Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/145

 The express should be put up in two leather cases made water tight.

Let me again say, that all the gentlemen of the Hon H. B. Co., with whom we have made acquaintance, show us the greatest kindness. We beg the prayers of all the friends of Missions, for ourselves and the great work in which we are engaged.

Yours ever truly

Wiiletpoo, May 5th 1837

Rev. David Greene

Secratary A.B.C.F.M.

Dear Sir

By the fostering care of a kind providence I am permitted to address you from my location after having passed a comfortable winter as to food raiment & House; in health to a great degree. We all arrived at Walla Walla 9 miles below the junction of Lewis & Clarks Rivers early in September as I wrote you from thence by the Hudson Bay Co's express & also by Ship from Vancouver. At Vancouver we were received in the kindest manner by Doct McLaughlin Chief Factor &c & by all the other gentlemen of the Company. After obtaining such supplies we returned to explore & build leaving our wives at Vancouver. After exploring we determined to make two locations one on the Walla Walla River about 25 miles from the Fort in the Cayuse so called by Traders or (as they call themselves) Wiiletpoo Country; the other in the Nez perces Country about 100 miles from the former It was determined I should remain with Cayuses & Brother Spalding with Nez perces Brother Spalding proceeded to Vancouver for farther Supplies & to return with our wives Brother Gray & myself commenced to build at Wiiletpo 14th Oct The frame to my house is thirty by 36 built in a substantial maner with good chambers The leantoo only is finished making two bed rooms kitchen & pantry. We commenced house keping the 10th Dec The remainder of my house I intended to finish in the fall. The 22 Nov. Brother Spalding left Walla Walla for the Nez perces country to make his location accompanyed by Mrs. Spalding & Brother Gray. The