One instance of so-called injustice Wilkes took occasion to right. While he was still at Fort Vancouver he received a visit from three young men, members of a party of eight, who were building a schooner to take them to California, as they were anxious to leave a country where there were no young white women to marry. The party consisted of Joseph Gale, who came with Young; Felix Hathaway, the only ship-carpenter among them; Henry Wood, who came to California in 1837 with the cattle company; R. L. Kilborne, of the Peoria immigrants; and Pleasant Armstrong, John Green, George Davis, and Charles Matts, who arrived some time between 1838 and 1840.
The company had obtained part of the material necessary to build their vessel, such as iron and spikes, by representing that they were wanted for a ferry-boat to be used on the Willamette. To obtain rigging they induced the French settlers to go to Fort Vancouver and buy cordage, pretending it was for use in their rude farm harnesses. These underhand proceedings coming to the knowledge of McLoughlin, naturally excited his suspicions. How could he know that these were not preparations for piracy on the Cali-
to the report that cannon were buried on Tongue Point, and from the representations of the tyranny and vices of the fur company to the pleadings for American institutions; for all these subjects are there brought up and answered. He did not sympathize with Waller's complaint of the fur company's monopoly of trade, because he could not help feeling that it was 'unsuited to the life of a missionary to be entering into trade of any kind,' and that complaints against the Hudson's Bay Company 'came with an ill grace from the members of a mission who are daily receiving the kindest attentions and hospitality from its officers.' He visited some of the settlers, and was visited by others; dined with Father Blanchet at the Catholic mission on French Prairie; visited Abernethy at the old mission; criticised the manner in which the Mission people left a patent thrashing-machine in the middle of the road, 'where it had evidently been for a long time totally neglected,' and mentioned that a thousand bushels of wheat had been lost through neglect to harvest it, and that about all the Mission premises there was absence of repair and neatness, 'which he regretted to witness.' He expected to find an Indian school, but saw no natives except 4 who were employed as servants. On inquiry he was told that there were about 20 at the new mission; but when he arrived there he was informed that the pupils were not in a condition to be inspected. In short, he found the missionaries interested in anything rather than missionary work; and especially anxious about the establishment of a temporary government, which he discouraged. But of this I shall have more to say hereafter.
