Hall Jackson Kelley 127
latter having been long occupied for dressing fish and wild game, was extremely filthy. The black mud about the door was abundantly mixed with animal putrescence. It was not a place that would conduce much to tfie recovery of health. It was, however, the habitation of a Canadian, a respectable and intelligent man, a tinner by trade."^
The immediate reason for this inhospitable reception at the fort where all comers had been made welcome, at least osten- sibly, may be best stated in the words of Dr. McLoughlin :
"As Gen. Flqueroa [sic], Governor of California, had writ- ten me that Ewing Young and Kelley had stolen horses from the settlers of that place, I would have no dealings with them, and told them my reasons. Young maintained he stole no horses, but admitted the others had. I told him that might be the case, but as the charge was made I could have no deal- ings with him till he cleared it up. But he maintained to his countrymen, and they believed it, that as he was a leader among them, I acted as I did from a desire to oppose American inter- ests. I treated all of the party in the same manner as Young, except Kelley, who was very sick. Chit of humanity I placed him in a house, attended on him and had his victuals sent him at every meal."^
Figneroas letter had been brought from Montgomery on the company's schooner Cadboro, which had made better time than Kelley's party, and so enabled McLoughlin to take the necessary steps to protect the interests of his company and of those dependent upon it. Warning notices were posted, and the Canadians were forbidden to trade with the members of the party .^ But Kelley declared that the accusing letter did not implicate him with the unwelcome marauders, and he main- tained that McLoughlin's action was based wholly upon the
31 Memorial, 1848: 15-6. **1 arriTed at VmncouTcr unwell, and was hospitably welcomed by Mr. McLaughlin, the chief factor. Medical aid was rendered me; a house in tlie village was furnished for my use, and all my physical wants were supplied; but \ was forbidden to enter the tortl" — Memoir, 60.
2Z McLoughlin. Defence, addressed to parties in London, Oregon Historical Society Quarterly, I, 195; also Bancroft, Northwest Coast, II, 550.
9Z Bancroft, Northwest Coast^ II, ssst; Hist, of Oregon, I, oi-a. Young demanded and received a retraction from Figueroa— Walker, Skctcn of Ewing Young, Oregon Pioneer Association, Transactions, 1880:57.
