History of Oregon - 1886 Author:Hubert Howe Bancroft Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. SETTLEMENT OF OREUOX. 1S32-1S34. The Flatheads At St Louis—They Ask Fob Missionary—Interest Raised Among Religious People—The Churches Rovseu... more »—Acnox Op The Methodist Board—Jason And Daniel Lee Chosen Missiona- Ries—Wyeth Consulted—Joitbney Ovesland From Independence— Preaching At Fort Hall—Arrival At Fort Vancouver—Visit To The Willamette Valley — Mission Site Chosen — Reasons For Abandoning The Flathead Plan—Thk French Canadians—Campe- .II M1 Du Sable—Hall J. Kelley—Something About The Men Who Came With Lewis Asd Clarke, The Astok Expeditions, Wyeth, Kelley, And Ewing Young. About the year 1832 four native chiefs from the region round the head waters of the Columbia appeared at St Louis asking for Mr Clarke, of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, then resident Indian agent at that place. Their fathers had told them of his visit to their nation. From various sources, from the praise of pious travellers and the oaths of impious trappers, they had learned of the white man's God, ana the book which he had given. And now, would the great white chief grant their prayer and send religious men to point their people the way to heaven? It was promised them according to their request. Soon after two of them sickened and died; of the other two, one met death during his return, and the other reached his people and reported.1 1 Such is the story, simplified from many conflicting statements, and presented in the form of reason and probability. There is no doubt in my mind as to the truth of the matter in the main, though it has been denied by- some. As to the date and general incidents, Shea, Cnth. Mi,i., 4(i7—see also Vhite, in Oregon Spectator, Nov. 12, 1840—states that since 1820 the Flat- A CALL UPON CHRISTENDOM. 55 This incident, heralded through the press, ela...« less