A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
While at Vancouver, I met Mr. Beaver once outside the fort, with his dog
and gun. From what I could learn of him, he was fond of hunting and
fishing;--much more so than of preaching to the "ignorant savages in the
fort," as he called the gentlemen and servants of the company. "They
were not sufficiently enlightened to appreciate good sermons, and to
conform to the English church service. However, as he was the chaplain
in charge, by virtue of his appointment received from the executive
committee and governor in London, he had rights superior to any
half-savage, pretended gentlemen at this establishment, and he would let
them know what they were, before they were done with him; he did not
come to this wilderness to be ordered and dictated to by a set of
half-savages, who did not know the difference between a prayer-book and
an otter skin, and yet they presumed to teach him morals and religion."
This tirade, as near as I could learn, was elicited from his reverence
soon after he arrived, on account of some supposed neglect or slight
offered by Dr. McLaughlin, in not furnishing his quarters in the style
he had expected. On reaching the post, in place of a splendid parsonage,
well fitted up, and servants to do his bidding, he found what in early
California times would be called an ordinary balloon house, made of
rough boards, the floors (I think) not planed, and no carpets upon them,
and none in the country to put upon them, except the common flag mats
the Indians manufacture; and these the Rev. Mrs. Beaver considered "too
filthy to step upon, or be about the house." In addition to these very
important matters (judging from the fuss they made about them), "the
doctor and all the pretended gentlemen of the company were living in
_adultery_. This was a horrible crime he could not, and would not, put
up with; he could scarcely bring himself to perform the church service
in so polluted an audience." We had never been confirmed in the English
church, and, consequently, did not feel at liberty to offer any advice
after listening to this long tirade of abuse of the members of the
Hudson's Bay Company by his reverence. A short time after, Mr. Beaver
met Dr. McLaughlin in front of the house, and commenced urging him to
comply with the regulations of the English church. The doctor had been
educated in the Roman Catholic faith; he did not acknowledge Mr.
Beaver's right to dictate a religious creed to him, hence he was not
prepared to conform wholly to the English church service. Among other
subjects, that of marriage was mentioned, Rev. Mr. Beaver insisting that
the doctor should be married in accordance with the church service. The
doctor claimed the right to be married by whom he pleased, and that Mr.
Beaver was interfering and meddling with other than his parochial
duties. This led his reverence to boil over and spill out a portion of
the contemptuous feelings he had cherished from the moment he landed at
the place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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