Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/291



[1845] Tuesday, Jan. 21. This day I receive from Doct. McLaughlin a bill of our indebtedness to Hudson Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, amounting to £974, 15 shillings and 9 p. at 4/6 to a dollar. No small amount, between five and six hundred pounds of this was due a year ago. Nearly three hundred is embraced in settling with and sending home the Sandwich Islanders. The re- mainder has been used by the missionaries in various forms. Added to this indebtedness, we shall owe the company for the passage to Sandwich Islands of Bro. Perkins and Doct. Babcock, and their families ; this pass- age is by the day, so the amount cannot be ascertained until we hear from Sandwich Islands ; probably the whole will nearly consume the sale made Doct. McLaughlin of city lots last July, which was $6,000. This sale I deem a very fortunate one; inasmuch as it was made so as to cancel this indebtedness. I think it was in reality worth nearly eight thousand dollars in drafts as these drafts by this company would have to be subjected to heavy dis- counts. Moreover, I think we are so arranging our af- fairs that this company may never again have the mission so completely dependent on them, or indebted to them. I design to and think I shall establish the principle no- thing will be bought of them by the mission without pay- ment, or a very ready and certain arrangement for paying in this country.

We have meeting this evening. It is very rainy and the river is rising.

Wednesday, 22. Bro. Abernethy busy in settling with the persons formerly connected with the mission, H. Campbell and others. We have evening meetings; they are of some interest.