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.
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