Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/399



BURR OSBORN, SURVIVOR HOWISON EXHIBITION, 1846 357

and the sick managed to get hold of a rope and were all saved. During this time, every breaker broke clear over the vessel and continued doing so until ebb tide, when we lowered our other boats without damage.

You inquired where the original Fort Astoria stood. I never heard of but one fort while there, and that was Fort George. Fort George was situated on a point down the river called one mile from the Hudson Bay Company's store house. The location of the store was called 3 Astoria. This sto-re was a log house, and with the two log huts was situated at the junction of the bluff and the incline land! running down the river (as I remember, not to exceed five rods from the bluff and the in- cline). The location of the store and huts remains quite vivid on my mind for the reason that, within a week of our landing at Astoria, three-fourths of the crew were taken down with a fever and the rest of the crew were not much better. In con- nection with the store that I speak of, the stock consisted of goods thought necessary for the use of the trappers and the In- dians, and in the stock was quantities of salts and quinine, so the doctor dosed us with the same for about three weeks, when we began to recuperate. These fevers were probably brought on by the exposure and excitement and sleeping on the ground, also being scantily clad. We subsequently secured clothing from Vancouver. At that time blankets cost $10 each and other clothing in proportion. The store had what sailors call a medicine chest, and as soon as we got this chest emptied about the middle of October we were detailed down the river to Fort George and set to hauling logs from the neighboring forests to build a log house. When the house was completed, we moved in and sent a boat to Vancouver for provisions, that being the nearest place to purchase goods of any kind. The completion of the house brought us well into November, but we had not occupied it long when Captain Howison chartered the 4 Catborough, a schooner of about seventy-five tons burden, belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, commanded by Cap-

3 Later known as Upper Astoria. At this place Gen. John Adair, the first customs collector of the Port of Astoria, had his residence in 1849-50.

4 Cadboro.