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272 the mission would have made it necessary to start until the spring. Mr. Hinman has no recollection of hearing about any trouble of a serious character connected with the mission. Nothing was said about it during the winter that he lived with the family.

During the course of these conversations the paper which was read by Professor Bourne before the American Historical Society was placed in the hands of Mr. Hinman for examination and comment. He read it carefully, and does not think it correct. Of the journey to Washington, for which Professor Bourne does not find sufficient evidence, Mr. Hinman is sure, unless he was told a direct falsehood, which is improbable. Concerning the results of the visit to Washington, Mr. Hinman is conservative. He says we do not yet know how much Mr. Whitman succeeded in accomplishing, but he feels certain that he had primarily in view the settlement of the country when he went East, and that his visit to Washington had something to do with that. Mr. Hinman does not indorse the opinion set forth in the paper of Professor Bourne in regard to the character of Mr. Spaulding. He is spoken of by Mr. Hinman as a man impulsive in nature, deeply prejudiced, excitable, and not possessed of the best judgment, but not purposely dishonest or false. In regard to the lack of contemporary evidence concerning the purposes of the journey East, Mr. Hinman criticises the article of Professor Bourne as lacking in a clear understanding of the local conditions. Mr. Hinman calls attention to the fact that if Mr. Whitman had the purpose of encouraging settlement when he made his journey East, he would have taken every precaution to conceal that purpose, even from those with whom he was most intimate, in order to prevent a knowledge of his purpose from becoming known to the fur company and to the Catholics. If he was interested in furthering the