G.] PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 445 



and rebaptized it by the name of "Fort George." He also insisted on 

 having an inventory taken of the valuable stock of furs, and all other 

 property purchased from the American company, with a view to the adop- 

 tion of ulterior proceedings in England for the recovery of the value from 

 the North-West Company ; but he subsequently relinquished this idea, and 

 we heard no more about his claims. 



s The Indians at the mouth of the Columbia knew well that Great 

 Britain and America were distinct nations, and that they were then at 

 war, but were ignorant of the arrangement made between Messrs. McDou- 

 gal and McTavish, the former of whom still continued as nominal 

 chief at the fort. On the arrival of the Raccoon, which they quickly 

 discovered to be one of "King George's fighting ships, 1 " they repaired, 

 armed, to the fort, and requested an audience of Mr. McDougal. He 

 was somewhat surprised at their numbers and warlike appearance, and 

 demanded the object of such an unusual visit. Comcomly, the principal 

 chief of the Chinooks, (whose daughter McDougal had married,) there- 

 upon addressed him in a long speech, in the course of which he said that 

 King George had sent a ship full of warriors, and loaded with nothing 

 but big guns, to take the Americans and make them all slaves, and that, 

 as they (the Americans) were the first white men who settled in their 

 country, and treated the Indians like good relations, they had resolved to 

 defend them from King George's warriors, and were now ready to conceal 

 themselves in the woods dose to the wharf, from whence they would be 

 able, with their guns and arrows, to shoot all the men that should attempt 

 to land from the. English boats, while the people in the fort could fire at 

 them with their big guns and rifles. This proposition was uttered with 

 an earnestness of manner that admitted no doubt of its sincerity. Two 

 armed boats from the Raccoon were approaching; and, had the people 

 in the fort felt disposed to accede to the wishes of the Indians, every man 

 in them would have been destroyed by an invisible enemy. Mr. McDou- 

 gal thanked them for their friendly offer, but added, that, notwithstanding 

 the nations were at war, the people in the boats would not injure him or 

 any of his people, and therefore requested them to throw by their war 

 shirts and arms, and receive the strangers as their friends. They at first 

 seemed astonished at this answer; but, on assuring them, in the most 

 positive manner, that he was under no apprehensions, they consented to 

 give up their weapons for a few days. They afterwards declared they 

 were sorry for having complied with Mr. McDougal's wishes ; for when 

 they observed Captain Black, surrounded by his officers and marines, 

 break the bottle of Port on the flag-staff, and hoist the British ensign, after 

 changing the name of the fort, they remarked that, however we might 

 wish to conceal the fact, the Americans were undoubtedly made slaves; 

 and they were not convinced of their mistake until the sloop of war had 

 departed without taking any prisoners. 



