Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/146

Cayuse originally spoke a distinct language from the Nez perces but have so long intermarried that Nez perces is spoken by all & the younger ones do not understand Cayuse at all. The Walla Wallas also are to a great extent able to speak Nez perces Several have been with us during the winter & spring & many express a wish to come next year & cultivate land. We shall not have access to as many Indians at first as Brother Spalding but in the end I think as many will be benefited by this station as that. We have far more good land for cultivation here than there probably more than at any other place on the upper Columbia Our Horses & cows wintered as well as those that are fed & stabled in N York notwithstanding their long journey & as the Traders & Indians say unusually severe winter. We had fall of snow which commenced 16th Dec & fell 18 inches in depth which remained on the ground for six weeks. All the other snow storms were trifling not amounting to more than an inch in depth From the first of Feb the ground has been bare & early in March grass began to spring so that cattle & horses began to thrive I began to plow the first week in March but was unable to do much on account of Mrs Whitmans health My Farm consists of one yoke oxen belonging to one of the Cayuse Chiefs & a yoke of bulls one belonging to the Co. & one to the mission both of which I have broken two horses & four mules; With this team I am able to break the ground very well I have two acres of peas sowed 9 acres of corn planted & intend to plant 3 more & have planted & intend to plant 2 acres of potatoes, in all 16 acres If associates come I think they will have little to fear for want of provision. I hope to obtain wheat for fall sowing We feel we have passed a comfortable winter indeed; but still at my place we have eaten nine wild horses bought of the Indians at a cost of about $6. dollars each in goods We have a tolerable supply of flour corn butter & a little pork & venison & a few potatoes We are now getting fish in small quantity but soon expect to get plenty of salmon of which I hope to salt a good supply. A few Indians only wintered with us & did not afford us a very favorable opportunity for acquiring the language Early in March most of them returned & for a time labored very hard to prepare ground to plant. All of both (hole in paper] working faithfully But owing to a severe