Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/94

78 Charles Henry Carey portunity which failed, and learning of our appointment and of the time we sailed from New York, they returned to Oregon, leaving the Islands about a month before we arrived there. Fri. 31. Our wind up the river very light, our prog- ress consequently very slow. About 5: P. M. we leave the Brothers, the place of poor fare and of strong drink. In our voyage in the Laurance from New York to Oahu, of twenty-one weeks, I gained in weight ten pounds, in the Brothers of four weeks (and a few of the days since we came into the river very good fare, but little credit to Capt. Flere however) I have lost more than half I gained on the Laurance. Mrs Kary on board of this vessel would have suffered much more than I did, had it not been for some choice things provided for us by the outfit with which the Board furnished us before we left New York. These supplies were in season and we never shall forget the benefits they afforded us without emotions of inexpressible gratitude to the Board of Man- agers of the Missionary Society of the M. E. Church. And I trust the rememberance of these supplies will be attended with gratitude and praise to the Father of every good and perfect gift. * * * Adieu to the penurious Brothers. Adieu, I say, to the penurious Brothers. After leaving our vessel, we find ourselves in a small boat. Our crew consist of Mr Abernethy as master and helms- man, and an American by the name of Wood, and two Sandwich Islanders called Kanakas. With this crew we are rowed up the river until within about two miles of Fort Vancouver and about ten o'clock in the evening, we go ashore, strike a fire, eat our supper, crawl into a small tent and are soon in the arms of balmy and refreshing sleep on the northern bank of the Columbia River. [1844] Sat. June 1. About three o'clock this morning, our feathered neighbors upon the surrounding branches commence their songs with apparent delight and melody. 4 A. M. We start for Vancouver and soon arrive there,