Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/213

 JAMES DOUGLAS, CHIEF FACTOR OF THE HUD- SON'S BAY COMPANY, FORT VANCOUVER, TO GOVERNOR GEORGE ABERNETHY, OREGON CITY Fort Vancouver 31st. Dec 1847 George Abernethy Esqre Governor Sir A rumour having been in circulation for some days past, that it is General Gilliam's intention to levy con- tributions on the Hudsons Bay Company's property, for the purpose of compelling the equipment of the troops ordered out in your late proclamation for the intended operations against the Indians of the interior, I feel it my duty to communicate with you frankly on the subject; as it is most important in the present critical state of our Indian relations that there should be an entire ab- sence of distrust, and that the most perfect unanimity should exist among the whites of every class. From my personal knowledge of General Gilliam and his highly respectable character I should be the last per- son to believe him capable of committing an outrage, which may prove so distrastous [sic] in its immediate and remoter consequences, to the peace and best interests of this country ; and at the same time, as the representative of a powerful British Association it becomes my duty, to take instant measures for the protection of their prop- erty, until I receive, through you, a distinct disavowal of any such intention, as I have herein stated. Difficulties of that nature were certainly not contem- plated by us, when we dispatched a large part of our effective force, into the interior for the purpose of rescu- ing the unfortunate women and children, the survivors of the massacre at Wiillat poo, who remained in the hands of the Indians ; — it was never suspected that our establishments would be exposed to insults or injury,