Page:Journal of John H. Frost, 1840-42 part 1.pdf/2

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Journal of John H. Frost, 1840-43
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years, when, suffering from hardship, ill health and, as the journal intimates, a lack of harmony with Jason Lee, in February, 1843, he asked Lee for his discharge from the mission. As no vessel was leaving the river for the islands during the spring he was obliged to wait until August 21 to obtain passage in the Hudson's Bay Company's vessel the Diamond.

After his return to the states he continued preaching in various pastorates. In 1858 he went to Texas, and the last entry in the journal, July 20, 1863, was written at New Orleans.

Mr. Frost was born at Rochester, New York, March 25, 1805. His death occurred sometime between 1863 and 1866. His widow married S. H. Beggs January 1, 1866.

The portions of the journal to be printed in this volume of the Oregon Historical Quarterly relate only to his work in Oregon. In 1844, in collaboration with Daniel Lee, Frost wrote a history of the Oregon mission called Ten Years in Oregon. Frost's part of the book was written from the record contained in this journal.


JOURNAL

[MAY] 21 [1840]. Saw the Land at ½ past 6 A. M. The wind and weather very favourable. We crossed the bar at the mouth of the Columbia river very smoothly and dropped anchor in Baker's Bay at about 2 Oclock P.M. where we found the Vancouver, a vessel belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. A party of us went on shore in the afternoon, and took a ramble, and upon our return we found Br. Daniel Lee on board, from the mission, having with him the Chenook chief[1] and wife, and several of the tribe. Also one Indian from Waskopam, and one from Willamette. By Br. D. Lee we were informed of the death of Br. Shepherd,[2] which was sad news for us. He also informed that about 1000 Indians, belonging at Waskopam, and between that and Vancouver had become praying men, many of whom he supposed had embraced religion. Which intelligence was very cheering to us all. We supped on a very fine Salmon, sent us by the Companies ship, and after prayrs retired.


  1. Chenamus and Sally, his wife.
  2. Cyrus Shepard, who had come to Oregon with Jason Lee in 1834.