Here The Party, After
Supplying Their Own Wants, Were Enabled To Pack Up Quantities Of
Dried Meat, And Send It By Canoes To Astoria.
The month of October elapsed without the return of the Beaver.
November, December, January, passed away, and still nothing was
seen or heard of her.
Gloomy apprehensions now began to be
entertained: she might have been wrecked in the course of her
coasting voyage, or surprised, like the Tonquin, by some of the
treacherous tribes of the north.
No one indulged more in these apprehensions than M'Dougal, who
had now the charge of the establishment. He no longer evinced the
bustling confidence and buoyancy which once characterized him.
Command seemed to have lost its charms for him, or rather, he
gave way to the most abject despondency, decrying the whole
enterprise, magnifying every untoward circumstance, and
foreboding nothing but evil.
While in this moody state, he was surprised, on the 16th of
January, by the sudden appearance of M'Kenzie, wayworn and
weather-beaten by a long wintry journey from his post on the
Shahaptan, and with a face the very frontispiece for a volume of
misfortune. M'Kenzie had been heartily disgusted and disappointed
at his post. It was in the midst of the Tushepaws, a powerful and
warlike nation, divided into many tribes, under different chiefs,
who possessed innumerable horses, but, not having turned their
attention to beaver trapping, had no furs to offer. According to
M'Kenzie, they were but a "rascally tribe; " from which we may
infer that they were prone to consult their own interests more
than comported with the interests of a greedy Indian trader.
Game being scarce, he was obliged to rely, for the most part, on
horse-flesh for subsistence, and the Indians discovering his
necessities, adopted a policy usual in civilized trade, and
raised the price of horses to an exorbitant rate, knowing that he
and his men must eat or die. In this way, the goods he had
brought to trade for beaver skins, were likely to be bartered for
horseflesh, and all the proceeds devoured upon the spot.
He had despatched trappers in various directions, but the country
around did not offer more beaver than his own station. In this
emergency he began to think of abandoning his unprofitable post,
sending his goods to the posts of Clarke and David Stuart, who
could make a better use of them, as they were in a good beaver
country, and returning with his party to Astoria, to seek some
better destination. With this view he repaired to the post of Mr.
Clarke, to hold a consultation. While the two partners were in
conference in Mr. Clarke's wigwam, an unexpected visitor came
bustling in upon them.
This was Mr. John George M'Tavish, a partner of the Northwest
Company, who had charge of the rival trading posts established in
that neighborhood. Mr. M'Tavish was the delighted messenger of
bad news. He had been to Lake Winnipeg, where he received an
express from Canada, containing the declaration of war, and
President Madison's proclamation, which he handed with the most
officious complaisance to Messrs. Clarke and M'Kenzie. He
moreover told them that he had received a fresh supply of goods
from the Northwest posts on the other side of the Rocky
Mountains, and was prepared for vigorous opposition to the
establishment of the American Company. He capped the climax of
this obliging but belligerent intelligence, by informing them
that the armed ship, Isaac Todd, was to be at the mouth of the
Columbia about the beginning of March, to get possession of the
trade of the river, and that he was ordered to join her there at
that time.
The receipt of this news determined M'Kenzie. He immediately
returned to the Shahaptan, broke up his establishment, deposited
his goods in cache, and hastened with all his people to Astoria.
The intelligence thus brought, completed the dismay of M'Dougal,
and seemed to produce a complete confusion of mind. He held a
council of war with M'Kenzie, at which some of the clerks were
present, but of course had no votes. They gave up all hope of
maintaining their post at Astoria. The Beaver had probably been
lost; they could receive no aid from the United States, as all
the ports would be blockaded. From England nothing could be
expected but hostility. It was determined, therefore, to abandon
the establishment in the course of the following spring, and
return across the Rocky Mountains. In pursuance of this
resolution, they suspended all trade with the natives, except for
provisions, having already more peltries than they could carry
away, and having need of all the goods for the clothing and
subsistence of their people, during the remainder of their
sojourn, and on their journey across the mountains, This
intention of abandoning Astoria was, however, kept secret from
the men, lest they should at once give up all labor, and become
restless and insubordinate.
In the meantime, M'Kenzie set off for his post at the Shahaptan,
to get his goods from the caches, and buy horses and provisions
with them for the caravan across the mountains. He was charged
with despatches from M'Dougal to Messrs. Stuart and Clarke,
appraising them of the intended migration, that they might make
timely preparations.
M'Kenzie was accompanied by two of the clerks, Mr. John Reed, the
Irishman, and Mr. Alfred Seton, of New York. They embarked in two
canoes, manned by seventeen men, and ascended the river without
any incident of importance, until they arrived in the eventful
neighborhood of the rapids. They made the portage of the narrows
and the falls early in the afternoon, and, having partaken of a
scanty meal, had now a long evening on their hands.
On the opposite side of the river lay the village of Wish-ram, of
freebooting renown. Here lived the savages who had robbed and
maltreated Reed, when bearing his tin box of despatches. It was
known that the rifle of which he was despoiled was retained as a
trophy at the village.
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