Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/450

444 444 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. our first thought was to bury him within Mr. Goodrich's premises ; but after we had selected a spot, and commenced clearing away the ground, doubts were suggested by a foreigner who was assisting us, and who has for some time been engaged in taking wild cattle, whether the wounds on the head could have been inflicted by a bullock. Mr. G. said that doubts had similarly arisen in his mind, while examining the body. The matter did not seem clear many parts of the story were left in obscurity. How had Mr. Douglas been left alone with- out any guide, foreign or native ? Where was John, Mr. Diell's col- oured man, who had left Honolulu with Mr. Diell, and who, on missing a passage with him from Lahaina, embarked with Douglas, as we are informed by the captain of the vessel in which Mr. D. sailed from La- haina to Rohala Point, and then left the vessel with Mr. D. on the morning of the 9th instant, in order to accompany him across the mountain to Hilo ? How was it that Mr. D. should fall into a pit when retracing his steps, after having once passed it in safety? And if a bullock had already tumbled in, how was it that he did not see the hole necessarily made in its covering ? These difficulties occurred to our minds, and we deemed it due to the friends of Mr. D. and the pub- lic, whom he had so zealously and so usefully served, that an examina- tion should be made of the body by medical men. The only way by which this could be effected, was by preserving his body, and either sending it toOahu or keeping it till it could be examined. The former method seemed most advisable ; accordingly we had the contents of the abdomen removed, the cavity filled with salt, and placed in a coffin, which was then filled with salt, and the whole enclosed in a box of brine. Some fears are entertained whether the captain of the native vessel will convey the body; this can be determined in the morning. After the corpse was laid in the coffin, the members of the Mission family and several foreigners assembled at the house of Mr. Dibble, to pay their tribute of respect to the mortal remains of the deceased, and to improve this affecting providence to their own good. Prayers were offered, and a brief address made ; and we trust that the occasion may prove a lasting blessing to all who were present. After the services were concluded, the body was removed to a cool native house, where it was enclosed in the box. 16th. As neither the guide nor any natives have arrived, we have employed two foreigners to proceed to the place where the body was received on the sea-shore, with directions to find the persons who dis- covered it, and go with them to the pit. and after making as full in- quiries as possible, to report to us immediately. So far as we can ascertain, the guide is an Englishman, a convict from Botany Bay, who left a vessel at these islands some years ago. He has a wife and one child with him, and to this circumstance in part may be attributed