As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.....
It will be of interest to readers that some of the early crews visiting the American Pacific coast were Hawaiians. The Hawaiians or Sandwich Islanders were able seamen and some of the best crews which ever sailed on any ships.
There was before the War of 1812, an enterprise undertaken by the American fur mogul, Astor, a trade to establish an American presence in the Columbia River region for fur taking, trade with Russians in Alyaska, and for making the American presence established in this Louisiana Purchase region peopled by English, Spanish and French.
The ship sent from New York was the Tonquin, under the rude captainship of Captain Thorn. Thorn was a no nonsense ruler and demanded absolute obedience in leaving people on shore who did not answer ship call and whipping those who arrived late.
The crew and employees of Astor were a compliment of Americans, Canadians, English and Hawaiians.
Having landed the employees of the company on the Columbia the Tonquin shipped north to trade with Indians and ascertain the coast of British Columbia. It was at the first Indian village called Newity that the Tonquin found trouble. These Indians had been "abused" by another Boston captain who had shipped some of them on board, and then dropped them at Drake's Islands which were desolate.
The Indians swore revenge and of course the English, Spanish and French could only see blame in the Americans who acted no differently than the Europeans on sea or on shore.
During Makoke or the trade, Thorn had a difficult time with one of the principle chiefs, and had him put off the ship, but in doing so, struck him with some furs in the face in the jostling.
The Indians swore revenge and awhile later showed up with furs in large boats. Twenty Indians got on board, and then twenty more.
One of the Columbia River Indians was on board and started to warn one of the partners that things were not all at peace, and Thorn gave orders to raise sails and anchors and put to sea. The command was too late as the Indians on signal produced knives and clubs from their bundle of furs and started hacking and clubbing the crew to death.
Thorn fought well and held them off for a time, but was finally murdered.
Five of the seamen aloft, came down and reached the cargo area. One was stabbed in the back.
The Columbia Indian jumped ship and was taken as a slave by the squaws and about that time gun fire was heard on the ship and the terrorists fled the ship.
12 Hawaiians and as many whites were massacred on board the Tonquin.
In a few days, the Columbia Indian witnessed 4 men leaving in a boat from the Tonquin. The Indians with care started to board the ship and soon hundreds were on board pillaging it.
It was not long after the Indian beheld the ship erupting, with Indian terrorist heads, limbs, torsos and assorted body parts flying into the air.
The Armourer on the Tonquin was a man named Weeks. He never left the Tonquin in being injured, and when the Indians were on board and his not having any other alternative, he detonated the ship's magazine.
The interesting part in this, was the Astor trading fort, was always on gaurd having been warned that the Indians were going to murder and rob that establishment their first chance. The Europeans blaming the Americans for rudely abusing the Indians as to the cause of their problems, did not seem to comprehend that they were suffering the same fate in treating the Indians with respect.
The death of the Tonquin is one in the anals of many in ships visiting savage lands usually ended up in carnage.
The Tonquin was a large enough ship, but the four sailors should have at least been capable of hoisting some sail and running to the Columbia to gain at least a few hands to perhaps run to Spanish interests in California for a new crew.
People of that era though were not educated a great deal to work things out, as even the Europeans at the Astor Fort called Astoria were ready to quit the fort at the first mention of the War of 1812.
It is an event of history though which is worth remembering, so the story is not lost.
agtG
