RESTORATION OF ASTORIA
311
Excellency's consideration. The state of the country in quesstill remains nearly the same as at the time this paper
tion
was written. Fort George and various trading stations in the interior are held by the North West Company, who have about three hundred persons permanently employed in the trade of the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacifick Ocean. have one vessel now on that coast and
We
another sailed from England with supplies for our people in
September
last.
"I cannot presume to suggest to your excellency any course to be adopted on this occasion but it appears to me that the
question might be put whether the Ontario had any instructions to act [with] hostility towards the British traders on the
North- West Coast, and the Columbia River. This, however, merely venture to submit to your Excellency's judgment, and have the honor to be, &c. &c. I
}
SIMON McGiLLivRAY."
On November
21st, 1817, Sir Charles Bagot received this from Simon McGillivray, that the Ontario was "to seize or destroy the establishments and trade of the North West Company" on the Columbia. In a report to Lord Castlereagh, he wrote: 23
notice
"Upon receipt of this letter, I thought it my duty to lose no time in endeavouring to ascertain distinctly, from the American government, whether such a measure really was in contemplation; and I accordingly asked for a conference with Mr. Adams, at which I communicated to him the information I received, and requested him to acquaint me whether it had any foundation. "Mr. Adams appeared to
me to be considerably embarrassed but a short silence, he said that the after by my question, Ontario had certainly gone to the North West Coast of America,
but that she had not received any orders either to destroy
or disturb the trade of the North
"He
then said that
2$ F. O.
5,
Vol. 123.
I
West Company.
must be aware
that the United States
