Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/446

414 vessels; one English, the other American. On board the American, there was a ball last night. Our captain, a member of the M. E. church and a member also of the board of managers, was at it! Has Methodism come to this? My confidence in his piety was never very great; little as it was, it was shaken in his neglect of Capt. Guston while we were in Baker's Bay. Where is this confidence now? after having witnessed his fretful, fault-finding habits for some weeks, and also hearing his continual complaints of every person and thing, almost, connected with the benevolent operation of the Christian church in the present age, and now, to wind up the affair, or to give, as it were, a finishing touch to his character, he attends this ball. In this community, it seems peculiarly bad. The depraved part of this foreign population are considerably prejudiced against the members of the Presbyterian mission of these islands; and to have this Methodist captain go to the ball with them, and spend hours in such scenes and company; it is painful; it is mortifying; would that he were not known as a Methodist man—But that as far as we are concerned, I suppose, that which cannot be cured, must be endured; I do not think the captain danced at the ball. Is it true, "Man is known by the company he keeps"? I should be pleased with a good chance to change vessels.

This day we finish three letters to be sent to the States by the Whaleship, William Hamilton. They are for C. Pitman, M. Adams and children, one sheet each.

Friday, 27. This day we go on shore to visit our friends, Mr. Damon and sundry persons connected with the Presbyterian mission.

In the afternoon of this day, I see Mr. Pierce, the first mate of the whaleship William Hamilton, of New Bedford, now lying in the port, bound for home. I had before this applied to the captain, Captain Fisher, for a passage home, but his answer was, they were so full, there was no room. I now named the thing to the mate; he said