with the luxury of milk and butter. The distance from the mission school to the falls by land, is fifty miles, and about one-third of the way is forest. Towards evening of the first day, while urging my animals along the narrow zig-zag Indian trail leading through the dark forest which skirts the Molala River, the piteous and well known cry of a panther but a few rods from the path, brought man and beast at once to a stand. Remaining for a moment, and discovering that the beast of prey was disposed to let us pass, I pushed on as fast as possible, desiring to get as far as I could from the haunts of my troublesome neighbor, before dark, for fear my animals might be attacked during the night. Arriving at nine o'clock on a little prairie between the Molala and Harchauke Rivers, I tied my calves to a small oak tree with a lasso, built a fire in a small hut which one of the settlers had built some time before, and abandoned, and rolling myself in my blanket, lay down to sleep. In the morning I found all safe, the panther had kept his distance. Loosing my animals I proceeded on, and at night arrived in safety at the falls.

Friday, 14th. Returned to the upper settlement, and preached the following Sabbath again at the mission school.

Wednesday, 19th. Having procured a quantity of supplies, consisting of wheat, beef, potatoes, &c., I hired it conveyed to the Bute, and thence took it in a canoe down to the falls. This is the manner of transporting provisions in the country-a very laborious and dangerous method.

Spent a few days in forwarding my house, which I had purchased in Oregon City soon after we returned from the islands, being quite solicitous to occupy it as soon as possible. Mr. Gary and his wife have decided to reside with us in preference to keeping house. They are still in the upper settlement, where Mr. Gary is arranging business with the lay members preparatory to their dismission.

Sabbath, 23d. Preached to a congregation of about forty persons in the Methodist Church at the falls, and

proved the truth of the Saviour's promise, "Lo, I am with you."

Tuesday, 25th. Returned to the settlement above, to attend a meeting of the Methodist Society at the mission school, the following day. The meeting was called by Mr. Gary, and related to the Oregon Institute.

Ever since soon after the arrival of the large reinforcement in 1840, the people of Oregon had been endeavoring to establish a literary institution bearing the name of the "Oregon Institute." They had so far succeeded as to secure a very eligible location about three miles from the Oregon Mission school, and build a house which was nearly completed, at an expense of about three thousand dollars. It was now proposed by Mr. Gary to sell the Oregon Mission school house and premises, and disband the school; and though he had an opportunity to sell it to the Roman Catholics for a high price, he preferred to sell it to the trustees of the Oregon Institute for much less. It was exceedingly desirable on the part of the trustees, to secure this property, as, from the location of the farm, embracing a mile square, it was very valuable, and the house itself cost the mission not less than eight thousand dollars. Having an opportunity to sell the first mentioned premises without much sacrifice, they were disposed of, and the Oregon Mission school-house and farm were purchased at an expense of four thousand dollars, and are hereafter to be known as the Oregon Institute. For the promotion of the interests of the church, and for the welfare of this rising country, a more judicious appropriation of the property of the former mission school could not have been made. By selling it to the Catholics, Mr. Gary could have taken more money for it, but it would have been converted into a nunnery. Every Protestant will say, "Rather give it all away, than desecrate it to so impious a purpose."

The institution stands upon an elevated portion of a beautiful plain, surrounded with the most delightful scenery, and at a point which, at some future day, destined to be one of considerable importance.

The building is beautifully proportioned, being seventyfive feet long and forty-eight wide, including the wings, and three stories high. When finished it will not only present a fine appearance without, but will be commodious, and well adapted to the purposes intended to be accomplished within. It is already so far advanced that a school is now in successful operation, under the tuition of one well qualified to sustain its interests. Already it numbers more students than did either the Cazenovia Seminary or the Willbraham Acadamy, at their commencement, and who can tell but that it may equal, if not exceed both those institutions in importance, as well as usefulness. Though I cannot say that it is the only hope of Oregon, for whether it lives or dies, Oregon will yet be redeemed from the remains of Paganism and the gloom of Papal darkness by which she is enshrouded; but the sentiment forces itself on the mind that the subject of the Oregon Institute is vital to the interests of the Methodist Episcopal church in this country. If it lives, it will be a luminary in the moral heavens of Oregon, shedding abroad the light of knowledge after its founders shall have ceased to live. But if it dies, our sun is set, and it is impossible to tell what will succeed. Perhaps a long and cheerless night of Papal darkness, but more probably, others, more worthy of the honor than ourselves, will come forth to mould the moral mass according to their own liking, and give direction to the literature of Oregon.

After the transfer of the premises of the Oregon Mission School to the trustees of the Oregon Institute, all the remaining financial departments connected with the mission, were disposed of principally to those laymen who had been dismissed from the mission, and the property thus sold, amounted to upwards of twenty-six thousand dollars. The finances of the Oregon Mission were thus summarily brought to a close, and the mission was not only relieved of a ponderous load, but assumed a decidedly spiritual character.

Previous to the arrival of Mr. Gary, four of the preachers, besides Mr. Jason Lee, namely: W. W. Kone,

J H. Frost, J. P. Richmond, and Daniel Lee, had returned to the United States; consequently, after the dismission of the laymen, there remained connected with the mission five preachers, namely: George Gary, the superintendent, David Leslie, A. F. Waller, H. K. W. Perkins and G. Hines. H. K. W. Perkins in the latter part of the summer of 1844 also returned to the United States, leaving but few regular preachers in the country.

These, disencumbered from all financial embarrassments, addressed themselves to their work in the various portions of the country assigned them, A. F. Waller filling the place made vacant by the departure of Mr. Perkins at the Dalls, David Leslie in the upper part of the Wallamette settlement, and G. Gary and G. Hines at the Wallamette Falls and Tuality Plains. The Dalls was the only Indian Mission now sustained, andʻboth here and among the white settlements, it was necessary for the missionary constantly to expose himself to fatigue and dangers in hunting up the people to give them the word of life. Fording, and swimming rivers, sleeping on the ground and in the rain, and going without food, were no uncommon incidents in the life of the Oregon missionary.

breeze Exit

CHAPTER XIII.

Final departure and voyage home- Notice of Captain Sylvester - Arrangements to leave - Mode of departure Vancouver again — Clatsop Plains On board the brig Chenamus Difficult navigation Danger Get into the Bay - Fair Fellow passengers - T. J. Hubbard - Wave and Devenport Mode of taking a porpoise - Scarcity of men - Scarcity of incident - Pilot fishMake land Spoken by the English brig Frolic - Shipping -Arrival at Oahu Reception Review of the Mission.

On the 10th of August, 1845, notice was given by Captain Sylvester, that the Brig Chenamus would sail from the Wallamette River for Boston by the way of the Sandwich Islands about the 1st of September, and that a few passengers might be comfortably accommodated on board. Mr. Gary began already to consider that his work in Oregon was accomplished, and he felt quite solicitous to avail himself of the opportunity offered, to return home; but kindly proposed to leave it altogether with the writer, to say which, whether the latter, or himself, should be the favored one, at the same time assuring me, that if he left, and I should remain in the country, he should leave the superintendency of the mission with me. This, after a night of the utmost solicitude, brought me to the conclusion to close up my missionary labors, and leave the scene of toil and danger, and set my face towards my native land. Rev. Mr. Gary, as the superintendent of the mission, made arrangements with the Captain for my passage, and that of my family, consisting of Mrs. Hines, her sister, Miss Julia Bryant, her sister, and Lucy Anna Maria Lee, the daughter of Rev. Jason Lee, who had already returned to the United States.

The amount required was one hundred and fifty dollars from Oregon to the Sandwich Islands, and five