peter Stanislaus Jacqnet. He left the sea 
 which he entered at the age of 1 1. That young 
 man became useful by knowing how to rea«l 
 and teaching the prayers, while the priest was 
 hearing the confessions of the ^ ^n, who had 
 to come more than once, aud thost, " the little 
 boys and girls, to aceostom them to the Holy 
 practice. The meu had also to be examined 
 and re-afiirmed in their prayers, but they gen- 
 erally were found to have retained them in a 
 surprising manner. 
 
 The instructions and teaching of prayers 
 lasted three weeks. The fruits of the mission 
 
30 
 
 Historical Sketches of tiik 
 
 I 
 
 were coiisolinjr; lor niRuy of tlieludiHU woinou 
 and a number of jjrown np boys and girU, and 
 younjf cliildren Imd learned to make the sign 
 of the cross, the offering of the heart to Gwl, 
 the Lord's prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostlep' 
 Creed and some of the Acts ; 25 Indian women 
 were baptised in excellent dispo^itionb, and 
 their nnions with their husbands blessed by 
 the Church; 47 other baptioms of children were 
 made, to which, if we add those two of an old 
 Indian man and of a young Indian girl, Iwth 
 sick, who soon died, and were the first to be 
 buried in the new cemetery, we will have 74 
 baptisms and 26 marriages ; the 26th couple, 
 being a Canadian, married in the valley by 
 Rev. D. Leslie, without the certificate of the 
 death of his wife he had loft in Canada, the 
 vicar general could not bless their union, but 
 ordered and obtained a separation, until such 
 time as her death would be ascertained. 
 
 Besides the altar fixed in due time, the vi- 
 car general had a commuuiou rail made to 
 separate the sanctuary from the nave ; a cross 
 fixed on the gable of the church ; an acre of 
 ground chosen, fenced and blessed for a grave- 
 yard, with a high cross in the centre ; small 
 wooden c- ^^es were also blessed for each 
 house. T six first verses of hymns which 
 had been learned, and were daily sung at Mass 
 with some taste and delight by the men, women 
 and children, were earnestly recommended to 
 be sung at home. The two missionaries saw 
 wiih greiit pleasure their advice put in practice, 
 la fine, taking the fourth and last week of his 
 mii^siou to rest a little, the vicar getienl went 
 and took possession of a tract of ground of 640 
 acres for the mission, and weat arouud the 
 whole establishnieut to visit the settlers, who 
 received him with the greatest demonstrations 
 of joy and thanks to <iod for the consolations 
 of religion they had received. Their joy, nev- 
 ertheless, was greatly lessened in not baiu" al- 
 lowed to keep among themselves, at least, one 
 of those tliey had called for. But they ex- 
 pected liiHt this would not last loug, and that 
 their gi>od father, Ur. McLaughlin, would ob- 
 tain a change. Having given them five Sun- 
 days, the vicar general started on Monday, 
 Feb. 5th Hud reached Vancouver on Tuesday, 
 where he remained at work till March 14th. 
 
 The Tkue Name or oub Uiveb. 
 
 It is fit to explain he; y the name of 
 
 our river is ca''ed Wallamette, rather than 
 Wa/lumet or Wiilamette, as many call it now. 
 The reason is obvious : it is because Walla- 
 mtlte is the true Indian name, whereas Wal- 
 himet and TFt7/««je«e are but corrupted and 
 fabricated ones of modem date. Proofs are 
 not wanting to show that from 1812 to 1842, 
 the principal persons in the country, either 
 American of Astor and Hunt's expedition, or 
 British, or Scotchmen, or French Canadians of 
 the North West and Hudson Bay Companies, 
 always spelled the name with an "a" in the 
 firnt syllable, and a "tte" in the last one, thus: 
 Wallaviette. The syllable "mette" not to be 
 pronounced "u.et " as in the French word boii- 
 qntt; but as"mette"in the word j<u«/<e. It was 
 tlius spelled by the gentlemen of the H. B. Co., 
 Dr. John McLaughlin, James Douglas and 
 Peter Ogden, when the Methodist, Presbyter- 
 ian ministers. Catholic missionaries and aiany 
 other American citizens arrived here in 1884, 
 '..6, '88 and '-iO. Hence the numero- dis- 
 ciples, who adopting the name of our river as 
 spelled by tlicui, made a faithful use of it be- 
 fore 1840, and long after 1842, and even as 
 far down as 1848 ; and one even to 1859, be- 
 cause convinced of its being the genuine name; 
 and all that, notwithstanding the strong pre- 
 vailing use of the spurious one of Willamette. 
 Witness the following instances : — 
 
 Rev. Jason Lee, who arrived in the country 
 in 1834, signs, in 1844, with Dr. McLaughlin 
 and others, a document in which the word is 
 spelled Wallamette. David Leslie, W. H. 
 Wilson and George Gay, who came here in 
 1837, Sidney Smith in 1889, and A. F. Wall- 
 er and L. H. Judson in 1840, say they are 
 living in the valley called Wallamette. Young 
 and Carmiohael, addressing the Oregon tem- 
 perance society, date their letter from Wall- 
 amette, Jan. 3, 1887. Rev. G. Hines who 
 came her*- 'n 1840, in his history of Oregon, 
 in 1859, ou .ill occasions calls onr river by the 
 name of Wallamette. Dr. E. White, who ar- 
 rived here iu 1836, when writing as sub-agent 
 of Indian .iffairs tr 'he secretary of war in 
 1648, always date its letters from the Wall- 
 
Catholic Chckcu in Okkoon. 
 
 31 
 
 iinictte vKlley. Jusinh L. Parrish an<l A. F. 
 \V^Hller, who Hrrived here iu 1840, hs Mev.i- 
 oiliitt mioidlers, affirm that the name is an 
 IiiiUhii one, to be spel ed with an "a" in the 
 tir^t xyilable. 
 
 Tlie Catholic misaiouaries on their arrival 
 lit Vancouver in 1S38, reucivtMl also the name 
 with it8 orlho<rraphy from the same gentlemen, 
 Hiui always used it in their correspondences 
 at home and abroad, from 1839 to 1848, dat- 
 iu^ their letters frr>m, or addressiuji them to 
 or "St. Paul of Wallamette." So did the Sisters 
 
 of Notre Dame, Belgium, from 1844 to 1858. 
 The gentlemen of the Hudson Bay Co. did 
 likewise iu all their transactions and writings; 
 thus, their bills of supplies to the Catholic mis- 
 sion, i'rom 1839 to 1847 were always headed : 
 "Catholic Mi^<8ion of Wallamette, or Walla- 
 mette falls." Rev. Mr. Beaver, who was chap- 
 lain at Vancouver, from 1836 to 1838, haviu^ 
 returned to England, in a certain deposition 
 made in London in 1849, calls our river by 
 the name he had learned during his stay at 
 Vancouver, Wallamette. 
 
 SSSVOH XZZ. 
 
 (published MAT 2nd 1878.) 
 First Mission to Cowlitz in 1839. 
 
 ynHE first r -isiou to Cowlitz was lieguu by 
 % the vicar general on March 17ih. 1839, 
 iiiid continued until the Ist of May following. 
 Arriving at the settlement on the evening of 
 March 16tii, the vicar general was accotniuo- 
 (lilted by Mr. Simon Plamondon with a room 
 I'lr liis own use, and also an appartment 18 by 
 2') feet to be used as a chapel. Besides the 
 four farmers ami their families forming the col- 
 ony, there was n large number of servants em- 
 ployed on the farms of the II. B. Co., some of 
 I hem having wives. The mission commenced 
 '>ii radsiuu Sunday with the holy sacrifice of 
 the Mass, the publication of the law of God 
 .111(1 tiie precepts of the Church — on which an 
 iiHtniciion was given. Mash was celebrated 
 every day at 6 a. m., during which an iustruct- 
 I i:i was given. The rest of the day was de- 
 
 voted to teaching the calechiiini and hymns t<> 
 the women and children in French. In the 
 evening all assembled in the chapel where eve- 
 ning prayers, an instruction, and singing of 
 hymns preceded the hearing of confessions, 
 which continued long into the night. The In- 
 dians were iustrucled at stated intervals every 
 day. The ceremony of holy week made a deep 
 impression on all who attended, and the miss- 
 ion was fruitful in irood results. 
 
 The news of the arrival of the missionary 
 at Cowlitz caused numerous delegations of In- 
 dians to come from remote distances in order 
 to hear and see the blackgown. Among these 
 delegations was one led by chief Tala-lakum, 
 whose tribe inhabited Whidby Island, Puget 
 Sound, 150 miles from the Cowlitz mission. 
 After a journey of two days in canoes to Fort 
 Nisqually, and an arduous march of three days 
 on foot, across streams and rivers, and by an 
 exceedingly rough trail, they reached Cowlitz 
 with bleeding feet, famished and broken down. 
 Their object was to see the blackgown and 
 hear him speak of the Great Spirit. As soon 
 as they were refreshed the missionary began 
 to speak to them of God, of the Incarnation 
 and Redemption. But the great difficulty was 
 to give tliem an idea of religion so plain and 
 simple as to command their attention, and 
 which they could retain in their minds and car- 
 ry back with them to their tribe. In looking 
 for a plan the vicar general imagined that by 
 reprefieiiting on a square stick, the forty cent- 
 uries before Christ by 40 marks ; the thirty- 
 three years of our Lord by 83 points, followed 
 by a cross ; and the eighteen centuries and 
 thirty-nine years since, by 18 marks and 39 
 points, would pretty well answer his purpose, 
 in giving him a chance to show the beginning 
 of the world, the creation, the fall of angels, 
 of Adam; the promise of a Savior, the time of 
 His birth, and His death upon the cross, as well 
 as the mission of the apostles. The plan was 
 a great success. After eight days explanation, 
 the chief and hie companions became masters 
 of the subje^l ; and, having learned to make 
 the sign uf the cross and to sing one or two 
 hymns in the Chinook jargon, they started for 
 home well satisfied, with a square rule thus 
 marked, which they called Sahale stick, (Stick 
 
32 
 
 Historical Skbtciiks or tiik 
 
 from Hbove.) Thnt pUn was afterwnnis clinn^- 
 t>(] from H rule to n large chart coutaiuin^ the 
 great epochs of the world, such as the Deluge, 
 the Tower of Babel, the leu coininaudmenis of 
 God, the twelve apostles, the seven sacraments 
 and precepts of the Church ; these 'icmg very 
 useful to enable the missionary to teach the 
 Indians and whites. It was called "The Cath- 
 olic Ladder." 
 
 The fruits of this long mission were very 
 consolin-;. The womeu, grown up boys and 
 girls had learned their prayers in part, and 
 some of the catechism ; and the younger chil- 
 dren, some part of their prayers. The first 
 verse of several hymns, in French and ('hinook, 
 had been learned and were sung alternately by 
 the two choirs of men, women and children, 
 after the chant of the other verses by a solo. 
 By that means the offices on Sunday, at Mass 
 and Vespers, were rendered pretty solemn and 
 attractive. Tlie number of baptisms were 27, 
 of which 20 were Indian children, and 7 were 
 adult women ; thus in adding the 7 made on 
 December last, wo have 84 baptisms made iu 
 Cowlitz, 7 marriages blessed, and a large num- 
 ber of Kaster communions. 
 
 The winter season of iri33-?' Iiad bocu oo 
 exceptionally beautiful as to allow the farmers 
 to plow and sow without interruption. On 
 the 5th day of April the prairies were bloom- 
 ing with wild flowers and strawberries. On 
 the 7th the grass was six inches hij:h. Au- 
 gustine Rochon, the servant of the mission, 
 brought from Canada, had iu no way remained 
 idle ; lie had made 6,000 fence mils, squared 
 the timbers for a house and barn, which were 
 to be hauled on the mission land as soon as he 
 could <>ct a yoke of oxen. The settlers of Cow- 
 litz and their families were extremely pleased 
 to have the visit of Rev. M. Deuiers during 
 the mission of the vicar general there. This 
 visit was due to the following circumstances: 
 
 First Mission at Fort Nisquallt. 
 
 About the 8tU of April 1839, Rev. D. Leslie, 
 a Methodii't minister, arrived at Cowlitz on his 
 way to Nisqually, where he intended ti» estab- 
 lish a mission among the Indians. This iu- 
 fnrination at once prompted the vicar general 
 to despatch an Indian express to Fr. Uemers 
 
 at Vancouver, asking him to proceed ut one 
 to Nisqually in order to plant the true seed in 
 the hearts of the Indians there. Fr. Demer^ 
 lef^ immediately and reached his destination 
 in six days, during which he was drenched 
 with a cold and continuous rain. He arrived 
 on April 21st, and was welcomed with great 
 politeness by Mr. Kitson, the commander of 
 the fort ; a house was appropriated for the pur- 
 pose of a chapel, and he at once entered upon 
 the object of his arduous journey. The In- 
 dians flocked from all sides to see the great 
 chief of the French and receive his instruct- 
 ions. An unforeseen incident, however, came 
 near preventing the mission begun under such 
 favorable auspices. The rammandant was un- 
 willing to allow a vast cr«»wd of Indians to en- 
 ter the fort, and ordered them to stay outside 
 of the palisades. One of the Indians, bidder 
 than the rext, dared to force an entry and was 
 pushed back rather roughly by Mr. Kitson, 
 hence the beginniugof a riot, which might have 
 become fatal, if the appearance of the mission- 
 ary had not appeased that untamed multitude. 
 Who shall not here admire the holy influence 
 of religion in the person of an humble priest 
 over an enraged multitude of Indians, on his 
 simple appearance among tbeni? Such is the 
 iufluence of religion ! 
 
 Father Dcmers was then obliged to go out of 
 the fort to teach the Indians, who, during the 
 whole time of the mission, gave him evidence 
 of their most perfect docility to his advice. 
 The first Mass was celebrated April 22tid, iu 
 the presence of the commander and other per- 
 sons of the fort. Among the .ufong there were 
 counted Indians of 22 different nations. All 
 the days of the man of God were devoted to his 
 dear neophytes. To celebrate the divine ofl- 
 ices, teach the Christian prayers, administer 
 baptism to children, explain to the Indians the 
 dogmatic and moral truths of religion, to hear 
 the confessions of the Canadians; such were 
 the occupations which absorbed the days and 
 part of the nights of the priest during the ten 
 days the mission lasted. 
 
 Monday, the 29lh of April, was to the serv- 
 ant of God a day well calculated to indemnify 
 him plentifully for his long and painful jour- 
 neys and missionary labors ; for on that day, 
 
Catholic Chukch in Okkqun. 
 
 88 
 
 Mr,«. Ivilson the wife of the cuniiUHiiiier, iilter 
 liiuiii^ fdlloweil the instriiciioiis with iniu-h Ht- 
 ti'iiii(>ti,Hiul prHrticed with fervor the exurciHtt« 
 nr|)it'ty prescribed to her, hail the happinewto 
 (>|kmi liL-r eycH to the lixht, and receive the gift 
 III laith Huii the grace of baptism. The foU 
 l'ivviti<,' day, the 3Uth, btiug the day fixed for 
 Ills di>ptirture, wag a day of nioiiruiiig for the 
 jxior ItxliauB of Nisquady. Men and wonieu 
 flocked around him to entreat him to remain 
 >iin()n<; them and to sliow him the deep sorrow 
 \\liich his too untimely parting caused iheuj. 
 
 riicy went go fur as to promise him perfect do- 
 ' ili:y to his advice, and that, if poligamy was 
 Mil evil in the eyes of the Great Spirit, they 
 vvtiidd forthwith conform themselves to his will. 
 Deeply touched by these admirable effects of 
 ilie ^ract! of God, Father Demers encouraged 
 ilmm to perseverance, and consoled them the 
 li>'s( he could for having to leave them, giving 
 thorn to iiuderstand that he parted wit!) them 
 to obey God who was calling him elsewhere, 
 whore sheep were to be brought to the fold ; 
 Mild that he would poon return to them and pre- 
 piire tlieni for baptism. After having given 
 iirdor^^ 10 build a chapel, and said Mass out- 
 side of the fort, he parted with them, April 
 'i<»ih, hlossing I lie Lord for the success of his 
 iiiiftsioti among tiie whites and Indians, and 
 nwched ('owlitz on Wednesday, May Ist. with 
 tlic conviction that his mission at Nisqually 
 had left a very feeble chance for a Methodist 
 niissinn there. Bro. Wilson, whom minister 
 Leslia had lefl orders with to build a house, on 
 M certain piece of land, must have been des- 
 |ioi)dent at being witness to all he had seen. 
 
 The fruits of this unexpected mission were 
 \\ liftptJHms, '2 of which were adult women, 
 I lie rest being children, and 2 marriages. This 
 niisiiion was made so short because Father De- 
 mers was bound to be at Vancouver to meet 
 liierc tlio brigades of North and South, and 
 l>re|i!ire himself for his mission to the upper 
 ( i)iimibia. The vicar general having com- 
 I ii'iei! his uii:^siou at Cuwiilz aud given bis 
 
 iders for the building of the priest's house, 
 ir.|)aio(l to start for Vancouver. 
 
 8S:3SXOS xxxx. 
 
 (PUBUSHRD MAY 9tH 1878.) 
 
 Sbcomd Mission imthe Willamettk Vallky. 
 
 THK two missionaries left Cowlitz, Thurs- 
 day, May 2nd, 1839, for Fort Vancouver, 
 Father Demers desiring to visit the Catholic 
 settlement at St. P-nil's, which latter place the 
 two missionaries reached in safety by means of 
 a canoe profielled by the stal%vart arms of four 
 Indians. Father Demers at once started on 
 horseback to visit all the .settlers, but was 
 obliged to relinquish his journey aud return a- 
 gain to Vancouver, in consequence of a violent 
 cold which he canght on \m former journey to 
 Nisqually. Whilst there he had the pleasure 
 of receiving two large cases filled with goods 
 intended for the mission, which had been for- 
 warded from Cauada, and which were greatly 
 needed. Among the gifts was a beautiful folio 
 edition of the Bible, presented by Rev. Anthony 
 Parent, of the Quebec Seminary, aud which 
 was greatly admired by all who saw it. 
 
 On arriving at St. Paul the vicar general 
 learned with much surprise that his first mis- 
 sion at Si. Paul had caused quite a commotion 
 among the Methotlist preachers, who had a 
 missionary station about 12 miles south of the 
 Catholic settlement. The cause of this excite- 
 ment arose from the fact that the vicar general 
 had re-baptized and re-married a number of 
 persons who were officiated over by the Meth- 
 odist ministers ; a number of Catholics with- 
 drew also from the temperance society and 
 prayer meetings of the Methodist brethren. 
 These acts aroused all the ire of the ministers 
 who deeming themselves and their office ig- 
 nored, determined to be revenged; btit before 
 doing so they endeavored to make proselytes 
 among the Catholics through means of Itev. 
 Daniel Lee's preaching and praying in some of 
 their houses. Rev. David Leslie next got up a 
 revival, but it was barren lu any fruits. As a 
 demit resort a complaint was made to gov- 
 ernor Douglas relative to the influence which 
 the C»th3lic missionaries were 'usingin order to 
 keep the lambs of the flock out of the clutches 
 of the Wesleyan wolves. The governor, how- 
 
S4 
 
 Historical Sketches ok the 
 
 over told liis iiiforniHnt very curtly that "it was 
 uone of his biisitiess." Thus, finding them- 
 selves foiled at every point, the preachers had 
 recourse to their usual weapon of slander and 
 falsehood. A copy of an infamous publica- 
 tion entitled Maria Monk, was circidated a- 
 mong the community ; this work pretended to 
 give "awful disclosures" concerning confess- 
 ion and convent life, and was filled with stale 
 slanders and exploded inventions. The circu- 
 lation of this obcene book caused considerable 
 feeling among the Catholics, and the vicar gen- 
 eral found on his return an excited community 
 where all was peace at his former visit. 
 
 The vicar general's attention was at once 
 directed towards allaying the excitement by a 
 simple explanation of the vicious causes which 
 led the Methodist ministers to cast such a fire- 
 brand among a peaceable and happy commu- 
 nity. He proved the work to be a tissue of 
 falsehoods and calumnies which had been re- 
 futed over the signatures of some of the most 
 respectable Protestants of Montreal where the 
 scene of its shameless relations was laid. The 
 Canadian settlers naturally became indignant 
 at the vile artifice, hypocrisy and ingratitude 
 of the Methodist ministers whose lives they had 
 been the means of siiviug but a short month 
 before. It appears that an Indian had stolen 
 some wheat, and being discovered he was se- 
 verely beaten at the Methodist mission ; his 
 tribe threatened to massacre the people at the 
 missioii. which so alarmed Rev. David Leslie 
 that he hastened at once to the Canadians beg- 
 ging them to use their influence with the In- 
 dians to save them, which the Canadians did 
 most effectually. Finally, the Methodists dis- 
 covering that their efforts to malign their Cath- 
 olic neighbors were recoiling upon their owu 
 heads, they quietly withdrew the vile book 
 wiiieh had caused so much trouble aud learned 
 afterwards to live in amity with their neighbors. 
 The second mission given at St. Paid's, by 
 the vicur general lasted thirty days, and was 
 attended with great zeal by the surrounding 
 settlers, their wives and children. The Cath^ 
 oUc Liidder was found very useful in impart- 
 ing instruction, as many of the neophytes did 
 not understand French sufficiently to be in- 
 struc ed in that language. It was also exposed 
 
 in the church on Sundays and fully explained 
 to the congregation who listened with the most 
 respectful attention. 
 
 During the mission the vicar general lia<i 
 the consolation of receiving into th- k l-i of 
 Christ Mr. Montour, a former cl rl; of th.- 
 Hudson Bay Co., together with hi wi'^e aud 
 children. This gentleman proved i nur-i zeal- 
 ous convert, assisting with Hie gre* ? ■."? 'evo- 
 tion at all the offices of the church on Sundays 
 and week days. On the Sunday within the 
 octave of Corpus Christ! all the congregation 
 united in a grand procession in honor of the 
 Blessed Sacrament ; repositories were erected, 
 and an avenue of trees planted through which 
 the Isrge multitude passed in regular order. 
 Thus, this mission produced great spiritual re- 
 sults, and the vicar general left for Vancouver 
 on theTthof June, well pleased with theearnest 
 piety of St. Paul's congragatiou. 
 
 (published mat I6th 1878.) 
 
 Bbigade of the Nobth. Mission of 
 
 Fatbeb Demers to Fort Colville in 1889. 
 
 THE Hudsoji Bay Co's brigade of the Noit'i 
 which was syled "rfc« porteura" in conse- 
 quence of the men being obliged to pack the 
 baggage on their backs for want of horses, ar- 
 rived at Vancouver June 6th, 1839, and staried 
 June 22ud on its return. It consisted of a flo- 
 tilla of nine barges manned by fifty-seven men 
 under the command of chief factor s Ogderi and^ 
 Black . A passage was offered to one of the 
 missionaries with this brigade as far as Walla 
 Walla, and as the Indians at Fort Colville had 
 been told by the missionaries that one of them 
 would return again for the purpose of instruct- 
 ing them in the faith. Father Demers was se- 
 lected for that duty, leaving to the vicar gen- 
 eral the vast missionary field alrea«ly open 
 along the waters of the Columbia, the Will- 
 amette, and Puget Sound. 
 
 Ar-iving at Walla Walla Father Demers 
 procured a guide expecting to make the trip to 
 Colville in six days ; in this, however, he was 
 
 itsFomimmB' 
 
 wtnm 
 
Catholic Church in Oregon. 
 
 lioDiited to disappointment as his guide proved 
 iroaclierous and left liim aloue before half the 
 
 ()iirney was accoiuplished, which necessitated 
 him to send back for another •riiide, and thus 
 lourteeii days were consumed ou tlie journey. 
 
 \*'ter litis delay and having surmounted many 
 .ficulties,FatherDemers arrived at FortCol- 
 . ille, wiiere he entered at once on a mission 
 which lasted for. 83 days and resulted very 
 beneficially to the employees of the H. B. Co., 
 :is well as to the numerous Indians gathered 
 arnund the fort. On his return trip he also 
 L'iive an 8 day mission at Okanagan and spent 
 two weeks at Walla Walla, to the great joy of 
 ilie assembled Indians and the few whites em- 
 ployed around the fort. 
 
 The Brioadb okthb Sooth. 
 
 The brigade was composed of a large num- 
 ber of servants, trappers of the H. B. (/O., re- 
 turning from California with horses ladeu with 
 furs. It arrived at VancouTer, June I5th, and 
 v\ as to return in 3 weeks, with horses packed 
 with provisions and goods for the trade of the 
 tollowing year. Several of the servants had 
 wives and children to be baptised, instructed 
 and married. The task became onerous on 
 the vicar general, as this was in addition to 
 the ordinary duty of teaching the ladies and 
 children of the fort and otliern. He undertook 
 it heartily, saying Mass early and dividing hi* 
 time between them all. There were made 44 
 baptism", of which 13 were adults, and the 
 .-^ame number of marriages, amongst which 
 were those of Mr. Michael La framboise, the 
 conductor of the brigade, and Mr. Joseph Mc- 
 Loughlin, son of Dr. McLoughlin. The brig- 
 ade left July 13th, having to camp between 50 
 and 60 times, making 4 leagues a day, before 
 reaching (heir trapping places. In Southern 
 Oregon it had to pass through a very warlike, 
 wicked and treacherous race of Indians, wait- 
 iag in ambuscade for the purpose of robbing 
 itud killiug animals and men, on all occasions. 
 lieaee the name of La Voqinns (the Rogues) 
 .'iven to them, and La Biviire aux Coquiru 
 (the Rogue river) given to the country by the 
 'iicu of tlie brigade. 
 
 Second Mission to Cowlitz. 
 
 After attending to the spirit ual wants of l lie 
 brigade of the North and South, the place to lie 
 visited next was the Cowlitz settlement The 
 vicar general reached that place on July 20 ; 
 and as he had learned that a building had been 
 erected on the mission land, he directed his 
 steps there, and took possession of a little 30 
 by 20 log house in which he celebrated Mass 
 the following day. It was roofed, and had an 
 addition for a kitchen at one end, but was 
 without floor, doors or windows. It took some 
 time before this could be done, or the joints of 
 the logs could be filled with mud, as the farmers 
 were busy at their harvest. He found there 
 also a barn 60 by 30 raised, roofed and ceiled, 
 ready to receive the crop of 6 bushels of wheat 
 a»»d 9 bushels of peas, sown last spring. A. 
 Rochon, the mission's servant had fenced in 24 
 acres of land and ploughed 15 others, to be 
 sown next fall ; so that the missionary of that 
 place was assured of his daily bread. 
 
 The log house was nsed as a chapel, under 
 the patronage of St. Francis Xavier, and a 
 lodging for the priest till 1842. The priest, 
 having his modest bed on the Gospel side of 
 the sanctuary, was more fortunate than the 
 young Samuel, who had his own in the vest- 
 ibule, away from the sanctuary. The daily 
 teaching of the women and children began as 
 soon as the har\'e8t was over. The Catholic 
 Ladder was used here, for the first time, with 
 great profit to all, on the week-days and ou Sun- 
 days. A. Rochon, the mission's servant, had 
 nm a great danger, some time after the de- 
 parture of the vicar general, in the beginning 
 of May. He had bought a horse from an In- 
 dian and paid the price agreed upon ; the In- 
 dian, displeased with bis bargain, came back to 
 have the horse again, which Rochon refused; 
 hence * strife, in which he was stabbed by the 
 Indian. Fortunately, there was present a half- 
 breed who, seising the stick which Rochon had 
 thrown to the ground in order to have free use 
 of his hands, soon made the Indian run away. 
 This mission lasled 40 days. 
 
36 
 
 Historical Sketches of the 
 
 8S:SS0H XT. 
 
 (published may 23bd 1878.) 
 Secomd Mission to Nisqcally. 
 
 THE first mission to Nisqnally was made by 
 Father Darners, who celebrated the first 
 Mass in the fort on April 22, the day after he 
 arrived. His visit at such a time was forced 
 upon him by the establishment of a Methotlist 
 mission there for the Indians. His mission 
 was a success ; and, it now beinj? the time to 
 go and consolidate the good already done there, 
 the vicar general left Cowlitz, reached Fort 
 Nisqually on August 30, 1839, and began his 
 mission cf 12 days. The fort conkained five 
 families, including that of Mr. Kitson, the com- 
 mander and his servants, numbering in all 36 
 souls. The meu attended Mass at 5 a. m., and 
 had other exercises iu the evening ; iheir com- 
 mander giving them the example though not 
 a Catholic. 
 
 The forenoon was devoted to the women and 
 childreii if the fort, teaching them their pray- 
 ers and explaining the catechism with the aid 
 of the Catholic Ladder. Some of the women 
 being able to speak only Nisqually, Chinook 
 jargon, and Flathead, Mr. Kitnon, who under- 
 Htood those languages, besides French and En- 
 glish, WHS very useful as an interpreter. Some 
 of the women on the outside were allowed to 
 assist at the exercises, and at the end of the 
 mission the women and children were able to 
 answer many questions on God, the Holy 'I'rin- 
 itv, the Incarnation and Redemption ; all had 
 leii'riied to sing the first verses of five French 
 hvmns, and two in Chinook. 
 
 " The nfiernoon was devoted to the teaching 
 of the Indians, who were few iu the beginning, 
 but continued to arrive in canoes every day, 
 until tl.ey numlicred at least 300. Twice was 
 tlie vicar general obliged to all>w a number of 
 men and women to come and have the sati*- 
 factiou "f shaking luiuds, the mothers brought 
 their children on ilieir backs for the same pur- 
 pose. Aiuoug oilii'r chiefs was Titlalakum, one 
 of the 12 who iniveied from Whidby Island to 
 Cowlila, in April last, in order to see the Black- 
 gown, lustrudions out of the fort were given, 
 
 first in a large lent and afterw irds in the open 
 air, tmder the shade of a tree. All were look- 
 ing at a large Catholic Ladder, hung up on a 
 pole, the points being shown with a long stick. 
 A mong the remarks made by some of the chiefs 
 was that of Tslalakum : "That man V h had 
 more children I'lan the first man Ac'im..!. ' It 
 was a beautiful sight in the evening to look 
 from the inside gallery of the fort on the In- 
 dian camp with its numerous bright fires, and 
 to listen to the harangues of the chiefs on the 
 subject which had been explained to them, and 
 the duty of Iheir listening to the great chief of 
 the French. Some of them soon learned to 
 make the sign of the cross in Chinook jargon, 
 and to sing the first verses of two hymns in the 
 same dialect. Two Indian children only re- 
 ceived baptism, Itecause the parents were a- 
 fraid of that medicine. There were 6 bapt- 
 tisms, and two marriages were made. Mass 
 was celebrated on the last Sunday outside of 
 the fort, in a repository made of matting, to 
 give the Indians an opportunity of witnessing 
 the great ceremony ; the men sitting on their 
 mats in a semi-circle iu front of the altar, and 
 the women behind them. At Mass as well as 
 at vespers, the two choirs of men and women 
 made the air resound with the chant of their 
 hymns. And so amazed were the Indians, 
 that after the service was over, they remained 
 a long time before leaving their places. Poor 
 Bro. Wilson who, from a sailor boy had be- 
 come a preacher, was looking at this Catholic 
 demonstration of the Indians, with no small 
 astonishment. 
 
 Short Heunion or the two Mi*«8ionarie8. 
 
 Objection Raised to the Residence at the 
 
 Wili^mette. Parting or the Missionaries 
 
 roR Winter Qoarters. 
 
 The vicar general left Nisqually on Thurs- 
 day and reached Cowlitz on Saturday, Sept. 
 14, blessed and planted a high cross and leav- 
 ing this place four days later, arrived at Vaa- 
 couver on the 20th, where he was joined, on 
 Oct. 1st, by Father Demers, returning from 
 his mission of 3 months and 10 days to the 
 upper Columbia. The result of his mission, 
 
 
 nan 
 
Catholic Chlkcii is Oregon. 
 
 37 
 
 n- to baptisins, wm* as follows : at Colville 37 ; 
 ■ f whites 12, of Indians 2.') : at Okauauau 19 ; 
 ot' wliites 4, of Iiulians 15 : at Walla Walla 5 ; 
 if whites 2, of Indians 3 : ou tlie way 12 In- 
 ilians were baptized, tnakin<r the number of 
 iiiiplisins 73 — 18 whites, and 55 Indiana. The 
 |(iv of their reunion was increased bv the good 
 news that governor Douglas had coinnnini- 
 liited to the vicar general on his arrival there, 
 and which, ou request, he later gave in writ- 
 ing, viz : — 
 
 Fort Vancouver, Oct. 9!h, 1839. 
 
 My dear 8ir: I uni directed to infurni you 
 that the governor and conuniltee buve no fur- 
 ther objection totheefltablishmentof aRuinan 
 Catholic misRion in the Willuiuette; and you 
 are therefore at liberty to take any means you 
 may consider necessary towards tlie preiuotion 
 iif that object. I remain, my dear 8lr, Yimra 
 very truly, Jamks Douglas. 
 
 Very Rev. F. N. Blanchet, V. G. 
 
 It was on the representntions the good Dr. 
 MiLoughlin had made, on his late journey to 
 Loudon, that the objections to a residence were 
 raised. Ou hearing this fact, the two mission- 
 aries began to prepare themselves for depart- 
 ure. And being ready t«' start on Thursday 
 Oct. lOlh, they bade adic their endeared 
 (•ongregatioo, to the ladiet* -d gentlemen of 
 I he fort, and to governor Douglas, tenderiug 
 hiui their warmest thanks for the generous hos- 
 pitality they had received ; and, starting in dif- 
 ferent canoes, they went down the river and 
 landed at the mouth of the Willamette, where 
 they had supper together, after which they part- 
 ed for their winter quarters ; Father Demers 
 for the Cowlitz, and the vicar general fur the 
 Willamette mission, which he reached early 
 on Saturday, while his dear confrire reached 
 his mission but on Sunday, owing to the heavy 
 load in hi!> canoe, and the many dangerous 
 rapids on the river. Ou the day after his ar- 
 rival he blessed the bell he had brought with 
 him, which weighed 50 lbs, had it set up 40 
 Let from the grouud, and began to riug the 
 .In^e/iM three times a day. The vicar general 
 >vlio had also brought one which weighed 80 
 11)8. had it blessed two days before Christmas, 
 and began toringthe^njre/us three timesaday. 
 Ml honor of the IncaruatioD, and glory of Mary 
 immaculate. 
 
 The hall of 30 by \'£ feet, scparateil from 
 the nltir by apar ition. needed the loose floor 
 to be fixed, the ceiling and s<.ine partitions had 
 to be made; a man undertook the job. which 
 he performed in three weeks. Dr. John Mc- 
 Laughlin had arrived at Vancouver from Eu- 
 rope, by the express boat, on Oct. 18. His 
 visit to the Willamette settlement was warm- 
 ly greeted by all as a father, (ireat was the 
 joy of the people of the two missions, in hav- 
 ing a priest to remain with each of them. 
 Great also was the joy of all in having a high 
 miduight Mass, at Christmas, in both churches, 
 which were full to completion. This closes 
 the labors of the missionaries in 1839. 
 
 (published MAY SOtii 1878.) 
 
 Sketch or the (^lowxrrz Mission, 
 BY Rev. M. Dbmebs. 
 
 Cowlitz, Feb. 5, 1840. 
 To Rev. F. C. Cazeault, Secretary, Quebec. 
 
 My dear Sir: Having returned on the lot of 
 Octolier fnmi a mission I had given during the 
 HMunner, in the upiier part <>! the Columbia, 
 r could not have the pleasure of staying very 
 long with the vicar general. I had to le -ve 
 him on tlie 10th of the same month to t ike 
 charge of the mission on the Cowlitz river, 
 which Rev. Blanchet bad left in order to t)e at 
 Vancouver durini; the month of Hepteml)er. 
 This separation did not take place witiiout sor- 
 row as we were leaving eacli other not to meet 
 axaiu for four months; but was imposed upon 
 UH by need and duty. In effect, the permission 
 of settling permanently in the Willamette bad 
 been Krante<l to the great advantage of itsdaily 
 increasing Catholic population. The Cowlitz 
 mission liad not to be neglected either, and it 
 was assigned to me. Having left Vancouver 
 both on Thursday, Octoiier 10th, we look sup- 
 per together at the mouth of the Willamette, 
 after which each one went bis way in ordt^r to 
 be in bis respective place <m the following Sun- 
 day, which I could not do, iiotwithstauiinK 
 all the efforts of the men and the active part I 
 tiMik in the labor. I had with me a half-breed 
 named J. B. Boucher und three Indians; my 
 canoe was large and contained a laree quan- 
 tity of luggage,amongwhich wasabell weigh- 
 ing 50 ]H>uu(fi. I was tlierefore deprived of the 
 
3« 
 
 Historical SivEtches of the 
 
 happiness of celeliratiiiK Mass, ami my jK-ople 
 of hearinjtit. Ahj^ooiuis they heard I wjixfHii- 
 liig, all tl"fkt«l to meet me. They welcomed 
 me ami iarrie<l my baggage to my resideiiee. 
 After mv iiiHtHllaiioii I went with my people 
 to pay triltute to a cross erectefl near by. 
 
 The following day, Oct. 14th. a frame was 
 ereeted, the bell was ble.«»ed and placed in |)o- 
 sition, 40 fe-.t above the ground. I considered 
 it an lionoi- to ring the Hint Ani' -nyself. 
 
 A constcrated bell was heard f(. ..«. ret time 
 in the valley of the Cowlitz hk •" as in the 
 whole extent of tins vast country. Inuigine 
 u log house 30 by -JH feft, having u roof like a 
 wolfs head, no'ceiling, and u door levelled 
 with an axe, and you will have an idea of the 
 place where I spent the winter. It was also 
 my chajiel. They have decided on building 
 another liouse an"d had even dressed the lum- 
 l)er durinjc the pre<«dlng winter, but instead 
 of that they determined to erect, with tlie 
 same kind of lumber, acha|)el <iO feet lonjf, and 
 to Kave 'he same house to the priest until he 
 could ge a l)etter one. The (>)wlitz mission 
 has still liut eight families, Including those of 
 the H. li. <*o., altogether 4() iK-rsons, exclusive 
 of a few Indians who lived with the French, 
 and a greater or smaller number of employit's 
 according to the need Three days in the wwk 
 were set apart for the instruction of the Can- 
 adians' wives and children; the liree others 
 were >;iven to the Indians and to the study of 
 the Cowlitz lauguage which is very dilticull 
 for a beginner. 
 
 Tlie young men and the Indians v ho 'ivc 
 ^•'ith the French, Ijeing unable, on account of 
 their work, to attend during the day, I was 
 obliged to give tliem part of tlie nights. For 
 i; or 2 iDurs I was kept busy teacltiiiir tliem 
 their praytrs, reading the answers at Mass and 
 the way to serve it, also the Plain Chant. 
 
 At midnight Mass, on the festival of (.'hrist- 
 ntas, they were able, by the means of rcj>eated 
 exercises, to honor the birth of our Bavior, by 
 uniting their voices to those of the aii^'els in 
 the (iloria in excdnui. 8«M>n alter tills they could 
 als > help tl;e priest in singing tlie Civcb. The 
 young men of this mis'^ion, as well as all the 
 l)alf-l>reeds in general, who were instructed at 
 F^irt Vancouver, owe to the kind dispositions 
 and devoted cares of Dr. John McLaughlin the 
 knowledge they have of the letter of their cate- 
 chism before the coming of the luissionuriefi; a 
 benefit which is surely not the least amongst 
 t hose the ( ■anadlaii!' received at his hands, and 
 for which they owe him an eternal gratitude. 
 Ex^)erleiice has taught us not to rely too 
 mncli on the first demonstrations of the Indi- 
 ans iiuron the tirst dispositions they manifest. 
 Those of the Cowlitz promised letter success. 
 
 Evtry where we meet the same iib^-tables wliich 
 always recard the conversion of the Indians, 
 namely: iiolygamy, their adherence to the cus- 
 toms of t lieiV aiicestore and, still more, to tinn- 
 anmiK, the name given to the medicines they 
 prepare for the sick. This tamunwan Is geiier- 
 mIIv transmitted In famUies, and even w«)inen 
 can pretend to the honor of making It. If any 
 one Is sick they call In the medicine-man. No 
 ilanger of their asking him what he wants for 
 his trouble; they would l>e afraid of Insulting 
 him. Whatever he asks Is given him without 
 the least objection; otherwise they may fear 
 everything from that doctor, who will not fail 
 to take his revenge for a refusal by sending 
 some misfortune, or some sickness, or even 
 death through his medicines to the one who 
 refused him. be he 50 leagues off. If any one 
 is d< "d. such a one kille<l him; then let him 
 look out on whimi the least suspicion fulls; his 
 life Is in the greatest danger; the least they will 
 do to him will be to kill Ids horses, if they do 
 not kill himself; and to force him to give all 
 that lie has, through fear of death. A serious 
 quarrel took place lately on that acc«>unt. 
 
 Hand play isalso very common amongthem, 
 thty get excited and often end it with a quar- 
 rel. They add idolatry to Infidelity. They 
 paint on a piece of wwid a rough likeness of a 
 human licing and keep It very preciously. 
 They believe these charms haveasuperlor pow- 
 eraiid strength, and they pray tothem. When 
 they have exhausted all the resources of the 
 ^(?w(t;««,s which often makes the evil worse, 
 and the sick man dies, they scarcely allow his 
 eyes to close liefore they are covered with a 
 m-ail bandage; his nostrils aie then filled up 
 with(nA«m,a kind of shell they use for money; 
 he Is clad In his best clothes and wrapped up 
 ill a blanket; four | osts are diivsn into the 
 ground: ill these posts holes are bored, through 
 which sticks are passed, upon which Is placed 
 the canoe destined to receive the corpse jilaced 
 in file with hlsancestors. They place him face 
 downward with his head pointing toward the 
 nmuth of the river. Not a handful of dust Is 
 laid upon him; the canoe Is covered with a 
 great number of in \t8 and all is over. Then 
 they present their <*fterings to the dead. If he 
 •..as a chief or great warrior amongst his men, 
 thev lay by his side his gun, his powder horn 
 ami his bag: valuable otjects, such as wooden 
 plates, axes, kettles, bows, -irrows, skins Ac, 
 are placed upon sticksaround his canoe. Then 
 comes the tribute of tears which the spnuw-s 
 pay to ach other and to their children. Day 
 and night for a month or more, continuous 
 weeping, shouting and wailing may be beard 
 from a great distance. When the canoe gets 
 rotten and falls to the ground, the reinaiusare 
 
Catholic Chlkcu in Okeoon. 
 
 39 
 
 taken out, wrapped up in new blankets tind 
 laid in a new cuiioe. They cling 8o niucli to 
 I Ilia ki'i of huriala that during tlie winter, a 
 huptized child having died witliout my knowl- 
 edge, I could not induce them to take it out of 
 the canoe in order to g^ve it ChriHtian burial. 
 ThiH adheoion to burial rites and (atnanwas^f ill 
 cause the missionariea to bn more pnident in 
 baptizing. We have learned not to trust the 
 repeated promise* they make to us not to liave 
 recourse to tiie tamanwag if the baptized eliild 
 gets sick. You may see that pn>grew baa been 
 verv slow among thera so fur; their customs 
 and hubits are so inveterate tliat it will take a 
 long time tVtr religion and the fear and knowl- 
 edge of Uod to unnN>t and destroy thementire- 
 ly. Polygamy is not as widely spread now as 
 it used to be, but tliere U in Itotti sexes a fear- 
 ful immorality. It is kept up and often taught 
 by the whites who, by their Hcandnlo'.is con- 
 duct and lioundlesB debaucheries., destroy the 
 impressions made by the truths of rellKion. 
 
 This year the ndssion will lend to ihe In- 
 <Uans t<ecd to sow in garden patches, esitecially 
 (teas and potat<x?8. Perhaps they will then try 
 to come out of the miserable state in which 
 t liey are languishing, when they will see that, 
 with a little trouble and latxtr, they can amel- 
 iorate it. Tlie peas and potatoes may make 
 tlieni forget the tierries and the camas. Time 
 prevents me from giving a greater extent to 
 tills sketch. I am Ac, M. Demers, priest. 
 
 (published jcnk 6th 1878.) 
 
 MissioNART Labors in 1840. Missions to 
 
 Vancouver. Nisqually, Whidbt Ii^lano. 
 
 Chinook Point, Bridges and Coi.ville. 
 
 First Cohhumiom at St. Paul 
 
 IM EARIED with a separation of four long 
 \j[ mouths. Rev. M. Demerd left Cowlitz 
 nil Feb. 7th for St. Paul, which he reached on 
 the nth, having had to brave niud aud rain, 
 cold aud snow, aud spent three days iu his 
 journey to Vancouver, where he stopped four 
 (lays, and three other diiys on his way to St. 
 Pn^d. He reuiaiueil but 8 days there, his pres- 
 et jeing much needed iu Vancouver, where 
 he arrived on the 25th, ia order to oppose the 
 efforts minister Daniel Lee was making among 
 the Indians of thj fort ttiuce Jauuary. 
 
 To deny the necessity of baptism is to deny 
 the existence of urigiaal sin ; aud to deny the 
 existence of original siu is to deny the neces- 
 sity of Redemption, and d'>c]are that religion 
 is a fable ; for such are the consequences fol- 
 lowing from the denial of origiual siu : and, 
 alas, such was nevertheless the hcrrible and 
 damnable doctrine ^hich the Methodist min- 
 isters of Willameile preached formerly to the 
 Canadians, saying : *'A child is sAvod and is a 
 king in the kingdom of heaven without bapt- 
 ism ; adults are also saved if their hearts are 
 pof>d," and strange to say, that minister who 
 had failed with his co-iuiuisters to convert his 
 countrymen aud the Canadians, did not leave 
 t he fort before giving, by aspersion, such a sham 
 liaptism to Indians ignoring God, the Holy 
 Trinity, the Incarnation and Redemption, and 
 any prayers ; and who, in reaching the mission 
 at the Dallcji, did the same with ignorant and 
 polygauiist Indians, giving to them bread and 
 wine. 
 
 Rev. M. Demers dividing his time between 
 (lie servants, women and children of the whites, 
 and the Indians, taught them all, and had but 
 little trouble to iiudeccive tl> Vitter, with the 
 help of the (JatkoHc Ladder; nud to bring them 
 hack from the erroneous road of Protestantism. 
 ilis missiiin lasted 36 days, after which he re- 
 turned to Cowlitz on April 5th, having been 
 57 days absent. 
 
 The vicar general having prepared his letter 
 for the express leaving for Canada, left St. 
 Paul on March 16th, aud reached Vancouver 
 on the same day, because of the strong current 
 of the high water; that was the quickest trip 
 ever made. One item of his report to Canada 
 was: from March 1839 to March 1840, were 
 made 204 baptisms, 35 marriages, 14 burials 
 and oue abjuration at St. Paul. Of the bapt- 
 isms, 13 at the Colvilie mission, 71 at Van- 
 couver, 30 at Cowlils, 19 at Nisqually and 11 
 at St. Paul. The vicar general left St. Paul 
 on May 4th on a journey to Cowlitz, in order 
 to deliberate with Rev. M. Demers on the plan 
 of the summer campaign. At Vancouver he 
 had the pleasure to open two cases of books, 
 church ornaments aud other effects, coming 
 from Frauce ; aud on the 9th, the two mission- 
 aries were embracing each other ; but the con- 
 
 Mi 
 
 ■M 
 
40 
 
 Historical S&ktcues or the 
 
 Bola(ioii of meetinn; togetlier did not last long, 
 by reason of the vicar general, being called a- 
 way by letter to visit some person tliat was sick, 
 had to leave on the 14th for Nisqually, where 
 he found Mr. Kitson, the commander of the 
 fort, sick ill his bed. The exercisos of the mis- 
 sioii at this fort commenced without delay, and 
 lasted from the 16th to the 27th of May : the 
 forenoon being devoted to the instruction of the 
 women and children of the Canadians, and the 
 rest of the day to the Indians outside of the fort. 
 Mrs. Kitson being kind enough, as usual, lo act 
 as iutepreter. Mrs. Kitson having taught the 
 Indian women how to make for themselves, 
 robes of dressed deer skins, they appearetl this 
 time, dressed like white women. All were reg- 
 ular at the instructions. In visiting the lodges 
 in the evening, the vicar general was pleased 
 to see the improvements made, in making the 
 sign of the cross, singing Chinook hymns and 
 repeating what they had learned. 
 
 On May 18lh, chief Sahiwamiith arrived 
 with a band of his people. One of them being 
 sick with consumption, was prepared for bapt- 
 ism, wlien one day, his companions moveil by 
 a supcr.«titious fear, carried him away; it took 
 two days to overtake him and bring him back. 
 He was baptized at the age of 40, with a wo- 
 man and 8 children, and afurwards showed 
 much faith and resignation to the will of God. 
 The missionary expected to see, at the mission, 
 three other chiefs, called Talalakuin, Nelhmtu 
 und Wilskolatche; but the murder of a man by 
 a Sockiratnish, having rendered traveling on 
 that bay dangerous, they did not come. The 
 priest was much consoled on seeing the ea<;cr- 
 ness of the Indians to come at the first bell, to 
 listen to the explanation of the Catholic Ladder 
 and words of eternal life, under the shade of 
 a large tree. 
 
 The vicitr general was preparing to close his 
 mission n -d return to Cowlitz, when on ihe 
 '2tJth of May, a cauoe arrived containing six 
 Indians and one woman. They were chief 
 Txlalakums men atid his wife, sent by him, and 
 directed to bring the priest to see him and his 
 tribe, as he was sick and unable to come him- 
 self; and in proof thereof, his wife presented 
 the vicar general with a skin sheath, which 
 was found to contain the square rule (Shale 
 
 stick) he had received on his visit to Cowlitz, 
 in April 1831'. Thanking God for the door 
 opened to him, the vicar general started May 
 27th, in a canoe of his own, lauded at differ- 
 ent places on the bay, to address the words of 
 salvation to the Indians, and arrived the fol- 
 lowing day, the Ascension day, at Tdalakum 
 village, on the western shore of Whidby Island. 
 A battle had taken place on tht . very sauie day 
 between his tribe, the Skekwaminh ..ud the 
 Klalavit of Port Towosend, in which the lat- 
 ter, who were the aggressors, lost two men, be- 
 cause, as Tdalakum said: "these men do not 
 know God, nor pray to Him." He had tried 
 to stop the fight, but in vain. He had been 
 protected by the cross he wore on his neck. 
 All this explained the strange movement of the 
 Indians, runningon the shore and calling" Who 
 are you'r" (qui vive) on seeing the two canoes 
 coasting along the island. 
 
 The priest, in his black gown, was received 
 with the greatest demonstration of joy by Tslaf- 
 aknm and his lril)e. and his baggage seized and 
 carried to the village on the high land, 60 feet 
 above the level of the bay. On Friday, May 
 2yth, an altar was prepared in a repository 
 made with mats ; a rough board was the altar 
 table ; the vestments for Mass and the sacred 
 vessels were exposed ; a Catholic Ladder, six 
 feet by 15 inches, was attached to a mat and 
 hoisted high on a pole, before the eyes of all. 
 "I then began the instruction by making the 
 sign of the cross in Chinook jargon," says the 
 vicar general in his relation to the bishop of 
 Quebec, "and to my great astonishment, all 
 the assembly, men, women and children made 
 the same, pronouncing the words exactly as 
 practical and fervent Christians. I began to 
 sing the first verse of a hymn in Chinook jar- 
 gon, to the air of 'TV vas remplir le vau de ta 
 tendrette' and, behold, to my great wonder, 
 all continued to sing it to the end, with exact 
 precision. I began to sing another one to the 
 tune '•Je mett ma eonfiance,' and to my iucreas- 
 intr in-eat astonishment, they all continued and 
 sang it as well a6 the first one. I admired the 
 SUCTO88 Tdalakum had had in teaching his peo- 
 ple ; I blessed the Lord for the good disposi- 
 tions of the poor ladian. and my joy was so 
 wreat that I shed tears of gratitude. 
 
Catholic Chukch is Okkgon. 
 
 41 
 
 '•I .vats tlien dressed in surplice, wiili a stole, 
 nud be;riiiiiiii<; llie explHiiiition of the ('ntliolic 
 Ladder, when ehief Witska/ritche arrived with 
 ii hand of his tribe from another part of the 
 inland, and came to shake liands; I'U'iei' Nelliim 
 siion came a!:?o with his bands. All the chiefs 
 ^at in front, the rest behind hud on the sides. 
 That was indeed quite a l.".r;^c meeting. I then 
 l»^<;an to dress for Mass^ and to explain the 
 -Mass, the Oreat Prayer of Catholics. On the 
 wiiole assembl}- making the sign of the cross 
 and singing the aforesaid verses of the hymns, 
 I became convinced that Nellam and Wttska- 
 I'llrhe had not done less than Tslalakiim with 
 tlieirtribes. The Ca<Ao/ic Larfrf«»di8tribiited 
 at Nisqually,the preceding year, had been used 
 and explained, utid the singing of hymns prac- 
 ticed. The two hymns were repeated altern- 
 ately during the whole Mass. In admiration 
 of what I heard and saw, I thought I was in 
 heaven, rather than in an In<lian country. 
 Tears of joy fell again from my eyes. An in- 
 finite satisfaction had been offered to God for 
 tlie sins of these poor people. There was hope. 
 
 Other bands of Indians arrived after Mass, 
 and among them a Klalam who spoke in favor 
 iif |)eace. I continued my iusti-uetion till night, 
 and the day ended by prayer, rosary, and the 
 singing of hymns. The body of the Klalam 
 killed in the battle was found and buried by the 
 old men, for the youug men woidd not touch a 
 iorp.«e, fearing that it would shorten their life." 
 
 (PUBLISHED JL'NE UiTII 1878.) 
 
 ^N Saturday, May 30tl., a large number of 
 Indians arrived from various parts of the 
 island, who showed themselves as attentive to 
 the instructions and as recollected at Mass, as 
 the day before. I>esiring to visit the island, 
 1 directed my steps towards the north, passed 
 tliroiiirl" beautiful prairies, forests of lar:re 
 irees, fields of potatoes, cultivated with no 
 •)ti>er iiisirnmeut than a c irved slick, and ar- 
 rived at the house of Nettuin, situated on the 
 •Mstern point of the island. It was a housa 
 luule of logs, 30 ly 20 feet, ceiled, an.l furn- 
 
 ished inside with a lii|)e>iry of mat.*, with an 
 ope ling in the center to let the smoke out. 
 Neilam received me with great attention and 
 showed me the place to sit down on a pile of 
 folded mats. There was no p<ilygamy in this 
 house, as generally practiced by other chiefs. 
 I regretted very much to have no lime to bap- 
 tize and bless this iuleresting couple. After 
 prayer and singing of hymns, I went to the 
 hhore and found 15 lodges of Indians, who ha<l 
 never seen the hlade-fjoum. On seeing me thev 
 cried out, and placing themselves in a line, 
 men, women and children, to the number of 
 over 150, they came to touch my hand, a cer- 
 emony <:f etiquette ; after which they made the 
 sign of the cross, and sang the Chinook jargon 
 hymns, which they had learned, as well as the 
 other tribes. I advised them to come to Mass 
 an<l to bring their children for baptism on the 
 following day. I left them full of joy in order 
 to return to my ten»< where I found a large re- 
 union of Indians, who listened attentively to 
 my instruction, which was protracted late in 
 the evening, notwithstanding a high wind, the 
 noise of the waves and foliage. 
 
 On Simday, May 31sl, Nellam arrived early 
 with his band of Skagits, their women and 
 cliildren. Next appeared at the head of his 
 band, the Snohofuish, accompnniet! by inferior 
 chiefs, M itskalutche, surnamed L" Frun^ais. 
 (The Frenchman) clad in full French costume, 
 trow.-ers, shirt, vest, overcoat garnished with 
 porcupine quills, hat and cravat. Tslalaktim 
 came also with his band of Sokwamish; all 
 placed themselves according to rank, to the 
 nuniber of 400. The exercises of the preced- 
 ing day were repeated with the same spirit 
 and zeal as ou the previous day, before and 
 during holy Mass. My emotion was great at 
 the sight of such a multitude of Indians, so ea- 
 ger for the kingdom of heaven; and at the sing- 
 ing, so pure and so expressive by the many 
 voices, whose accent so natural, seemed to me 
 to surpass in beauty the harmony of the most 
 !'-t.ai!i«d oomposititm.i of music masters ; it was 
 so great that I could not master it. 
 
 The holy Mass being t .r, the dinner of 
 salmon and smoked deer I had ordered, was 
 served ou mats before the chiefs; all were tilled 
 with joy : then followed the great smoking of 
 
42 
 
 Historical Sketches or thk 
 
 the cahiinet of peace and union between the 
 tribes. In the midst of the joyous and noisy 
 chatting, was heard a great crying out ; all 
 rose up and saw a heavy wooden cross 24 feet 
 long in the arms of numerous Indians who were 
 advancing t<»ward8 the spot prepared for it ; 
 it being solemnly blessed and erected, and all 
 following the example of the biackg(yim, went 
 and prostrated themselves and venerated if. 
 Then followed the singing of hymns by this 
 joyous multitude of Indians rendering homage 
 to God and Jesus Christ for the first time. To 
 this moving spectacle succeeded another one, 
 the baptism of the chiUlren. The mothers of 
 the children were placed in two lines, leaving 
 an alley in the center for me to move, and also 
 for the fathers and the children. 1 again ex- 
 plained the fall t f man. the mystery of re- 
 demption, the tuerfictwe of baptism. I required 
 of all a profession of faith and an abjuration ; 
 and all were loudly answering: "Yes. we bj- 
 lieve in God who created all things. Yes, we 
 believe in Jesus Clirist, who came to redeem us. 
 Yes, we believe He has made seven mediciiifs 
 to make ns good. Yes, we believe He has 
 made but one road to go to heaven. Yes, we 
 promise to keep and follow the road of the 
 blackgowii, which is the one Jesus Christ ma 'c 
 Yes, we reject all other roads lately made by 
 men. Yes, we renounce the devil, his thoughts, 
 words and deeds. Yes, we desire to know, 
 love and serve the great Master of all things." 
 Then began the ceremony of solemn bapt- 
 ism, which lasted four hours, during which I 
 baptized 122 children. The heat was very op- 
 pressive; the chiltlren were sc.nred and crying, 
 and soon all retired. 
 
 Mond«v. June 1st, was spent in the ordin- 
 ary instruM ions and exercises. Tuesday, Jiuie 
 2nd. was fixed for my departure, to the great 
 sorrow of the poor Indians; I recommsndeil 
 the chiefs to oiiccnn-age llieir people to follow 
 the road ol liie hlachjown, and urge the con- 
 clusii ' ofpeace before the leaving ot'llie priest. 
 For tli;tt jxirpose Wi'xhnlat-hc wu* depntt'd to 
 the Shrkirainish: and. in changing my route for 
 Nistpnilly. 1 liml the hiippiness to coirribule 
 to the re'coiicilialioii of two tribes. Having 
 •riven my great (Jalholic Ladthr 'o N<ll"iii. ' o 
 oflered to carry me to Xisqn illy in his large 
 
 wooden canoe, which with '2S men, was still 
 light. My canoe was carried over to Ncllnm'f 
 place, and I started on that day. In coasting 
 along he island I saw fort? 18 to 20 feet high, 
 raised by ih" Indians to protect themselves a- 
 gainst the YvgoUah of Fraser River. I visited 
 several tribes, and in one village 125 canie to 
 touch my hand, and were found able to make 
 the sign of the cross, and lo sing the C hinook 
 hymns. I slop| ed Till night at the village of 
 the Ske/cuuniiiili. the Indians wl t Ii.mI !ieen 
 fighting. At this place about 140 came to touch 
 my hand, and made the sign of the cn)ss, and 
 sai.g the hynms equally as veil ns the other 
 tribes. StitahfHihan, their chief, who had vis- 
 ited Father Demers at Cowlitz, had taught 
 ti.em what he had learned himself. On Wed- 
 ncsdiiy, June 8rd. I solemnly baptized '.'♦> chil- 
 dren ; after which took place the meeting for 
 the conclusion of peace, which lasted nenr y 
 four honrs. My address was transmitted by 
 my interpreter to a third one, who delivered 
 it to the chiefs with an astonishing eloquence. 
 After many and hmg harangues, it was cou- 
 «luded that the Skekwantish slundd pay two 
 guns to the Khlam» for the two men killed. 
 Witskii/iitche took the guns and carried them 
 to the Klalnms, who, according to custom, 
 would give something in return. Thus was 
 jieace coix-luded. I then started at 3 p. m., 
 traveled all Thursday, and reached Nisqually 
 on Friday, and found Mr. Kitson b« .r, and 
 started ai 2 p. ni. for Cowlitz, whicli I reached 
 on .Saturday, June. 6th, at 10 p. m The fruits 
 of the mission were : 9 baptisms at Nisqually, 
 218 at Whitby, 6 on the way, total 238. 
 
 (hublishku jcne 20th 1878.) 
 
 1 YANY of the Chinook tribe had already 
 ^yr seen the hlaikgmvn at Fort Vancouver, 
 and hail their childre.i baplizeil ; but they had 
 not yet been visited in their own land. The 
 time having arrived to visit them at home, 
 Rev. M. Demers left Cowlitz on May 19th. 
 Mild arrived at Astoria on the 21.sl. The lon>- 
 expected ship bringing from the East, Jasi u 
 
Catholic Chcrcii in Orkgon. 
 
 -J.'l 
 
 IjM-, with a number of MeilxHlist ministers, 
 their wives Hnil several youii;; ladies had just 
 iTossed the bar; they were to be distributed nil 
 over the country, in opposition tu the Catholic 
 missionaries. On the following day. Rev. M. 
 Demers went on his mission, and fixeii his tent 
 union<! the ChinooKS. He met there Daniel 
 life, till! preacher, who, after a few days left 
 him a clear 8tii<ro, being in a hurry, no doubt, 
 i<> visit the ship in order to have the first choice 
 for a wife among the young misses. As to 
 the Rev. M. Ucmers, with a little bell in one 
 liand, and a Catholic Ladder in the other, he 
 continued his mission for three weeks, instnict- 
 ing the adults, baptizing the children, and do- 
 ing much good. lie returned home much sat- 
 isfied, after an ab.sence of 26 days. He re- 
 mained but two days with the vicar general, 
 having to leave on June loth for Vancouver, 
 ill order to administer to the Brigades going 
 \orth and South, before leaving for the Col- 
 viile mission. 
 
 After Rev. M. Demers had left Cowlitz, the 
 \ icar general remainetl in order to be present 
 lit the erection of the new chapel, measuring 
 2.') by oO feet, wliicli took place on June I7tli; 
 and leaving on the 19th, he reached Vancon- 
 vir on Sunday morning, remained four days 
 with \i\» dear cun/rirv, and arrived at St. Paul 
 .Iiuie 21st, after an absence of 54 days. 
 
 Rev. M. Demers, having given a mission of 
 tcti days at Vancouver, started on June 29lli, 
 witli the Brigade of the Porltnrs, commanded 
 Ity chief Factor Ogden ; he was at the Qrandes 
 Dulles portage on July 5th. at Walla Walla on 
 the 10th, reached the Palonse river safely, 
 half way between Walla Walla and Colville, 
 and arrived at last at the end of his far distant 
 mission, luiving suflf'ered much from the heat 
 of the sun and the want of water for himself 
 and his Imrses. Having coinpleled his mission 
 at Colville he returned by way of Okanagan 
 and Walla Walhi, reaching Vancouver on Oct. 
 •Jnd. jitst three months and six days after he 
 had left it. After a few days of rest, he started 
 for St. Paul, '.vhich ho reached on Oct. 11th. 
 They b')'.h siarieil together for Vancouver on 
 the 17th in ortler to give that place a mission 
 of fourteen days before going to their winter 
 quarte s ; after which the vicar general reached 
 
 the Willamette Oct. 31st, and Rev. M. Demci- 
 reached Cowlitz on the same day, after an ah- 
 .«ence of four months and eighteen days from 
 home. At St. Paul 7 persons were found suf- 
 ficiently prepared to make their first commu- 
 nion in December. It was dnring his mission 
 at Colville that, hearing there was a priest 
 somewhere among the Indians of the Rockv 
 3Iountain8, he announced the fact to the vicar 
 general by a letter which reached him on the 
 30th of August 1840. 
 
 Lkttkr of Rt. Rkv. Joseph RosATt, 
 
 Bishop of St. Lot is, to thk Rt. Rev. 
 
 Father Gh>EHAi.< fiheSoc'IETyofJesuh. 
 
 St. Louis, October 20th, 1839. 
 
 My Rt. Rev. Father. 
 
 Twenty-three years ago, two Fiidis "t of the 
 In^quols mission, left their native country, 
 Canada, with tweuty-two other warriors, and 
 went to settle in a country situated between 
 the R(H>ky Mountains and the Pacific ocean. 
 That country is inhabited by infidel nations, 
 and especially by those the Frencli call TetfK 
 i'hites. They married there and were incorpo- 
 ratttl into the Indian nation. As they were 
 well instructed in the Catholic religion, pn>- 
 fcwwd by tlie Iroquois — converted by the an- 
 cient Fathers < f your Society — they have con- 
 tinued to practice it as much as it was in their 
 power, and have taught it to their wives and 
 children. Tlielr z«al went even further; be- 
 coming arostles, they have sown the first seeds 
 of Catboilcily in the midst of the infidel na- 
 tions among whom tlicy live. These precious 
 jrems l)egin already to' bring forth fruit, for 
 they have caused to spring in the hearts of the 
 Indians the dt sire of having missionaries who 
 would teach them the divine law. 
 
 Eight or nine years ago (about 1880), some 
 of the Flatheaii nation came to St. Louis. The 
 object of their journey wad to ascertain if the 
 religion spoken of with so much praise by the 
 Iroquois warriors was tu reality such as repre- 
 sented, and above all, if the nations that have 
 white skin, (name they give to £urt>pean8) had 
 adopted and practiced it. Soon after their ar- 
 rival in St. Louis, they fell sick, called for a 
 priest and earnestly asaed by signs to be bap- 
 tized. Their request was cii>jcrl}' gnmtcd and 
 they received the ludy baptism with great de- 
 votion; then holdinj^t lie crucifix, they covered 
 it with affectionate kisses and expiretl. 
 
 S line years after (about 1832), the Flathead 
 nation sent again one of the Iroquois to Saint 
 Louis. There he came with two of bis chll- 
 
 ■MM 
 
44 
 
 Historical Skftciiks of thk 
 
 dreii, who were limtnicted und bupHzed Uy the 
 Fathers of the col lege. He asked itdHttionarieM 
 for hJH country men, and utarted with the hope 
 that one <hiy tlie desire of the nation would In? 
 necoinplinhed; but on his Journey he was killed 
 bv tlie Infidel Indianx ot the Sioux nation. 
 
 At last, a third deputation of IndianH ar- 
 rived at !St. LouIh (183t») after a long voyage of 
 three months. It wan composed of two t'hrl»- 
 tian IrcMiuois. These Indians who talk French 
 have editted us hy their truly exemnlnry con- 
 duct, and interested us by their ciincourst-s. 
 The Fathers of the college have heard their 
 t-onfe>*sionH, and to-day tiiey approHclied the 
 holy tableat my Mass in the catlietlrai church. 
 Afterwards ladminiHlered tliem the sacrament 
 of ( 'i>nt1rmation;and in an allocution delivered 
 after tlie ceremony, 1 rejoiced wl.h tluni at 
 their happiness, and gave them the hope lo 
 have soon a priest. 
 
 They will leave to-morrow for their home; a 
 priest 'will follow I hem next Spring. Out of 
 the twenty-four IrtM|Uois who formerly immi- 
 grated from Canada, four only are still living. 
 Not content with planting the F.iith in tlu^^e 
 savage countries, they also defended it agiiiiisl 
 the prejudices of the Protestant ndidsteiis. 
 When t'liese pretended missionaries presented 
 themselves, our good Catholics refused to re- 
 ceive them. "Tlu!^e are not the jn lists we 
 have spoken of to you," they said to the Flat- 
 lieads, "t hey are not the pHests with long hhirk 
 ytmnn, who'have no wives, who say Msihs, an«l 
 carry a crucifix with tliiin," &c. F' r (iod's 
 sake, my Right Rev. Father, forsake not lluir 
 souis. Adept, &v., &(•. 
 
 l{lJo.sKi'H, Bishop of iSI. Lcnis. 
 
 The letter which we publish above from the 
 bishop of St. Louis, JIo., lo the General of the 
 Jesuit Fathers, produced at once the result 
 anticipated. No sooDer had these coura<re«)U8 
 soldiers of the cross learned that there were 
 thousands of soids pining for the presence of 
 the true disciples of God, than they sol to work 
 at once [lerfectiug their plans .so that the bread 
 of life ini^lit be broked to the Indians in the 
 far west. Father Peter John De Sniet was se- 
 lected as the apostle to carry the cross to the 
 Flathead nation, and, after making a few nec- 
 essary prcpaniiiiui?, liu set Oitt in tiie .Npriiig of 
 1840 on his long aud arduous journey. Uf the 
 trials which beset him on his iriji lie lias lell a 
 till! account in h. Sketches of tiie Western 
 M'ssions, which are read, at this lis'aM day. 
 with the same interest that siirrouiided them 
 
 nearly forty years apo. His niicsion lasted 
 two mouths and resuhed in the .onversion ot 
 600 Flatheads, and liiiding the Indians so well 
 disposed to receive the SVord of Life, he re- 
 turned to St. Louis for the purpose of securing 
 additional Fathers, as he saw the \\ork before 
 them was »)ne of great magnitude. 
 
 Father De Sniet accompanied by two other 
 Jesuit Fathers, accordingly returned to the 
 Flatheiid Indians iu 1«41, bringing with them 
 many articles necessary for the establishment 
 of a permanent mission, and in a short time he 
 had the holy satisfaction of beholding the em- 
 blem of Christianity arising over the little 
 church whidi marked the frundation of the 
 Mission of St. Mnry'sof the Rocky Mountains. 
 The causes which led to the presence of 
 Jesuit missiouaries among the Indians of the 
 Rocky Mountains are of such liislorical inter- 
 est that we give them: — A large number if 
 Canadians and Iroquois were employed by the 
 Comjmnies trading among the Indians of the 
 Pacific Coast, as well as liy the various exj e- 
 dilionsly sea and by laud. That ofCapt. limit 
 which started in IHll, had great hardships to 
 endure, and loss of men to sutler hy desertion, 
 in 1H1J>. Of llie number were 24 Iroquois 
 who ji'ined the Flathead nation. Tliey soon 
 married and had families. And as the Can- 
 adians were the tirst apostles among the In- 
 dians of the Pacific Coast, so also were the 24 
 Iroquois among the Flatheads ; speaking t<) 
 them of their religion, churches, priests, and 
 festivals. The Flatheads who were naturally 
 good, were pW-ased. They sent a deputation 
 to St. Louis about 1H30. in order lo ascertain 
 about what the Iroquois related. Soon alter 
 arriving the} took sick, called for the priest, 
 were baptized. and expired kissiug the crucifix. 
 The nation sent another deputation of one Iro- 
 quois, in 1832 ; he arrived safely at Si. Louis, 
 had his children baptized, and was returning 
 home with some hope of soon having priests 
 for his countrymen and adopted nation ; hut 
 he was killed by the .Kionx Imliaiis, A third 
 deputation was sent in IHS'J.calling for priests. 
 This lime the deputation, consisting ni two 
 Iroquois, returning in the fill, started witli the 
 fill hope that some priests would bo sent on 
 the following year; for the Rt. Rev. Bishop 
 
 HP 
 
Catholic Church in Orioon. 
 
 4.) 
 
 RosHti, hnvin); written to the Superior t , jiieral 
 of the Jesuits at Rome, beg^iiijyr him eHrr.e»<ily 
 to take chHrge of that inission, had received a 
 favorable reply, (leiice the appointment of 
 Father I)e 8met, who came in the Spring nf 
 184U,pa()fled two inonth8amou<: the Flatheads, 
 baptized 350, and went home, to return in 
 1841. Sueh is the orij^n of the Flathead mis- 
 sion, and the apostleship of the Iroquois, who, 
 when the pretended niiasionnries, Jason Lee, 
 and others, presented lhemselve.H to the Flat- 
 lieads ill 1884, told them : -'These are not the 
 priests we have spoken to you about. They 
 are not the priests with long black gowns, who 
 have no wives, say Mass and carry a crucitix 
 with them." Rev. M. Demers had at last a 
 correspondence with Father Do Smet, and 
 brought the following letter with him : 
 liKTTKR ov Rev. Fathkk Db 8mkt, H. J., 
 
 TO VKRY RkV. F. N. BI.ANCHCT, V. ti. 
 
 Fork of Jefferson River, Aug. 10th 1S4(). 
 Very Rev. Sir: — The present which I havt- the 
 lioiior to write will surprineyour Reverence, im 
 coiiiinK frimi one unknown, but in quality of a 
 <i>-opeiiiti>r III the Vineyard of the liord*, ami 
 ill II so far remote country, it fwiiiiot be dina- 
 ^ireeiiiile to you. I wish I <»iild have leisure 
 to >;ive your Reverence some detailuof iii.v iiiis- 
 >ion to the Rocky MountainM, but Mr. Bniiite 
 who ii>8o kind as to carry my letter to Fort 
 < 'olville, just ready to start, gives nie but u fi w 
 laiiiuteM to write. Y«>ur Reverence will then 
 learn that Mgr. liusati, UiHliopof 8t. Jiouis, in 
 conceit with my pioviiiclul, superior of the 
 comoaiiy In Missouri, and iiictniipliiince with 
 tlie tn sires often niaiiifeste<l by the TcIch Plalen 
 niid Fend d'OreUles, and a great numU-rof Nez 
 l'erce.1, lias sent me to the Rocky MoiintiiiiiH, 
 to visit these nations. I have found the two 
 tirat in the best desirable dispositions, well re- 
 ■^olved to stand by the true cliildivn of Jesus 
 Clirit-t. The few weeks I hiid the happiness 
 to pai« among tliem, have been the liappiest 
 of my IHe, «"d give nie the linn hope, with 
 the grace of God, to see soon renewed in these 
 countritw, m> long forsaken, the fervor of the 
 tirst Christians. Since I am among them, I 
 <:ive three, four or flvj instructions a day; they 
 cannot be tired; all come to my lodge at the 
 liwt rJiigingof tlieliell; they are anxious t<>!oae 
 1 1 ( >ue t>f my words relat i ng to t hese I nst ructions 
 1.11 heavenly subjects; and, had I the strength 
 iosp<-ak to them, they would willingly listen 
 to me w hole davsii lid nights. I baiitixed alK)ut 
 2tX) of their little children, and ex[iect to bap- 
 tize, in a ',hort time, 15ti adults. 
 
 Tlie ohie<'t of my niif>^ion was to visit agr«\it 
 p;iit « f the Terrili'iy of Oivgoii, mid niukf re- 
 ports to my Bi.«hop mid Siijierior, on the favor- 
 able places to opin iiili-Hiims. But I have found 
 so many g(H>d dis|M»iithina among the Indians 
 of the plains, that I ha\e changed *'.e plan of 
 my journey. I will ret urn to St. Lw.iis before 
 the winter, and will Ite back next apring with 
 a caravan of missionaries, who are ulieady pre- 
 (mring themselves. The Shonhnnrn and Strpentn 
 (Snakes) desire to have an estal>lisliinent; thn 
 fttei^ Plnteg and Fend d^Oreillex have nothing 
 more at heart. The Xfz Perceg wenied to be 
 tired with these self-dublie<i ministeisa femmef, 
 and pluiwa very great pivdilection for Catholic 
 priests. We willtherefore haveenough tooc- 
 rupy ourselves in thesi' mountaii.s without 
 extending any further into the land. I hoiie, 
 tie vert helt'ss, that befure the winter of \hV , I 
 will have the honortopay a visit toyourR* v- 
 ereni-e, in order to have the aid «»f your coun- 
 sels, and work in concert to gain these poor 
 nations to Je^us Christ. Please present my 
 rehjKH'ts to Rev. M. Demers. 
 
 I have the houor to be, &o. 
 
 P. h\ DE BMET, S. J., MlhSIONER. 
 
 (PL'BLISHKD Jl'NE 27tH 1878.) 
 
 MissioMARY Labors in 1841 
 
 AT Vancodver, Falls of the Willamette, 
 
 Clackamas and Cascades. 
 
 fHK two missionaries had been separated 
 nearly four months and a half, since last 
 fall. The place of their reunion was Fort 
 Vancouver. Rev. M. Demeis leaving Cowlitc 
 on March 3rd, reached Vancouver on the 6th, 
 and began at that place a mission of 26 days, 
 with the usual daily exercises, in the morning, 
 afternooD and eveuingr and returned home on 
 April 3rd, the eve of Palm Sunday, aAer an 
 absence of 31 days. 
 
 There were three Indian tribes which had 
 been gained to Methodism for over a year, viz: 
 those of the Clackamas, Willamette Falls and 
 Cascades. The two missioBaries had been too 
 busy to visit them before. A door was opened 
 to them this year in the following manner : A 
 chief of the Clackamas tribe, called Pohpoh, 
 went to St. Panl in Febrnary ; he saw there 
 the orphan boys in charge of the Catholic mis- 
 
46 
 
 Historical Skctchm or the 
 
 »ion, some Indiiin familicft «nd other persons, 
 niiinbering over 15. lie assUled at the daily 
 exercises and explanation of the Catholic hul 
 der. He was a MelhodisJ, and the Corypheiis 
 of the sect, but on lookin-r at the Laddvr and 
 seeing the crooked road of Protestantism made 
 by men in the 16th century, he at once abjured 
 Methodism, to embrace the straijtht road made 
 by JcHUS Christ; and returning home he invited 
 tlie missionary to visit his tribe. 
 
 The vicar general was pleased with the invit- 
 ation. He left St. Paul on March llth, to 
 meet Father Demers at Vancouver, ami he stop- 
 ped on his way at the W'lpiito Luke, which is 
 oidy a few miles below the Clackaujas river, 
 where the Indiausof the Clackamas tribe .v»re 
 assembled to dig the Waputo root, (a kind of 
 potatoe) on the right shore nf the Willamette. 
 He was received by chief /'oh poh. and jrave 
 the tribe a mission of 4 days, with ilio usiml ex- 
 ercises atid theexplanntiouof the Catholif Lnil- 
 der, &c. Mass was celebrated on >S itidny 1 4lh 
 and following days. That great celebration 
 was astonishing to them. AUriDiigli they had 
 been for tv.o years under the teaching of Hro. 
 Perkins, .ill the fall of 1840, and under that 
 of Bro. Waller since then, they listened to the 
 missionary for four days with pl.iisnre. The 
 fruits of the mission were the Imptirim of 11 
 children, and an ndult in diingcr i>f death. It 
 was also the beginninj; of their altaixldnuient 
 of Methodism. He reached Vancouver on ilie 
 15th. On returning from thence, .March 24th, 
 he (mve them two other days, celebrated J'ass 
 onUie-iSth, oaplizedan adult, the wife of chief 
 Wexamits in danger of death on the •26th, and 
 reached St. Paul on Saturday 'iTlh, after an 
 absence of 17 days. Chief Poh poh returned 
 to St. Paul ill April, in order to learn more, 
 and streu.;theu liis faith. He relurued after 
 8 days lieutre with a lAidder, a red flag, bear- 
 ing a cross, to be hoisted on Sunday. He was 
 overjoyed. 
 
 One of the items sent to Quebec, Canada, 
 was: "From March 1840 to March 1841, were 
 I erformed: bnplicms 510 ; marriages 1*2 ; bur- 
 i: Is 11; communions 60 ; one al juration at St. 
 l'«ul. Of the .ilO baptisms 26:i were made by 
 i' vicar general at Nisqiially «i d Vlii.U.y I-- 
 laud; lli4 by Father Demers at Chinook, Ciiw- 
 
 litz and Colville misHons : the rest, \\:\, M 
 Vancouver and St. Paul. Of the 510 baptisms, 
 about 410 were Indians. 100 whites, and 40 
 
 adults." 
 
 The Willamcitc Fall Indian village was on 
 the west bank l»elow the fall; its chief was We- 
 BaviHi. The lime to visit having arrived, the 
 vicar general left St. Paul, after the celcbra- 
 lion of Faster, and arrived there on April 21»tli. 
 On his arrival, he made known to the chief 
 the object of his visit. The prouil chief an- 
 Rweretl: "Hegone! Away, away with you: we 
 don't want yon." Such a rough reception did 
 not discourage the missionary. He soon learn- 
 ed that the chief had been very much oHendcd 
 because il.e Clackamas tribe had been vis^ited 
 before his own. On explanation he bicame 
 calmer, and, at last, secnn-d sntisfi; ■ Then 
 li.gaii a mission of 7 da of hard work ; the 
 n.issionarv being obliged to run every day 
 after ihesc lazy Indians, to bring them ti> liis 
 tent, and assist at the several exercises, 'the 
 h(dy Mass was cchbralod on the IJrd day, a 
 Sunday, and the following days. The sight of 
 the altar, vestments, sacred ves.sels, ami great 
 ceremonies were drawing their attention mucli 
 more than the cold, unavailable and lay service 
 of Bro. Waller. There seemed to be more at- 
 tenticm given to the ringing of the bell, and she 
 mission exercises. The missionary had at last 
 the concolalion to see the poor Indians make 
 the sign of the cro.ss, say the offering of the 
 heart, name the 7 medicines (sacraments), 
 8ing a short pravr before and after meals, and 
 also the ("biiiook hymns. 11 children were 
 baptized, and families out of 10 had been 
 rescued front Bro. Waller. On the 4th day of 
 the mission arrive<l Poh poh with some of his 
 people. He complained very much that when 
 his flag was hoisted on Sunday, Mr. Waller 
 pulled it down, to the great displeasure even of 
 those of his own sect. On aniither day there 
 came some Indians from Clatsop. On seeing 
 the allur, ornaments and vestnient.s, they saitl : 
 "i>lr. Frost is far from showinjru.s such linugs. 
 That same day an Indian reported that Keiin- 
 *»)(.. chief of the Indians beh>\v Vancouver, said 
 to his people: "Fidiow ihe jriest if you like, 
 Vr niv.'>elf. I am too lad, 1 an unable to change. 
 
 1 will die the same. 
 
Catholic Church in Oukook. 
 
 47 
 
 (PCBI.ISHED JULY 4tII 1878.) 
 
 AriiiTiONAL Incidents in 1840. 
 
 ypfllE fiillowin^ iiu'idt'iitH showiiijit tlie dispo- 
 \. siti'iiis of the Indians nre worthy of heiiip; 
 nu'nlioiifjl. A «S'wo/jo»jwA cliiof came to Cow- 
 litz ill the fall, to 8ee tlie |>rie««t Hn<l tell hiin 
 hnt the timber for h Ikmisb of prayer, recoin- 
 Miendud by the hhich-ginon, had been prepared 
 :iiid was retidy for erection. lie caine to have 
 !i priest to direr-t tlie work. He wftii iiiiich dis- 
 a|ipointed in beinj^ obli^red to relurn home a- 
 j.iiie. Ilarki'ly, a chief from Yakima, came 
 down to S' f'jinl in tlie fall, with his family 
 and Homr , i '>eople. Alter three weeks of 
 iiistructioii • ; itnrned home with a pair of 
 lu'ads, a cross some pictures and a Catholic 
 Lndder, and used to explain it to his people on 
 Siiiulays. A chief from ( )kana<:^an sent word 
 i<> St. Paul, asking what to do; that he was 
 ready to come down with his people next spring, 
 if so n'comnieuded. A Priest's Rapids chief, 
 on the Coliunbia, came down to St. Paul in the 
 liiU, with liis wife, three children and a brothor- 
 iu-law. lie passed the winter there, ;rot in- 
 structed, learned his prayers, and was baptized 
 under the name of Joseph, with his family. 
 Father Demers jiave a uiissiiui of nine days to 
 the Okaiuj^ran Indians, on returninjr from Col- 
 ville. On November 20lh, 1840, he blessed 
 and occupied :i new house at Cowlitz. From 
 that date, the lop chapel ceased to be his lodg- 
 ing place. It was made more decent by ceil- 
 ing the sanctuary with mats and orDamcnting 
 the allar table with vases. 
 
 Various Missions in 1841. 
 From his mission at Willamette Falls, the 
 \ icar general went, <m May 6th, to the Clack- 
 iunas irilh*, which he had already visiTed in 
 Marcli at the J I opa'o L:tke. The iisuai ex- 
 ercises were continued at the ringing of the 
 bell for nine days. Bro. Waller came and 
 called hiui an iitruder. His Evuitgelicdl Lad- 
 der was liroiight near the (Jatholic one; the In- 
 dians prououuced themselves in favor of the 
 
 latter ; twelve lodge.s were gained. I'x-in^' ob- 
 liged to return to St. Paul on the loih, Kev. 
 M. Detners, from Vancouver, came tu repiacj; 
 him. He continued the missicui for two weeks, 
 giving some days to the Willamette tribe and 
 the rest to that of the Clackuiuas. It was on 
 that occasion that Wemmun, the Corypheiis 
 of Bro. Waller was gained over. 
 
 From the Clackamas, Rev. Father Deiners 
 returned to Vancouver, to attend the Hrigades 
 of the North and South, after which he went 
 home to teach catechism. And as the Colville 
 mission was being omitted this year, because 
 Father lie Smet being expecteil to conu; down 
 that way. anil it had been resolved that Rev. 
 .M. Deincrs woidd go this year to the Sound, 
 he started on August 11th. went to Nisqually 
 and thence to the bay. He visited many tribes 
 besides those seen by the vicar general; lie tra\ - 
 elled from one nation to another, acconipanied 
 by chief Tsliilnknm and many other great chiefs. 
 His traveling was a triumphal one, surrounded 
 sometimes by COO and at other times by 3,000 
 Indians, who, hostile to each other, were now 
 peaceable in presence of the hUtck-gown. He 
 often pas.«ed whole days in teaching, with a 
 Ijiidder 10 by 2k feet, the.se poor Indians so 
 desirous of heavenly things, and continuing 
 li-«e at night to sing, to pray and hear the har- 
 angues of the chiefs repeating what they had 
 learned. It was a beautiful and consoling spec- 
 tacle to see tribes who had never seen the black- 
 gown, able to bless themselves, sing and pray 
 around the Luddcr, when the priest was giving 
 the hand to new comers. From the bay he// 
 passed to Fort Laugley, on tlie Frastx river.A 
 There were new triiiiuphs among the Cowit- 
 ehans. There ended his mission, and on Sep- 
 tember 24th, he was at home, having made 
 765 baptisms, and beer 44 days absent. 
 
 In the beginning of June, Commodore Wilkes 
 left Vancouver on a visit to the Willamette 
 valley, and took dinner with the vicar general 
 at his residence in St. Paul. He told him that 
 on seeing a eross ou Whidby island, he called 
 it the Cross Island. The vicar general having 
 promised Father Demers that he would visit 
 Cowlitz during his absence, started Aug. 14th, 
 for that place. Ou returning, September Ist 
 he gave a mission of 14 days at Vancouver. 
 
48 
 
 Historical Sketches or the 
 
 It was OH that occasion that commodore Wilkes 
 assisted, with several officers of his staff* and 
 Dr. McLaughlin, at high Mass and vespers on 
 a Sunday. It was a solemn day. The follow- 
 ing Sunday, though the commodore was absent, 
 the ceremony was not less solemn. A house 
 (J2 by 25 feet was raised in March, at St. Paul, 
 to serve as a hal! for the people oa Sunday and 
 a lodging for the priest. 
 
 The next mission to be made was that of the 
 Cascade tribe which had never been visited by 
 the hfack-gown. Tatnnkoon, its chief, had al- 
 ready been a convert since 1831), at tlie sight 
 and explanation of the Catholic Ladder. He 
 had met many times, the assaults and cffcjrls 
 of the Methodist preachers, but all in vain; he 
 remained unmoved. He was glad to see leplete 
 arrive on September I7ili. His tribe num- 
 bered from loO to 200 souls. The daily ex- 
 ercises of Mass, &c., began and were wniiiu- 
 ued for 10 days, and the jioor Indimis, in part, 
 began to sing, to bless themselves and to pray. 
 Tamakoon received a bell and n Ladder to be 
 used on Sunday. He was nbic to speak on it 
 fur several hours; .'54 <hil n were baptized. 
 
 From the Cascado^ the viciir general passed 
 to the Clackamas, on Noveu»ber 80th. That 
 was his third visit it lasted 13 days with the 
 usual exercises. A high cross was blessed and 
 erected on October "id. Bro. Waller, hearing 
 that the Indians were willing to build a chapel, 
 came and made a noise ; all had left him save 
 a few. Eleven cliildren were liMplizcd ; in all 
 41, with 30 beiore. The vinir gcnenil left 
 them on October 12lh for St. Paul. 
 
 Theiicjir general left St. Paul for Cowlitz 
 on Noveuiber 15th. Meeting at Vancouver 
 Sir George Simpson, who desired to visit the 
 ('anadian settlement, he returned home with 
 him. Sir George assisted at high Mass and 
 vesper* nu Sunday, and seemed to have been 
 pleaseil with vvlmt lie litid seen there and at 
 Viiiicouver. He becauie convinced at lastof the 
 necessity of granting passaire for new priests 
 and other assistants. Starting again the vicar 
 general reached (Jowlilz on December Ist: lift 
 it on the 7th; arrived at Vnncouveron the lOth, 
 and at ("lackanias village on the IHth ; went 
 
 tiinr«vHt lhi> font ftf the cross .vitli the Tmli'irw 
 
 • r • ■. - 
 
 uud the chiefs : left them well pleasjd. Ai liiu 
 
 river was much swollen by the heavy and 
 nnnsnal rains, he met great dangers at Rock 
 Island, above the falls. He being on shore to 
 lighten the canoe, the canoe capsized, and eight 
 persons were struggling in the water ; all were 
 saved as by a miracle. The vicar general 
 reached home on December 23d ; but left for 
 Vancouver on the 27th, to attend the funeral 
 services of Mr. Kitson, who having come to 
 Vancouver in 1840, made his abjuration and 
 received holy communion and the other sacra- 
 ments, had died happy. The vicar general 
 retiu-ned home on New Year's eve. 
 
 (published JULY 1 IXH 1878.) 
 
 I^CIDE^TS IN 1841. 
 
 P EV. Father P. J. De Smet, S. J., returned 
 j|_^- to the Rocky Mountains in the spring of 
 1M41, with the Rev. Fathers Meugarini and 
 Point, and founded St. Mary's mission among 
 the Flatheads. The Cowlitz settlement had 
 the happiness to possess the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment in its little chapel from January 6th. 
 Harkely^ the Yakima chief, who visited St. 
 Paul hist fall, arrived at Cowlitz on January 
 25th, with some Indians from Okanagan, and 
 a son of the Spokane <hief, called La grosse 
 Tete, the Coryphens of Bro. Kells. ten in all. 
 They had come by the way of Nisqually, and 
 hence through the long portage. They had 
 been siripiedoftheir blankets and ordered back 
 bytheCluhalis,towliich they refused to accede. 
 The son of />» grosxe Tfte had left his home in 
 spiteof hisfailier tobecomea Catholic. They 
 came to get instructed. They went home via 
 Vancoii* er and the Columbia. The little chief 
 di» Chaudiirei (Cnliille) was an n[>ostle n- 
 niong his people, wiih the Catholic Ladderin 
 his hnnds since the departure of the priest. 
 
 Missionary Labors in 1842. 
 
 The two missionaries met again this year, 
 at Viinco'.ivcr, af^er a separation of 8^ niouihs. 
 Rev. M. Dt-mers came first in three r'ay* of 
 Liai wiatlier, und arrived on February 23rd. 
 
Catholic Chuhcu in Oukqon. 
 
 49 
 
 He begnn a mission of 27 days, with the usual 
 forenoon, afternoon, and evening exercises; 
 rifter wliieb, louvin;; on Monday of Holy Week, 
 ;ind ox|)eri«iicin';.' three other days of very bad 
 wpalher, he reHched home after au absence of 
 '52 days. 
 
 The vicar fr*'neral came later to meet hi? 
 dear companion, and arrived on Tuesday of 
 I'assion Week, March loth; and star.ing on 
 Tiiursday of the, leame week, and experiencing 
 Imd weather also, he reached St. Paul on Sat- 
 urday, the eve <>l' Palm Simday. 
 
 One of the items he sent to Quebec, Canada, 
 was: from March 1841 to March 18-12, were 
 performed ; baptisms, yG5 ; ni'irriaa^es. 1 2 ; bur- 
 ials, 21 ; communions, 115. Of the U65 bap- 
 tisms, 765 were made on Pnget Sound, all lu- 
 "lians. save 15 Whites at Fort Langley, 09 at 
 the Clackamas, Willamette Fall and Cascade 
 ■lission, 70 at Vancouver, 24 at the Cowlitz, 
 and S7 at St. Paul. 
 
 Having given the great festival of Easter and 
 ihrce weeks of the Passover time to the faith- 
 ful of St. Paul, the vicar general pave his first 
 outside missionary labors to his dear Indians 
 uf ilie Willamette Fall. Arriving there on A- 
 |iril 20lh, and notwithstanding the cold recept- 
 i'>ti he received, he began his missionary labors 
 wliicli lie continued for 15 days. The poor In- 
 ilians were very indolent ; the ringing of (he 
 liell drew a few of theni in lb j beginnin;r; ihey 
 lirtd forgollen all they had learned before. 
 Having r.o time to g<» and visit the t'lackuniHS 
 Indians, on the pre.seut occasion, they were in- 
 \ ited t(» couie to the Fall ; several of ihcm 
 came, liy persevering in his efforts he began 
 Id gain tlu'ir confidence, and they became more 
 ^iKentive. lie made 6 baptisms, including 2 
 adults in danger of death. The reason of their 
 apathy was the distraction in wiiicli lliey were 
 involved by the immii>ralii)n of the whiles ; 15 
 laniilies of them had crossed the Clackamas 
 liver durinjr his mission at that place, in Nov. 
 1H4I. And, as the Willamette Fall was au 
 aitnteiive place, many of tlieui began to settle 
 ttuTi'. ileiHx ihediiiigcr for the poor Indians. 
 The fiMiiis of liie mission were not so consol- 
 ing as formerly. 
 
 I)ri Miiv 4.(h. tlm vu'ttr (rcmprul want r»..«n 
 
 the Willamette Fall to Vancouver to receive 8 
 
 cases which had arrived from London ; and 
 from thence returned to St. Paul for the feasts 
 of Pentecost, and Corpus Christi, falling on 
 May 26th. Dr. McLaughlin paying a visit to 
 St. Paul at that time, assisted at high Mass 
 and procession, with much edification; having 
 visited the whole colony, he encouraged the set" 
 tiers to continue and went home much satisfied. 
 
 Arrival of Father De Smet, S.J. 
 
 Rev. M. Demers returned to Vancouver in 
 the middle of May, to attend to the wants of 
 that mission and those of the Brigades of the 
 North and South. He had been there but a 
 few weeks, when Father De Smet arrived at 
 Vancouver from Colville, which he reached in 
 the early Spring. In crossing a rapid below 
 Colville his boat was capsized, but he reached 
 the shore in safety, sufiering only from the loss 
 of his baggage. Re v. M . Demers brought him 
 to St. Paul ; he spent 8 days with the vicar 
 general, sung high Mass on Sunday, addressed 
 words of exhortation to the congregation, and 
 expressed himself much pleased with the sol- 
 emnity of the Mass and vespers services, es- 
 pecially with the singing. Of the Catholic 
 Ladder he said: '"That plan will be adopted by 
 the missions of the whole world." Here he 
 returned to Vancouver with Father Demers ; 
 the vicar general soon rejoined them to deliber- 
 ate on the interests of the great mission of the 
 Pacific Coast. 
 
 The missions to be attended (his year (1842) 
 were those of Chiucok Point, Vancouver, Cas- 
 cades, Clackamas, Willamette Fall, and the 
 Sound, whose tribes were so famished for heav- 
 enly things: witness their running after the 
 hhick-ffown in 1840 and 1841, and their re- 
 peated calls for a priest ever since. The name 
 of another mission was presented to the coun- 
 cil, that of New Caledonia, now British Col- 
 umbia, which was threatened to be visited by 
 the Presbyterians of Walla Walla. 
 
 All things being considered, the resolve was 
 that the New Caledonia mission should l>e at- 
 tended before alt, and that Father De Smet 
 should start for St. Louis and Belgium to bring 
 
 temporal and pin-soual efTicient means. Re\'". 
 
 *• !■» .;.. . I . 1 .1 I 
 
 ui. i^cutoiB av,i.<rpiiii^ iieniiiiy tne lOUg aud 
 
 hard luissioa of New Caledonia, prepared him- 
 
Historical Sketches of tiik 
 
 self for the journey and to winter there. The 
 two missionaries started with the Brigades of 
 the Porfeurs on June 29th, and separated from 
 each otlier at VVaUa Walla. The vicar gen- 
 eral left alone to administer to the wants of the 
 extensive mission, returned soon to St. Paul, to 
 teach catechism for the first communion, which 
 he put off after the harvest for new instruction. 
 
 The Cowlitz mission which had lost its be- 
 loved missionary, needed to be consoled. The 
 vicar general left 8t. Paul on Au^nist 12th, 
 passed a few days at Vancouver and retiched 
 Cowlitz on the 18th. He remaineil there 20 
 days, teaching the white women and children 
 for the first communion. The Indians had 
 al,><o a share of his time. He baptized ten of 
 their children. In the mid.it of his occupation 
 he heard that a woman was sick at Nisquaily, 
 Mild had but a few days to live. Leaving at 4 
 p. m. on Friday with a guide, and traveling a 
 distance of 25 leagues, he readied the house of 
 the jioor sick woman on the following day at 
 (5 p m. : gave her the coiisolatioii.s of religion, 
 Imptized her child, passed the night there, and 
 ive.it to the fort to hear the coufessioim of the 
 men, and starling on Sunday at 4 p. m. he 
 reached Cowlitz on Monday at 6 p. m. The 
 I'hiirch raised on June 17lh 1H40, was not yet 
 finished for want of lumber. 
 
 On leaving Cowlitz, Sept. (Jth. and reaching 
 St. Vi-A on the lOtii, after an ab.ience of ."{O 
 days, he was accompanied by the great .Snoiio- 
 mish chief Sehahipaheu, wjio had foiiglii (he 
 Khtlams in 1810, and came out victorious, 
 .«aid he, by virtue of his beads and Catholic 
 Ladder. He had come to Cowlitz tivice la.st 
 spring, and had accompanied Father Demers to 
 Vancouver in May, expecting he would bring 
 him to the Bay, and when he saw him goiu" 
 elsewhere, ancl was obliged to return home a- 
 lo'ie, he went away with a stricken heart. It 
 wa.s the third time he iiad come to be itislruct- 
 eil and iiaptized. He was much plea.«ed to see 
 the churches and services on fjnndav in Van- 
 couver and St. Paul. On arriving there, the 
 
 vi'.'i'.r geneni! rec'iinwe >d ibc cntechi.^iii for 
 
 the first communion. 
 
 Tiu- ITtii of Scpiemlier wa.'^ a djiy of great 
 r.;;"icii;g for the vic.ir yener.il in rcceiviuL' ami 
 embracing his ilear new confreres, Rims. A. 
 
 Langlois and J. B. Z. Bolduc. arriving from 
 Canada. They had liecn overaycnron ilicir 
 journey : for having left Boston oii Aug. KHh. 
 doubled Cape Horn on Dec. 4th. ami iuikIumI 
 at Valparaiso, Gambier Islands, Tiihiii and 
 Honolulu, they crossed the Columbia river iuir 
 (Ui Sept. 12lh. When the bi.shop of (Quebec 
 was refused a piis.sage in the canoes of the 
 Hudson Bay Ci uipatiy for ollu ■ priests for 
 Oregon, lie sent them by sea. Sir (ieo. Simp- 
 son avowed to the vicar general in 1«41. tlint 
 Mr. Beaver, the ex-chaplain, was the cause of 
 the refusal. The fidlowing Sundiiy, a hii;li 
 Mass Wi;s celebrated with deacon and siib- 
 deacon. fur the first time in Uregon, and fol- 
 h>wed by tiie Te Dtim. On Sunday St'iil. ,SOlli. 
 took place, with great solemnity, the first c(mi- 
 munidii of those prepare<l. 
 
 The faithful at Vancover were complaining 
 of not being well attended ; time was Wiinlini; 
 to the missionaries. Now that their iiiinib( r 
 was increased, they would have a betu r si, me 
 Therefire the viciir general leaving St I'mil 
 in charge of Father Bolduc, started wiili Fr. 
 Langlois and reached the mission on Oct. 7iii. 
 The instruction of the ladies of the fort wiis 
 given to Fr. Langlois ; the vicar general kept 
 for himself that of the women and children of 
 the village. After three weeks of daily leach- 
 ing, seven ladies of the fort and two women of 
 the \ illage were found able to make their first 
 communion, which look place on Sunday Oct. 
 30lli,f(irthe first 'ime in Vancouver, with grcnt 
 solemnity be*' 
 being dour ■ 
 Paul, iind \ 
 those niissii i 
 at Fori Van* • 
 
 attended the mission at Vancouver, foUowed 
 Father Bolduc, who completed his instruction 
 and baptized him. 
 
 large congregation. This 
 
 I Langlois was sent to St. 
 
 .<d<luc to Cowlitz, to attend 
 
 e vicar general remaining 
 
 ver. Chief Selialajxtlifn who 
 
 (PCBLISHKU JL'L*^ iHtll 1878.) 
 
 IJX H K Cascades and Clackamas tribes had not 
 
 I been visited for ovpr nii<> vi>i>r Tl,,,.. 1,..,| 
 
 lieen exposed all the while to the seduction of 
 
Catholic Chukch in Oregon. 
 
 51 
 
 I.e prenchers telling ihoni: "The priests have 
 orsaken you." They did uot need l'^ months 
 u> forget what they had learned in a fev weeks. 
 iNeverthdcss, their visiting the hlack-gown 
 roni time to time was a proof of their lovin" 
 l"'n still. As to the Clackamas, it was \,». 
 possible to pay them a visit. The Cascade I.i- 
 «l!aus had a better chance, as their movio- 
 yearly, m October, on the left shore of the Co" 
 l;i!»bia, nearly opposite Vancouver, broii-rht 
 them near to the priest. Therefore the vicar 
 general divi.ling his time between the women 
 <.f the village and those Indians, gave the for- 
 mer the forenoon, and the latter the afternoon 
 for several weeks. This met with many dif- 
 hcnities, such as the crossing of the river, the 
 .livision of the tribe into two camps, afar from 
 each other and the ice of the upper Columbia 
 covering the river. Nevertheless he had the 
 consolation of m. .ing 15 baptisms. Another 
 great consolation he met on Nov. ISlh. was 
 iliat of receiving the profession of faith of 
 governor McLaughlin to (he Catholic faith, as 
 ivlal6d elsewhere. He made his first commii- 
 inon at midnight high Mass, at the head of 38 
 c'.inmiiiucants. The office bad never been so 
 M.lemu as to chant, music and decoration, as on 
 < Iiat night. The nnmber of first communions 
 nm<le in the Fall was : 13 at Vanco"vcr, 7 at 
 St. Paul and 4 at Cowlitz. Thus ended 1842 
 
 Missionary Labors in 1843. 
 After a residence of three months and a half 
 the vicar general left Vancouver for St Paul' 
 on Jan. 18th, 1843. When »„ his way he 
 stopped to get a paddle, he also baptized a dy- 
 Hig child. Father Langlois, availing himself 
 of the presence of the vicar general, started on 
 Jan. 30tli for Cowlitz, to see his traveiin-' com- 
 F.amon. He was three weeks on his journey 
 On retnni.ng he met a heavy rain, and the 
 liigh flood of Feb. 13fh, which exposed iiim to 
 irreat suffering and dangers. 
 
 Chief P'actor Do.iglas, being on his way to 
 tiMiDd VictoriH, on the south end of Vancouver 
 r.lau.i. siMiied with an expedition of 22 men 
 ind invitp.l Fnlher Bolduc to accompany him' 
 I laving the conseiit_of ihe vicar general he left 
 • >'.v.!!z :::: .M:;r;:!i "ili, nlih i he expedition for 
 N Ls-iually, where iho steamer Benver was wait- 
 
 ing. Leaving on the 13tli, she reached her 
 destination on the 14lh. where Father BoMuc 
 met a large number of Indians. On Sunday 
 the 19th, he celebrated Mass in a repository, 
 before ihe men and over 1200 Indians, and 
 baptized 102 children. And giving up his de- 
 sign of going farther north, he bought a lar^e 
 canoe crossed the bay in two days, reached 
 Whidby on the 2oih, and fixed his tent near 
 the cross erected in 1840. The Skaml, and 
 other tribes received him with open arms. 
 I hey built him a honse 28 by 25 feet He 
 faught them during 8 days, baptized 173 chil- 
 dren, and leaving on April 3rd, he got home 
 on the 6ih, after an absence of 31 days In 
 sending his report he begged to be allowed to 
 go and found that mission. 
 
 The vicar general left St. Paul for Vancou- 
 ver on Ma nh 13ih, and bought a lot for «225 
 al \\ illamette Fall to build a chapel for the 
 Indians. One of the items sent to Canada 
 was: from March 1842 to March 1843, were 
 
 l^efJl^ *"• P*'"'"*' ^^ "'arriages, 26 burials. 
 Ut 688 baptisms, 447 were made in New Cal- 
 edonia, 98 at St. Paul, 86 at Vancouver, and 
 o7 at Cowlitz. By a recapitulation from 1838 
 were made 2,C66 baptisms, 148 marriages, 86 
 bur^ls. 1 he vicar general left Vanconve" for 
 A • "«"' ''"""g Passion week and returned on 
 April 18th, the eve of Palm Sunday. 
 
 Rev. Fr. Demers was not expected to have 
 any chance to come back before the return of ^ 
 the Brigade of the North. It was therefore 
 with Ihe greatest surprise that on entering his 
 room, on Holy Thursday evening, April 13th 
 the vicar general met him there. Sweet and / 
 moving was the embrace after a separation of, 
 nearly nine m.mths and a half. Leaving Van-/ 
 con ver June 29th, 1842, he reached Ft. Thomp] 
 8..U Aug. 10th, Fort Alexander, on the Fraseii 
 River, Aug. 23rd. Fort Stuart, on Stuart Lake ' 
 300 leagues from Vancouver, the residence o| 
 Chief Factor Ogden, the commander of tha 
 Brigade, on Sept, 1 6th. He celebrated a hieW 
 Mass there on the 18th. Returning home, h^ 
 reached I-ort Alexander, September 24th, had' 
 a chapel built by the Indians, celebrated Mass \ 
 in It Deo. 4th, and took his Ind.rjna^ jq jt q^ \ 
 Jan 3rd, 1843. He learned two languages, 1 
 translated the hymns and prayers in their 
 
62 
 
 Historical Sketche* or thk 
 
 idioms, and taught them to the Indinns : and 
 left them able to pray, sing, and explain the 
 Catholic Ladder. Hard was their separation. 
 Availing himself of the invitation of Chief 
 Factor Ogden, he started with him on horse 
 back, in three or four feet of snow, on Feb. 
 21 St, from Fort Alexander; reached Fort 
 Thompson March Ist, passed 13 days at O- 
 kanagan, starving, and waiting for a boat; 
 came hence on horseback along the Columbia 
 to Snake River ; hence by boat to Walla Walla 
 and Vancouver, 44 days from Fort Thompson. 
 In going and coming he had encountered many 
 trials, dangers and fatigues, sometimes ex- 
 treme. The vicar general preached on Good 
 Friday, and Father Denier^ ou Kaster Suudav, 
 April 16th. "^ 
 
 Father Boldnc, arriving from Cowlitz on 
 April lyth, left for St. Paul with Fr. Demers, 
 wl o preached there on Sunday, the "iard, and 
 re urning to Vancouver, they both started for 
 Cowlitz on April "iTth, to prepare tliemst'Kes 
 for the mission of Whidby. On May lOih, 
 they were on their way to Nisqnally with 2 men 
 Hud 11 horses, 7 of them with packages; they 
 reached Whidby on May 25tli, 1843. 
 
 Father Langlois being put in charge of Cow- 
 liiz, Vancouver, Cascades, Willamette Fall, 
 and Clackamas Indians; left St. Paul May 
 1 7th, for his post. He succeeilL-d to UuiMli his 
 church erected in Cowliti in 1840 ; and be^raii 
 to celebrate Mas-s in it on Pentecost Sun(r«y, 
 June 4th, 1843. He visited several time* ll.e 
 Indians of the mountains, living ou the route 
 to Nisqually. From Cowlitz he came to Van- 
 couver in the ' j.'ini.ing of June to attend the 
 Brigades of the North and South. He went to 
 the Cascades in thebt'jrinningof July,aud gave 
 a mission of 8 days to the Indians of that pTace. 
 Pa.«sing hence to tlie Willamette Fall and the 
 Clackamas tribes, he spent !»everal weeks a- 
 mong them. The plat .surveyed in Dec. 1842, 
 at the Fitil had been called Oregon (Jitv; it was 
 
 jrrowinir rapidly, to no benefit to theClack.imas 
 and Willamelle Full Indians. Hence ihe little 
 witece.is "ilFiilhcr Ijii'i^iois, who cons>>! \ liim- 
 s"it' by the hope of thi; conversion rt \VnUi-v 
 Poniero-.-. ii (lioiiHr ,Mr,)( .hit. nli>) built tlu 
 
 C.ltllCllr.ll of ( )f I,;.!!! f'ilv in I x I "> 
 
 On reaching the (Jlatkamas Indian villa^'e, 
 
 Father Langlois found that the cross eroded in 
 1841 had disappeared. It had beeti cut down 
 by order of the Methodist preacher Waller, to 
 the great sorrow of the Indians. Yes. the 
 cross which shows the excess of the love of tl.«? 
 Son of God for man — the cross by w liich Jesus 
 Christ, our Blessed Redeemer, redeemed ti.e 
 world — the cross made known from those of 
 the two thieves by a mira —the cross shown 
 to Constantine, in the sky, with the words: "7m 
 hoc sigrto vivces" — the cross which couverted 
 the whole world from paganism, and which is 
 a terror to the devils — the cross, whose sign 
 shall appear on the last day : that cross is a 
 scandal to the Mi-thodist minister Waller ; he 
 has it in horror, as the devils, he caimot bear 
 the sight of it; he ordcn ,1 it to be cut down, 
 and pretended to teach the poor Indians Chn'gt 
 
 crvrified, without showing them a cross ! ! ! 
 
 Great God ! What subversion of ideas and 
 judgment in the sect! What destruction cf 
 saving doctrine! What turning upside down 
 of ♦•ommon good sense and true religion rathe/ 
 nnfortunafely too well typified by the turning 
 upside down of a table adorning the short bcU 
 fry, (short faith) of the Methodist churches! 
 
 The vicar general in going to St. Paul to 
 fake the place of Father Langlois, taught cate- 
 chi.sm from May 1st to July 2l8t, on which day 
 18 persons made their first communion. Kx- 
 treniciy great was the surprise of the vicar 
 genernl when at the end of June, he saw Fr. 
 Demers arriving at St. P.iul from Whidby, 
 which he had left with Father Hoiduc af^er one 
 monih of residi-nce. That step had not been 
 taken rashly, but on the most weighty reasons, 
 which the vicar L'eneral approved, and which 
 it would be too long to explain here. Never- 
 theless Father Kolduc was onlered to go and 
 puss the sinnmer with diief Tghihihim in order 
 to learn the idiom. Bnt the rumors of war 
 induced iiini to retuni from Nisqually. The 
 plan of the Whidby mission being postponed 
 till the arrival of Father De Suiet. in its stead 
 was aopoimced the opening of a school at St. 
 Paid in ilie fall. A setrond catechism class, 
 begun by the vicar g-neral ai St. Paul after 
 the hiirvest, was continued by Fr. Langlois, 
 «ii.i Oil Octobei' 19th, reueived 19 persons t<j 
 iliuir first communions. 
 
Catholic Chlkcii in Orkgom. 
 
 58 
 
 Tlie news fame in Oclober tliHt two other 
 Jc?iiit Falhers, De Vos and Hockeus, sent from 
 yi. Louis hy Fr. 13e Sinef. had arrived for tlio 
 thiihend nnd Coeur d'Aleiie missioiiK; they 
 hn<l come with h caravan of 700 touIs. Dr. 
 MeLanjihlin, on a second visit to St. Puul, in 
 October, approached the holy table on a Sun- 
 day at tlie head of a number of the faithful. 
 Ou his return to Oregon City, the vicar gen- 
 eral accompanied iiim and chose a block' for 
 the church. A few weeks after, Walter Pom- 
 roy, whose wife was Irish, came to St. Paul, 
 made his profession of faiih. had his marriage 
 •ilessed, his children baptized, and returned 
 happy to the Twalatiu Plains. 
 
 The nth of October was a day of great re- 
 joicing at St. Paul, on account of the solemn 
 blessing of St. Joseph's colh-ge, after Mass 
 chanted by the vicar general before a large 
 congregation. On that day, there entered as 
 boarders, 30 boys, sons of the farmers, save 
 one Indian boy, the son of a chief. Father 
 Langlois was the director ; Mr. King principal 
 find teacher of English, and Mr. Bilodeau, as- 
 si.stant, and teacher of French. Several rods 
 east of the college was seen, in way of erection, 
 .1 building 60 by 30 ft., for the Sisters expected 
 to arrive with Father De Smef. Faithful to 
 his pn)ini8e of sending assistants, nmdc in 
 1842, Sir George Simpson granted a passi.ge 
 in the canoe of the Hudson Bay Compdny, to 
 five men and two women, who arrived with the 
 Brig.ide ou Nov. 28th. Father Deiners, after 
 attending Cowlitz with Father Bolduc. left it 
 to come and remain in Vancouver, which he 
 Itift ill the begiuuing of December to reiMrn to 
 Cfiwlitz. and the vicar gdueral, leaving Father 
 Langlois in charge of St. Paul, reached Van- 
 iouver Dec. gist, to give the f lithful of that 
 place the festivals of midnight Mass, Christ- 
 mas anil New Year. It was during this year 
 il.iil Hon. Peter II. Burnett, (afterwards .^ov- 
 <>nior of California) while attending Mass on 
 Christmas eve, merely as a spectator, was so 
 iii>v«,i l»v the »oleinuitynf tho service that he 
 bocaini! a most zealous convert to the Catholic 
 Church. Tims ende«l 1813. 
 
 Erection of the Oregon Mission into a 
 Vicariate Apostolic, December Ist, 1843. 
 
 Whilst the missionaries of Oregon were do- 
 ing their best to promote the spiritual interest 
 of the mission confided to their care, the bish- 
 ops of Quebec and Baltimore, looking further 
 and to a greater solid good, and acting in con- 
 cert, earnestly recommended the Holy See to 
 erect their mission into a Vicariate Apostolic. 
 1 lie Holy See acquiescing to their desires 
 erected said mission a Vicariate Apostolic by a 
 brief of Dec. 1st, 1848, and appointed the vi- 
 car general F. N. Blanchet its vicar apostolic 
 with the title of Philadelphia. The vicargen- 
 eral was far from expecting such a result so 
 soon, the notice of which reached him only on 
 ^GvoInber 4lh, 1844, to his great surprise and 
 sorrow. 
 
 8SSTO8 xxsir. 
 
 (published JULY 25th 1878.) 
 Missionary Labors in 1844. 
 
 •sa? 
 
 N January 1844, at Vancouver, the vicar 
 general baptized 10 adults and blessed 8 
 marriaget' after one month of instruction. As 
 the town called Oregon City in 1844 contained 
 60 houses and tvo Catholic families, and had 
 a good prospect of increasing, the vicar general 
 ihought u was time to provide it with a mis- 
 sionary And as the rif:ht man was Father 
 Demers, who was at Cowlitz, the vicar general 
 left V«u«.uver on Feb. 19ih, for that mission, 
 whicli he had not visited for a year and a half 
 On bis way he visited several Indian lodges 
 baptized two children, one of whom was very 
 sick, .listnbuted biscuits to those who had been 
 baptized before, and thereby made them and 
 their parents happy. The vicar general and 
 *ather Demers left Cowlitz on the 26th, and 
 arrived at Oregon City on the first of March 
 after a painful journey of five days. Father 
 Demers ou his arrival took possession of a 
 house, rented from Dr. Newell at • 10 a month 
 
 and the vicar ueueral retiirnpH to Vftn ^ 
 
 on the followirg dajr. Father DemenThad ^rw 
 rived at Oregon City, under strange circum- 
 
54 
 
 Hi8Tcr>icAL Skktches or thk 
 
 stances; Bro. WhIIcf having kit ill cr""t 
 amoug his countrymen had left ior ^prt3 in- 
 known. March JJrd, being Sumlay. !. ; held 
 services before and after noon, and feloomtcl 
 the first Mass ever said in the city; the chapel 
 was found too small for the occasion. 
 
 There was a fight at Oregon City on Mon- 
 day, March 4th, between some Indians of the 
 .Molalle river and some Americans, in which 1 
 Indian was killed and 2 Americans wounded. 
 They were both sent to Vancouver for trcat- 
 nu'iit, and both died ; G. W. Le Breton, on the 
 7th, and theolheron the 16th. Le Breton had 
 become a Catholic at St. Paul, in 1842, but 
 seeing he could not get the girl he expected, 
 he withdrew gradually from the Churdi and 
 apostatized. During his short sickness, I lie 
 vicar general visited liiiu often, and used all his 
 zeal to bring him back to repentance, but all 
 in vain ; he die<l a Protestant, and was l)uried 
 by chief Factor Douglas. The tight was an 
 unfortunate and ilisgraceful affair, brought on 
 by the indiserelioii of two wliite men. 
 
 The vicar general left Vancouver fbrOrogon 
 City and St. Paul on Marcli 28th. Having 
 settled some business for St. Joseph's college, 
 and the mission claim, which was snrveyeil by 
 Jesse Ai)plegate, ami retnrjiing, reached Van- 
 <!ouver on April 3rd. April .")'li bein^ Good 
 Friday, chief Fai-tor IJ.iuglas assisted at tlie 
 oflice and came down to the adoraiioirof ,lie 
 cross with governor McL'uighlin. On retnr.i- 
 ing to Cowlitz the vicar general baptize<l 7 In- 
 dian children on the (!ulun>l)ia and 3 on the 
 Cowlit/, rivers ; and gathering those formerly 
 baptized, he gave them biscuits. He found 
 Fa'her Bohlnc in good health. Some business 
 havinj; been iilteiided to, he returned to Van- 
 couviT on the 24tli. Leaving on the27ili for 
 St. Paul he saui: higli Mass at Oregon City on 
 Sunday the 28tli. reaching St. Paul ou the fol- 
 lowing Tuesday with Father Deiners, who after 
 visiting togetlicr the mission saw and grist 
 mills and tlie Sisters house in course of erec- 
 tion, returned home, while the vicar general re- 
 mained till June 30tli. on business. Oil ,^(av 
 13ih he blessed and erecte 1 a hiich cross on the 
 spot chjsen tor the new ehnrch to be biiilt in 
 
 iw(r r>.> Qii.,.1.... I.I.,,, 'til, ii, .>„,.,.„.,...;,,., „(• 
 - • -• " •• • .,,,...,.....,,,,,. 
 
 liic Jilessed Sacrament took plm'c at St. P.iul. 
 
 which was made very solemn by the college 
 pupils singing and performing figures before 
 he Blessed Sacrament, during the proccxsion. 
 Father Demers went on June 10th to attend to 
 the Brigades in Vancouver, which the viciir 
 general reached on June 22ud after an absence 
 of ."JS days. 
 
 (^n July 12th, the vicar general left Vancou- 
 ver for Cowli'z and arrived on Snndav. 1 lib. 
 He said a low Mass. On his return he met 
 in the Columbia river the Knglish frigate Ln 
 Modenle. Caf)t. Baily. The captain being d... 
 siroiis of visiting the Willamette valley left 
 Vancouver with the vicar general, chief Factor 
 Dongl.is and several officers of his stafffor St. 
 Pani. They all attended high Mass cm Sun- 
 day, July 2l8t, and seemed to be very much 
 pleased to see such a service. They lodged at 
 the college, where there had been, on J iily 1 8th. 
 an examination of the pupils before a large ns- 
 Fcmblage, with great '-redit to the teacher's and 
 .scholars. Leaving on Monday on a tour to the 
 upper valley, Vr. Deiners accompanied them. 
 Father Lan<rlois left St. Paul to pay a visit to 
 the Jesuit Fathers of the Rocky M. .inlains on 
 July 28ih. He returned on Sept. 6th. much 
 worn out by a journey of 42 days on horseback. 
 His feet were much swidlen for a time. He 
 returned with Father Mengarini on heiring of 
 the arrival (»f Fr. I)e Sniet by ,sea. Fathers 
 Josct. Zerbinaiti and Soderini, three new Jes- 
 uits, were sent from St. Louis to the Ilocky 
 Mountains this year. 
 
 AiiurvAi, OK Father 1)k Smet by Sea. 
 
 'I'he long expected return of Rev. Fatlier I)e 
 Smet came at hist. Leaving Antwerp. Bel- 
 gium, on .lannary 9th, 1814, in a sailing ves- 
 sel called L' Infill i(jiil>le, he met with <ireat dan- 
 gers at Cape Horn, touched at Valpaniiso and 
 Callao, spent four d.iys outside the Coltmd)ia 
 b ir waitinj: for a pilot, pas.sed the bar on July 
 Hist, runniiij: stiaight east throiiLdi the smith 
 channel, sinuelliing never al tempted before, 
 came to a pass of 21 fathoms "f water, .-irid ar- 
 rived at .\storia in ilie evening. All who saw 
 the course of the ship ijioiighi tliiit she would 
 be AMeekcd, the caiJtaiii and | assct)!r,.|-s C-ar- 
 
 • i.iivi i^-i. L.'iin-i iirineitat Van- 
 
 coiiver in a canoe on Sunday the 4i!i, u\ (J a, m. 
 
Catholic Church in Oregon. 
 
 15 
 
 the ship arriving m 6. Father De Sinet was 
 iici;oinpauio<l by fdiir new Fathers ; Rev. Fath- 
 ers Ravalli, Accolti, Nohili and Vercniiase ; 
 some hiy hmthers and six Sisters of Notre 
 Dame ofNamiir. 
 
 The news of his arrival reaching the vicar 
 general at St, Paul on the lOlli. he was at Van- 
 ooriver the next day, aud ihe religious carax an 
 reached St. Hani on Ihe 17th, and t mk up their 
 quarters in the college. On ?und ly the 18lh, 
 the vicar general sang high Mass hcfore an af- 
 fluence of people anxious to see the Sisters and 
 the new Fathers. {)o the followin,' Thursday 
 was sung a Mass of thanksgiving. Father l)e 
 Sinet took a land claim on LHke Ign.ttius, and 
 had in a few months a house hnilt on the high 
 land near the lake,for there8iden«'eof his Patli- 
 ers. Father De Sniet started on 0<-t. Cih for 
 the llocky Mountains ; from whence Father De 
 Vos arrived at St. Paul on the I.Slli, on Imrse- 
 biick, bringing with hiin two lay bDthers. The 
 Sisters entered into their convent on Oct. 1 9th, 
 and had a Mass celebrated in the inferior chap- 
 el the next day; Fathers De Vos and Accolti 
 filtered their new house called St. Ignatius. 
 
 On November 4th two Briefs arrived, dated 
 llmic, Dec. 1st, 1843 ; one erecting the mis- 
 sion of Oregon into a Vicariate Apostolic, and 
 '•le other appointing the vicar general. F. N. 
 Hlanchel, to the position, with the title of /»A»7- 
 'idelpliia, which, on representation to Rome 
 from Quebec, was changed into that of Drata, 
 on May 7tli 1844. The addres.ses of his let- 
 ters from Canada betraying his case, felicita- 
 tions were tendered to the vicar general, but 
 he refused them for sevenil days. U is consul- 
 tation being answereil. it was u^ieless to refuse, 
 so he gave his consent on the 8th. aud made a 
 resoh'.tion to go to Canada to receive his epis- 
 copal consecration from the archbishop of 
 Quebec, and hence to go and visit Rome. 
 
 Father Demers was appointed vicar genera! 
 and adniiiiistraiur of die vicariate apostolic du- 
 ring the absence of the bishop elect, by letters 
 '>f Nov. 2'>tli. A inHiifl.'tfe was issued, and ou 
 Dec. 5th I8H. the bishop elect crossed the bar 
 on board the bark Columhiu, Capt. Dincan, en 
 route for Canada, via England. Th; Belgian 
 imrk L'In/atigatiie. was detained by contrary 
 winds until the fullowin; day. 
 
 (PtBMSHEt> AIGC8T IST 1878.) 
 
 Fight at Oregon City, March 4th 1844. 
 
 Extract fb' the Missionary Rkport ok thb 
 
 Vicar Gem .ial in 1844, on thb Occasion. 
 
 '^»'|?|7K arrived from Cowlitz to the Willa- 
 ** 'n«'«*e f«H on March 2nd, after a pain- 
 ful journey of 5 days. After having installed 
 the pasior of Oregon City into his house I re- 
 t'lrned to Vancouver. I soon learned what a 
 crowd assisted at Ihe Ma.«8 and Vespers of the 
 first Stinday, March 3rd. The evil one did not 
 allow the missionary to enjoy long this fine 
 oufhet, for the following day human blood be- 
 gun to stream in a fight in which an Indian in- 
 .stantly succumbed and two Americans were 
 woimded. Alas ! what a misfortune ! What 
 shall be the consequences ? And for wiiat that 
 broil ? For false reports. One Klickatat In- 
 dian had been killed, he, his tvi ^ wives and a 
 baptized child, on the upper Clackamas river. 
 Some one falsely accused the chief of the Mo- 
 liillc river Indians of the crime. A most cer- 
 tain repf»rl, even among the Indians, was that 
 the massacre had been committed by 2 slaves 
 whom their master had maltreated too much, 
 and who had been seen relurnirig to their land 
 with the booty of their master. Dr. White who 
 gave credit to the first report, had promised a 
 reward of $100 for the apprehension of said 
 chief, living or dead. The chief of the MolaJIe 
 did not ignore what had happened. Conscious 
 of his innocence, but well armed, he had come 
 to the town accompanied by four men. He 
 crossed over to the Indian side. During that 
 time there came the question to apprehend him. 
 Dr, McLaughlin's store clerk remarked: 'That 
 Indian is a good man. you should not molest 
 him : if yon do, you will repent !' No matter 
 the Dr.'s secretary (Le Breton) and a mulatto 
 persisted and. on liis return, asked him to sur- 
 render. He refuses; ihey insist; he defends him- 
 self; Ihe rnvsUtto is ordered to shoot, the shot 
 sta' the Indian is wounded; he rushes on hi* 
 asfgiessors, w iio rnn away. He was nearlv 
 overtaking the secretary, who, turning, seized 
 the miiizle of the pistol with his right br.ud 
 
5e 
 
 Historical Sketcuks of the 
 
 the shot starts, enters and passes throu^^h liis 
 arm ; the liidiiin staggers hikI falls, and the mu- 
 latto finishes him with the butt end of his gun. 
 The four other 1 iidians begin to shoot with guns 
 and arrows; Ainerienns come at the noise and 
 return fire, but without catching them, and 
 having two men wounded. The first, Le Bre- 
 ton, died in three days. There were found 
 two balls in his elbow and the wad further. 
 The second died 12 days after frotn the shot of 
 an arrow in the left arm. The Hhaft had been 
 immediately drawn away, but the iron remain- 
 ed, which could not be extracted butafter death. 
 Both died in dreadful sufif'eriugs. It is prob- 
 able that they were poisoned. The last was 
 but a spectator; the greater pari of the Amer- 
 icans did not know what was the matter. 
 
 Letter of Rev. M. Demers to the 
 
 Vicar General. 
 
 Oregon City, Mnrtli 6th, 1844. 
 Very Rev. Sir : — I did not suffi-r myself to 
 be intimidated by the affray of the other day. 
 I heard the mr.sket shots closely succeeding, 
 but I made light of them, till I saw men run- 
 ning backward and forward in the ^Ireots, load- 
 ing their pistols and carbines. 1 asked what 
 it was? "An Indian fight," was the answer. 
 Le Breton has r< ^ived two arrows, one in the 
 arm and the othci in the thi^'h, I think. There 
 was such a confusion tiiat 2.5 Indians, as brave 
 and determined as they were, could have killed 
 all the Peltiers. The Indians on the other side 
 say that the deceased had come to have a talk 
 with the whites, in order to disculpate himself 
 from the charge ina<le against him. The mu- 
 latto, Winslow, on seeing him, said : "that is 
 the man who would kill him," and for whose 
 capture Dr. White had promised a reward of 
 $100, which Le Breton had gained. I saw 
 the poor Indian; he was still breathing. But, 
 O barbarity ! the mulatto who said it was he 
 who pierced his hat with a bullet, did pierce 
 him after he >vhs dead : and, in the morning, 
 hi- hoad \vh:- foiitid split and entirely separated 
 above the forehe.id, and the brains still clung to 
 the ax«> which had been the instrument of such 
 aavag'i tT'ielly. Hoirendum est/ In aaolher 
 letter of Marcii 7ih, to the same, Fr. Demers 
 adds: "The settlers seem to acknowledge they 
 
 have h«'en loo quick in this iinf-irtniuite afl'air. 
 but the unlucky deed is over ; it is a real mur- 
 der, based upon the extremely rash and incon- 
 siderate conduct, and the unjustifiable action 
 of poor Le Breton who will pay dearly f«»r his 
 apostasy and crime." 
 
 — o — 
 The merit and glory of an historian is to be a 
 true and faithful narralor of facts. If he iails 
 in this, his veracity will be doubted in the most 
 impcrtniit points. This being so, what shall 
 be thought of the History of Oregon by V/. H. 
 Gray, when all will learn how shanieftdly ho 
 has distiirted and falsified the facts concerning 
 the fight of March 4lh. For it is false that the 
 Indians of the vicinity of Oregon City made an 
 attack on the town. It was by no means an 
 attack ; not one of the Clackamas, nor of the 
 Willamette fall, but five of the Molalles oniv 
 took part in the fight It is false that the In- 
 dians commenced the fight. It is false that thr 
 chief was placed under guard and was killed 
 when attempting to escape. It is false that the 
 Indians made an attempt to destroy the peo} le 
 and town at Willamette fall. It is false that 
 there was any need to stir up the whole coun- 
 try, to organize t"or defense, as all the Indian 
 tribes were never so peaceable as they were 
 then, liavii'.g oo reason lt» molest any one, as 
 their fisheries, hunting places and camas prai- 
 ries had not yet been taken away from them. 
 It is false that the Company had any thing to 
 fear from tlie Indians; if the fort was repaired, 
 bastions built, and all other protective and de- 
 fensive measures were completed, it was to de- 
 fend itself against another kind of savageness. 
 
 (PL'BLISHRU AUGUST 8tII 1 878. ) 
 
 Missionary Labors in 1845 anc 1846. 
 'jm HEN the bishop elect left for Canada in 
 Xl I )ccrmbcr 1 844. the mi.^si.mary stat ions 
 were attended -a follows: Cowlitz by Rev. A. 
 Langlois. Fort Vancouver by Father Nobili, 
 Oregon City by Fr Accolti. St. Paul by vicar 
 general Uemers, St. Joseph's college by Fath- 
 er Bolduc, and the Sisters by Father De Vos. 
 
Catholic CHUitcii ix Okkgon. 
 
 «7 
 
 Aicor<lin;r «, tlie best onlf-ulinioii, ilie Imlimi 
 poj)ulHti<.ii 111 iliHt time numbered 110,000, of 
 which <; .000 were Cliristians ; Hboiit half of 
 iliem beiii;: at the Rocky MoiinfaiiiH utid the 
 reinaiinler in the lower [)«« of Orej-on. The 
 white Catholi*! popnlation was about 1,000, of 
 vvliieh 600 were in the Willaiuelte valley. 100 
 iit Vancouver, 100 at Cowlitz, anil the rest in 
 I lie various trailing posts. The Jesuit Fathers 
 hacl four missions at tho Kncky Mountains in 
 IMo, viz : St. Mary. St. Josofh, St. Peter and 
 St. Michael; the Coeur d'Aleine was one of 
 them. 
 
 By a letter from administrator Dem"rs, dat- 
 ed Oct. «lh, 1845, and other notes, the bishop 
 elect learned the following : Father Nobili had 
 left in J(me with tho Brigade of the North for 
 New Caledonia, Father De Smet visited lower 
 Oregon at the end of .lime, FaMier l)e Vos had 
 the care of Oregon City and Fort Vancouver, 
 and Father Accolti was chaplain of the Sisters 
 at St. Paul. The priest house was finished at 
 Oregon City, and the church much advanced. 
 Tlic church built by Father Vercruis.se at La 
 Oraiide Prairie wa.s soon to be blessed and o- 
 licned for divine service. Father Ravalli had 
 li-ti fur the Rocky Mountains. Sixty thousand 
 luicks had been burnt for the new church at 
 St. Paul. St. Joseph's college, containing 28 
 boarders, being too small, had been enlarged 
 with a second story by its principal, Father 
 Holdiic. The good religious of Noire Dame 
 de Nainiir were overburdened with occupations 
 in the care and teaching of 42 little girls, and a 
 chapel, mea.Miriiig 80 by 30 feet, was in course 
 of construction for them. 
 
 The church at ( )rejron City was blessed and 
 opened for divine serx ice on Septuagesima Sun- 
 day, Feb. 8lli, 1H4(!, in presence" of a large 
 concourse of Proieslants. From that date the 
 church i.« full on Sundays, a number of people 
 attending service through being desirous of 
 seeing the impre.ssive ceremonies of our church 
 and hear the explanatiun of its dogmas. 'J'he 
 coruer-'loite of Si. PhiiI's brick ciiurch was 
 blessed hy vicar general Demers on May 24th, 
 1 8 16, and the church was dedicated and opened 
 for divine service (HI Nov. 1st of themimo v.j;.>>, 
 ll was the Hrst brick building ever erected in 
 the country, measuring lUO feet by 45, with 
 
 wiiigii or chapels of 20 "cet ; v» belfrv showmg 
 the sign of onr redemption 84 feet' from the 
 ground. At Vancouver in 1845, chief factor 
 I^ouglas having desired the erection of a Cath- 
 olic church, one was ] ut up and shingled. 
 Governor McLaughlin nas preparing to leave 
 the Hudson Bay Co , am! retire to Oregon City. 
 "I was forgetting to say a word or two abcnit 
 the political state of the country,' says vicar 
 general Demers; 'a provisory government had 
 been established, Mr. George Aberncthy is 
 governor, the Hudson Bay Co. joins in with 
 the provisory government; Vancouver, Cowliis 
 and Nisqunlly form a district of which chief 
 factor Douglas :s the judge in chief. This vin- 
 dicates and proves to be false the charges for- 
 merly made that said company was opposed 
 to a provisory government, if the Hudson Bay 
 Co. o|. posed the establishment of a provisory 
 government in 1841, no one could wonder or 
 blame it, as commodore Wilkes himself was 
 opposed to it, on the ground that it was pre- 
 mature. 
 
 On the occasion of the foregoing, we wish to 
 correct a great mistake made in a lecture by an 
 eminent judge, saying of Very Rev. F. N. Blan- 
 chet and Rev. M. Demers; "they were subjects 
 of Great Britain, and their influence and teach- 
 ing among the people was na* irally in favor 
 of the authority and interest of the Hudson Bay 
 Co. They disconniged llio early attempts at 
 the formation of a settlers' government in the 
 country." All this is entirely inaccurate; their 
 being British subjects had nothing to do with 
 their teaching, uor would naturally lead them 
 "to teach their people in favor of the authority 
 and interest of a fur company." A higher 
 sense of feeling than this was their rule ; they 
 had a conscience and a faith. Nor did they 
 ever discourage the early attempts of a settlers' 
 government, either within or outside of their 
 churches. When, during the meeting in June 
 1841, vicar general Blancl.et gave his opinion 
 that it was too soon, that, as commodore Wilke.s 
 was expected here, the committee should wait 
 for his opinion. That step was by no means 
 an act of opposition, but on the contrary an act 
 v.. f/. ..■i„u..v., .. •••i.ia tiiL v^uiiiuiuuuic upprovea ot 
 at St. Paul on June llh, on the ground that the 
 country was loo young. And also on a later 
 
 li.'^^rfp 
 
58 
 
 Historical SKrrcREa of thk 
 
 occasion, when he bejiped that his nflme he 
 erased from those of the romniiltce, that was 
 clone iu no sense of opposition but for want of 
 time. In a word, let all coniprt-hcnd that the 
 two Catholic missionaries understood too well 
 the delicacy of their position in this new and 
 unsettled country, to commit such imprudent 
 blunders. 
 
 The ('atholic Church was projrressinjr at Or- 
 efion City under the teachinjj of Fatlier De Vos, 
 whose sermons were toucliin*;. On July 15 1st 
 he received the profession of faith of Dr. Long 
 and wife, and Miss Cason. In 1846 the fol- 
 lowing became converts, viz : Hon.P H. Burn- 
 ett, June 7th ; Miss Walter Roarers, Aug. 3rfl ; 
 Maria E. McLaughlin, (Mrs. widow Hae,)Oct. 
 4tli ; and in 1847, Fendell Car Cason, Feb. 28; 
 and W. Wood, aged 77 years, March 7th. 
 ISt. Paul had also its converts in the persons 
 of Mr. Johnson, and a learned <loctor and his 
 wife, who were very edifyiiijr- No one dared 
 to ask the doctor why he had returned to his 
 ancestors' religion. Three or four tliousuiid 
 immigrants are expected this year. The good 
 Dr. Long had the misfortune to get (howned 
 while crossing the Clnckanins river on hor.-^c- 
 back, ten or eleven months after his convers- 
 ion. His remains were buried in the enclosure 
 of the church of Oregon City, by Fr. De Vos, 
 ill the beginning of June or July 1846. 
 
 CONDITION OF THE MISSION AT THE KND Of 1811. 
 
 A deputation of Indians came down from 
 New Caledonia to Vancouver in 184-1, to call 
 for .1 missionary. The number of priests not 
 })ermitling their petition to be granti'd, they 
 returned home sorrowful. Father l)e Siiiet 
 having bnniglit some priests, Father Nobili 
 started in 1845 for New Caledonia. In IH4I> 
 another Father went to assist him; returning, 
 they canu' back in the spring of 1847. .Mostly 
 all the Indian tribes of New Caledonia had 
 been instructed and baptized. 
 
 At the end of 1844. after six yci^rs of efforts, 
 disproporlioned with llio needs of the eonnlry, 
 the vast mission of Oregon, on the eve of its 
 being erected into a vii'iiriate apostoljf. hti.l 
 uained neariyall liiu Indian irihvsnf tliu.Soiiiid. 
 of New Caledonia, and several i>« the lln-kv 
 
 6,000 pagans into the faith. Nine missions 
 had been founded : five in lower Oregon, and 
 four at the Rocky Mountains. Eleven cliurchcs 
 and chapels had been erected : five in lowt r 
 Oregon, two in New Caledonia, and four at tin- 
 Kocky Mountains. One thousand Canadians, 
 women and children, had lieen saved from the 
 imminent jeril of losing their faith. The 
 schemes of the Protestant ministers had been 
 fought and nearly annihilated, especially at 
 Nisqnally. Vniu-otiver, Cascades, Clackamas, 
 and Willamette fails, so that a visitor came in 
 1844 ai.d disbanded the whole Methodist mis- 
 sion, and Bohl its property. The Catholic mis- 
 sion I ost'cssed two educational estabiishmenls. 
 one for hoys and the other for girls ; the num- 
 ber of its mii-sionaries had been raised from 
 ei^dit, (four secular and four regular priests), 
 to filteen. without speaking of the treasure lie 
 mission had in the persons of I he good religions 
 of Notre liaine de Namur. Hnch were the ri'- 
 riilis obtaiiic<l in spite of the want ot mission- 
 aries, which greatly impaired all their etlorts. 
 
 Mouutains and lower Oregon. 
 
 It had brought 
 
 (I'LBMSIIKO ACOUST 1.5th 1878.) 
 
 Ti!K IJiSHOp Elect's Jolkney to Canada, 
 Rome, and Retukn to Oregon. 
 
 fHE bark ( ohinibia sailed from Astoria to 
 I ionohilu in 20 days. 8he stayed there 1 2 
 days « liich the bishop elect spent with (he Pic- 
 piis Fathers, who had a splendid stone church 
 n.i'Huiritig 150 itet. a large congregation and a 
 bPHiitifiil Sunday service. The bark lenv' j 
 Honolulu on Jan. 12th 1845, doubled Cape 
 Morn March ."illi, and reached Deal, England. 
 iMay 22iid. being Hve months and eighteen duys 
 from Astoria. The bishop elect passed to Do- 
 ver anil fri'iii thence to I>ondon, wheio he re- 
 mained ten ilavs, the guest of Mr. I'abhc Maillv, 
 |iasH)r of the Freiicli ciiapel in Lonil.ti;. Em- 
 liarkinx at Liverpocl on Jnuf 4th. he ivadied 
 lUiston on Die lO'li. and Montreal, Canada, on 
 the 24 h. A few ('ays after he arrived at Que- 
 bee, whose venerable church at that time was 
 draped in inouruiug on the occiision of the 
 
Catholic Chukcii in Okkoox. 
 
 A9 
 
 lMiruin;rofii« suburb, Si. R.)cli,H mouth before, 
 auil that of Hi. John n few (Ihvs previ.naly. 
 
 lieiii;; unuble to receive his'opiso.pHi couse- 
 •THlioii ill Quebec, tlio bishop fleet <luterniine«l 
 lo receive it ill Monlreal, w ilh bishop elect 
 rriiice, coniljiitor of MontrenI, the cereninuv 
 Imviuj; lo take place ou Jul. 2.*mIi. The cou- 
 (•ecnititr was the lit. Rev. Bishop of Montreal. 
 Tliore were present on the o. insion five bish- 
 ops liesi.les the two elects, 150 priests, aO other 
 clerics, and hu iiuinense crowd of the faithful. 
 Canada had never witiies'sed a festiv.sl of siirli 
 !*pleudor Iwfore. It was in CanndH that the 
 bishop of Philadelphia, in pnrtibua, learned 
 that Uh title had been clian;red into that of Dra- 
 sa. on May Tth, 1S44. After passing a nioiiih 
 and a half in Canada, the bii^hop of Drasa left 
 for Boston. Jidy I2tli, readied Liverpool, pass- 
 edsoniedays in Lon<Ioii. wen' lliro' l?ri;rhton, 
 Dieppe, Rouen, and reached Paris oir.Sept! 
 sth, lakin-r bis lodging at the Brothers of St. 
 Jean de Dieii. 
 
 The bishop of Drasa had a great task to per- 
 form before returning to his vicariate ; which 
 ^vlls to obtain from Rome some assistant bish- 
 ops. to look for new missionaries and new sis- 
 liT-', and odiect funds to enable him to buy the 
 requisites for his vicariate, and pay the freight 
 upon them and also the passage of the iui.«sion- 
 iiries. A II this required much time and iravel- 
 iii;:, and going backward and forward. Ileuce 
 it look twelve nionlhs, from Oct. l.S4"i lo Oet. 
 I ^4C, lo look for help and funds, ft.llowid by 
 w.iitiug nearly five months for « ship in which 
 to return home. 
 
 liis Ist trip and visit was lo B>dginin in order 
 to secure new Sisters of Noire DiimedeNamiir. 
 Oil his way he passed ihroiigli Cambrai, Dou- 
 a>', Lille, Gaud, M alines and Brussels. All 
 who heard of his mission l>ecame deeply inler- 
 e<ted in it. His se(!ond visit was to Rome. 
 Leaving Paris on Dec. Hth, he spent the fes^ 
 livals of Christ mas at Marseilles, and reached 
 t!ij holy city on Jan. 5ih, 184lj, He soon ob- 
 litiueii au uiidieMce and was received several 
 times by his holiness Pope Gregory XVL The 
 > )nr monihs he prissed in the eternal city were 
 well employed. He presented to the sacr..d 
 cmgrogaliou of the Propaganda a memorial on 
 the cuii.litioii and wants of bis vicariate. He 
 
 \isi»ed the four great basilicas and other great 
 churches and mouiinjents. He tlesccndeff into 
 the Catacombs several times, and obtained ihe 
 relics of Sfs. Jovian, Severin. Flavia and Vic- 
 toria. Leaving Rome ou the 8lh of May for 
 Paris, he visited on his way Leghorn, Genoa, 
 Mari^illes, Lyons and Chalons. . He staved 
 some days at Avignon and a week at Lyons, 
 the guest o» the grand seminarv. He had been 
 allowed to address its 800 seuiiuarists, three 
 of them soon presented themselves for the mis- 
 sion of Oregon ; they were U, Delojme, J. F. 
 Jayol and V. Veyret. He assisted on that oc- 
 casion, May 24th, to the episcopal consecration 
 of Mgr. Pavy, bishop of Algiers. 
 
 Having already visited the priocipHl towns 
 of Belgium with much success in 1845, ihe 
 bishop of Drasa directed his steps ibis year to- 
 wards Prussia. Bavaria and Austria. Leav- 
 nig Paris on June 17th, he went first to Liege 
 and assisted, on the iJlsf, at the grand proces- 
 sion of Corpus Christi.at which were present 
 1 7 bisliops, a large nninber of priests and an 
 immense religions crowd. It was the jubilee 
 of the VI ceiiliirv of the festival which took its 
 birth in the church of St. Martin. He then 
 v^^iled Vcrviers. A ix-la-Chapelle, Cologne, and 
 uexl. desc( tiding the Rhine, Bonn, Coblentz, 
 Mayence, Frnntfort and AchaflTenbourg; after 
 which passing through Wiirzbiirg ami Dona- 
 vert, he reached M unicli where he spent 8 days, 
 the gnest of ibe barefooted Fathers of St. Au- 
 gustine. Descending the Danube, he next vis- 
 ited Passau, Lintz and Vienna, where he re- 
 mained three weeks, the guest of the Redemp- 
 lorist Fathers. On reluming he visited Augs- 
 burg and Mrasbiirg, where he remained a week, 
 Ibe guest of its illustrious bishop. On August 
 2l8t, he was again in Paris, the guest of the 
 seminary of foreign missions. 
 
 It WHS on his return to Paris that he learned 
 his vicariate had been erected, by briefs dated 
 July 24ih, 1846, into au ecclesiastical prov- 
 ince, with the three sees of Oresou City. Wal- 
 la Walla and Vancouver Island. The vicar 
 apostolic was called to the metropolis of Or- 
 eg<.n City, Rev. A. M. A. Blunchet, canrm of 
 
 tlia M/\nt«.«tol /.ut liA«]..nl «.> «U..« ^1*11*- ti ...- . - 
 . ^ w... ...,,., mm ot l« nilM *♦ lij- 
 
 la, and vicar general Demers to that of Van- 
 couver Island. 
 
 -wm'Aiweu "^ 
 
60 
 
 HiaroRiuAi. Skctchu or tiik 
 
 Til r'le course of his long; nmiids. lliu biMiop 
 of I "-aca met ov«'rywhere with the warm sym- 
 pati; .if lumcios, Hrchbishopd, bishops, pnators 
 of cliiirclit>H, and the hi^hewt authority of each 
 Plate, lie was receiviMl in audience by their 
 majesties tlie kinji; and queeu of Belgium ; by 
 hi-^ majesty he kiiij; of Mavaria ; by their iui- 
 jtf. ' iiiH)t.4ties thp enii)eror and empress 
 iito*!i "- ttni) his hi<!lines8 the archdulte Ixxiii* 
 ol .'\ mna; and three times by his maji-iy 
 I.o II s i'hi'i|'i e, kin*; of France. 
 
 l"li« ■=ynipaihie8 of king Loiiig Philippe for 
 the area! lu <»i<'ri of Oregon prompted hiii o 
 graiM a fiff jDittsAge ? • the archbishop and fiis 
 iiii.siouar .' mpanionfl nn il.e vesseUof 'tie 
 royal na%'y; hnt this favor becoraiiijr imposHi.tle 
 by utiexpecti i cii nntt*tHnc*'!i, he ordered thirir 
 ex' ellencies, ^i^ luiEoi. minister of the i"le- 
 rior, and Mr. .Vlnkaii. minister of the inHriiie. 
 to pay each 7,200 fiHtics, a« an imlemni.v tur 
 tlie expense the dt' might put him .o. fUis 
 added to the 3,000 irancs the kii;: '> nl aln-aiiy 
 given him, on his return from ihc hast. m«il<' 
 the flue round sum of 17,80 t fn>iicw received 
 from the government. God bh- t^u Belle 
 France for such a gift ! 
 
 The passage on th*' ^oxernmen vt-.-^sr! fail- 
 ing, the C>ceanie MariiiiMC S«»cieiy came tor- 
 ward, oifering a passage iu Octn'i. r : but that 
 also failing, three Belgian vessids , red them- 
 selves, but wei« found too small to ac^oiniuit- 
 dale 22 passengers. The Oceanic .MHriiimi? 
 Society then hough a vessel which wh* ex- 
 pected to start at the v vl of l)t-cember. On 
 learning that, the archbisthop »vciit to Namiir. 
 returning with the Sisterit to Paris on Dec. 
 22nd ; but thnl \vii»* a month ttio soon, as ttte 
 vessel was not ready at that time. The mis- 
 sionaries had al?io the trouble of coming sev- 
 eral hmes to Paris for departure, nnd were 
 oblige*' ' » return elsewhere to save town ex- 
 |>ense8. At last, ilie ves«^l h -ving Havre for 
 Brest on Jan. '.Mb 1847, tht^ iirclibiHhop aud 
 missionaries left Paris on ,1 niwry 20th, and 
 re.;. ;u=i{ Brest r,n ihe iSnX . ' the vett.tel had 
 uoi yet completed her cargf It is ! ut just to 
 meution here that the I<c< line t^ociety o 
 Vi<"".tlie directors of tin ; *d iu I) l^juni 
 
 .•iirI ■ (ce, and the Royal M^-ssaj rie.s iruvcn 
 (Ji.-'iir!_ s.-lieil luurkofthcii m tihies i;i lavur 
 
 of Ihe Oregon mis»iioni Ihe first in icinlering 
 4, iK> 6orinB : the second hy nuitini; ili arch- 
 bishop and sisters, with thi > liaggag. . « free 
 paM on ihe railroad from N .mur t<. P»rf- and 
 'he Um mi allowing perci m and Iw-rg -a* I' 
 pass tit half fare from Piins to Hreni 
 
 Tlie hark was blesse*] and called / Elo 
 'a Malm" (The Morning Star) by h. iirth- 
 tii.Hhop. on Feb. Viid, :n presence of a ieli'_'ioi»st 
 «*rowd. The wind being favorabe, all .< -til uti 
 iNtardr.v, rhc 10lh;bnt il. ■ f(ill<>wingda\ ^ -ing 
 a dead calm all retum^Hl on pi ore, A isl, 
 after a month's ,U-\ay at Rres "I/Kroih- dii 
 Ma;ln," capt. Me? (-s. put lo sea ou Feb. 22! I, 
 1HI7. The rtdi; 'US colony sh carried ..t 
 <t>' i|,o til of 22 p«r«>ii», i'lrhidii ' the an 'i- 
 hiKhi.p. , iz : 78ittters of Notre Dans de Namur 
 the 3 Jesuit Fathers tioete. Ghz».= ,-: and Me; 
 j'sirey, and 3 lay bn-fhen: 5 **•<;»> 
 Le Has, McCormick, I>filer« an. 
 Veyrct; 2 deacons, B. I 'orme Hff' 
 and a clerii , T. Mesp Th< inj»,= 
 
 the iii.^tcr.^ was Vvry go. ! a lot?!; •» 
 Ion table - is OMtvmon to all. An ,ilt; 
 bti Hxeiliitlhen -partof 'leshij. wh 
 holy raasses were dnly <•• ''hr^-ed on tlf 
 of liie four lioly m«rtyrs. Snndav an. 
 ing services, on deck we ery soi - 
 impressivf. Pr.tyer. -eadiug an' «' 
 thed:iily 'cctiptiiii !tst ; themissiii 
 beauties the vast sea and of ! 
 vault, esj iallv i the soiiiheni 1 r. 
 11 h! wer JijectK ot 
 i .fweriii reatiiii' 
 ■>m.!i* Jiho- trlh tl 
 inn It d. treth the work of 
 
 i<i'i-lui reilu iiriresof iliesea ; 
 >»e Lunl higfi 
 
 iiiios yes ; who .«aid to 
 Peter, ( n <) upon 
 
 II. rock 1 wili ! Id My Chnrcl. ;i„. gates 
 
 ot II shall not |ii vail against ii the same 
 
 Gv Ihe S»v "*■' (jod. "who niucJe all things, 
 and vithoiit v\ oin was made nothing that was 
 Ami . alas I there have been found 
 n ' vni.s rfthe earth, men so p«r- 
 i»elieving llie power of (Jod in 
 I'll iiild earth. nroiiJiv ■•t..) :.,o..i' 
 iim the same efficient power hi 
 infallible Church (or the salvation 
 
 f- 
 
 iHiiieu 
 
 ilation 
 .i: -Tl 
 ■d ; aiiu 
 
 hi< H 
 iidcrtul 
 Ves. a tbcu^ai' 
 moil : "Tli.' i 
 
 Hianv. 
 |i'i:iiiies, 
 > r^ !l^ 
 
 prii 
 retot 
 V Ja: 
 
 ini*»(i= 
 iiii I 
 
 lies 
 en- 
 
 re 
 
 The 
 
 igled 
 
 starry 
 
 rofonnd 
 
 lands of 
 
 lory of 
 
 tti 
 
Catholic Church in Okkoon. 
 
 61 
 
 ol ^riuU (^MMifeil to His own imnse nnv iikeiien*. 
 •iiii who fiK>liKhly hegan n pre -udeti refimn- 
 Mtioii. Gri'Hl (i<Hl I \vl t tioii8ih»e ! wimt fol- 
 ly ; w hal horrible bln«( einy ! 
 
 TIk Muiiii.'of the hark wHs^erifnilly sinootli 
 vi(h the exception of t* henv\ otorinn : tl»« 
 tirsr which rnine on u giKtiien iom the Went, 
 >>n tne pnrni t>| of Rio Janeiro, ami la^toii 24 
 hours, carri' ' the biirk <«oin»" linndred miles out 
 .>f heroour-v. I' wiu. ire- oiupeitt ; the Hec-- 
 
 'nl Ir 'ifi Mi^hf ilay^ ihiri; , which the wiml 
 "as \ '!■■ h an«l contrary, an<{ the sea heavy, 
 \^ ;en ' uninjr from enuth torn rlh > iithe Pacific. 
 
 ii. bot.i .asions the captain « peareti very 
 
 T' <1 of ' nmise appoai 1 laM on 
 
 "' nd t t»ark arrive«l ; ' iiiile& from 
 
 ;Mii tit. 8he niiiiiiiiefl oiittddc 
 
 I- wan I p lo< nml wmd. At last, 
 
 liiji iHfeii 5 n> (is and 2^1 days from Brcpl, 
 (I nndcr the piloiaj^e of Rcevesn, ithe ero8«»Ml 
 no bar Mtfcly and entered the Columbia river 
 late in the at^ernoon of Aug. l: li, 1847. and 
 < list anchor in Gray's Bay. Tli i ii wuh thai 
 ilie nuxsionaries, in their excp«<> ;n^-reat joy, 
 'linnted a Te Deum. which toe?* of Ca|>e 
 
 Disappointiiuint and the i»<-! >,' hillii re- 
 
 l>eated with einnlatiou. (>!) ofAn<f. 
 
 our bark got aground at the m be Wil- 
 
 lamette, and OD the lUth, the ml- id uiis- 
 
 sionaries left her for St. Paul !i they 
 
 reached on Saturday the 2<)ih, . nijiht. 
 
 The archbishop left heron the 25ih, celebrated 
 -Mass in the cathedral at Orejrou Citv on ttie 
 'i6th,reache<lC'hnn)poe<;thefollowin*rday,and 
 from thence, accompanied by a lar^e conconrxe 
 of Cutholi«>8 and Protectants, he entered the 
 church a ^;. Paul vested with his episcopal 
 ri>l)e8. niozetta, miter and crosier. After the 
 Tt: Deum and benedit^tion of (he Kles.sed Sac- 
 rament, and appropriate words from ihean-h- 
 bishop, all retired hiippy. The bishop elect 
 had been two years and se«en months absent 
 
 (Pt'BLISHKU AlOt'ST 2iND 1878.) 
 RkJOICING.' m THE ARCHDK)^ KSR. 
 
 Arrival of the Bmi =• oi Wai.la Wali.a. 
 
 CoMSECRATioK i-i \nnov Oemkhs. 
 Condition or Tii« DiocESsa. 
 
 FROM li.e at al <>f the arf-hbishop to the 
 sad event w ich put the C «tholic missions 
 of Oregon upon the brink of (heir ruin, there 
 were but festivities and rejoicings in tl ■ arch- 
 diocese, especially at St. Paul, i'ho ejienco 
 of the archbishop in the chmch, on his shrone. 
 with epis4-opal insi^jnias, surrounded by a nu- 
 merous cleryfv. the heaiity of the chant', music 
 and s<demiiily of the seri ite, were drawing (he 
 faiihfnl who <<>uld not weary of contemplating 
 the beauties of God's house. 
 
 On Sundays. Aug. 29th, and Sept. ftth, the 
 archbishop moiuited the pulpit and gave some 
 tieiails of his journey. On the 3rd Sunday he 
 administered li.e sacrament of Confirmation to 
 a large nunihcr f:f persons. On the 4th Sun- 
 day he made an urdinatijm, raising deacon Ja- 
 vol to the priestlmod. On the 6th Sunday he 
 gave Confirn Htion at Vancouver. On the 6th, 
 7th aiul ,Sih Sundays, he was at St. Francis 
 Xavi» r's mission of Cowlitz where he remained 
 two weeks and which, then, coutnined 2.5 fam- 
 ilies, or IHG souls, of whom 130 were adiihs 
 and aO children, ami 74 eommunicinnts. He 
 confirmed there 50 persons, celebrated high 
 Mass on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays. The of- 
 fices in tho morning and afternoon were made 
 solemn hy the plain chant and the singing of 
 French impressive hymns by the two choirs of 
 men and women. He witnessed once more 
 the successful efforts of the iwo first mission- 
 
 "^r^y 
 
 aries in teaching, in the French 
 first verse of a large number of 
 which were sung on Sundays 
 by the whites as well as by T 
 their canoes. He was at ^ 
 Sunday : made an ordination 
 
 that of deacon B. Delormc ' 
 
 f\. .1... <vii — : — J... »n . 
 \jtt (lie ii'iii/f* itj^ ua V , ^11 . 
 
 tifica! high Mass was celebr 
 nity, n j to chant, music and icii 
 
 the 
 
62 
 
 Historical Skbtcbes of thk 
 
 witnessed before. In fine, tlie 80th of Novem- 
 ber 1847, feasl of the Hpostle St. Andrew, fall- 
 ing on a Tue>«(lay, put the crown to all the pre- 
 vious fe8tivitie< and rejoicings of the faithful, 
 by the episcopal consecration, which the bish- 
 op-elect of Vancouver Island received in the 
 cliurch of St. Paul on that day, at the hands 
 of the archbishop, in presence of a numerous 
 clergy and a very large number of the faithful. 
 While the archbishop was on sea, sailing fur 
 his archdiocese, the bishop of Walla Walla, 
 who wus consecrated on September '27th 1846, 
 left Montreal for St. Louis March iord 1847. 
 Commencing from therea journey of 5 months, 
 iu wagon on the plains, he reached Fort Walla 
 Walla on Sept. dlh, seven days after the arri- 
 val of the archbishop at St. Paul. He was ac- 
 companied by nine persons, viz : four Fathers, 
 O. M. I., of Marseilles, and two lay brothers : 
 and two secular priests, liev. Fathers Bruuillet, 
 vicar general of Walla Walla and Rousseau, 
 and Wm. Leclaire, a deacon. He was heart- 
 ily received by the commandant of the fort, Mr. 
 McBean and family, who were Catholics, and 
 treated, with his clergy, with great attention 
 aud respect. 
 
 By the arrivals from France and Canada, 
 the ecclesiastical Province of Oregon City 
 possessed in the fall of 1847, 3 bishops, 14 Je- 
 suit Faihers, 4 Oblate Fathers «>f M. I., 13 
 secular priests, including a dtracon ordained in 
 1849, and a cleric, T. Mespli^, oniained in May 
 1850 ; 13 sisters and 'Z houses of education. 
 
 The archbishop started with ten priests, in- 
 cluding T. Mespli^, two Jesuit Fathers at St. 
 Ignatius' residence, 13 sisters and two educa- 
 tional houses. The bishop of Walla Walla 
 wnsstartiii<; with 3 secular priests, including a 
 deacon, 4 Oliliite Father^of M. I.. and 12 Jesuit 
 Fathers at the Rocky Mountains. The bishop 
 of Vancouver Island had not even one priest 
 to accompany him to Victoria. ^ ticli was the 
 aitualion on the eve of a most eniiueut danger. 
 
 The whole mission of Oregon, comprising 
 the three sees, was divided iu 8 districts. To 
 the see of Vancouver Island were attached the 
 districts of New Caledonia and Prince Char- 
 lotte Island ; to the see of Oregon City was at- 
 tached the district of Nisquully ; to the see of 
 Wnlla Walla were attached the di^'tricts of 
 
 Colville and Fort Hnll. On n 'nter occasion, 
 June 29th 1853, at the recfmnicndaiion of tl^t- 
 1. Plenary Council of Baltimore, held in 1852. 
 the Columbia riverand parallel 46 became ihc 
 line of division between the diot-eses of Oregon 
 City and Nisqually, from the Pacific lo the 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 The three seen and the districts attached to 
 them containe<l numerous iribcE of Indians, 
 who had been visited several times by the Cath- 
 olic missionaries and converted, in great part, 
 to the Catholic faith: they were <-alliu;' for 
 priests since 1838. The time had arrivtd to 
 sec their earnest desires accomplished. This 
 was to 1)6 the case with the Cayiiscs living rn 
 the Uniatilla, their camp being 30 miles from 
 another Cayuse camp situated on the Walla 
 Walla, a few miles from the fort. The first 
 camp wiiK Catholic at heart, and their chief, 
 Tamafoive, offered a home to the bishop. 
 
 The diocese of Walla Walla had ris spe- 
 cially, that it had already three Preshvieriiin 
 missions; one at Wailatpu. on the Wallii Walla . 
 among the Cnyuses mentioned above, estab- 
 lished iu 1836, by Dr. Whitman ; another at 
 I^pwai, on the Clearwater, six days' journey 
 from Fort Walla Walla, established in 1836 
 among the Ncz Perses by minister Spalding ; 
 and the last estnldished by Mr. Eells among 
 the Spokanes. Hence the trouble, the bishop 
 being regarded as an intruder. 
 
 The object of the Fathers, 0. M. I., being 
 the evangelization of the Indians, they left 
 Wnlla Walla with Father Ricard, their supe- 
 rior, early iu October, to go and found a mis- 
 sion among the Indians of Yakima. The bish- 
 op of Walla >^ alia left tl>e fort, with his cler- 
 gy, for the Catholic can.p of the Caynses on 
 October 27th, aLd reached the place the same 
 day, a Saturday. 
 
 The arrival of the bishop of Walla Walla 
 with his clergy to the fort was a thunderbolt 
 to the Presbyterian ministers, spet-itilly to Dr. 
 Whitman. He was woimded to the heart by 
 it. He cunhl not refrain fr«>m expressing hi!< 
 great dissatisfaction, saying he woidd do all 
 in his power to thwart the bishop. Such was 
 the situation of affairs and the sad prospect of 
 the bishop on Sunday, Nov. 28th, ihe eve of 
 the terrible tragedy which brought Ihe Catholic 
 
Catholic Chukch in Orkoon. 
 
 M 
 
 Mi^Pion and iix estjiblislinients iijOre<>on iipoii 
 the brink of itn ruin ; for nt the sijfht of the 
 jIoo<l nlrt'Hdy done and to be done by the iirniy 
 of the zealous niissionurios jiisf arrived, llie 
 devil. i»liHkin<r with Hii<rer and rH;re. resolved 
 to make his last efforts to uiterlv ruin (he Cath- 
 olic cler;.'y on this Coa»t ; heiiee the horrible 
 <lrania. 
 
 The Murder ok Dr. Whitsian and Wife. 
 
 The eiuijrralion of 1847 had bron<;ht dvsen- 
 tery and measles amonjr the Proiestaut eamp. 
 1S'7 had sn<cnnibed to the epitlemif. The In- 
 •lians already much displeased uiih their teach- 
 er. Dr. Whitman, for his lack of good faith 
 and fidelity in his promises, snspected him of 
 poisonin;; them. They were confirmed in their 
 suspicion by the report of a certain half-breed 
 of the place, called Joseph Lc« is. raii.ed in the 
 Eastern States, who said : "He had heard, at 
 night, Dr. Whitman, his wife and minister 
 Spalding speaking on the ne<-essitv of killin*' 
 t liem in onler to seize their lands;" "and adding'^ 
 ■ if you don't kill them, you will be all dead by 
 next Sprih-. : i'hereiipon, the death of Dr. 
 Whitman was resolved. 
 
 On Sunday the 28th, six other Indians were 
 buried. On Monday, the ;i>9th, 1847, after 
 having buried three other of their brethren, a 
 iHjrtain number of ihcm went to Dr. Whitman's 
 establishment alnuit 2 or 3 p. m., and entered 
 his yard, carrying weapons conceale.l under 
 ilicir blankets, while the few men were bn.sy. 
 ihcy began their work of desir.iclion by butch- 
 iriug the doctor, his wife and 8 oihcr Amer- 
 icans that day. 
 
 On 'J'nesday. Nov. .30lh. the vicar general 
 having to go and baptize some sick children at 
 the Protestant Cayuse camp according to pro- 
 niise. he started and arrived there af'^7 p. m. 
 I'hereit was that he heard of the atrocious dra- 
 ma. Me passed the whole night awake. On 
 the morning of Dec. Isl. after baptizing the 
 children, he went to the dreadful place ol" tha 
 niiis.sacre. conwdcd the women kept in the doc- 
 tor's h<.u.*e. washed the bodies and buried them 
 will, the a.-sisiancc of a Kienchman, called 
 StandHeld. who h.,.! been spared ; and all that 
 ill the presence of the murderers; and going 
 once more to console tbo wonieu, he started 
 
 in haste in onlor to meet and save minister 
 Spalding's life who was coming on that day 
 from the Cayuse camp to the doctor's house. 
 
 (published AUGUST 39tii 1878.) 
 
 Narrow Escape of Mr. 8paldivg. 
 The Lives or Fr. Bhouillet, the Biihop 
 
 and Clergy in Great Danger. 
 
 The Prisoners Redeemed and Carried to 
 
 Oregon City by Chief Factor Ogden-. 
 
 fATHER Bronillet was much pained when, 
 in starling, he saw one of the murderers 
 following him with his interpreter, who was 
 an Indian. He had barely made three miles 
 when he ob.ocrved minister Spalding coming in 
 and who at once called for news. The vicar 
 general hesitates, the minister urges him ; the 
 vicar general evades his questions and keeps 
 an animated convrrsation with the interpreter 
 and murderer. He begs for mercy and for the 
 life of the minister; the murderer hesitates, 
 and says at last he must go and consult his 
 friends, and ftrthwith starts at full gallun 
 '1 hen. Father Bronillet reveals to .Mr. Splilding 
 the h..rrors of the slaughter, the subject of his 
 conversalion with the murderer, the object of 
 his running back, and recommends him to take 
 a determination at once, if he wishes to save 
 his life, as the murderer will soon return. Mr 
 Spalding is struck with terror ; he utters sad 
 lamentations, asks many questions, and knows 
 not what to resolve upon. He asks for and 
 receives provisions, and Father Bronillet leaves 
 him still talking with the interpreter. At last 
 he rushes to the forest at dusk in the evening 
 The vicar general had scarcely made a few 
 miles when he heard the racing irot of horses ; 
 they were three men, who gave vent to their 
 great displeasure when they did not see Mr 
 Spalding. From that day the life of Father 
 Broiiiller was not safe from danger. He w«s 
 held resjMiusible for the escape of the minister. 
 That night he also passed without sleep. 
 
 On Thuwlay, December 2nd, he reached 
 the young chief Toniatow't c«mp early. On 
 
 mm 
 
 ^^^_^ 
 
 ■ £4Jm:£~.ti4^ii«g 
 
64 
 
 ilisTORioAL Sketches of the 
 
 loarninj^ the atrocious deeil, the hishop, and 
 clergy, and the wliole camp were struck with 
 consternation. A few days afker an express ar- 
 rived from Walla Walla, informing the bisiiop 
 tVt his life and the lives of the priests were in 
 danger, on the part of a certain ntimber of In- 
 dians who could not forgive Father Brotiillet 
 for having deprived them of the chance of ad- 
 ding another victim to the ten first ones. On 
 the 3rd, the bishop assembled the chiefs, ex- 
 pressed t4ie deep pain and sorrow he felt at the 
 enormous crime, and recommended them earn- 
 estly to use their influence in order to save the 
 widows and orphans. The chiefs answered 
 that they had no hand in the massacre, and 
 would use their influence to save the lives of 
 the captives. A few days later, a young man 
 who stayed in the doctor's mill, 20 miles dis- 
 tant, was also killed ; the rest had the chance 
 to escape. On the 10th, the two sick men who 
 were spared on the day of extermination, were 
 drawn from their beds and cruelly nuissacTed. 
 On the 11th, one of the captives was carried 
 away to the tent of one of the chiefs. 
 
 On December 16th, the bishop received a 
 letter, dated 10th, from Mr. Bpalding, relating 
 the hardships of his six days' traveling only at 
 ni<'ht, partly on foot, begging him to tell the 
 Indians that the Americans would not make 
 war, nor come for revenge, and to send his 
 letter to the governor. On December iOili, 
 the great and subalern chiefs repaired to the 
 bishop's house to hold a council liefore iiim and 
 his clergy, in which after a long talk and de- 
 liberations, a manifesto ''I's drawn and given 
 to the bishop to be sent to the governor with a 
 letter from him. The bishop availed himself 
 of the occasion to recommend once more and 
 earnestly that they who had carried awiiy some 
 of the cajitives. to return them without delay. 
 As soon as the sad tidings of the Wailatpu 
 massacre had reached Fort Vancouver, chief 
 factor Og<!en. knowing the importance of a 
 prompt action, started without delay to come 
 to the help and rescue of the captives. On 
 rcMching Fort Walla Walla on December IKth, 
 111' 8<'nt nn i'Xj)ri'>'s to notify nil llie chiefs to 
 riimf and assemble at the fori. Un ,i fii>t ji,. 
 vitatioii. the bishop begged in be o^-used , an a 
 -■ecoiiil, he ciimo down with his ciivgy. I'lic 
 
 assembly took place on Dec. 23d. Chief factor 
 Og<leii strongly deprecated the horrible mas- 
 sacre, threw the blame on the chiefs for not re- 
 straining the yonng men, and said he did noi 
 come on the part of the Americans, but only on 
 the part of the Hudson Bay Cnmpauy; he woiihl 
 not promise peace, but would employ his ii - 
 fluence to obtain it ; that he had come to res- 
 cue the prisoners, and expected he had not 
 come in vain. The chiefs answered him that 
 in consideration of his age, white hairs, and 
 the assurance that he was unable to deceive 
 them, they would grant his request. The Ntz 
 Perces «hiefs consented also to release Mr. 
 8paMiug, his family and other Americans held 
 as hostages. 
 
 On December 29th. the ptisoners of Wai- 
 latpu, ftl in all, arrived at the fort : those of 
 l^apwai, 11 in all. arrive«l on Jan. 1st, 1848. 
 under an escort of ."iC warriors. A high price 
 was I aid for the captives. The followiug day 
 was fixed for the departure, now most urgent 
 on account of the strange rumors which circu- 
 lated among the Indians, that th^ Americans 
 were at the Dalles, coming to t«ke a revenge ; 
 which rnniors might in u moment make the 
 Indians change their minds and try t«i keep the 
 prisoners as hostages. '! he bishop ac(e|ited a 
 passage on the boats : \.< ns accompanied by 
 Father Rousseau, and by Fr. Ricard. O. M. 1. 
 In spite of all the <liligence by chief factor Og- 
 dcn, the iHials ventured into the streiim at 2 
 p. m., just in time to escape the SOCayiise war- 
 riors who arrived scarcely an hour afterwards 
 to kill Mr. Spalditrg, and im doubt, to keep 
 the others as hcitages. 
 
 At the Dalles minister Spalding showed the 
 true spirit which animated him towards the 
 Indians, quite different fr< m that expressed in 
 his letter to the bishop of Walla Walla, in 
 urging .N!ajor Lee to gt» I. ii;.Me in order to 
 take ihcm by surprise; c. • designing to 
 Major Magone those when f ed death, with 
 the excel tion of five or six ti. ^te spared. The 
 boats reathed Fort Vancouver on ,Ianuary8lh. 
 On the 10th, chief factor Ogden delivered the 
 prisoners to the governor at Oregon City, wiih 
 (he lutitr of .Mr. i^palding to tlie bishop, the 
 i!Uiuifesto of the cliiefs, (tccmipanicd by the 
 Lifhop's letter lo the j;ov.rnor. The editors 
 
Catholic Chukcii in Orkoon. 
 
 65 
 
 of iTie Oregon Spectator would publish but a 
 part of Mr. Spalding's letter; but Mr. 0^'den 
 SHjiug, "must publish all or nothing," they 
 fonsentcd. but with ranch repugnance. On 
 Jan. loth, the bishop of VValb Walla, after 
 hard trials and imminent danger arrived safe at 
 St. Paul, the residence of his brother, the arch- 
 bishop of Oregon City. 
 
 After the bishop's departure, vicar general 
 Brouillel left Fort Walla Wella and returned 
 to Umatilla with Fr. Leclaire. He remained 
 there till February 20th, in the midst of thou- 
 sands of rumors of troops at llio Dalles, of bat- 
 tles and of villages being burnt. Ho had pro- 
 mised the Cayuses of his miosion to remain 
 with them as long as peace would last ; so he 
 did, in spite of many daugers on the pjirt of 
 l>otli the Indians and the Americans. The first 
 tight with the Americans having taken place 
 on Feb. 19th, he thought he was disengaged 
 from his word, and left the following day for 
 Fort Walla Walla. But the Indians were so 
 displeasefl with his departure, that they plun- 
 <lered his house and set it on fire. .■Vnd as the 
 I onimissioners called by the chiefs to treat on 
 |teace were leaving on March 13tli, he availed 
 liini!<elfof the occasion to go down with his 
 companion . He was accompanied by Fathers 
 Chirouse. Pandoay, and others of the Yakima 
 mission : all going to St. Paul of Williimette. 
 
 KrFKCTS OK THB MuBDEB ANU WaB DIX>N TUB 
 
 Catholic akd Pbotestant M issioks. 
 The murder of Dr. Whitman and oiheri^ had 
 (he effect of bringing in imminent diin/er the 
 lives of the bishop and his clergy. The war 
 which followed brou^dii iheCaynse misi^iou to 
 an end only for a short linif; for a few months 
 :itter. the Cayuses of UmHiillc recalled their 
 I riesis ; and the bishop starteil from Vancou- 
 ver June 4lh, 1848, to return to his diocese, 
 lie reached the Dalles on June lOlh, and being 
 r.irhidden lo go ftiriher by Mr. Lee, the super- 
 iiiiendcnt of Indian affairs, he fixed his resid- 
 «Mice there, and began a mission at the Dalles, 
 which was a part of his <lio4-ese. The Oblate 
 Fiuhtrs returned nnmoleHted to their Yakima 
 mission, about the same lime. Very different 
 were the effects of the murder and war upon 
 the Presbyterian missions of Wailatpu,Lapwai 
 
 and Spokane. They had for effects their total 
 destruction for ever ; for not only no Indiaoe, re- 
 called their minister?, but none of them -Aould 
 have been safe there. Knowing this, minis- 
 ters Eells and Walker hastened to leave their 
 Spokane mission at the beginning of the war 
 under a strong escort. 
 
 Black Inoratitcdk add Infamous Calcm- 
 
 MIK8 or Mb. Spalding, The Catholic 
 
 Chdrcmeb m Danoeb in I.«web Obegon. 
 
 A Petition to the Legislaiure Against 
 
 THE Priests. 
 
 The Iocs of the ministers and their friends 
 was loo great not lo be deeply felt. To »heir 
 ^rief succeeded fits of anger which they dis- 
 charged upon the bishop and his clergy. Mr. 
 Spalding, closing his soul lo all the noble sen- 
 timents of gratitude, and forgetting all its du- 
 ties, accused the bishop and his clergy of ha-- 
 Jiig been the instigators of the horrible mas- 
 sacre. He published in the Oregon American 
 of 1848, an incorrect history of it, containing 
 16 calumnious iharges. Father Brouillet, in 
 giving a true hielor)- of the massacre, refuted 
 (he charges in a pamphlet of 107 pages, pub- 
 lished by the Freeman $ Journal in 1863, and 
 republished by the Catholic Sentinel in 1869. 
 But the orally malicious charges of iDe min- 
 ister, from the beginning had already produced 
 the evil fruits of deep and fatal impressions ; 
 and the excitement became so great that the 
 volunteers in starting caid that iheir first shots 
 would be for the bishop and his priests ; and 
 that, for several months, the Catholic churches 
 and establishments in the Willamette valley 
 were in the greatest danger of being burned 
 down. But not satisfied with that, the min- 
 isters beca-ie jealous in seeing the Jesuit Fath- 
 ers safe a d quiet among the Indiana of the 
 Bocky M untaius, the Oblate Fathers retoru- 
 ing to thuir mission at Yakima, and the bishop 
 attending the prayers of the UauUilU Indians, 
 on his way for that mission, while they could 
 not return. This being too much, they con- 
 ceived the plan of a petition to be drawn np 
 and largely signed, repeating the infamous 
 charge*, and to be sent to the legislature. It 
 w as (^n ieuted, but by that time the good com- 
 
 I 
 
66 
 
 Historical Skbtchbs or thk 
 
 moD sen^e of the people hnd made them right; 
 two-lhirds of the legislature voted ajrainst it, 
 and the officers of the army, their aoldiers and 
 volunteers, becoming better acquainted with 
 the true facts on reaching the stnt of war, did 
 honimage to the truth in acknovsledging the 
 honorable and loyal conduct of the bishop and 
 bis clergy. 
 
 (published skptrhber 5th 1678.) 
 
 Fath&r Brodillet's Pamphlet in 1848, 
 
 1857, 1869 AMD 1871. Chakoks Rrmbwkd in 
 
 1869 AND 1871, AND Answered in 1872. 
 
 TO those *ho never read Father Brouillet's 
 pamphlet, written in 1848 and published 
 in 1853, and who desire to know its contents, 
 we give the title of its five chHptt'r8,viz : — 
 
 1. The remote and immediate causes which 
 led to the Whitman massacre. 
 
 2. Documentary evidence proving the fore- 
 going assertion. 
 
 8. Review of the evidence addiicnd in the 
 foregoing chapter. 
 
 4. Journal of the principal events that occur- 
 red in the Walla Walla country from the ar- 
 rival of the bishop luul his cler<;y until the mo- 
 ment they left for the Willamette valley. Let- 
 ter of Father Brouillet. from Fort Wnllu Walla, 
 March 2nd, 1848, to Col Gilliam. Letter of 
 H. H. Hpalding, from Clear Water, Dec. 10th, 
 1847, to the bishop of Walla Walla. Meet- 
 ma r/* the chiefs at the bishop's house, and 
 their manifesto. A rrival of chief factor Oplen, 
 and redemption of the captives. The bixhop 
 tit the Dalles, on his way to Umatilla. 
 
 ;). Summary of the chief accusations made 
 bv Mr. Spalding against the Ciitliolic cler;iy of 
 Walla Walla, with an ani<wer to each of them. 
 
 But this was not the end of the trouble ; the 
 charges were renewed : this time not by one 
 minister only, nor presented only to a territo- 
 rial legislature for action, but by an army of 
 ministers, and presented by them for action to 
 the highest authority in the land, the Senate : 
 for, as the infamous charges made by H. H. 
 
 Spalding against the Catholic clergy of Walla 
 Walla had reached the various Protestant sects 
 of Oregon and the Eastern Slates, and were 
 believed by them as gospel truths ; and where- 
 as, hostile to each other in principles, they an^ 
 always ready to join together in an assault on 
 the old mother Church, they availed them^ielvfS 
 of a chance of showing their hatred to her, 22 
 years afler the massacre, as follows : — 
 
 In 1857, a special agent of the Treasury 
 Department, J. Boss Browne, whs sent to the 
 far West, to make a re|ort on the condition of 
 the aborigeiies, and the potent causes of war 
 between them and the white settkrs. On fitd- 
 iiig that Father Brouillct's pamphlet was »u 
 important document on the siilject, he embo- 
 died it in his report, which the U. S. Congress 
 published as Kxecurive Document No. 88, of 
 18i'9. The fact remained unnoticed for ten 
 years, till on a sudden, during the year 1869, 
 it drew the attention of seven Protestant asM>- 
 ciaiions, or sects in Oregon, and three in the 
 Kastcrn States ; and greatly aroused their ire. 
 because "It severely reflected upon the devoted 
 missionaries of the American b<tard." Hence, 
 the many resolutions of each sect, severely 
 blaming the action of the Senate, calling Fr. 
 Brouillet's pamphlet "a libel on Oregon's his- 
 tory, and a gross and malicious calumny," en- 
 dorsing the most infamous charges of H. H. 
 Spalding and af-cc-rtaining them, as if, after a 
 lapse of 22 years, and so far from the spot, 
 they had been eye witnesses, and had seen and 
 heard all ; whereas, Col. Gilliam, his scddiers 
 and the volunteers, on the spot two mouths 
 afier the massacre, becoming better acquainted 
 with the facts, hid exoncniled the hi^hnp and 
 his clergy from i<ll blame; which the legislature 
 also did in Dec. 1848, by rejecting, by a two- 
 third vote, the petition, reptaling the charges 
 and denitiiidiiig the expulsion of the Catholic 
 clergy from the Indian c<)niilry. The action of 
 these ten Protestant seclc having lieen embo- 
 died in a pamphlet of 81 pages, tl e fame was 
 passeil by Mr. Spalding to Mr. A. B. Meach- 
 am, supt. of Indian Affairs in Oregon, and 
 passed hy him to Mr. Delano, secretary of the 
 Interior, who presented it to the Senate <>u 
 Feb. 8th, 1871, and is known as Executive 
 Document No. 37, of 1871, 
 
Catholic Church in Okkoon. 
 
 «7 
 
 Tliip exeoaiive document No. 37, 1871, was 
 iibly answered and victoriously refutud iu 1872, 
 by Father Broiiillel and the Catholic World : 
 by the fir^t in u pamphlet of 18 pages in double 
 column, which the Catholic Seulinel produced 
 in July and AnRUit, 1872. and wherein he de- 
 rIareH unreliable and malicious the evidences 
 of the ten vhiirehes, and proves that point of 
 evidence under the followinjf heads: 1. Falsi- 
 fioatiou «»f otficial reports; •>. fnlsitication of 
 depositions; 3. falsiftcation of quotations; 4, 
 falsity of statements; by the second in an article 
 of 18 pa;;es in double iwlumn. to be found in 
 that magazine for February. 1872 ; wherein it 
 says of the executive document No. 37, 1871: 
 ••VVo have had recently placed iMjfore us an 
 official document printed at the public expense 
 for the edification of the United States Senate, 
 and, no doubt, widely circulated throughout the 
 union under the convenient frank of mnny pi- 
 ous members of Congress, in which are repro- 
 duced calumnies so gross, and falsehoods so 
 glaring, that we consider it our ,iuty not only 
 to call public attention to it, but demand from 
 our rulers at Washington by what right aiui 
 iiutborify they print and circulate, under offi- 
 i-ial form, a tissue of falsifications, misrepre- 
 .•»i'.ntations, and even forgeries, against the re- 
 li.^ion and the ministers of that religion which 
 i-< professed by five or six millions of free 
 American citizens." 
 
 We give licro below as a curiosity the fan- 
 ciful names of the ten deoouiinations or loso- 
 ciations ntGntiotted above, wondering, if Christ 
 were to revisit the earth, which of this Bar- 
 iium's ''liappy family" He would put up with: 
 
 '•Tlie Oregon presbytery of the United (?) 
 Presbyterian church; thf;Orrtgi>n presbytervof 
 Cumberland Presbyterian church ; the Oregon 
 jiresbytery of the United Presbyterian <-hurch; 
 tlie Congregational A.ssociution of Oregon; 
 I'le annual conference of the McthiMiist Kpi*. 
 «• »pal cliurch ; the Chri.'tiiHn brotherhood of the 
 Stiite of Oregon ; the Piensant Uute Baptist 
 I'liurcU of Oregon ; the Steuben presbytery of 
 I'le Pre.sbyierian church. New York; the cit- 
 i<:ens of Steuben, Alleghany and ('beniuug 
 <!our.tie!<, N. Y. ; the citizens of Oberliu, 0. I" 
 
 Of tlicse a.Hsociationd and hundreds of other 
 men-built churches, which obatiuatjly and coa- 
 
 srantly unite in fighting against the old Mother 
 Chun-h of Christ (and in nothing else), we may 
 say : if these would allow to Go<l as much wis- 
 d4>m nod common seitse as to a man desirous to 
 build a high fabric, they would nDderstand that 
 He who made heaven and earth so perfect and 
 lasting for the sole enjoyment of man, must 
 have made most perfec* and lasting, that is, in- 
 fallible, His Chundi made for a higher object, 
 the salvation of souls so dear to Him. There- 
 fore, no need of the so-called Reformation : 
 therefore the touching of that Ark, the Church, 
 is the sin of Oza; it brings death and damna- 
 tion. An Indian understands that at once — 
 made tangible to him by the Catholic Ladder. 
 
 A PftoTErrAMT Bishop on this 
 AND Kindred Sobjects. 
 Bishop J. W. Bashford, of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, lately wrote ao interesting 
 series of articles to the Pacific Christian Ad- 
 vocate on the early Oregon missions. A prom- 
 inent feature of th« islsliAp's write-up is his 
 spirit of foirness to the eariy Oattx^* mission- 
 aries, a feature which is absent from nuch of 
 the nou-Catholic literature dealing with the 
 s«me subject. There is a tonch of unconcious 
 humor in bishop Bashford's contrast of Cath- 
 olic and Protestant methods of civilizing the 
 Indians. One gathers from his account of the 
 miiiier thni the Protestants civilized the In- 
 dians so rapidly that the aborigines died under 
 the treatment. His discussiou on this point 
 is of interest. He says : — 
 
 ''It should be freely recognized also that the 
 Roman Catholic Fathers by their widely ex- 
 tended and long coutinued labors among the 
 Indians contributed directly to the peace and 
 safety of all Indians and white men k3 well as 
 to the eternal welfare of those committed to 
 their charge. Indeed, it was a Roman Cath- 
 olic priest (Father Brouillet) and the officers 
 of the Hudson's Bay Company wlm saved the 
 lives of Messrs. Spalding, Walker, Eells and 
 their families aAer the Indians had massacred 
 Dr. Hud Mrs. Whitman in 1847. If the Bo- 
 man Catholic Fwthers enjoyed the favor of the 
 Hudson's Bay Company and ineurred the crit- 
 icism of Protestants for contributing so litil«, 
 to the advancement of the Indians in the arts. 
 
68 
 
 HlSrOBIUAL SKRCflKS Of THE 
 
 of the white man, the slower pace at which 
 they led their wards toward the white man's 
 civilization at least kept the Indians ali\ long- 
 er than did the Protestants with their more 
 rapid rale of progress. In this regard at least 
 they displayed a wisdom superior to the Meth- 
 odt 8. Upon the whole, probably history will 
 recognised tha* the Hudson's Bay Company 
 and the Roman (/atholic Fathers rendered a 
 greater service to the Indians of British Col- 
 umbia than the Protestant missionnries and 
 the Americans rendered to the Indians of Or- 
 egon. While they struggled for a slower and 
 more backward form of civ!iization, yet Can- 
 ada by extending law over the land, the Hud- 
 son's Bay Company by preserving a consid- 
 erable measure of order among Indians aud 
 whites, and the Roman Catholic Fathers by 
 ministering to the spiritual needsof their ward;* 
 — all contributed, if not to the speedy, ai IcHst 
 to the orderly settlement of Oregon." 
 
 (published seftbmber 12th 1878.) 
 Chbomoixwical Noc'es. 
 
 1847. Rev. P. McCormick ;«kes charge of 
 Oregon City, Sept. 6tli, and Rev. B. Dt-lormo 
 of St. Louis, French Prairie, on Nov. 3rd. 
 The news of Dr. Whitman's murder reaches 
 Oregon City on Dec. 8th, and is communicnted 
 to the legislature the following day. 
 
 1848. The bishop of Walla Walla arrives 
 at St. Paul on Jan. 15. Mission of Rev. V. 
 £. Deleveau to Port Vancouver, Feb. 1st. The 
 archbishop confirms 23 persons at Oregon City, 
 Feb. 13th. The three bishops availing them- 
 selves of the chance of their reunion at!!H. PhuI 
 with a large number of clergymen, hold the 
 first provincial council of Oregtui City, in that 
 church, on Feb. 28th and 29th, and March 1st, 
 in which regulations for discipline, and lU de- 
 crees were made which received later on the 
 approbation of the Holy See. On March I2fh, 
 bishop Deim-rs leaves Fort Vancouver with 
 the Spring Express, for Walla Walla, Colville 
 and th'! Rocky Mountains, on his way to Cau- 
 mda and Europe, in order to raise fundd, aud 
 
 look for missionaries for his dincere. On May 
 4ih 1852, he was at Oregon City, on his way 
 to Victoria, which he reached while the Hrcl'.- 
 bishop was assisting at the I Plenary Couuril 
 of Baltimore. Rev. J. F. Jayol is sent to Cow- 
 litz, for the Nirqnally mission, March ]9lli. 
 The bi<>hop of Walla Walla celebrates polific- 
 ally at St. Paul, on Easter Sunday. April 2dd. 
 Mission of Rev. F. Veyret to (lie Sound, May 
 8lh. The bifhop of Walla Walla leaves Van- 
 couver. June 4th, for his mission of Umatilla; 
 arrived at the Dalles, Iteing forbidden by tiif 
 Snpt. of Indiiin Affairs from going fiiriher, lie 
 eMablishes St. Peter's mission at the Dalles. 
 Ang. 23d, adniisi^ion of the Fathers O. M. 1., 
 by the archbishop, in the district of Nii^qually, 
 to atten<l the Indians of the Sound. They es- 
 tablished their mother house a mile from Olyni- 
 [lia, and Irom thence visited the Indians of the 
 whole Bay. 
 
 On Sept. I2th, four Sisters of Notre Dnuie 
 nrrive<l at Oregon City for a residence. They 
 occupy the rectory, and open their school on 
 the 15ih. Rev. J. Lionet, and Father Lamp- 
 frit, O. M I., arrive over the plains in October. 
 The archbishop leaves St. Paul for his resid- 
 ence at Oregon City, on Dec. 21 st. He stays 
 a month at Mr. McKinley's, and rents a house 
 from Mr. Pomeroy for the rest of the winter. 
 Itev. J. Lionet is sent, Dec. 28lh, to establish 
 a mission at A^ttoria: inntead of that he es- 
 tablisheil it on the other side of the Colimibia, 
 on a piece of land which he cultivates. 
 
 The admiBsion of the Oblate Fathers in the 
 district of Nisquiilly, Aug. 23d 1848, having 
 for object the care of the Indians on the Sound, 
 Father Veyret was recalled from the Bay aud 
 put in charge of St. Paul's in the beginning 
 of September, same year. 
 
 1849. Rev. A. Langlois leaves Oregon for 
 California, in January. Gen. Lnne, first gov- 
 ernor of the Territory, arrives at Oregim City, 
 on March 2nd. Same day, Fniher Lanipfrit 
 is sent to Victoria <lnriiig the absence of bit^hop 
 Deuiers. A large brigade composed of fam- 
 ilies of St. Paul. St. Louis and Vancouver, 
 starts on Ms'y 19th, with Father Delorme. fur 
 the California gold mines. disci>vered in 1848. 
 Arrived on the spot, a burning fever deeiinatea 
 them ; 40 are carried away by the epidemic, 
 
Catholic CHtt-.vii is Ohboo-.. 
 
 C9 
 
 vis : 20 heads of families, 13 single meu and 
 boys, 4 women and siitiie children. Father 
 Delorme exhausted with fatipiie, is also seized 
 by the fever and barely escapes the dniijicr. 
 
 8t. Joseph collcge,St. PanI, is elosed iu June, 
 in consequence of the California mines. Ou 
 Saturday, June 9th, the Sisters of Notre I >-'•<». 
 of Ore|rou City, enter their new larjj 
 built on a block given them by Dr. M» i- 
 
 lin. On the following day, ihc art-llti- p 
 blesses it and celebrates the f.rst Mass in its 
 chapel. Deacon G. Leclairc is raised to the 
 priesthood, Oct. 'ilst. Rev B. Delorme re- 
 turns from California by sea, and arrives Dec. 
 26th. A picket «»f soldiers, under the c«>m- 
 mand of Col. Backeritos, passes the winter at 
 Oregon City. Mrs. Ha4>kento.<ii becomes « con- 
 vert to the faith and is baptized, with all her 
 children, by the an'hbishop. 
 
 1850. The murder of Ur. Whitman and 
 others had brought war a<!aiust the Cavuse 
 tribe. It lasted two years, (1848 and 1849) 
 without tratchiu)! one of the murderers. And 
 while it caused the fall of the Presbyterian 
 missions, it had the effect of increa8in<; those 
 of the Catholics by the establishment of St. 
 liter's at the Dalles, and converting! five sup- 
 |io8ed Cayu.se murderers from Presbyterian- 
 ism to (-aiholicity. For the civil authorities 
 .absolutely requiring the extradition of (lie mur- 
 
 • lerers, the Cayuse chiefs found at last tive men 
 vlio coii.sented to go down, not as fsuilty, but 
 
 ' ' have a talk with the whites and explain all 
 -■)OHt the uiunlerers, ten in number, who were 
 •uiw no more, having l)een killed by the whites. 
 >obt by their chiefs ou this me.«sage. they ex- 
 pe'tcd to return home. They were delivere<i 
 t(i Gov. Lane early iu the spring, brought down 
 lo Oregon City and kept as priM>uer-i. 'i'jieir 
 ;rinl took place, "Notwithstanding the prison- 
 \>rs were pre <h»omed to «leath," .^ays the "Ri ver 
 
 • t the West ;" therefore it was a sham tri.il 
 '♦hich (li-(!eived no one; and they were sen- 
 : .need. May 27tli, to be hung. The execution 
 it»ok place <in June Srd, at 2 p. m., before an 
 iiumeiisf crowd. On hearing their sentence, 
 their ihoii;;hi8 were to .tave their souls, and 
 cull for a prie.ot. The arclibishop went to see 
 :heui without d«lay, and c<mtinued tog<» twice 
 a day tu te.ich tliemr with the Catholic Ladder 
 
 and pr. rare them lor baptism and death. Mr. 
 Spalding -vctit e.irly to see them, but they re- 
 fused to hear i i-n and pray with him. Such 
 were the fruits cf the eleven years of the doc- 
 tor's teaching. The Indians call the priest ; 
 had the priests counseled them to murder Dr. 
 Whitman, it would rather have been to assail 
 them with reproaches, than to ask for their 
 spiritti.'il uiinisi rations. 
 
 On the eye of their death, the old chief Kilo 
 Kite and hi;* four companions made a declar- 
 ati«)n in duplicate. Wfore Henry H. Crawford, 
 sergeant of Co. D., R. M. R., and Rol>ert D. 
 Mahon, corporal of Co. A., R. M. R., declar- 
 ing: the first, that he was opposed; his two sons 
 took part and were killed ; the second, that he 
 was absent and came home the day atter; the 
 third, that he saw the deed, but did not par- 
 ticipate and w as sorry : the fourth and fifth, 
 that they are innocent and die for nothing; all 
 declaring the priests never counseled the crim* 
 (see Catholic SevHnel, April 20th and 27th, 
 1872, for full account.) In the forenoon of 
 June 3d. new quest ions were made, to the same 
 effect. On that day the pri.aoners heard a low 
 .Mass, after which they received the sacraments 
 of baptism and confirmation. At 2 p. m. the 
 archbishop, assisted 'vy Rev. F. Veyret, now a 
 Jesuif, accompanied liiom to the scaffold, where 
 the prayers for the dyiig were recited. Touch- 
 ing words of enc<»urigement were addressed to 
 them on the mom« nt of being swung into the 
 air: "Onward, on .vard to heaven, children ; in- 
 to Thy hands, O Lord Jesus ! 1 commend my 
 spirit." They were then swung into eternity. 
 There is a shameful omissioti io be found in 
 the "River of the Wert," as to umv ihr y died, 
 whether Presbyterians, infidels, or Oatholics? 
 A shameful and false charge is found there also 
 againgt_the youngest of the five, of having been 
 cruel to Jos. Mcek's little girl at the time of 
 the HiaMMcre, which is about as true as the 
 ridiculous story of the marshal himself, who 
 said : "One of them on the scaffold begged me 
 to kill him with my knife." A calumnious 
 falsehood! The truth is that the old chief, Kilo 
 Kite, proudly refused to let his hands butied. 
 But upon the archbishop showing hiui the cru- 
 fix, he became resigned and kept silent. That 
 is one of thn mmuy inaccuraciee to i>« found iu 
 
70 
 
 Historical Skctchcs or thr 
 
 the "River of llic West. ' The followinp fact, 
 80 honorable to ihe ciiizens of Oregon City 
 and all who joined with them, phonld not h« 
 omitted ; that on hearing of the innocenoe of 
 the five CayuBC prixonera they began to circu- 
 late a petition to get iheni a respite ; their sym- 
 pathies increased much more on learning tli«ir 
 declaration ; but, the governor being absent, 
 there was no one to sign it. 
 
 Rev, T. Mespli^ was ordained a priest on 
 May 25th. 
 
 In answor to the bishops assembled in coun- 
 cil at St. Paul's in 1848, there arrived from 
 Rome, on Sept. 29th, briefs bearing the date 
 of May 81st 1850, to the effect of creating the 
 district of Nisqually into a diocese, and trans- 
 ferring the bishop of Walla Walla to that see; 
 and suppressing the diocese of Walla Walln, 
 and passing its administration and those «»f 
 the districts of Colville and Fort Hall to the 
 archbishop, in consequence of which the bish- 
 op of Nisqually leaves the Dulles, visits St. 
 Francis Xavier's mission of Cowlitz, and on 
 Oct. 27lh 1850, fixes his resideiice at Fort 
 Vancouver. 
 
 Hiiving thus brought our history of the Cath- 
 olic Church in Oregon down to the present es- 
 tablishment of the three sees of Oregon City. 
 Nisqually and Vancouver Island, we close our 
 Sketches. 
 
 S HORT BIOG R A PH 1 1">4 
 
 OF THR 
 
 THREE PIONEER BISHOPS 
 
 OF THR 
 
 PROVINCE OF OREGON. 
 
 Archbishop F. N. Blaschkt. 
 
 Franv'ois Norbert Blanchet, missionary and 
 tirst bishop and archbishop of Oregon City. 
 U. S. A., SOI! of Pierre Blanchet. a Canadian 
 tarmer, was born Sept. 30th 1795. near St. 
 Pierre, Riviere .'.u Sud, Province of Quehee. 
 After three ycnrs in the villKire school he went 
 in 1810. with his brother Angustin Magloire, 
 later to first bishop of Walla Walla and Nis- 
 qually, to the seminary of Quebec, where he 
 was ordained priest July 18fh, 1819. He wa« 
 statioued at the catliedr.tl (or a year and was 
 
 ihon sent to Richibucto. N«w Bniiifwick. as 
 |nsHr of the Micmac Indians and Aradinn 
 settlers. In 1827 he was recalled to MonircMl. 
 and appointed pnstrr of Sonhmges. l)nriri<; 
 the cholera of 18,32 he attended the strii ken to 
 fearlessly (hat the Protestants of the p ace pn- 
 sented him with a testimonial. In 18.S7 le 
 was a| pointed vicar gener*-' by bi^hop Sigmiy 
 f( r the Orc;;oti mission, and he set out on Mj'v 
 .3rd, 18;'8. accompanied by the Rev. Modestc 
 Demers with the annual express of the Hud- 
 Kon Bay C« nj any. and they arrived at F< rt 
 Vancouver on Nov. 24th. 
 
 For four years they labored alone. Tlicy 
 were lien reinfonn-d, fnm tiro? to lime, ly 
 other I ricsf!», both secular and regular, and by 
 Sisters of N >tre Dame of Namur, Belgium. 
 On Dec. 1st 1.''48, the Oregon missi. u became 
 a \ icariale Apostolic and Father Blanchet was 
 named its first vicar. He was consecrated 
 bishop in Montreal on July 26lh, 1845. He 
 visited Europe at different times in quest of 
 priests and financial help. On July 24lli, 1846. 
 the vicariate was erected into a province ami 
 bishop Blanchet was made archbishop of Or- 
 egon City, his brother Magloire b»)canie bishop 
 of Walla Walla, and Father Demers bishop 
 «if Vancouver's Island. 
 
 The iirchbishnp was indefatigable. He held 
 his first provincial council in 1848. attended 
 the first plenary council of Baltimore in 1852, 
 went in 1855 to Sonih America an«l collected 
 for two years in Chile, Peru and Bolin'a; he 
 went to Canada in 1859 and returned -.vith 31 
 priests and sisters. He attended the second 
 plenary council cf Baltimore in 1860 : on July 
 19th. 1869, he celebrate*! hid golden jubilee of 
 ordination, and in the following October set 
 out - Rome to assist at the Va'ican council 
 in ! . J. When bishop Seghers was made hi.-^ 
 coadj nr in 1879, he retired to the hospital of 
 the sii»ters of Providence at Portland. He is 
 the author of the "Historical Sketches of the 
 Catho'ic ( hurch in OregDii." In 1880 he re- 
 signed and died in Portland June 18i|i. 1883. 
 He found on the Pacific coast a wilderness, 
 both .spiritual and material; lielef. after 4H 
 vears of heroic work, a well organized ecclc- 
 Mastical province. He will \te known in Am- 
 erican history as the Apostle of Oregon. 
 
Fi.Miop A. M. A. Blanchkt. 
 
 Aitgiistin Maijloire AlexanHre UlHtn-lie». 
 broilier of the preoeiliii<r. Hrst biMiop of WhIIh 
 WhIIh hikI Ni»quHlly, Stare of Wnsliiiigton, 
 V. S. A.. WHB lM)rii AngiiRl 22iid, 1797. on liia 
 fntlier's farm iieHr the village of St. Pieriv, 
 Hi\ i^re dii Slid, Canada. After Htleiidiii),' the 
 villiigc school for three years, he was sent to 
 Qiiebce. with his brother Franynis Norl)ert, to 
 Mudy for the priesthood. He was onlaincd 
 JnneSrd, 1821. After a year as assistant pas- 
 tor at St Gervais, ho was sent ns niissioimry 
 to the Isles de la Madeleine inid later to Cape 
 Breton Island. He gave four years of ininis- 
 iry to the Gnlf provinres. Then he was re- 
 (ralled to the vicariate Apostolic of Montreal, 
 and was successively pastor of fonr parishes, 
 in one of which he was the successor of his el- 
 der brother. In 1846 while a canon of the 
 Montreal cathedral, he was appointed bishop 
 of the new diocese of Walla Walla in what is 
 now the State of Washington. He was con- 
 secrated Sept. 27th, 1846. In the following 
 spring he set out overlnnd for his d slant see 
 with one priest. Rev. J. B. A. Uronillet.and two 
 students. At Pittsburgh he declared his inten- 
 lion to become a citizen of the United Slates. 
 At St. Louis the party was increased by Father 
 Uiciird, two deacons and brother tilanchet, all 
 members of the Order of Mary Iinniacniale. 
 Fort Walla Walla was reached on Sept. oih, 
 1847. The bishop located at the Dalles, and 
 thence inulliplietl his apostolic labors through- 
 out the vast territory under his care. He was 
 fill of zeal. He esiublished missions; built 
 rhiirches ; founded acadt-miea and colleges: ho 
 .'started .schools for the Indians ; he begged for 
 I riests in Cauada and abroad, and he obtaine<l 
 sisters for hospitals and other institutions. 
 
 In 18.50 the see of Walla Walla was siip- 
 (.i-essed and that i>f Ni^qiially ercrted in iis 
 xter.d, with headquarters at Fort Vancouver, 
 lu 18.')2 he attended the first plenary council 
 of Ualiimore, but, on account of iniirniities, he 
 WHS unable to attend that of the Vatican. In 
 1879,a(ier32 years of arduous labor in Wash- 
 iugloii, he resigned his see and was named titu- 
 lar bishop of Ibora. He spent his last 8 years 
 in priiyer and suffering. His peaceful death, 
 which occurred Feb. 2.5th, 1887, was a filliug 
 close for his life of sacrifice. He is revered as 
 :l>o Apostle of Washington. 
 
 Bishop Moomte DrMrRS. 71 
 
 M<i<!i\-le Denierf, the Aposlle of British CoU 
 uinl)i:i. was born at St. Nicholas. Quebec, on 
 Oct. 1 1th, 18()!i. His father. Michel Oemers. 
 and his mother. Rosalie Foui-hcr. were two 
 worthy representatives of the French Canadian 
 farmer class. Endowed with a delicate cons- 
 cience and a distinctly religious disposition, 
 young Dcmer.'* resolved to enter the ecclesias- 
 tical slate, and stinlied first privately and then 
 at the Quebec seminary. He was ordained on 
 Feb. 7ih. 18:JC, by bishop Signay. and after 14 
 months passed as assistant priest at Trois-Pis- 
 toles, he volunteered for the far-off mission of 
 Oregon, where the white population, made up 
 mostly of French Canadians employees of the 
 Hudson Bay Company, was clamoring for the 
 ministrations of a priest. Having crossed the 
 .American continent in company of vicar gen- 
 eml F. N. Blanchet, he reached Walla Walla 
 Nov. 18lh, 1838, and immediately applied him- 
 self to the care of the lowliesi, that is, the In- 
 dian tribes, which were then very numerous. 
 He studied their languages and visited their 
 homes regularly, preaching, catechizing the 
 adults, and baptizing the children. Hi* apos- 
 tolic zeal even led him on along the coast of 
 British Columbia, and in 18-i'<! he proceeded 
 inlaiul )>4 far iiorlh as Stuart Lake, evangeliz- 
 ing as he went all the interior tribes of that 
 pivvince. 
 
 His companion, the vicar general, having 
 been elevated to the episcopate, Father Demers 
 had to submit to what he considered a burden 
 beyond his strength. He was consecrated bish- 
 op on Nov. 30lh. \647, and appointed to the 
 spiritual care of Vancouver Island, making 
 Victoria hie headquarters. As a bishop he 
 continued his work among the Indians, though 
 he soon had to give his best attention to the 
 rough and cosmopolitan element which now 
 formed his wl>=«'» floiik. For its benefit he pro- 
 cured in XSh' .e services of the Sisters of St. 
 Anne, who established schools at Victoria atd 
 elsewhere, and of the Oblate Fathers, who took 
 in hand the evangelization of the natives, and 
 also founded a college in his cathedral city. In 
 18C6 he attended the second plenary council of 
 Bahimore.and shovtly after that of the Vatican. 
 He died July 27th, 1871, beloved alike by Prot- 
 estants and Catholics, and revered for his gen- 
 tleness and his charity for the poor and lowly. 
 
72 
 
 TABLK OF CONTEXTS. 
 
 Sketch 1. liitrfMliiHion. 1 
 
 The lirst Catholics in Oroj^on. 2 
 
 Sketch i. Protestant missionary lal»or» in 
 
 Orejjon. 4 
 
 Sketch 3. Origin of the Canndian missions 
 in Orejion. Letter of the hishop of Ju- 
 liopolin to Dr. John McLan^ihlin. 6 
 
 Letter of Sir 'ieo. Simpson, to the bishop 
 <)f Quehec. Appoinlnjent of minsiona- 
 ries. Instructions jriven to very Rev. F. 
 N. Blanchet and Rev. M. Dcniers. 7 
 
 Skelcli 4. Journey of the missionaries from 
 Lachine to Fort Vancouver. X 
 
 Consecration of llie Rocky Mountains to 
 God. First Mass in Ore;fon. Eifjliteen 
 •hiys at the House of the Lakes. First 
 missionary labors in Orefron. Loss of 
 twelve lives. 9 
 
 Sketch 5. Missionary hibors at Colvillc, ()- 
 kaiiagaii and Waihi Walla. ID 
 
 Letter of vicar jrencral Blanchet to liie 
 bishop of Queljec, jjivinjr ni» account of 
 hia journey to Oregon. 1 1 
 
 Sketch 6. Vicar generals letter ctniliiiui'd. 14 
 Sketch 7. Vicar generals letter concliuled. 17 
 Arrival and recepliuii of the niis*ioniiries 
 at Fort Vancouver. 1>< 
 
 Sketch 8. Letter from Rev. M. Uemers to 
 
 Rev. v. F. Cazean of CJuebcc. 20 
 
 Sketch K. First Mas^^ at Fort Vnncouver. 
 Condition of the coinilry. 23 
 
 Missions to various places and among the 
 Indians. Mission at Vancouver. 21 
 
 Sketch 10. Conversion of Dr. .McLaughlin. 2.5 
 Missionary labors at Fort Vancouver. 2(1 
 First visit to Cowlitz mission. 27 
 
 Sketch 11. First mis-iiou to the Willamette 
 valley. The Wilhimetle Fall. 28 
 
 Tlie true name of our river. .30 
 
 Sketch 12. First mission to Cowlitz in \A'M>. .SI 
 First mission at Fori Nisqually. 82 
 
 Sketch I.S. Second mission to the Willam- 
 
 «.'tte valley. 33 
 
 Sketch 14. Brigade of ihe North. Mission 
 ofFailier Deiners to Colville in 1839. 34 
 Brigade of tip South. .Second ujis^ion 
 to Cow ;z. 35 
 
 Sketch ti'). Second mission to Nisqnaily. 
 Short reuTiion of the two niissioimries. 
 Objections raised to the r -^idence at the 
 
 48 
 4!» 
 M 
 
 h.) 
 :>4 
 
 WillaniiMte. Farting of the mi^-sionaries. 36 
 
 Sketch IC. Sketch of ihe Cowliijs mission, 
 by Rev. M. D«'iners. 37 
 
 Ske'lrh 17 Missionary lalK>rs in 184<». Mis- 
 sions to Vancouver, Nisqually. Whidby 
 Island, Chinook Fnint. Brigades and Col- 
 ville. First communion at Si. I'aid. W 
 
 Skeich 18. 41 
 
 Sketch 11». 4*2 
 
 Letter of bishop Rosati of St. I^ouis, to 
 the (Jeneral of the Society of Jesus. 43 
 
 Skeich 2('. Missionary lal>ors in 1841 at 
 Vnncnnver. Willamette Falls, Clack- 
 amas and Cascades. Letter of Father 
 l)c Sniet to vicar general Blanche). 4r) 
 
 Skcleli 21. Additional incidents in 1840. 
 Various missions in 1841. 47 
 
 Skcicli 22. Incidents of 1841. Missionary 
 labors in 1842. 
 Arrival of Father De Smet. 
 
 Skeich 23. 
 
 Missionary labors in 1843. 
 
 Skeich 24 Missionary labors in 1844. 
 Arrival of Father De Smel by sea. 
 
 Skeich 2.'>. Fight at ()reg<m City, March 
 4ih 18^4. Extract fnmi the mi.xsionary 
 report on llie occasion. nft 
 
 Skeich 2f>. Missionary labors in 184.5 nn<l 
 184(). Letter of Father Demers to the 
 vicar general. .Tfi 
 
 Sketch 27. The bishop ele<l's journey to 
 Canada, Komc, and return to Oregon. 
 Coiidiiion of the missions in 1844. 68 
 
 .■Sketch 2H Rejoicing in the archdiocese at 
 the arrival of the bishop of Walla Walla. 
 Consecration tf bishop Deniers. I'on- 
 dition of ihe dioceses. 61 
 
 Sketch 211. Ml r'cr of Dr. Whitman and 
 wife. Narrow esca|ie of Mr. Spalding. 
 The lives of Father Bronillet, the bishop 
 and clergy in great danger. C3 
 
 Effects of the murder and war upon the 
 Catholic and 1'rotef.tanl mission!). Ingrai- 
 itiide and calnninies of Mr. Spalding. t-fi 
 Sketch .30. Father Brouillet's pampMcts. Ofi 
 A Frotestant bishop on this subject. C7 
 
 Sketch 31. Chronological notes. 68 
 
 Biograpliy of archbishop Blanchet. 70 
 
 Biographical sketches of Bishops Blan- 
 chet and Demers. 71 
 
IMI