Office Supt Ind Affairs
Oregon City Dec 19th 1856.
Sir
In letter of 20th November I referred to the fact that contractor B. Jenning's Schooner "Calumet" would leave Portland in a few days for the mouth of Siletz River on Coast Reservation –
She did leave on that day with some thirty tons of flour, and other articles the precise description of which I am as yet uninformed of, the flour being on B Jennings contract of 10th September, and the articles ordered by Agent Metcalfe for use upon his Agency – On the 17th inst by Special Express from Agent Metcalfe I was informed that the schooner was wrecked at the mouth of the Siletz about the 8th inst, and the most of her cargo lost after it had been landed and received by the Agent, as will be seen by the extracts from Mr Metcalfe's letter which I send herewith – The attempt to land the cargo at the mouth of the Siletz was made at the urgent request of Mr Metcalfe and myself, we believing that a safe landing could be effected and feeling it to be very desirable to have the supplies there as being the most available point
from which to transport to the Salmon or Nechesne River Station and also to the prairie country lying up on the Siletz River where it is proposed to locate the most of the Indians – But as the entrance of the Siletz is found impracticable we shall be obliged to make Yaquamah Bay the point of delivery and shall consequently have to abandon the Salmon River Station as it is impossible to transport supplies to it either from Yaqumah or from Grand Rond Reservation, in winter – The man who brought the express from Metcalfe came on foot to the Grand Rond Reservation, finding it impossible to travel in any other way – Contractor B Jennings has lost his schooner for which he paid Five Thousand Dollars, in endeavour to comply satisfactorily with his contract which will cause him to lose considerable money by his contract – I regret that I induced him to try the Siletz, and I regret also that I have no funds to enable me to pay for the flour which he has delivered and is entitled to pay for under the contract –
The confidence of those Indians in our good intentions is much strengthened and confirmed by the strong effort they see us making [...]