登陆注册
4280100000180

第180章

Arrival of M'Tavish at Astoria.- Conduct of His Followers.-Negotiations of M'Dougal and M'Tavish. - Bargain for the Transfer of Astoria- Doubts Entertained of the Loyalty of M'Dougal.

0N the 2d of October, about five weeks after Mr. Hunt had sailed in the Albatross from Astoria, Mr. M'Kenzie set off with two canoes, and twelve men, for the posts of Messrs. Stuart and Clarke, to appraise them of the new arrangements determined upon in the recent conference of the partners at the factory.

He had not ascended the river a hundred miles, when he met a squadron of ten canoes, sweeping merrily down under British colors, the Canadian oarsmen, as usual, in full song.

It was an armament fitted out by M'Tavish, who had with him Mr.

J. Stuart, another partner of the Northwest Company, together with some clerks, and sixty-eight men - seventy-five souls in all. They had heard of the frigate Phoebe and the Isaac Todd being on the high seas, and were on their way down to await their arrival. In one of the canoes Mr. Clarke came as a passenger, the alarming intelligence having brought him down from his post on the Spokan. Mr. M'Kenzie immediately determined to return with him to Astoria, and, veering about, the two parties encamped together for the night. The leaders, of course, observed a due decorum, but some of the subalterns could not restrain their chuckling exultation, boasting that they would soon plant the British standard on the walls of Astoria, and drive the Americans out of the country.

In the course of the evening, Mr. M'Kenzie had a secret conference with Mr. Clarke, in which they agreed to set off privately before daylight, and get down in time to appraise M'Dougal of the approach of these Northwesters. The latter, however, were completely on the alert; just as M'Kenzie's canoes were about to push off, they were joined by a couple from the Northwest squadron, in which was M'Tavish, with two clerks, and eleven men. With these, he intended to push forward and make arrangements, leaving the rest of the convoy, in which was a large quantity of furs, to await his orders.

The two parties arrived at Astoria on the 7th of October. The Northwesters encamped under the guns of the fort, and displayed the British colors. The young men in the fort, natives of the United States, were on the point of hoisting the American flag, but were forbidden by Mr. M'Dougal. They were astonished at such a prohibition, and were exceedingly galled by the tone and manner assumed by the clerks and retainers of the Northwest Company, who ruffled about in that swelling and braggart style which grows up among these heroes of the wilderness; they, in fact, considered themselves lords of the ascendant and regarded the hampered and harassed Astorians as a conquered people.

On the following day M'Dougal convened the clerks, and read to them an extract from a letter from his uncle, Mr. Angus Shaw, one of the principal partners of the Northwest Company, announcing the coming of the Phoebe and Isaac Todd, "to take and destroy everything American on the northwest coast."This intelligence was received without dismay by such of the clerks as were natives of the United States. They had felt indignant at seeing their national flag struck by a Canadian commander, and the British flag flowed, as it were, in their faces. They had been stung to the quick, also, by the vaunting airs assumed by the Northwesters. In this mood of mind, they would willingly have nailed their colors to the staff , and defied the frigate. She could not come within many miles of the fort, they observed, and any boats she might send could be destroyed by their cannon.

There were cooler and more calculating spirits, however, who had the control of affairs, and felt nothing of the patriotic pride and indignation of these youths. The extract of the letter had, apparently, been read by M'Dougal, merely to prepare the way for a preconcerted stroke of management. On the same day Mr. M'Tavish proposed to purchase the whole stock of goods and furs belonging to the company, both at Astoria and in the interior, at cost and charges. Mr. M'Dougal undertook to comply; assuming the whole management of the negotiation in virtue of the power vested in him, in case of the non-arrival of Mr. Hunt. That power, however, was limited and specific, and did not extend to an operation of this nature and extent; no objection, however, was made to his assumption, and he and M'Tavish soon made a preliminary arrangement, perfectly satisfactory to the latter.

同类推荐
  • 名物蒙求

    名物蒙求

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 真言要决

    真言要决

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Gone With The Wind

    Gone With The Wind

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Father and Son

    Father and Son

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 赛花铃

    赛花铃

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 黑道孽婚叛心妻

    黑道孽婚叛心妻

    婚姻倘若无爱,何以为续?人生所有的悲剧若都是他人的存心设计,你是一笑抿恩仇还是恩怨分明?*******米诺:繁华褪尽,她忠于自己每一次的选择与决定,不论是昔时的黑道大嫂还是彼时的商人妇。然,树欲静而风不止。杜承宇:他娶了她,却不知道娶的是个什么样的人,人生过早的陷于一他人的设计之中。谈爱,太过奢侈。贝令瑜:她是阴谋的执行者,冷笑着面对她人的痛与泪,却忘了,人在做,天在看……秦子路:他以为他有足够的时间来爱,他以为他已经做出了明确的决定,可终究只是,一个以为!林嫣:她知道自己的心,努力想要将错路修正,却不知,人生很多时候是无路可退的。宋帅:他叱姹风云,却对一个女人无可奈何。爱恨纠缠,输了一切。白子鸣:他有够翻云覆雨的手段,却在她面前,无可奈何。这是一出狗血的戏剧,人生如何能设计?*******推荐好友文现代文叶清欢(外遇的诱惑)皇焱儿(婚外情)尘陌(谋欢)霓虹雨中(装纯总裁恶狼妻)莫言染(历任第三者)心若芷萱(稁门傻妻)******古代美文月落盏(冷心王爷谋心妃)青浅建了个读者群,喜欢就加吧25747375
  • 新生活:胡适散文

    新生活:胡适散文

    中国新文化运动的领袖、诺贝文学奖候选人胡适的散文集,《新生活》《信心与反省》《文学改良刍议》《差不多先生传》等经典尽入本书。胡适是新文化运动的领袖之一,其散文具有较高的学术及文学价值,非常值得人们阅读。为适应当下读者的需求,本选集对我社2001年版的《胡适散文》进行了整理并重新出版。本书保留了原版对散文的分类方式,删除了一些比较艰深难读的篇目。
  • 墙上的森林(中国好小说)

    墙上的森林(中国好小说)

    一个因为憎恶而淡忘了婚姻,已经几乎丧失了爱的能力的中年男人,一个长夜疲惫的旅人,在一个阴差阳错的偶然里,认识了一个叫林影的漂亮女孩子,他沉睡的心灵渐渐被唤醒,久违的激情慢慢涌动,生命又一次撒进了阳光。和前妻的生的女儿莫名其妙失踪,让他经历了惊魂一刻,在这个危极时刻,他再次认识到了不曾认识到的林影的一面。
  • 好消息

    好消息

    丁欣努力地使上下眼皮粘合在一起不要分开,时间还早。她已经感觉到光越来越亮,眼皮不停地眨动,但她仍旧坚持不肯睁开,这种形式主义的睡眠通常就叫做失眠。盲人真的眼前是一片黑暗吗?丁欣有时会拼命闭紧眼睛,那不是真正完全的黑暗。蓬蓬问过丁欣,为什么能看见妈妈?因为有光。为什么有光?因为神说要有光,就有了光。终于熬到五点,丁欣掏出枕头底下的本子按着顺序写下“63”,她再一次盼望着奇迹出现,要么陆大峰回家了,要么自己没有祭日般的悲伤也没有仇恨,像写一个无关紧要的数字一样写下来,结果都没实现。她习惯把所有的事情都记本上,做完的和没做的。
  • 我的二货将军

    我的二货将军

    “陌潇。”穆奕远转身眼眸微眯。“嗯,奕远兄有何事?”陌潇没抬头,顺着他的话问道。“听说……你是女儿身?”“!!!”
  • Lizzie Leigh

    Lizzie Leigh

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Worst Laid Plans
  • 机器大战的故事

    机器大战的故事

    科幻故事是西方近代文学的一种新体裁,诞生于19世纪,是欧洲工业文明崛起后特殊的文化现象之一。人类在19世纪,全面进入以科学发明和技术革命为主导的时代后,一切关注人类未来命运的文艺题材,都不可避免地要表现未来的科学技术。而这种表现,在工业革命之前是不可能的。
  • 绝色风华:邪女傲天

    绝色风华:邪女傲天

    长不大的墨沧离一直有一个梦想:我要长大,然后将你踩在脚下,让你臣服。可是有一天,她长大了,依旧逃不过,他的蹂躏和他的摧残!从此,她又多了一个梦想,我要强大,强大无人可欺,无人可负!
  • 老婆乖,别乱跑

    老婆乖,别乱跑

    某女:“趁人之危非好汉。”某男邪魅一笑:“没有危,哪里来的趁人之说?”糊里糊涂成了环江帝少的妻子。好啊,你不让我走,我就偷结婚证去换绿本。可那靠在门口的男人是怎么回事?