Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/186

 166 Charles Henry Carey and I suspect that after all he may have expected that with many cries and tears he will be entreated to remain in the service of the mission. We must wait a few days and see how the winds will blow. Saturday, 7. I am more and more surprised that Br. Perkins should declare on* as he has. What will be done, I know not. Sunday, 8. Today at eleven o'clock a. m., meeting with the natives. About one hundred present, the larg- est congregation I have seen in the territory. From the attention and order of the congregation, I am favorably impressed concerning this people and hope something may be done for their everlasting benefits. At 2 p. m., preached to the writes ; 17 old and young ; also a very few Indians. 5 p. m., Prayer meeting with and among the natives; quite a number of these prayed, both men and women; from the apparent spirit of these prayers, I charitably believe some of them fear the Lord. There is a great degree of heathenish darkness among the most of them; in their conflicts or wars among their tribes, they take their captives as slaves. There has just been a case as follows: — A man lost a son; this man had a slave of perhaps ten years of age ; this son formerly thought much of this slave and now his father determined this boy must be buried with the body of his deceased son (they bury their dead in boxes above ground) the living boy's feet were tied together at the ankles ; his hands also at the wrists; he put into the box face downward and then the dead body put onto him. In this condition, he spent one night, but through the interference of Br. Per- kins by purchasing the slave with a number of blankets and a few other things, saved the little fellow from the sepulchre of death ; here he is at Br. Perkins', ankles and wrists very sore from the efforts he made to break loose from the bonds of death. The box is large and holds many bodies. This boy was put onto many old corpses. The dead body put onto him was but larger than his own ;