Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/73

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people, about thirty families, residing there, were much alarmed. A Calapooya chief also living near the Metho dist mission, incensed because one of his people had been Hogged, by order of Dr. White, for stealing a horse from the missionaries and flour from the mill at Salem, had gone away declaring he would return with a force to drive away the Americans.

"The colony is indeed in a most defenseless condition," remarks Hines; "two hundred Indians divided into four bands might destroy the whole settlement in one night."

White had no less than eight prisoners, white and red, on his hands at this time, and the adjustment of these affairs was occasioning no little trouble; but happily the Indians in the vicinity of the settlements were more brawl ers than fighters, and the dreaded outbreak was averted for the time being.

On the twentieth of April, 1843, another letter was re ceived from Mr. Brewer at The Dalles, stating that the Indians in the interior still talked much of war between themselves, and that the white people in their midst had much to fear from their moocl. White then hastened to keep his appointment made in December, in order, if pos sible, to remove from their minds the excitement origi nating in Dr. Whitman s promise, and confirmed, it was said, by what Dr. White had told them in the council of December this latter being by inference only.

But now the United States agent found himself in a very delicate position. United States authority and the national treasury were a long way off. No government of any kind existed in Oregon; no force was there with which to intimidate the Indians, should force be necessary; no public funds to draw upon for presents to pacify the sus picions of the Cayuses and Nez Percés; and to add to the hopelessness of the situation, the settlers had just previ ously dispatched to congress a memorial, charging the Hudson's Bay Company in Oregon with every species of tyranny and injustice towards the Americans, and particu-