Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/194

 182 T. C. ELLIOTT nailing a leaden tablet to a tree. Meantime the guns of the sloop roared in salute, the few Chinook Indians who happened to be present looked on in wonder, and the fur traders at Fort George fifteen miles away were suddenly awakened from the monotony of their secluded life. Immediately after- ward the boats proceeded up along the north side of the river to Chinook Point where Captain Bid : dle called briefly upon Comcomly, the one-eyed chief of the Chinook Indians who was inseparable from anything of importance that took place along the lower Columbia during those days ; then crossed the four mile width of river to Fort George (Astoria) for a call upon Chief Factor James Keith of the North- West Company ; then proceeded down the south shore to Point George (Smith Point, Astoria), and repeated the ceremonies of taking formal possession; and then returned to Chinook Point to spend the night. The next morning the party returned on board the Ontario and the anchor was raised and her course laid to the southward again. That part of Captain Biddle's report which includes this event has been printed in the Oregon Hist. Quar- terly (see Vol. Ill, pp. 310-11) and furnishes the source for the above narrative. The caution of Captain Biddle in anchoring outside the bar was quite indicative of a good naval officer: not to unneces- sarily endanger his vessel when on a distant coast. It will be remembered that Captain George Vancouver in 1792 declined to take his vessel into the Columbia but anchored four or five miles at sea. Evidently the Ontario was anchored closer in since her guns at the proper moment took part in the ceremonials. And evidently August 19th, 1818, was one of those beautiful summer days such as present day visitors at Cape Disappointment keenly enjoy. Another account of the occurrences of this 19th day of August, 1818, has not yet been printed on the Pacific Coast. It is found in a journal kept by one of the officers of the "Ontario," Lieut. J. H. Aulick, and gives us a glimpse of the physical conditions at Astoria at that time. "At 9 A. M. the ist and 2nd cutters and the jolly-boat were hoisted out and