Page:Letters to Mrs. F. F. Victor, 1878-83.djvu/16

 Douglas was only carrying out his orders. The Dr, McL, was on his way to Europe that year—partly with a view to the establishment of the Puget Sound Agricultural Co—Capital £200,000 in £100 shares £10 per share only being paid down. Two shares according to my status in the Service was alloted to me, which I disposed of six years ago realizing little more than the Capital without interest. There were only I think 3 small dividends paid. I've no doubt there was a political object in starting this Co with an eye to the future, that is they could urge they had farms fisheries &c all over the County, and the virtual possession. Had the Company taken Whitbys [Whidbey] Island instead of Cowlitz farm it would have been much more to their interest, & at the treaty carried over that Isld Douglas himself remarked this to me—revenons a nous moutton On a visit of David Douglas to Saml Blacks post at the junction of the Fraser & Thompson, while enjoying the lonely hospitality of his brother Scot, Douglas a rather fiery chap remarked the Companys Officers hadn't a soul above a beaver skin & dire was the offense, they retired with the idea of having it settled in the morning—at the early dawn of which Black was tapping at the pierced parchment which served as a window to the hut. With the query Mr Douglas are ye ready. Black was an oddity he had a beautiful ring presented to him at the coalition by the N W Co en graved "To the most Worthy of the Worthy Northwesters" he was afterwards killed at his post by the Indians; some superstitions about not attending the funeral of a chief. He had a daughter to whom he willed perhaps £20,000 but he had described her by some pet name afterwards changed to some christian form by some well intentioned priest. As her identity was not clear under the protean change, she got nothing & died the wife of Mr Pambrun of Oregon City a brother of Mrs J. McCraken's of Portland. Douglas on his way home by one of the Co's ships while botanizing at the S[andwich] Islands fell into a pit for wild cattle, & was found trampled to death. On dit that he used among his travellers tales to say that he had found gold enough about the roots of plants in California to make a watch seal. Had he