Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/257

 race, however innocent, who might come in their way, and not once only, but over and over. This fact was well understood by the pioneers, who were careful not to spill Indian blood without cause.

To Pickett, Governor Abernethy addressed a letter asking him to endeavor to procure assistance from the commander who had relieved Commodore Shubrick Thomas Ap. C. Jones. Jones replied that had he any vessel to spare he would gladly send it to the Columbia river, but that he only had three in his command with which to hold the Mexican ports, and for all other purposes on the coast, the others being sent home; but if those expected out arrived, he would send one to Oregon. The United States commissioner at the Sandwich Islands, A. Ten Eyck, Esq., on June fifth, also addressed a letter to Commodore Jones upon the subject. Ten Eyck s letter revealed the fact that a communication had been sent to him by some of the anti-British and anti-Hudson's bay people of Oregon representing that ill feeling existed between the Americans and the fur company, which had furnished arms and ammunition to the Indians, and other wise aided them in their hostilities against the settlers; that an angry correspondence had taken place between Governor Abernethy and Mr. Douglas; that the volunteers had threatened Vancouver, and that Mr. Douglas had written the company s agent at the islands to send an English man-of-war to the Columbia. "Our people," added Ten Eyck, "are very poor, and are much in need of arms and ammunition, and are much alarmed. Having good reason to credit these rumors, I do not hesitate to request that you lose no time in dispatching such force as you can spare from the squadron, and as the exigencies of the case may seem to require to the Columbia river."

A copy of this letter having been sent to Governor