18o McLOUGHLIN AND OLD OREGON
Maria had scarcely time to murmur her thanks when a shuffling was heard outside.
"Boston ship at Fort George, laden with liquor," announced a Frenchman, hat in hand, suddenly breaking up the tableau in the doctor's office. Dr. McLoughlin went out. In ten hours he stepped from his barge on the sands at Astoria. The Thomas H. Perkins" looked up grimly, demoniacally, from the water.
"How many barrels on board?" demanded Dr. McLoughlin of the captain. "What is it worth? I will take the whole cargo." And in the end Dr. McLoughlin chartered the ship itself, to put a stop to the business.
"It 's cheaper to buy ' blue ruin ' out of hand than to deal with a riot of drunken savages," was the doctor's explanation to the inquiries of Commodore Wilkes. The liquor was stored in the basement of the governor's house, where it lay untouched for years.
Commodore Wilkes sent exploring parties all over the country. Everywhere the Indians fell into convulsions of laughter at the useless labors of these lunatic scientists, who came squinting around at rocks and soil and hills and stars, and never once asked for beaver. Did the geologist use his hammer "Ho! ho! ho! no kernel in that nut! Indian know better than that! " Did the botanist creep along picking flowers like precious gems "He! he! he! see the grass man?" All flowers were grass to the Indian.
"Come over and see us celebrate the Fourth of July, Doctor. We have the finest warship in the navy there," said Commodore Wilkes, setting out for that portion of his squadron anchored in the Sound.
"Tut, tut, tut! Ask me to celebrate the Fourth of
