202 ANDREW FISH
would "molest, or allow to be molested, the few British sub- jects on the island," and continues in this strain :
"Wherever your Excellency may, from circumstances, feel yourself called on to take active measures on the point in question, I trust they may be such as I can cordially concur in. I feel confident that a joint military occupation would complicate the boundary question still more, by evils that would result from it. I will therefore conclude by trusting that your Excellency has modified your views on this subject, as it would be painful to me in the extreme to find that I could not act in accordance with your views."
This was written the day after an excited debate in the House of Assembly, during which it had been angrily de- manded :
"Why were the troops not landed according to prom- ise?" The Speaker of the House complained:
"His Excellency sends troops and ships. Why all this expense and show, if for parade? Why were not the troops landed? Instead of fighting, her Majesty's Cap- tains take to diplomacy . . . They should have land- ed their troops and avoided all degrading negotiations. But more troops have landed, in spite of post captains and admirals. Yes, a militia must be raised. We must defend ourselves, for the position we occupy today would make the iron statue of Wellington weep, and the strong statue of Nelson bend his brow." 32
But the breezy old Admiral did not see it that way; four days after the outburst in the House, and three days after his diplomatic rebuke of Douglas, he wrote very positively to Captain Hornby. "It is now my positive order," he said, "that you do not on any account whatever take the initiative in commencing hostilities by firing on them, or on any work they may have thrown up." 33 This "plain, little, big-hearted,~un- assuming, lowland Scotchman, lame, but full of salt and fresh fun" 34 brought cool sea breezes into the super-heated atmo- sphere. Through him actual hostilities were definitely pre- vented.
31 See the Angus McDonald Memoirs printed in the Washington Historical Quarterly, Vol. 8, p. 195.
32 British Colonist, Victoria, August 17th, 1859.
33 Admiralty Dispatches.
34 Angus McDonald, Chief Trader at Fort Colville 1852-1872. See Washing- ton Histortcal Quarterly, Vol. 8, p. 195.
