Our clothing was of skins and furs.
From the Eastern States I scarcely could now hear in less than a year, for another wagon train could not start west from the Missouri until the following spring.

We could only guess how events were going forward in our diplomacy.

We did not know, and would not know for a year, the result of the Democratic convention at Baltimore, of the preceding spring! We could only wonder who might be the party nominees for the presidency.

We had a national government, but did not know what it was, or who administered it.

War might be declared, but we in Oregon would not be aware of it.