Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/209



LAST PHASE OF OREGON BOUNDARY 199

fortifications of any description by the party already on the island." In a further note he explained that the civil power would deal with the party already landed; that power would if necessary call "upon all subjects of Her Majesty, civil, military, or naval, to render him assistance as may enable him to carry out the law." Not yet satisfied that all had been done that was necessary, on the 30th he requested that "another powerful vessel of war" be sent, "so as happily by the show of an overwhelming force to prevent the probability of any resistance being shown to the actions of the law, and the consequent prospect of bloodshed."

Ships began to arrive. On the 30th Captain Pickett did not feel comfortable, "lying within range of a couple of war steamers." The "Tribune" was a thirty-gun frigate and lay broadside to the camp. On August 3 he reports to the Gen- eral that "the British ships the 'Tribune', the 'Plumper* and the 'Satellite' are lying here in a menacing attitude." But the guns were silent. Pickett stated the case correctly: "They have a force so much superior to mine that it will be merely a mouthful for them." Yet, despite the orders of the Gov- ernor, no advantage was taken of the superiority of power even when fortifications were erected and reinforcement^ were landed. Captain_ De Courcy ^ffl a moderating influence on

the bellicose I ><>u-la- : lie ur-ed that the riidit to the i>1;md was

-till in dispute, and declared that he

"considered it highly essential to do everything possible to prevent a collision with the United States forces, and not disturb the amicable relations existing between the two countries, more particularly at the present time, when it was not improbable that Great Britain might be in- volved in the war raging in Europe." It will be recalled that this was the time of the Italian war

of liberation from Austria.

It was to be expected that the British authorities would

issue some such proclamation as that of Governor Douglas

dated August 2, in which he "formally and solemnly" pro-