KATHARINE

314

B.

JUDSON

taken possession of in His Majesty's name, and has been since considered as forming a part of His Majesty's dominions, I

have to request that you

will

do me the honour to furnish

me

with such explanation as you may judge proper of the object of the voyage of the Ontario, so far as it may relate

to establishments

that I

ment

may

upon the

territory to

which

I refer, in

order

be enabled to represent to His Majesty's governa measure in which His Majesty's rights and

...

interests appear to be so materially involved."

On December

1st,

Sir Charles wrote to

Lord Castlereagh, 28

as follows:

"Washington, December

1,

1817.

"Sir: private letter of the 3rd of last month, I had the honour to acquaint your Excellency with a report which has been in circulation here respecting the destination of the United

"In

my

States sloop-of-war Ontario. I have since had an opportunity of ascertaining that this report is well founded. "At an interview which I had a few days ago with the

Secretary of State, I communicated to him the information which I had received upon this subject, and I requested that he would inform me whether orders had been given to the Ontario, to proceed to the Columbia River, for the purpose of

making establishments in its vicinity, or of disturbing in any the trade of the North West Company. "Mr. Adams stated to me in reply, that the Ontario had certainly been directed to proceed to the North West Coast of America, and that she had been instructed to establish a settlement, which the United States had formerly possessed, at the mouth of the Columbia River, and which has not been

way

its capture in the late war, but that she has not received any orders to disturb or interrupt the trade of the

restored since

North West Company. "It

is

not necessary for

me

to trouble your Excellency, at

present, with any examination of the arguments which the American government may design to urge, in support of this ?JfF. O.

5,

Vol. 123.