Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/348

 m 306 FRED S. PERRINE This very evidently was a mistake on the part of Fran- chere, who intended to write "Columbia" instead of "Wil- lamette," as we shall presently see. On May 25, 1813, Wallace and Halsey and their party returned from the Willamette bringing with them the first results of the Astoria venture, seventeen packs of furs and thirty-two bales of dried venison. On the 7th of October, 1813, the Astorians were greatly surprised at the return of Donald McKenzie, from up the Columbia, escorted by two canoes bearing the British flag, and carrying Mr. J. G. McTavish and Angus Bethune of the N. W. Co. These gentlemen were in small canoes and formed the vanguard to a flotilla of eight canoes loaded with furs. This party consisted of seventy-five men in all, and among these was undoubtedly William Henry 16 of whom we shall hear later. We hear nothing more regarding the Willamette post until after the Pacific Fur Company was taken over by the N. W. Co. With the abandonment of Astoria by the Pacific Fur Co., and the coming of the Northwest Company, who named the place Fort George, we must look to another contemporary who gives the only detailed account of the happenings there until his death May 22, 1814. Alexander Henry the Younger, nephew of Alexander Henry the Elder, was a partner in the N. W. Co. He l 16 William Henry, clerk, cousin of Alexander Henry, the Younger. Was at lower fort on Swan River, near Lake Winnepegoosis on October 29, 1801, summered at Bird Mountain Fort in 1802, wintered 1802-3 -4 at Fort Alexandria, and summered there in 1804. Wintered on Red River in 1806. Was at Cumberland House July 4, 1810, and on Athabasca River winter of 1810-11. Undoubtedly arrived at Astoria in the party of J. G. McTavish and Angus Bethune on October 7, 1813. On November 17, 1813, was in charge of the post on the Willamette. Temporarily aban- doned this post March 21, 1814. The last note of him in Alex. Henry's journal was under date of May 18, 1814, when "there was a quarrel be- tween Mr. D . McTavish and Mr. William Henry."