Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/319

CHAPTER XI.

WHITE'S ADMINISTRATION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

1842–1845.

The Indian Agent's Troubles—His Negotiations with the Cayuses and Nez Percés—A Code of Laws for the Indians—The Peace Broken again, and again Patched up—White's Troubles with Illicit Distilleries—The Killing of Cockstock—The Oregon Rangers—Yellow Serpent's Disastrous Expedition to California—Death of his Son Elijah—White's Interview with Chief Ellis—His Conciliatory Promises, and how They were Kept—His Departure from Oregon.

The new Indian agent had not been many weeks in Oregon before he was called upon to act in his official capacity. Word came to Fort Vancouver that the Cayuses had burned a mill at the Waiilatpu mission, besides insulting Mrs Whitman, and that the Nez Percés had threatened violence and outrage at Lapwai. This news greatly alarmed the colonists, as it seemed to confirm a rumor then prevalent that all the Oregon tribes were preparing for a general attack on the settlers.^[1]

New to office, White acted with promptness. He consulted with the veteran McKay, by whose advice it was decided to visit the disturbed localities without delay. Accordingly, on the 15th of November, White and McKay set out, accompanied by six well-armed men and two interpreters, Cornelius Rogers and Baptiste Dorion. At the Dalles they found Mrs Whitman, who had abandoned her home, together with Littlejohn and his wife, and Geiger. Littlejohn and

1. Matthieu's Refugee, MS., 13; White's Ten Years in Or., 176–7; Hines' Oregon Hist., 142.