to one which might displease you.”And after a little pause she threw off her veil, and discovered eyes full of laughing brightness, and cheeks which betrayed, notwithstanding the tears that still glistened on them, a few dimples ready to express some merry malice. "Be a shrew sometimes, but a tender-hearted woman always!" said Valamour, throwing the horoscope into the fire; and Ariette, who never wore the veil again except when his peevishness required her silence, preserved no other secret of cabalism. V. (Literary Gazette, Aug.) VOYAGES IN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC, &c. &c. We announced a few weeks ago our intention of inserting in the Literary Gazette a succession of original papers, being the narrative of Voyages in the Pacific Ocean, and of other circumstances deeply interesting, not only to the curiosity and literature of Great Britain but to its manufactures, commerce, and colonial prosperity. We now redeem our pledge. Narrative of a Voyage from London to the Columbia River-An account of the first Settlers thereon. Particulars of several trading Voyages during the years 1813, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, between the North-east Coast of America and China, and a Description of Russian Establishments on the North-west Coast of America. An Account of the present State of the Sandwich Islands. And a Narrative of a Cruise in the Service of the Independents of South-America in 1819. THE HE author of these pieces, which are written, in our opinion, with great simplicity and force of observation, is Peter Corney, mate of the schooner Columbia of London, which vessel was sold to the King of the Sandwich Islands. He seems to have enjoyed, during the period of years he was in a quarter of the globe but very partially known to Europeans, peculiar opportunities for acquiring information, and to have availed himself of them in a manner worthy of a shrewd and intelligent man. He relates facts in a plain sailor-like style; and we shall be disappointed if his round unvarnished tale does not give as much satisfaction as the most elaborate work of any learned traveller. There is a vocabulary of the language spoken on the north-west coast and Sandwich Islands, which may help to illustrate the labours of Captain Freycinet and the French Savans. PREFACE. The only object the author of this work has in making his observations on the trade between the north west coast of America and the Sandwich Islands and China, is, to point out to the merchants of this country, the vast trade that is carried on between those places by the Americans and the Russians, while an English flag is rarely to be seen. He would particularly wish to call the attention of the people of this country to the state of the Sandwich Islands, by pointing out their vast importance to the West-India merchants; also the rapid progress the natives are making towards civilization (unaided by missionaries) by improving themselves, and cultivating an intercourse with other countries. The Russians are by no means ignorant of their importance; and have more than once attempted to obtain possession of them. To Russia they would be invaluable, as its colonists could cultivate sugar, tobacco and coffee, and make rum sufficient for the supply of that vast empire. The effect which such a step would have on our West-India trade is too obvious to require any comment. However lightly the people of these islands may be thought of, there is an anxious wish on their part to cultivate intercourse with those who will trade with them, and there exists a desire for improvement beyond the most sanguine hope of those who wish to see the condition of mankind bettered by social intercourse. Their battery or fort at Wookoa, where guard is mounted and relieved with as much regularity and form as at the Tower of London -the policy of the king in charging foreign vessels pilotage and harbour dues, because a brig that he had purchased from the Europeans and sent to China with sandal wood had been made to pay pilotage and harbour dues, will prove that they are ready to imitate the customs of civilized nations. The fur trade is now totally in the power of the Americans, as by the treaty of Ghent the establishment on the Columbia was given up to that republic. For several years past it has been a favourite object of the American government to open an easy communication from their western settlements to the Pacific Ocean. The most western settlements which the Americans have are on the Missouri; and from the mouth of the Columbia on the Pacific Ocean, they are distant about 3000 miles. This immense space of desert territory, inhabited by Indian tribes, some of whom are hostile, presents obstacles of no ordinary kind to this scheme; while, at the same time, it is this very circumstance of the country being a wilderness, over which the Indian and the wild beasts of the forests range undisturbed, that offers such inducement to the American design-not of colonizing the country, though this consequence would undoubtedly follow; but of making an immediate inroad on barbarism by establishing a chain of posts at the distance of 50 or 100 miles along the great rivers as far south as the Pacific Ocean. The fur trade is the great object of attraction, to settlers in this wilderness; and so lucrative is this traffic, that it is well calculated to excite a competition amongst rival states. It can only be prosecuted by such nations as have a ready access to these deserts, where the wild animals which afford this valuable article of trade multiply undisturbed by civilized man; and these nations are at present the British, whose possessions of Canada secures them access to the northern deserts of America-the Americans, who have free access to the wilderness that lies between their territories and the Pacific Ocean; and the Russians, whose immense empire borders on the north-west coast of America, gives them ample opportunities, which they have duly improved of establishing settlements on its shores,-of cultivating a friendly intercourse with the natives, and of exchanging European articles for the valuable furs which they collect in the course of their hunting excursions. The fur-trade has been prosecuted with amazing enterprize and activity by the British Canadian companies. Every season they despatch into the wilds a numerous body of their servants, clerks, and boatmen, amounting to about 800, who, traveling in canoes across that vast succession of lakes and rivers, which extend north-west nearly 3000 miles into the American continent, and are connected with the great Canadian lakes of Huron, Superior, Ontario, &c. bring back a valuable supply of furs from these remote regions, in exchange for such European articles as are in request among their savage customers. This trade having been prosecuted with success by the British, the Americans seem in like manner resolved to profit by the vast track of similar territory to which they have access. By the journey of captains Lewis and Clark across the rocky mountains to the Pacific Ocean, the whole of that western region is now laid open. Numerous adventurers have since crossed, by better and easier roads, this mountainous barrier, where they found an open champaign country, well wooded and watered, and abounding in game. Captains Lewis and Clark were often astonished at the immense numbers of wild animals which they met with in all directions, consisting of bears, wolves, beavers, hares, foxes, racoons, &e and various other animals which are keenly pursued on account of their furs. The plan of the Americans seems therefore to be, to form settlements in the country with a view to a trade in its great staple, namely fur; and by establishing a port which would gradually grow up in into a village or a town at the mouth of the Columbia river on the Pacific Ocean, they could thence transport their cargoes to the great Indian markets, in exchange for the valuable products of the East. Such is the project contemplated, and if it succeed, it would have this important consequence, that it would lay the foundation of an American colony on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The peopling of the American continent is at present going on at a rapid rate; but by this means the seeds of population would be scattered with a more prodigal hand, and having once taken root, the shores of the Pacific would be quickly overspread with civilized inhabitants, drawing their support from the country in which they were settled, and in this respect independent of the parent state. CHAPTER I. Arrival of the Ship Tonquin, of Boston, at the Columbia River.-Loss of a Boat, an Officer and six Men, in sounding a pas sage.-Loss of another Boat and two men. -Miraculaus Escape of a Blacksmith, and a Sandwich Islander-Settlers landed.-The Tonquin trades along the northwest Coast.-Dreadful Catastrophe.Resolute Conduct of the Blacksmith.His Fate, and Fate of the Vessel and Crew. The Ship Tonquin, belonging to John Jacob Astor, left Boston about the year 1811, with settlers, for the purpose of forming an establishment on the Columbia River. On their passage out, they touched at the Sandwich Islands to fill up their water casks and procure a supply of provisions. Captain Thorne encountered considerable difficulties from the disposition which his ship's company evinced to leave the vessel at these islands, and was even obliged to get the settlers to keep watch over them to prevent desertion: the boatswain by some means however eluded the guard, and escaped to the shore. The Tonquin arrived off the mouth of the Columbia in March 1811. Captain Thorne not being acquainted with the harbour, despatched a whale boat, with an officer and six men, to sound the passage over the bar into the river. The ship was then under close-reefed top-sails, and a strong gale blowing from the north-west, so that the first officer was much averse to going on this service; and it is rather singular, that previous to his leaving the Tonquin, he observed to Mr. McDougal (who was to be the governor of the establishment) that he was going to lay his bones beside those of his uncle, who had perished in crossing the bar of the Columbia river, a year or two before that time. In a quarter of an hour after they left the ship, they hoisted a signal of distress, and then disappeared-thus seven men found a watery grave! The Tonquin stood out to sea for that night, and in the morning again stood in, and another boat was ordered off under the command of the second officer (Mr. Moffat who peremptorily refused to go, observing, that he could see a passage better from the mast head. Captain Thorne then ordered a man, who was to have the command of a shallop (of which they had the frame on board to take the command of the boat, with two Sandwich islanders (several of whom they had on board for the establishment) the ship's blacksmith, and one sailor, Mr. McDougal having refused to let any of the settlers go on that service, which they looked on as little better than an act of insanity. Shortly after the boat had left the ship, she ran by it; the boat was then so close that the people asked for a rope; but the vessel herself was in so perilous a situation, that all on board had to attend to their own safety. She struck several times on the bar, and the sea made a fair breach over her; but they at length get under the north-point, into Baker's bay. On the following day they saw a white man on the rocks in the bay. Captain Thorne despatched a boat, which returned with the blacksmith, who had been in the second boat sent to sound the channel. The account he gave of himself was, that shortly after the ship had passed them, the boat swamped; that the master of the shallop and the sailor were drowned, and that he was saved by the exertions of the Sandwich islanders, who had dived several times to clear him of the head line, which was entangled round his legs; as the tide was ebbing strong, the boat drifted clear of the breakers; the islanders got a bucket and one of the oars; the blacksmith and one of the islanders took it in turns to scull the boat during the night; the other islander died in consequence of being benumbed with the cold, so that he could not exert himself as the others did At day-light, they found themselves drifted to the northward of the river into a small sandy bay; they run the boat on the beach, and hauled her as high as their strength would allow them, and got their dead companion out. They then crossed the point towards the river, and entered the woods, where the islander lay down by the stump of a tree. The blacksmith left him, crossed the point, and arrived in sight of the river, where to his inexpressible joy, he saw the ship at anchor in the bay. Capt. Thorne sent a party in search of the islander, whom they found.They also recovered the boat, and buried the other native. They then landed the settlers about seven miles from the entrance of the river, and on the south side, where they immediately commenced clearing away the woods, building a fort, block-houses, &c. to protect themselves against the Indians. The Tonquin next landed part of her cargo, of which Mr. M'Dougal took charge; and Mr. M'Kie accompanied Captain Thorne to trade with the Indians to the northward. For this purpose they sailed from the river, and swept along the coast, communicating with the shore, till they came to Woody Point, where they ran into a snug harbour, in latitude 50 deg. 6 min. N. and longitude 127 deg. 43 min. W.; in this place they carried on a brisk trade with the natives, of whom Captain Thorne, however, suffered too many to come on board. Mr. M'Kie remonstrated, and pointed out the danger to which they subjected themselves, by placing too much confidence in savages. But the Captain was above taking his advice, and permitted still more liberty in visiting the ship. On the morning of the fatal catastrophe taking place, he was awakened by his brother (whom he had appointed chief mate in the room of the one who was lost, while Mr. Moffat was left, at the Columbia river to command the schooner or shallop) coming to inform him, that the natives were crowding on board in very great numbers, and without women, which was a sure sign of their hostile intentions. Upon reaching the deck Capt. Thorne was alarmed, and ordered the ship to be got under way; four persons went aloft to loose the sails, while the remainder was heaving at the windlass. The Indians had seated themselves round the decks between the guns, apparently without arms; but while the sailors were in the act of heaving at the windlass, they gave a sudden yell, and drew long knives from their hair, in which they had them concealed, rushed on the men, and butchered every person on deck. Capt. Thorne defended himself for some time, but was at length overpowered, after having killed several of his assailants. The people aloft, terrified by this slaughter, slid down by the stays, and got into the forecastle, where, by means of the loop-holes,they soon cleared the decks of the savages. They were for some time at a loss how to act, and it was at length resolved that three should take the long boat, and endeavour to reach the Columbia river; the blacksmith being wounded, preferred staying on board, and endeavour to revenge the death of his ship-mates: the three men accordingly took provision and arms, and left the ship, and pulled directly out to sea.The blacksmith then waved to the natives to return on board, having previously laid a train of gunpowder to the magazine, and got his musket ready to fire it. The Indians seeing but one man in the vessel, came off in great numbers, and boarded without fear.— He pointed out to them where to find the different articles of trade; and while they were all busily employed breaking open boxes, loosing bales, &c. he fired the train, and jumped overboard. By this explosion was destroyed nearly the whole village. He was picked up by some of the canoes, and, it is said by the natives, is still among them, but is never allowed to come near the sea-shore. It may appear strange that he was not put to some violent death; but the savages estimate too highly the value of a blacksmith, who repairs their muskets, makes knives, &c.; in short he is the greatest acquisition they can have. With respect to the three men who escaped the massacre on board, not being able to weather Woody Point, they were driven on shore, and killed by the natives. The boat remains, together with the wreck of the Tonquin, to this day. The former part of this account of the loss of the Tonquin, I had from Mr. M'Dougal, the governor of the fort at Columbia river, and the remainder from the natives, with whom I have had frequent intercourse, and whom I invariably found it to my interest to use well, as they are sensible of the slightest attention, and are prone to revenge the slightest insult. CHAPTER II. Continuation of the account of the first settlements on the river Columbia-A party sent over-land from Boston to form an establishment.-Arrival of the Beaver: Plan of the Natives to take the vessel frustrated by an Indian woman.- -Trading royage of the Beaver to Norfolk Sound: Collects a valuable cargo of Furs: arrival at China.-Loss of the Lark of Boston off the the Sandwich Islands.-The North West Company obtain possession of the Settlement.-Voyage, &c. of the Isaac Todd, from London-Melancholy death of Mr. M Tavish and four others.-Voyage of the Columbia, in which the author was the chief officer-Alarming Mutiny: Arrival at the Columbia. The next attempt to form a settlement on the Columbia was made by John Jacob Astor, who sent a party over land from Boston,* under the command of Mr Hunt. They endured many hardships in crossing the Stony Mountains, and lost several of their number; but at length reached their destination, the Columbia, after the destruction of the Tonquin. The next vessel Mr Astor sent out was the Beaver, a ship commanded by Captain Soule. She arrived safe in the river, and found the establishment in great distress for provisions. On the ensuing night, not being properly secured, she went adrift, and was nearly wrecked on the Bar; they however got her into the harbour next day, and commenced landing their stores. After they had unloaded, and received on board such furs as had been collected, they only waited a fair opportunity to cross the bar, to observe which, captain Soule went on shore daily, on Cape Disappointment. The natives meanwhile formed a design for seizing him and his boats' crew while ashore, and at the same time send off canoes to take the ship: the plot was, however, most fortunately frustrated by an Indian woman, who was on board with one of the sailors, and communicated the whole design to her temporary husband. This affair put captain Soule more on his guard: the woman was handsomely rewarded, and is still at Fort George. The Beaver left the Columbia river, and ran along the coast to the northward: She went into Norfolk Sound, where the Russians have an extensive establishment, and there traded with the colonists for sealskins. They were also induced to visit the islands of St. Paul and St. George, which are situated inside a group of islands, called the Aluthean or Fox Islands. Here the Beaver was nearly lost among the ice; but ultimately, after encountering many difficulties, she arrived safe at Canton, with a valuable cargo of furs, and was laid up on account of the war between the United States and Great Britain. Mr. Astor next sent out the ship Lark, captain Northope, with instructions to touch at the Sandwich Islands; but when they got into their latitude, and were running down before the wind, it came on to blow very hard, which reduced them to a close-reefed maintop-sail and foresail: the sea was mountain high; and the ship being very crank, in the middle watch (which was kept by Mr. Machal, a relation of Mr. Astor) she suddenly broached to, and a sea struck her, which laid her on her beam-ends. The people lost no time in cutting away the masts, by which means she righted. Fortunately for them the cargo consisted chiefly of rum for the Russians, and light [ Query, New-York.] |