Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/451

445 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 445 his delay. There are two native vessels in port, besides the one about to sail to-day. By these vessels we shall apprise you of all the infor- mation we can obtain, and yet hope that the darkness which involves the subject may be removed. Mr. G. has just returned from the ves- sel about to sail to-day. The application to convey the remains of Mr. D. to Honolulu will, we fear, prove unsuccessful, as the cargo is already taken in, consisting of wood, canoes, food, etc. It is barely possible that a consent may yet be obtained; but if not, you must be so kind as to dictate what course is to be pursued. Should you deem it advisable to come up in person, we think that the body will be in such a state of preservation as will admit of its being examined upon your arrival. Meanwhile, we shall take all possible pains to procure in- formation. The principal part of Mr. D.'s bag-gage, his trunks, instru- ments, etc., are in Mr. Goodrich's possession, who will take care of them, subject to your order. Three o'clock P. M. Edward Gurney, the Englishman spoken of before, has arrived, and our'minds are greatly relieved, as to the prob- able way in which the fatal event was brought about. He states that on the 12th instant, about ten minutes before six in the morning, Mr. D. arrived at his house on the mountain, and wished him to point out the road, and go a short distance with him. Mr. D. was then alone, but said that his man had gone out the day before (this man was probably Johu, Mr. Diell's coloured man). After taking breakfast, Ned accompanied Mr. D. about three quarters of a mile, and after di- recting him in the path, and warning him of the traps, went on about half a mile further with him. Mr. D. then dismissed him, after ex- pressing an anxious wish to reach Hilo by evening, thinking he could find out the way himself. Just before Ned left him, he warned him particularly of three bullock-traps, about two miles and a half ahead, two oL- uhem lying directly in the road, the other on one side, as ex- hibit^ in the following rude sketch: