CHRONICLE. 



83 



The following is an account of 

 the singular and melancholy fute 

 of the American ship Tonquin, the 

 crew of which were destroyed by 

 the savages, while on a trading 

 voyage on the coast North of the 

 river Columbia, on Vancouver's 

 Island : — 



A native ship arrived from New 

 York, after a passage of near seven 

 months, with merchandise and pro- 

 visions for the Company. It was 

 here we learnt with horror, that 

 the story of the Tonquin's having 

 been cut off was but too true. The 

 circumstance has been related in 

 difiFerent ways by tlie natives in the 

 environs of the establishment, but 

 that which carries with it the great- 

 est appearance of truth is as fol- 

 lows : — 



That vessel, after landing the 

 cargo intended for Astoria, depart- 

 ed on a trading voyage to the coast 

 of Columbia river, with a company, 

 including officers, of twenty-three 

 men, and had proceeded about 

 400 miles along the sea-board, 

 when they stopped on Vancouver's 

 Island, at a place called Woody- 

 point, inhabited by a powerful 

 nation, called Wake-a-ninishes. 

 These people came on board to 

 barter their furs for merchandize, 

 and conducted themselves in the 

 most friendly manner during the 

 first day; but the same evening 

 information was brought on board 

 by an Indian whom the officers had 

 38 interpreter, that the tribe where 

 they then lay were ill-disposed, and 

 intended attacking the ship next 

 day. Captain Jonathan Thorn 

 affected to disbelieve this piece of 

 news, and even when the savages 

 WMDe next morning in great num- 

 *>«f«, it was only at the pressing re- 

 raonstrtmco of Mr. M'Kay, that he 



ordered seven aloft to loosen the 

 sails. In the mean time, about 

 fifty Indians were permitted to 

 come on board, who exchanged a 

 number of sea otters for blankets 

 and knives ; the former they threw 

 into their canoes as soon as receiv- 

 ed, but secreted the knives. 



Every one, when armed, moved 

 from the quarter deck to a different 

 part of the vessel, so that bj- the 

 time they were ready, in such a 

 manner were they distributed, that 

 at least three savages were opposite 

 every man of the ship, and at a 

 signal given, they rushed on their 

 prey, and notwithstanding the 

 brave resistance of every individual 

 of the whites, they were all but- 

 chered in a few minutes. 



The men above, in attempting 

 to descend, lost two of their num- 

 ber, besides one mortally wounded, 

 who, notwithstanding his weaken- 

 ed condition, made good his retreat 

 with the four others to the cabin, 

 where finding a quantity of loaded 

 arms, they fired on their savage 

 assailers through the sky-lights and 

 companion-way, which had the 

 effect of clearing the ship in a short 

 time, and long before night these 

 five intrepid sons of America were 

 again in full possession of her. 



Whether from want of abilities 

 or strength, supposing themselves 

 unable to take the vessel back to 

 Columbia, on the following morn- 

 ing, the four who were unhurt 

 left her in the long-boat, in hopes 

 of regaining the river, wishing to 

 take along with them the wounded 

 person, who refused their offer, 

 saying, that he must die before 

 long, and was as well in the vessel 

 as elsewhere. 



Soon after sun-rise she was sur- 

 rounded by an imnlense number of 



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