Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/192

 184 DOCUMENT Political and statistical. State of the country. In 1670, a charter of Charles the 2d granted an exclusive trade to the governors and company of adventurers of London, trading into Hudson's bay. They were to have the sole trade and commerce of and to all the seas, bays and straights [Sic], creeks, lakes, rivers, and sounds, in whatsoever latitude, that lie within the straights commonly called Hudson's straights together with all the lands, countries, and territories upon the coasts of such seas, bays, and straights, which were possessed by any English subject, or subjects of any other Christian State together with the fishing for all sorts of fish, of whales, sturgeon, and all other royal fish, with the royalty of the seas. As late as 1825, this extensive charter had not received any parliamentary confirma- tion or sanction. In consequence of the many difficulties and quarrels between the Northwest and Hudson Bay Companies, the British Govern- ment compelled them to merge their stock into one company, and they are now called the Hudson Bay Company. This coalition took place in 1821. It is therefore under the charter of the Northwest Company, if such exists, that the Hudson Bay Company now claim the exclusive right to, and the trade and commerce of, all the country from the north bank of the Columbia river, to 54 40' north, along the coast of the North Pacific ocean, and from thence of all the country within three marine leagues of the coast to the Frozen or Arctic sea. In 1818, when Fort George (Astoria) was formally given up by Captain Hickey, of his British Majesty's ship Blossom, and Judge Prevost and Captain Biddle, the American commis- sioners, had placed the customary placards declaratory of the event on Cape Disappointment and Point George, the question would scarcely have been asked by any of his British Majesty's subjects to whom the country of right belonged. Soon after the departure of the United States ship Ontario, Captain Biddle, the buildings at Fort George were destroyed by fire. It is said the act was commited by the Indians, who likewise took away the placards put up by the American commissioners.