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306 actual situation before investing more money in the Columbia.

Three days later, the firm again wrote to Henry Gouldburn, 28th July, 1815, "to ascertain whether we may rely on the protection of His Majesty's Government in our arduous undertaking of establishing a colony, (to carry on the fur trade between China and the Columbia River) on the shores of the Pacific, which was first discovered and taken possession of by British subjects. . ..

"We certainly would prefer prosecuting the trade as British subjects, unconnected with citizens of any other state, but still from circumstances which have come to our knowledge, it may become absolutely necessary, either to combine our interests in the trade with those of American merchants, or to abandon it entirely, without we have some assurance of protection on the part of our government."

Again on 2nd August, 1815, in a third letter to Gouldburn, Inglis, Ellis & Co. write: "We have established a colony of British subjects on the Columbia River, for the purpose of carrying on the fur trade with China."

Three vessels in two years, they stated, had been sent with Indians goods, "for that trade [Columbia] in which we have involved property exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling.

"We are now assured that that property is subjected to the risk of forcible seizure by American citizens or the American government, on the plea that as British subjects we have no right to carry on trade with Indians within the territories of the United States, which are now said to extend to the shores of the Pacific."

The Nor'westers again demand assurance of safety in carrying on their trade from the mouth of the Columbia to Russian settlements, and from the Rocky Mountains to the sea. If the colony on the Columbia river was on British soil, they could advance trade; otherwise they must abandon it.

The other side of this correspondence will never be known,