He had been engaged since I saw him in providing for his family, consequently had found no time to work for us. But declared himself to be ready to engage with us in building us a habitation. Consequently, after consultation, we determined to leave our families at fort George, while we would go to the Clatsop plain and put up a house. And now a scene of labour and suffering commenced, to the like of which, I had all my life previously been an utter stranger. But a few months since we had concluded a sea voyage of 22,000 miles, & since the conclusion of which I had assisted in unlading the ship, all our goods having to be taken at the end of the tackle, which I hope will hereafter, forever, be prevented by those who contract for the delivery of any goods at any missionary establishment; so that the missionary is not obliged to spend what strength he has remaining, immediately upon his landing upon a dark wild shore, where the trials and labours through which he must pass, will require the strength of the strongest, and, almost, a miracle of Divine mercy to enable him to endure one year. And besides this I had made a number of lengthy trips on the Columbia and Willamette in canoes & boats; not by any means the most comfortable way of journeying, and had been called to endure, during my stay at Fort George, the very afflicting feeling of being in continual suspence, relative to what I had written to Rev. J. Lee, our superintendent on the subject of help &c. But no time could be lost. So after our things were arranged, which occupied our time until the next day, we bid our families farewell, and with our tools, and provisions for some days, we set out in Br. Smiths canoe, for the plains before mentioned. We arrived at the landing on the Skepenowin27 a creek which leads from Young's Bay, in a zigzag course to within about one mile of the plain. Here we drew the canoe upon land and packed our effects upon our backs and set out in search of a building spot. We arrived at the plain, and then performed a circuitous rout, by an old indian trail upon the same, for the distance of about six miles, when we arrived at the spot upon which Br. Smith had pitched as being desirable for a building spot.
27 Skipanon Creek.
