CHAPTER II.
Presbyterian Missions in Oregon—Dr. Whitman—H. H. Spalding—A. B. Smith—W. H. Gray, Cornelius Rogers—Dr. Parker's Mission to Oregon—Heroic Women—Characteristics of the Flatheads, Cayuses, Walla Wallas, and Nez Perces—Bonneville's Present from a Cayuse—Their Religious Observances—Taught by Pambrun—Missionaries Unable to Understand the Indians—Their Demands—Spalding's Troubles—The Fate of Hat—Attitude of Ellis—Efforts at Agriculture—Mrs. Spalding—Chemekane Mission—Catholic Influence—Blanchet and Demers—The Root of the Troubles with the Indians—Cayuses Assault Dr. Whitman—Assistants Refuse to Remain at the Mission—Gray's Indiscretion—Troubles of Spalding—Demands of the Home Board—Order to Discontinue Wailatpu and Lapwai Missions—Arrival of White's Immigrant Party—Whitman's Bill, and What it Asked For—The Failure of His Mission to the East—Conclusions.
Besides the Methodist missions, there were north of the Columbia river and east of the Cascades mountains several Presbyterian missions, founded in 1836, 1837, and 1838. These were under the superintendency of Dr. Marcus Whitman, and supported by the American board of com missioners for foreign missions. Dr. Whitman was settled among the Cayuses in the Walla Walla valley, twenty-five miles from Fort Walla Walla of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rev. H. H. Spalding was stationed among the Nez Perces, eighty miles east of the superintendent, on the Clearwater river, at a place called Lapwai; and a third station on a branch of the Spokane river, about forty miles from Fort Colville of the Hudson's Bay Company, was in charge of Elkanah Walker and Cushing Eells, who had charge of the Spokane Indians. A fourth station was selected among the upper Nez Percés, about sixty miles northeast of Lapwai, which was put in charge of A. B. Smith. Each of these missionaries had a wife, who assisted him in teaching. There was, besides, a lay member, also married, attached to the missions from the first—W. H. Gray, whose work on the early history of Oregon is well known; also an unmarried man, Cornelius Rogers; and
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