Page:Letters to Mrs. F. F. Victor, 1878-83.djvu/20

 the indians were excited as to what new ill was to come Whooping cough-measles-Typhoid fever &c, & they used to be very anxious to hear from Tolmie at Nesqually the news in my letters. All these things we think so lightly of now scourged the poor indians dreadfully. Hearing that General Joe Lane was coming from the sound, I rode out a few miles to meet him, & answered his enquiries & made the best sug gestions I was able for the peace of the country for it was then changing from the old Regime to the new. I was aston ished to hear him remark D--- them, it would do my soul good to be after them. This would never have escaped the lips of either McLoughlin or Douglas. I think this was before the indians were hung at Steilacoom for killing [Leander C.] Wallace at the Co post Nisqually. For that trial they took men all the way fi om Oregon City to make a Jury. On dit that one or more of these travel-worn Jurymen wrapped himself in his blanket & before dozing said, gentlemen when you want to hang an indian just give me a call-the Indians were hung whether they called him or not-you see the Cos chiefs in my mind were not at all influenced by any passions or prejudices entertained by men less capable than themselves they were very independent in that way-no government from below.

I would tell you all about the doings of the new custom house officer Col [Simpson P.] Moses of those years (they say now a contemptible little Jew) why he took almost every British ship that came the "Forager" "Albion" "Beaver" "Mary Dare" &c his conduct was beneath the government & was probably from beneath also. The "Forager" came with a cargo for the Co-this was in '49 when white labor was not to be had & a few indians or 1/2 breeds helped to discharge his cargo-he was looking for some return cargo when Capt [B. H.] Hill of the U S Artillery wanted him to take his Co round to Steilacoom & the Co offered him a lot of shingles they had taken from [M. T.] Simmons & the early settlers if he would do so. The poor fellow no sooner got there than J. Q. Thornton traveled over & brought him to Vancr for