METHODIST REPORTS WILLAMETTE MISSION 307
sel they could obtain, it was finally concluded to form a mission establishment on the Willamette River, about 60 miles from Fort Vancouver. Here therefore the mis- sionaries resorted, and after selecting a suitable location went to work with their own hands and erected a log house, 32 x 18 feet, one story and a half high. They also entered upon the cultivation of the farm, ploughing and sowing the seed. This done, they commenced a course of religious instruction, with a fair prospect of succeed- ing in reclaiming these wandering savages, who are in a very degraded state, to the blessings of Christianity and civilized life. The country is generally healthy and of- fers many facilities to the Christian missionary to prose- cute his work, with success.
Brother Shepard, 3 who accompanied the missionaries as a teacher, was left at Fort Vancouver, in charge of a school which had been commenced about two years before by Esq. Ball, 4 whose letters describing the state of things in that country have been published. This school con- sists principally of half-breed children collected from the vicinity of the fort, some of whom have made very en- couraging improvement in reading, writing and English grammar, and a few are studying geography and the first branches of the mathematics. In addition to the day school, Brother Shepard has under his instruction in the evenings ten of his scholars, two young men and three Japanese youths 5 who about a year previously had been wrecked on the coast and made captives, but after- ward redeemed by a sea captain in the services of the Hudson Bay Company.
The mission establishment of Willamette is so situ- ated as to form a central position from whence mission-
3 Cyrus Shepard.
4 John Ball, came with Wyeth's expedition, and began teaching, 1833.
5 A Japanese junk was wrecked near Cape Flattery. Captain McNeil of the American brig Llama brought them to the Columbia River in 1833. They were afterward sent home by Dr. McLoughlin by way of England. Captain McNeil was employed by the Hudson's Bay Company and re- mained in its service for thirty years.
