Camp of the Pend d'Oreilles, August 6, 1840.
Reverend Missionaries:'
Though I have not as yet the pleasure of knowing your names, I eagerly take the opportunity which is presented to send you news of the two poor missionaries of the Columbia, knowing that I am writing to Catholic priests, ministers of our holy religion, who have generously come to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the savages. With what joy and contentment have I learned of your arrival among the Flatheads! I thought at first that you had been sent to our assistance to share the immense task which we have on our hands. For from the upper waters of the Columbia to the wild tribes scattered far down the Pacific Ocean is what we have to cover and visit, without mentioning the two Canadian establishments -one on the Willamette river and the other on the Cowlitz. It is at these two places that we have our principal residences. You have no doubt heard that we were sent hither in 1838 by way of the canoes of the Honorable Hudson Bay Company, which gave us our passage gratis. It was not long before we were aware of the need of help. We have written to Canada, but we have the grief of being still but two, to make head against everything, especially to arrest the progress made by so many Presbyterian and Methodist ministers, who are in occupation of the principal posts of the region because they got here before us. It would take too long to tell you all that they say to the Indians against us and our holy religion. We ought to have eight more priests, besides ourselves, to occupy various posts; there is a chance to do a great deal of good. I have left Fort Vancouver to make a missionary excursion in the upper region of the river, as I did last year.
I have come thus far this year. I am at no great distance from you, but I do not hope to have the pleasure of
1 Addressed "Reverends Pretres, Missionaires Catholiques, Aux Tetes-Plates."