Massacre by Natives of Vancouver’s Island. 315 
lives, while it must prove highly interesting to our readers. 
A large vessel called the Tonquin was fitted out last 
year by the Pacific Ocean Fur Company established at 
New York, and dispatched with a valuable cargo for Astoria, 
the Company’s settlement in the northern regions of Ame- 
rica. The Tonguin it would appear, after landing the 
cargo intended for Astoria, departed on’ a trading voyage to 
the coast north of Columbia river, with a company (in- 
cluding officers) of 23 men, and had proceeded about 400 
miles along the seaboard, when they stopped on Vancou- 
ver’s island at a place called Woody Point, inhabited by a 
powerful nation called Wake-a-nin-ishes. These people 
“came on board to barter their furs for merchandise, and 
conducted themselves in the most decorous and friendly 
manner during the first day; but the same evening informa- 
tion was brought on beard by an Indian whom the officers 
had as interpreter, that the tribe where they then lay were 
ill disposed, and intended’ attacking the ship next day. 
Captain Jonathan Thorne affected to disbelieve this piece of 
news ; and even when the savages came next morning, in 
great numbers, it was only at the pressing remonstrance of 
Mr. M‘Kay that he ordered seven men aloft to loosen the 
sails. In the mean time about 50 Indians were permitted 
to come on board, who traded a number of sea otters for 
blankets and knives; the former they threw into their 
canoes as svon as received, but secreted the knives. Every 
one when armed moved from the quarter deck to a different 
part of the vessel, so that by 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 butchered in a few minutes. The men above, in 
attempting to descend, lost two of their number, besides 
one mortally wounded, who, notwithstanding his weakened 
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 skylights and coms 
panion 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, it cannot be ascertain- 
ed: thus far only is known, that between the time the In- 
dians were driven from the ship and the following morning, 
the four who were unhurt left her in the long boat in ‘aig 
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