Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/270



262 JASON LEE

They are building a new mill and the workmanship does honour to the master. The scenery up the Columbia below the Cas- cades is the most delightful I ever beheld, but we could get but a partial view of the mountains on account of the mist in which they were enveloped. Arrived at Fort Vancouver at 3 o'clock, found the governor and other gentlemen connected with the fort on shore awaiting our arrival, and conducted us to the fort and gave us food, which was very acceptable, as we had eaten our last for breakfast. We received every attention from these gentlemen. Our baggage was brought and put into a spacious room without consulting us and the room assigned for our use, and we had the pleasure of sleeping again within the walls of a house after a long and fatiguing journey, re- plete with mercies, deprivations, toil and prosperity. I have been much delighted today in viewing the improvements of the farm, etc. The dinner was as good and served in as good style as in any gentleman's house in the east. Fine musk- melons and water melons and apples were set before us which were, indeed, a luxury, after the dry living we have had for some time. After dinner took a turn in the garden and was astonished to find it in such a high state of cultivation. The orchard is young, but the quantity of fruit is so great that many of the branches would break if they were not prevented by props. Dr. McLoughlin, the governor of the fort, seems pleased that missions have come to the country and freely offers us any assistance that it is in his power to render. It is his decided opinion that we should commence somewhere in this vicinity. O Lord, do thou direct us in the choice of a location. This evening received the joyful intelligence that Capt. Wyeth's brig was in sight. It is a matter of joy because the last we heard it was on a sandbar some 70 miles below, and we feared we should be obliged to go down for our goods. Is not the hand of Providence in all this? Would to God that I could praise him as I ought for his gracious dealings with us. It is now past 1 1 o'clock and I must commend myself to divine care and retire.