THE NOR WESTERS COUP 25 



science with the excuse that he had saved that percent 

 age of property from capture by the Eaccoon. 



At the end of November a large ship was sighted 

 standing in over the bar with all sails spread but no 

 ensign out. Three shots were fired from Astoria. 

 There was no answer. What if this were the long-lost 

 Mr. Hunt coming back from Alaskan trade on the 

 Beaver? The doughty Nor Westers hastily packed 

 their furs, ninety-two bales in all, and sent their voy- 

 ageurs scampering up-stream to hide and await a sig 

 nal. But MacDougall was equal to the emergency. 

 He launched out for the ship, prepared to be an Amer 

 ican if it were the Beaver with Mr. Hunt, a Nor 

 Wester if it were the Eaccoon with a company partner. 



It was the Eaccoon, and the British captain ad 

 dressed the Astorians in words that have become his 

 toric: &quot;Is this the fort I ve heard so much about? 



D me, I could batter it down in two hours with a 



four-pounder! &quot; 



Two weeks later the Union Jack was hoisted above 

 Astoria, with traders and marines drawn up under arms 

 to fire a volley. A bottle of Madeira was broken against 

 the flagstaff, the country pronounced a British posses 

 sion by the captain, cheers given, and eleven guns fired 

 from the bastions. 



At this stage all accounts, particularly American 

 accounts, have rung down the curtain on the catastro 

 phe, leaving the Nor Westers intoxicated with success. 

 But another act was to complete the disasters of As 

 toria, for the very excess of intoxication brought swift 

 judgment on the revelling Nor Westers. 



The Eaccoon left on the last day of 1813. Mac 

 Dougall had been appointed partner in the North- West 



