Oregon, in the Territories of Washington, Nevada, Idaho and Utah, in the Caribou Mountains and in Arizona, and an immense population is sure to come to fill up all these countries. "On to Idaho ! " is the great cry of the day, the magnum Hadium of our miners.
I have known of the existence of the precious metals in this region for many years past, and the thought has always filled me with apprehensions for the future of our Indian tribes who inhabit it. On the 3d of September, 1845, while I was on missionary duty among the mountain Indians, I wrote (page 125 of the Oregon Missions) " Poor, unfortunate Indians! they trample on treasures, unconscious of their worth, and content themselves with the fishery and chase. When these resources fail, they subsist upon roots and herbs; whilst they eye, with tranquil surprise, the white
man examining the shining pebbles of their territory. Ah ! they would tremble, indeed, could they learn the history of those numerous and ill-fated tribe-, that have been swept from their land to make place for Christians who have made the poor Indians the victims of their rapacity." When I wrote this paragraph, I did not think the discovery so near. To-day it is upon us; and this ceaseless current of immigrations, following one another like the waves of the sea, will, I think, be the sorrow and the ruin of our poor Indians.
Here is a little of what is going on to-day in Idaho. This Territory embraces the mineral and gold-bearing regions of the Beaverhead and Stinking Water rivers, upon which the towns of Bannock (East) and Virginia City have been
built, east of the Rocky Mountains. West of the mountains, the main immigration is flowing into the Deer Lodge valley, on Salmon river, the Boise valley, the Orofino, the Warren mines and a large number of other mineral localities recently discovered. The principal new towns in this part of Idaho are Lewiston (the capital) situated at the junction of the Clearwater and Snake rivers; Orofino City, south of Lewiston ; Elk City, Florence, Placerville and Bannock City (West). All these places are already of significant com-