July 13th
Whitman and Spaulding had decided to take the southern route through the mountains to Walla Walla even though they would be a small party. Their concerns about their next move were assuaged when John McLeod of the Hudson Bay Company, invited them to travel with his group to Walla Walla.
The Nez Perce Indians, who had wanted the missionaries to travel with them on the northern route, were worried that they would lose the missionaries to another Indian tribe if they took the southern route. The various tribes were eager to have the missionaries settle on their land, perhaps because they wanted to learn about their religion, perhaps because they envisioned benefits that would be generated by the presence of the missionaries. Biographers have stressed that the missionaries did not force themselves on the Indians.
On July 13, Eliza noted in her diary “Move about 10 miles today, to join Mr. McLeod’s camp with whom we expect to travel the remainder of our journey.” The Nez Perce Indians moved their camp also for they would travel as far as Fort Hall with the Hudson’s Bay party.
Narcissa wrote “On our arrival Mr. McL. came to meet us, led us to his tent & gave us a supper which consisted of steak (Antelope), broiled ham, biscuit & butter, tea and loaf sugar brought from Wallah Wallah. This we relished very much as we had not seen anything of the bread kind since the last of May.”
The next few days were spent preparing to leave the Rendezvous and begin the last leg of their journey.
A monument commemorating Narcissa and Eliza’s participation in the 1836 Rendezvous was erected in Daniel, WY.