From a journal of Burnett's, published in a Missouri paper a year or two after the emigration, there seems to have been some ground for suspicions of interested motives in advising the immigrants to leave their cattle. "The residents of the mission agreed," says the journal, "in advising us to leave our cattle and wagons at the station. McKinlay of Walla Walla also advised us to leave the animals, either to exchange for California cattle, or to pay one dollar per head for their keeping. . .What surprised us most, after the representations that had been made, was the fine pasturage we met all along the way, and especially at the Dalles, where we had been led to believe the cattle could not subsist at all during the winter." Applegate gives some further information,[1] where he tells us that at the mission they received one fat bullock of Spanish stock for two poor emigrant oxen. Those who did not distinguish the difference between Spanish and American cattle consented willingly to pay this price for fat beef. Without any expense to the Missionaries they had in the spring two fat American work-oxen for their one bullock. The natives did better, who gave a fat bullock for a lean heifer, for breeding purposes.
After a few days' rest at the mission, the emigration moved toward the Columbia River with their wagons and stock. Propositions were made to some members of the company to remain at Waiilatpu, which were rejected on account of the thieving habits of the natives, and the difficulty of taking care of their cattle on so wide a range as the Walla Walla Valley, besides the general desire to reach their destination that year. But at Fort Walla Walla, a portion of
- ↑ This manuscript of Mr Applegate's is a running commentary on Mrs Victor's River of the West, filling out some chapters where deficient in historic fact and correcting others, while in the main it assents to the record there given of Oregon's early history. In a similar manner he has commented on Gray's History of Oregon by marginal notes. A third source of information furnished by this most classical writer of Oregon's pioneers is a collection of letters on historical subjects. The elegance of diction and accuracy of statement render these contributions of the highest value.
