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
We shall have occasion to quote statements from members of the Hudson's
Bay Company, and from Jesuit priests, further confirming the truth of
Mr. Greenhow's statement as above quoted. It would be gratifying to us
to be able, from our long personal experience and observations relative
to the policy and conduct of the Hudson's Bay Company, to fully confirm
the very plausible, and, if true, honorable treatment of the aborigines
of these countries; but truth, candor, observation, our own and other
personal knowledge, compel us to believe and know that Mr. Greenhow is
entirely mistaken when he says, on his 389th page, speaking of the
Hudson's Bay Company:--
"In the treatment of the aborigines of these countries, the Hudson's
Bay Company _admirably combined and reconciled humanity with
policy_. In the first place, its agents were strictly prohibited
from furnishing them with ardent spirits; and there is reason to
believe that the prohibition has been carefully enforced.
"Sunday, March 11, 1852," says Mr. Dunn, one of their own servants,
"Indians remained in their huts, perhaps praying, or more likely
singing over the _rum_ they had traded with us on
Saturday.----Tuesday, April 26.--Great many Indians on
board.----Traded a number of skins. They seem to like _rum_ very
much.----May 4.--They were all _drunk_; went on shore, made a fire
about 11 o'clock; being then all drunk began firing on one
another.----June 30.--The Indians are bringing their blankets--their
skins are all gone; they seem very fond of _rum_.----July 11.--They
traded a quantity of _rum_ from us."
The Kingston _Chronicle_, a newspaper, on the 27th of September, 1848,
says: "The Hudson's Bay Company have, in some instances _with their
rum_, traded the goods given in presents to the Indians by the Canadian
Government, and afterward so traded the same with them at an advance of
little short of a thousand per cent."
Question asked by the Parliamentary Committee: "Are intoxicating liquors
supplied in any part of the country--and where?" The five witnesses
answered:--
1st. "At every place where he was."
2d. "All but the Mandan Indians were desirous to obtain intoxicating
liquor; _and the company supply them with it freely_."
3d. "At Jack River I saw liquor given for furs."
4th. "At York Factory and Oxford House."
5th. The fifth witness had seen liquor given "at Norway House only."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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