Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/315

 Diary of Rev. George Gary — III 293 Brewer, giving information that the emigrants, "The Meek Party", many of them are sick; quite a number have died ; a disease prevails among them resembling the old camp distemper in the Revolutionary war ; the effect of their toil, destitution, and the impure water they drank in their lost and dreadful situation. Mr. Brewer is about worn out and discouraged in waiting upon the emigrants, and inquires what shall be done; Mrs. Waller was con- fined last Sabbath and delivered a fine boy; Mr. Waller had to be the doctor in the case ; all said to be doing well. Sabbath, 26. Rainy morning. Not quite twenty at meeting. Evening, the rain abates, congregation larger. Monday, 27. Fair weather again. We take great in- terest in the weather these days in view of the emigrants. The probability is the entire number of this year's emi- gration is about three thousand souls, six hundred wagons and fifteen thousand head of cattle; So writes Mr. Brewer who has a pretty good opportunity to ascertain the number. A large proportion of this large emigration are as high up the Columbia as the Dalls and some still further back. Their passage down the river is difficult, dangerous and slow as there are very [1845] Monday, November 24. This day we receive a box of books from the vessel in which we find the North- ern C. Advocate, a few Advocates and some other papers. Our eyes will now weary with reading. Tuesday, 25. Bro. Abernethy reads me a letter from a distinguished member of the board in N. Y., informing us of the death of Rev. Jason Lee, late superintendent of Oregon mission. He has gone, gone from his labors and cares for this new and rising portion of the earth ; where his fairest hopes have bloomed, bloomed with a great deal of promise but painfully faded to a considerable ex- tent. As I have had some opportunity to see his footsteps in this territory, I feel safe in saying I believe he was actuated by large and generous views for the natives and emigrants of this colony ; and that he was aided by others