Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/377



May, 1812, several partners of the Pacific Fur Company held a meeting at the company post of Astoria, near the mouth of the Columbia River, to make plans for the coming season. Among the several resolutions adopted was the following:

"That Mr. McKenzie winter on the Snake river; recover the goods left in cache by Mr. Hunt; and report the state of the country."

According to these instructions, Donald McKenzie established his winter post in the great Shahaptian nation late in August, sent John Reed with four men to bring in the goods cached the previous autumn, and began to trade with the Indians. Ross writes:

"The Indians did not take kindly to the idea that they become trappers, pronouncing such work fit only for squaws. Their horses procured them guns and ammunition, the buffaloes provided them with food and clothing and war gave them renown.... McKenzie then resolved to abandon that post and proceed further up the river but before taking that step, he went over to Spokane to visit Mr. Clarke; and while there, Mr. John George McTavish, a partner of the North West Company, arrived with a strong reinforcement of men from the east side of the mountains, bringing an account of the war between Great Britain and the United States. On receiving this unwelcome news, McKenzie hastened back to his post; but instead of removing further up, as he had contemplated, he put his good's in cache and set off with all his men to Astoria, where he arrived January 15, 1813 ...On the second of February, McKenzie turned his face toward the interior, and in two canoes, with eighteen men, pushed on to his post, having letters from Mr. McDougall ... On the twenty-second day after leaving Astoria, Mr. McKenzie arrived at his post on the Shahaptin river but was mortified to find his cache robbed."

McKenzie immediately determined to recover the stolen goods. He asked the chiefs to have the goods returned, but they would not act in the matter. After vainly trying to settle the matter peaceably, he determined to take decisive action. He led his