waiting.
In his message to the legislature December 7, 1847, Governor Abernethy said: "Our relations with the In dians become every year more embarrassing. They see the white man occupy their land, rapidly filling up the country, and they put in a claim for pay. They have been told that a chief would come out from the United States and treat with them for their lands; they have been told this so often that they begin to doubt it; at all events/ they say, he will not come till we are all dead, and then what good will blankets do us? We want some thing now. This leads to trouble between the settler and the Indians about him. Some plan should be devised by which a fund can be raised and presents made to the Indians of sufficient value to keep them quiet until an agent arrives from the United States. A number of rob beries have been committed by the Indians in the upper country, upon the emigrants, as they were passing through their territory. This should not be allowed to pass. An appropriation should be made by you sufficient to enable the superintendent of Indian affairs to take a small party in the spring and demand restitution of the property, or its equivalent in horses."
Alas, the blow so long apprehended had fallen, and the isolated Oregon colony, cut off by thousands of miles from the parent government, without troops, without money, without organization of forces or arms, was suddenly brought face to face with the horrors of an Indian war.
