The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-26

from country by immense space and the dinicultes
Of travel were insurmounsbe at this season. We held
then sort OF council Of and after having thoroughly
weighed the crisis In which we found after
ing considered seriously that although almost all
British subjects nevertheless traded under the Amer
can nag, and that could not expect assistance all the
o. the United states being probably blocksded
eded TO abandon the establishment by the following spring
or In the beginning ofsummer at fuTthes We did tell
ENGAGES Of this resolve for fear they might
natives from that moment much because We were not
| had more iun than we could carry away"
Here is important fact stated that Of hearing Of
the war and desPairng Of protection from the United
States. The agents OF Mr. Astor, upon full consul
taton, determined to abandon the country.
Mr.. FTanchere continues:
Some days after Mr. MaeksnLies departure perceiv-
two canoes carry the British nag and bstw
other bearing that OF America II was Mr. Mackenzie him
Angus Bsthane Of the Northwest Company He had met
these gentlemen the Rapids and had determined
turn with them 70 the establishment in consequence OF the
news which they had given him They were in light ca,
having LEFT behind them MessTs John stuart and Nc
MILAN With brigade ofeight canoes loaded WITH iun
sttsr which had been written 10 him By Mr. shaw one
o him IL ,Ss ss Ss Ss Zip S.1
sailed nom London March In company with the hgae
70 t.Es possession Of our s.ssR
nsnt being represented 70 the Lords Of the Admiralty
The eight canoes which had been isf1 behind having
Oined the hrs camp Of nearly seventy i've men was
formed .. tbs little bay near our establishment A. sy
without provisions furnished them with what they
seded nevertheless kept guard for fear Of some
surprise from them for much inferior 10 them in
number.
The season advancing and their vessel arriving
caused them TO hnd their situation very disagreesbe
without provisions and without merchandise 10 procure
any from the natives, who looked them with evil
eye, having good hunters but wanting ammunition
Cd that we Should sell them our esIab.hneGt and is
coatents Placed In the situation 10 which In the
N.llg H.flAn aI 49, - a..alau
apps.r 70 tsIs away what We possessed we s,snsd 20
heir propositions We had several eonsultstions the
es OF and merchandise and the treaty signed
Dy both parties the 2Sd OF October The gentlemen Of
the Norhw Company took possession Of Astoria
having agreed to pay each Of the servants OF the cdcyanl
rScihe Fur company "a name chosen by Mr. Aston the
the goods delivered to them. TO feed them and TO fur
passage gratis to those among them who wished to
III was thus that after having crossed seas and endured
all Of atiguss and prVatons lost in an instant all
srhg that should look Tor such treatment from
the British government after the we bad reeeiv
ed from his Majesys minister before left New York
8u just said, the value Of trAdingPost had
been much exaggerated to the ministers; for they had
known they surely would not have taken onence at IT.
least would not have judged worthy Of maritime
Pedon"
| This is the manner in which the effects Of Mr..
Aston passed into the hands Of the Northwest Com
| pany; this the manner in which they became in
stalled in the valley Of the Columbia IL was pur-
chase Of goods and furs, and Of the buildings which
Contained them, and nothing more No one was
childish enough TO suppose that the sovereignty Of
| the country or could have been transferred as
an appurtenance TO the skins and blankets. We
| will now see how the British government obtained
| possession Of the country:
The 18th Of November 1919 Messn. Alexander Stuart
and Alexander Henry both ProPnetors In the Northwest
Company arrived at the esabishmen in two bark canoes
manned by sixteen EOysgsur These gentlemen had left
Fort William, on Lake superior, In July. They lent US
Canadian newspapers by which we learned that the
British had up that time kept the ascendancy
they confirmed the that English frigste was
10 and take eideyant establishment they were
very much surprised mol 10 see me isaac iodd In the
on the morning the SOh perceived vessel which
doubling Cape disappointment and which anchor
I'd in Bakers bay Not knowing II friendly vessel
otherwise thought Pulen, TO send to Il in canoe
service of cdevant a. with the injunction to call
themselves Americans the ship American and English
Mr. McTavsh h,d all the furs which marked it'll the
OF the ~ w Co packed upon two barges which were
he wait for signal which had agreed upon. To
midnight Mr. Hasey who had accompanied Mr. Nc
Douga the vessel returned to the fort and announced
the British soop Racoon of 40 guns and lao
men in her crew, Captain Black commanding Mr. John
as psssanser in the Racoon accompanied By I've
This gentleman had lett England in the frigate PhGbe
which had sailed with the Isaac Todd as far Rio Janero
Having reoned there English squadron the admiral had
given them for convoy the sloops Racoon and Cherub
These four vessels had sailed IN company to Cape Horn
they had separated AFTER having agreed to meet at
the island Of Juan Fernandes The three vessels Of did
isaac Todd Commodore Hlyar who commanded this little
squadron having learned that the American Commodore
Porter doing great damage to the English commerce
especially among the whalers which equented these
he resolved to go and find him and give battle giving
Captain Black orders TO and destroy the American estab
hshment Of the Columbia river. Consequently Mr. Nc
Donald and his men had embarked on the Racoon Thi
weather in doubling Cape Horn. He thought that If thu
Todd had not 81 ckened at spot would arrive
Ncavsh returned 70 Astoria with furs and learned
with much pleasure the arrival of Mr.. Mcdonald
The December the barge Of the corvette came Il
the fort Astoria with Mcdonald, and the first lieutenant
Sheriff As there the Racoon goods for thu
them to the but the weather so had and Thu
violent that she did not return till the 18th will
the goods bringing also with Capt Black five marines anc
1--WE RECALLED hosts with much splendor pos
'ble After dinner the captain had firearms given to tn
by which had been erected flag staff There the cap
took British nag which he had brought for the Pa.
king bottle full of Madeira he broke on the staff de
earng in loud voice that he took possession estab
shmen aud the country the OF his British Males
y; and he changed the name of Astoria to that Of For
George. The Indian chiefs had been assembedto wnes
this ceremony, and explained to them in their Ian
guage what 1t meant They fired three discharges OF al
lery and musket shot and the health of the King wa
drank according to the ceved customs in such
The vessel finding itself detained by contrary winds tn
had exact survey made Of the mouth OF the rive
the channel between Bakers bay and Fort George
The officers came requenyto see u.s. and appeared 70 mi
generally to be very much with their
hey had several American vessels loaded
with and had calculated beforehand their share
| the taking Of Astoria They had met nothing, and thei
,stonishnen at its height when they our estab
had been transferred to the Northwest Company
and under the British flag 1t will DO sufficient Il
quote Captain Blacks expression to show how much they
| mistaken with regard to This captain landed il
night when showed him the palisades Of the esab
shmen In the morning he asked IL there not anothe
and having learnt there not he cried out with
the greatest asonshment What is this the fort rep
resented to me as formidable Good God could bate
It down with four FOUNDER In two hours !"
"The greater part of the Pacific Fur Companys servant
n engaged themselves to the Northwest Company. Som
others preferred returning to their country, and wa
among the latter Nevere ess, Mr. McTavsh having init
mated th, my services would be needed the esat
shment engaged myself for the space Of five months
that say until the setting out of the party which wa
ascend the river the spring TO to Canada by way
Rocky mountains and the rivers Of the interior Messr
aud Mckenzie LEFT at the end Of the month tn
detiper to the first the rung posts which ha
established in the interior by the
company"
, This is the way the British got possession of tn
n Columba---as conquest-accompanled by all tn
= circumstances Of a national act. The Lords of tn
|, Admiralty in London, charged with the naval ope
q rations Of the war; plan the expedition, and plan
Il Al A -