1818.] ASTORIA RESTORED TO THE UNITED STATES. 309 



British naval forces in the South Sea, received at Rio de Janeiro 

 the order from the Admiralty for the surrender of the post on the 

 Columbia to the Americans. This order he transmitted to Captain 

 Sheriff, the senior officer of the ships in the Pacific, who, meeting 

 Mr. Prevost at Valparaiso, informed him of the contents of the 

 order, and offered him a passage to the Columbia, for the purpose 

 of completing the business, as it certainly could not have been done 

 by Captain Biddle. This offer was accepted by the American 

 commissioner, who proceeded, in the British frigate Blossom, to the 

 Columbia, and entered that river in the beginning of October ; and 

 Mr. Keith, the superintending partner of the North- West Company 

 at Fort George, or Astoria, having also received the order, from the 

 colonial department at London, for the surrender of the place, the 

 affair was soon despatched.* On the 6th of the month, Captain 

 Hickey and Mr. Keith, as joint commissioners on the part of Great 

 Britain, presented to Mr. Prevost a paper declaring that, in obe- 

 dience to the commands of the prince regent, as signified in Lord 

 Bathurst's despatch of the 27th of January previous, and in con- 

 formity to the first article of the treaty of Ghent, they restored to 

 the government of the United States, through its agent, Mr. Prevost, 

 the settlement of Fort George, on the Columbia River ; and Mr. 

 Prevost, in return, gave another paper, setting forth the fact of his 

 acceptance of the settlement for his government, agreeably to the 



* President Monroe's message to Congress of April 17th, 1322, accompanied by 

 Mr. Prevost's letter, dated Monterey, November lltb, 1818. The two papers above 

 mentioned are of so much importance, that they are bere given at length. 



The act of delivery presented by the British commissioners is as follows : — 



" In obedience to the commands of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, signi- 

 fied in a despatch from the right honorable the Earl Bathurst, addressed to the part- 

 ners or agents of the North-West Company, bearing date the 27th of January, 1818, 

 and in obedience to a subsequent order, dated the 26th of July, from W. H. Sheriff, 

 Esq., captain of his Majesty's ship Andromache, we, the undersigned, do, in conform- 

 ity to the first article of the treaty of Ghent, restore to the Government of the 

 United States, through its agent, J. B. Prevost, Esq., the settlement of Fort George, 

 on the Columbia River. Given under our hands, in triplicate, at Fort George, 

 (Columbia River,) this 6th day of October, 1818. 



" F. Hickey, Captain of his Majesty'' s ship Blossom. 



"J. Keith, of the North-West Company." 



The act of acceptance, on the part of the American commissioner, is in these words : — 



" I do hereby acknowledge to have this day received, in behalf of the Government 

 of the United States, the possession of the settlement designated above, in conformity 

 to the first article of the treaty of Ghent. Given under my hand, in triplicate, at 

 Fort George, (Columbia River,) this 6th of October, 1818. 



"J. B. Prevost, Agent for the United States." 



