Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/76

 48 HOWARD MALCOLM BALLOU

to the Language, laid before him your views on the subject After an examination he said he preferred Mr Spaldings Method to Mr Pickering or yourself and this seemed to be the only prospect for a time, indeed one book was printed in that alphabet But by the judicious advice of Mr Hall an easy adjustment was made^-& we now have a small book printed which we are teaching written with Pickering's Alphabet

The Pickering alphabet mentioned by Dr. Whitman was based on John Pickering's "An essay on a uniform orthography for Indian languages of North America," Cambridge : 1820.

Mr. Spalding thus informs Mr. Greene from Clear Water, March 16, 1840:

"We found as you predicted, the alphabet which I had adopt- ed, impracticable by reason of the short vowels. No two per- sons would spell alike & even the same person would always be in doubt what vowel to give to a short vowel sound in a given word you perceive we have adopted the alphabet you proposed to Doct. Whitman before he left the States.

As to teaching the English language, a majority of the mis- sion do not think it advisable to make the attempt & w r e have resolved to give our attention entirely to the Native as the only safe way of communicating religious truth to the mind."

At the annual meeting of the Oregon meeting held at the house of Rev. H. H. Spalding, Clear Water, commencing on Sept. 2nd, 1839, and ending on the 5th, the following assign- ments had been made.

"Resolved That Mr Rogers be invited to prepare a small elementary arithmetic & Mr Smith his reviewer

Also. That Dr Whitman be appointed to prepare a reading book & Mr. Rogers his reviewer

Also. That Mr. Smith be appointed to prepare a book con- taining religious instruction or translation from the New Testa- ment & Mr. Spalding his reviewer

Also. That Mr. Spalding be appointed to prepare a book containing religious instruction from the Old Testament & Mr. Smith his reviewer

Also. That Messrs Spalding & Smith be a committee to translate the ten commandments to be published at the Islands under a cut.

Also. That Messrs Spalding & Smith be appointed to pre- pare Hymns in the native language & each other's reviewers"