government for funds to meet necessary expenses. Pocketing his commission, which really amounted to nothing except as a sop to the colonists to keep them loyal and hopeful, he proceeded westward to St. Louis, lecturing by the way, and writing such articles for the newspapers as was calculated to engage the attention of those persons already half minded to go to Oregon. In this way he drew together the several small parties which constituted the immigration of 1842, a movement more important than at first appeared, the fame of it in the states encouraging the ten times larger immigration which followed in 1843. The effect of it on the colony also, together with the news he brought directly from Washington of the probable early passage of Linn s land bill, and the treaty in contemplation by which they expected the boundary would be defined, was to raise in their breasts happy anticipations of a local government sanctioned and supported by the strong arm of their common country.
White's party consisted of one hundred and twelve persons, fifty-two of whom were able-bodied men, and ten of whom had families. To these were added, en route, several mountain men and adventurers, bringing the number up to one hundred and thirty-seven. They traveled with a train of eighteen Pennsylvania wagons, and a long procession of horses, pack mules and cattle, and were the first openly avowed immigration of settlers to Oregon. The wagons and cattle were left at Forts Laramie and Hall, the remainder of the journey being performed with only pack animals a mistake due to Dr. White's ignorance of the country, he having traveled the sea route to and from Oregon. Accredited to this country as United States sub-Indian agent and government spy, he professed to believe himself the authorized governor of Oregon, although his commission was merely a verbal one, and its powers undefined. The colony, however, ignored his pretensions, except in so far as related to the office of United States Indian agent.
