The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 171 



of being dashed to pieces, the victim leaped, and 

 succeeded in grasping a bough, where he hung until 

 another man climbed up and rescued him. On the 

 1st of June the Tonquin sailed for the north, having 

 Mr. McKay on board as supercargo, and Mr. Lewis 

 as ship's clerk, but as Captain Thorn had sent Mr. 

 Mumford, the second mate, on shore, the ship was 

 very short of officers. 



" At the time of the vessel's sailing the settle- 

 ment was almost defenceless, no palisade had been 

 erected, and not a single gun was mounted, whilst 

 the Indians swarmed round in such numbers that 

 the people had to relinquish all labour and think 

 only of their own safety. The good offices of the 

 crafty Comecomly were sought in this emergency, 

 and on the promise of a reward he established 

 friendly communications between the traders and 

 the Indians, who at length went away, apparently 

 satisfied with the reception they had experienced. 

 An accident, however, nearly marred the existing 

 harmony. Mr. McDougall had invited a Chinook 

 chief to his tent, and was explaining to him the 

 nature and properties of a blunderbuss, when by 

 some accident the hammer fell and the weapon 

 exploded, blowing off the corner of the chief's robe, 

 and only missing his body by a miracle. Out 

 darted the affrighted potentate, yelling to his 



