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CHAPTER I.
Arrival of the Ship Tonquin, of Boston, at the Columbia River, with Settlers.—Loss of a boat, an officer, and six Men, in sounding a Passage.—Loss of another Boat and two Men.—Miraculous Escape of a Blacksmith, and a Sandwich Islander.—Settlers landed.—The Tonquin trades along the Northwest Coast.—Dreadful Catastrophe.—Resolute conduct of the Blacksmith.—His Fate, and Fate of the Vessel and Crew.
The ship Tonquin,[1] belonging to John Jacob Astor, left Boston about the year 1811, with settlers, for the purpose of forming an establishment on the Columbia River. On their passage out, they touched at the Sandwich Islands to fill up their water casks, and procure a supply of provisions. Captain Thorne encountered considerable difficulties from the disposition which his ship's company evinced to leave the vessel at these islands, and was even obliged to get the settlers to keep watch over them to prevent desertion: the boatswain, Peter Anderson, by some means, however, eluded the guard and escaped to the shore. The Tonquin arrived off the mouth
- ↑ This pioneer ship of Astor's enterprise sailed from New York, September 8, 1810, under convoy for a time of the U. S. frigate Constitution.[Ed.]
