Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/108

 and unstable side saddles then commonly used by women. Mrs. Whitman continues as follows:

"Now for Edwards amusement & that he may know how to do when he comes over the Rocky Mountains I will tell how we get the cattle over the rivers. Our two boys, Richard & John have had the chief management of them all the way, & are commendible for the patience they have manifested. They have some one or two to help them usually but none so steady drivers as themselves. When a stream is to be forded, where it is necessary for the[m] to swim, Richard com[e]s to my husband & asks if he may go over with his horse & clothes then come back after the cows. Having obtained consent he rides over accompanied by his fellow drivers all strip themselves to the shirt, then return with their horses, if the stream is wide & difficult, if not they leave their horses, tie their shirts on their heads swim back, collect the cows & drive them through all swimming after them. If the stream is very wide & they return with their horses, they drive them over swimming on their horses after them. This saves them from the too great fatigue of swimming the river twice. They love to swim as they love to eat & by doing it have saved me many an anxious feeling, for the relief it has given my Husband many times. In the commencement of the journey we were not able to ford all the streams. In this case all the horses & mules were to be driven across likewise usually the best Indian swimmer was selected & mounted the horse that was good for leading to go before the animals as a guide, while many others swim after them to drive them over when once under way, such a snorting & hallowing you never heard, at the same time you can see nothing save so many heads floating upon the water. Soon they gain the opposite shore, triumphantly ascend its banks shake themselves & retire to their accostomed employment.”

The missionary party left the Missouri with seventeen head of cattle. They arrived at Fort Walla Walla with eight of this number. The Indian boys, Richard and John, were the two taken to New York state by Doctor Whitman from Rendezvous in 1835, put in school there during the winter and were now being returned to their tribe, the Nez Perce. They drove this