On the 12th day of December, the death-warrant {259} of short-lived Astoria was signed. On that day, Captain Black went through the customary ceremony of taking possession, not only of Astoria, but of the whole country. What the vague term of “whole country” in the present case meant, I know not. Does it mean the Columbia? Does it mean all the country lying west of the Rocky Mountains? Or does it merely mean the coast of the Pacific? That part of the ceremony which referred to the “whole country” might have been dispensed with; for the country had already been taken possession of in the name of his Britannic Majesty, and that many years ago, by Drake, by Cooke, by Vancouver, and lastly by Black. The name of Astoria was now changed to that of Fort George; and this done, the _Racoon_ prepared to leave the Columbia. Captain Black was a gentleman of courteous and affable manners. He was never once heard to utter an oath or indecorous expression all the time he was in the river; and there was a general and sincere regret felt when he left Fort George. Having now detailed the principal occurrences at Astoria, we return to take up the subject of Mr. Hunt’s voyage. The reader will bear in mind that Mr. Hunt sailed in the _Albatross_ in August last, for the Marquesas, where he arrived safe. Nor had he been long there till he met with Commodore Porter,[91] of the United States’ frigate _Essex_, from whom he learned that a British frigate called the _Phœbe_, with two sloops of war, the _Cherub_ and _Racoon_, were on {260} their way to Columbia. Hearing this, Mr. Hunt tried his uttermost to get some assistance from Captain Porter in order to secure the American property now in jeopardy at Astoria, but to no purpose. The commodore would not budge, having no instructions from his government to that effect; and having besides learned, no doubt, that Mr. Astor refused to join the Boston merchants in their praiseworthy designs. Mr. Hunt, now finding all his efforts at the Marquesas fruitless, sailed for the Sandwich Islands, and landed at Woahoo on the 18th of December. While at that island, he received the disastrous intelligence that a vessel bound for Columbia had been wrecked some time previous, at the island of Tahvorowa.[92] Thinking it possible that it might be a vessel from Astor bound for Astoria, he repaired thither with all possible despatch, and found, to his mortification, that his conjectures were but too true. The vessel in question proved to be the _Lark_, Captain Northcop, bound for Astoria. The _Lark_, which ought to have sailed in September, 1812, did not leave New York till the 6th of March, 1813, the very time when she was expected to arrive at the place of her destination. And this unaccountable delay of six months accelerated the downfall of unfortunate Astoria; for had the _Lark_ left New York at the usual time, and reached the Columbia, her seasonable arrival would have beyond a doubt changed the face of affairs.