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SOUTH SEA 
Hudson’s Bay Company on the banks of the Columbia 
River) on the north-west coast of America. While the 
governor remained at this place he had the gratification 
of obtaining the entire respect of all classes of persons, 
owing to the kind and gentlemanly demeanour which 
distinguished him on all occasions. 
It was also while our vessel remained at Oahoo, that 
I had an opportunity of enjoying the society of Mr. 
Douglas, that well-known, bold, and industrious tra- 
veller, who, after having passed through regions which 
had never before been explored except by the reckless 
savage,— -after having escaped the scalping-knife of the 
dog-ribbed Indian in his explorations through the wilds 
of north-west America, and a thousand other dangers, 
w r as doomed to suffer one of the most unfortunate and 
dreadful deaths that ever befel man ; — and even too, at 
one of these islands, at which I saw him in the full en- 
joyment of his mental and corporeal faculties, congratu- 
lating himself upon the fact, that he had passed through 
the wildest regions of the earth without injury, and that 
he was now making his rapid way towards his native 
country, having but a few more duties to perform, and 
with but a few dangers to apprehend, compared to those 
which he had already surmounted. 
He informed me with his own lips that he intended in 
a short time to commence his journey homewards through 
Siberia and Russia, wishing, as he stated, to inspect the 
platina mines, which had just then been discovered in 
some parts of Siberia. He also stated that he had 
gathered, in his wanderings, a great number of botani- 
