Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/339

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

JOHN KENDRICK AND His SONS 289

himself had discovered this passage in the winter of 1788-9.

Proceeding southward Kendrick bought from the na- tive chiefs at Ahousat, near the entrance of Nootka Sound, and at Clayoquot Sound two other parcels of land described in the same vague manner. 27 In this he was true to his blood ; his grandfather had obtained consider- able land in the Cape Cod region by purchase from the Indians. 28 In 1795 an effort was made by the owners of the Washington to dispose of these purchases in London. 29 This is the only item which I have found after 1790 that shows any recognition by Kendrick of his owners' rights.

About 5th August 1791 Kendrick reached Clayoquot where he finished his season's trading. The Columbia arrived on 29th August, found the brigantine at anchor and Kendrick in possession of a log house that he had erected within the area ceded to him by Wickananish and which he had named Fort Washington. 30 He had then about one thousand sea otter skins on board. Hos- kins writing to Barrell on 21st August 1792 says : "Capt. Kendrick when I saw him the last season offer'd to give up to me (if I would pay his men's wages & a debt he had contracted in Macao of about 4000 dollars) his ves- sel and cargo which was a thousand sea otter skins. I told him I had no authority to accept his offer or to de- mand any payment from him nor did I think any person in the ship had." 31

Captain Kendrick sailed from Clayoquot 25th Sep-

27 These deeds and that referred to in the preceding paragraph will be found set out verbatim in Senate Documents, 32d Congress, First Session, Report Committee No. 335, pp. 20 et seq. No reliance is to be placed on the statements of alleged facts contained in this document.

28 Cape Cod History and Genealogy, No. 35, Edward Kenwrick, pp. 2-3.

29 Senate Document No. 335, mentioned in note 26, p. 29.

30 Hoskins' Narrative MS., p. 135, August, 1791.

31 Manuscript letter from Hoskins to Barrell, dated 21st August 1792, in archives of Massachusetts Historical Society.