The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-29
Loss of the Tonquin.


continent and doubled the cape with
Washington Irving in his fascinating
tae of Astoria" will remember the
details of the tragedy that terminated
the career of the Tonquin, the supply
ship sent out by John Jacob Astor, in
his grand fur trading scheme in the
great northwest in 1911. From q co m
pilation of facts concerning the history
of those times in the North Pacific
Coast, a semi-monthly journal published
at New Tacoma, we clip the following
concerning this i'll fated vessel and her
i'll fated crew
On the first of June the Tonquin
sailed north, Alexander Mckay, one of
the partners, accompanying as super
cargo. BY the middle Of the month
she had reached Clyoquot Sound, on the
west coast of Vancouvers island, and
was anchored opposite the Indian town
of Newitty. They were about to COM
mence trade with Indians of Wicanish's
tribe for sea otter skins. AT precon-
certed signal the Indians, who had been
unwlsely permitted to crowd the deck
of The Tonquin, commenced the attack.
Capt. Thorne and Mr. Mckay were al
most Immediately killed. All upon
deck met like fate. When Cap
tain Thorne had first observed that
the actions and looks Of the In
dams indicated hostility, he had endeav-
ored to make sail and had ordered some
of the crew up into the rigging Five
of the sailors were still aloft-one in de-
scending was badly wounded. The re-
naming four continued concealed. At
ter the fight was over, the Indians went
ashore. Returning to rob the ship the
five survivors successfully repealed them
with fire arms In the night at The
urgent solicitation of Lewis, the wound
ed sailor, the four left the ship in one Of
her boats. Next morning, the Indians,
in great numbers, again boarded the
Tonquin. When they had most numer-
ously collected, the gallant Lewis
fired the powder magazine and blew up
the ship, creating sad havoc among the
hordes of savages who We're stripping
and robbing the Tonquin. Thus was
the murder of Captain Thorne and the
crew of the; ill-fated ship promptly
avenged. The four sailors who had er-
deavored to escape were overtaken and
put to death with atrocious torture.
One Indian interpreter was the sole sur
vivor of that cruel massacre. He was
retained in close captivity for more
than two years, when he escaped through
the coast tribes. This account OF the
Tonquin is derived from this interpreter
on his return to Astoria. There had
been misunderstanding between Capt.
Thorne and the Indian chief the day
previous. Capt. VIM. Smith, an old and
experienced trader on the North Pacific
coast, then mate of the Albatross, of
Boston, attributed the real provocation
of this tragic affair to the conduct of
Capt. Ayres, of Boston. A short time
previous, he had been trading at Clyo.
quot Sound and had induced some ten
of the tribe to accompany him to the
islands near the bay of San Francisco,
to hunt seals. He had given the most
positive assurance for their safe and
early return. He sailed southwark hay
ing failed to fulfill his promise. In &C.
cordance with Indian custom, his in
human perfdy was revenged by an
equivalent sacrifice from white men who
fell into the hands of the outraged tribe.