Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Other documents (2).
This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents
often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important
to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered
hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous
Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.
Douglas writes to Pakington to report the dramatic details of an expedition to seek justice for the murder of
Peter Brown, who was, according to Douglas, killed by two members of the Cowegin and Nanaimo Tribes, respectively.
The minutes laud Douglas’s conduct, and suggest that the Admiralty be informed of the expedition.
Of the two enclosures, one is a draft letter from the Colonial Office to the Secretary of the Admiralty, which forwards a copy of Douglas’s report; the other is a draft reply from Newcastle to Douglas.
21st January 1853
The Right Honble Sir John S. Packington [Pakington]
Her Majestys principal Secretary
of State for the Colonial Department
Sir
Since I had the honor of addressing you on the 9th Decr, I
have been so much occupied with the preparations for the expedition,
contemplated in my last despatch, into the Cowegin and Nanaimo Districts, and with the execution of that service, which was completed
on the 19th Instt that I have had no opportunity of communicating
with you.
I shall now do myself the honor of reporting fully on the measures
taken, against the murderers of the late Peter Brown, who as I before
mentioned was attacked and barbarously murdered near Victoria, on the
5th of November last, by two Indians of the Cowegin and Nanaimo
Tribes.
The point at which I principally aimed in my variouscommunications
communications
on the subject of that murder, with the Chiefs of those Tribes, was to
impress upon their minds, that the terrors of the law should be let
loose on the perpetrators of the murder only, and on no other members of
the Tribe, except such as should be found resisting the Queen's
authority, and protecting him from justice, but that was a matter so
different from their own customs in such cases, and so foreign to their
ideas of propriety that it was exceedingly difficult to make them
comprehend our views.
To our frequent demands for the surrender of the criminals, they
sent civil but evasive replies, and withdrew altogether from intercourse
with the settlements. Many delays from weather, and other causes, it
being the depth of winter, intervened to retard the departure of the
expedition, but having at length secured the services of the Hudson's
Bay Company's Steam Vessel "Beaver," and Brigantine "Recovery" I left
Victoria on the morning of the 4th of January with a force of 130
Seamen and marines under the command of Lieut Sansum of Her Majesty's
Ship "Thetis", and a small corps of half whites, raised in this Colony
having the "Recovery", and the Boats of the "Thetis" in tow of the Steam
vessel.
The expedition anchored off the mouth of the Cowegin River, on the
6th of Jany
and I immediately despatched messengers with an
invitation to the several native Tribes, who inhabit the valley and
banks of that river, to meet me, as soon as convenient, at some fixed
point; for the purpose of settling the dif[f]erence, which had led me to
visit their country, and at the same time giving them distinctly to
understand that I should be under the painful necessity of assuming a
hostile attitude, and marching against them with the force under my
command, should they decline my invitation.
Their answer, accepting my proposal, and expressing a wish to meet
me the following day, near the entrance of the river, was received on
the evening of the same day. The disembarkation of the force was made
early the following morning, and we took up a commanding position, at
the appointed place, fully armed and prepared for whatever might happen.
In the course of two hours the Indians began to drop down the river, in
their war canoes, and landed a little above the position we occupied,
and last of all arrived two large canoes, crowded with the friends and
relatives of the murderer, hideously painted and evidentlyprepared
prepared to
defend the wretched man, who was himself among the number, to the last
extremity. On landing they made a furious rush towards the spot where I
stood, a little in advance of the force, and their deportment was
altogether so hostile, that the marines were with difficulty restrained,
by their officers, from opening a fire upon them. When the first
excitement had a little abated, the felon, fully armed, was brought into
my presence, and I succeeded after a great deal of trouble, in taking
him quietly into custody; and sent him a close prisoner on board the
Steam vessel. His capture having removed all cause of dispute, I
assembled the Indians and spoke to them long, and seriously on the
subject of their relations with the Colony, and the rules which must
govern their conduct, in future. They expressed the utmost regret for
the death of Brown, and a sincere desire to live in peace with the
Colony, a feeling which was strengthened, by the appearance of the
imposing force before them. They left us in the course of the
afternoon, in the best possible temper; and the forces were immediately
afterwards re-embarked having fortunately concluded the days work
without firing a shot in anger;though though several times on the very point
of coming to a serious rupture with the natives, which indeed could not
have been prevented, had the discipline of the troops been less perfect,
and had not my orders, to remain strictly on the defensive, been rigidly
enforced by Lieut Sansum; who on all occasions entered cordially into
my views, and afforded the most hearty and earnest support.
Having thus satisfactorily effected all that was desired at
Cowegin, we proceeded towards Nanaimo, and arrived there on the evening
of the 9th of January. I pursued the same course with the Nanaimo Tribe as at Cowegin; but found a decided reluctance, on their part, to
surrender the murderer, who was regarded as the hero of the Tribe. He
was therefore highly valued, and no ones life was worth a days purchase,
among his friends, who would have ventured to arrest him. The Chiefs
however at length consented to deliver him into our hands; but on the
day appointed, they failed in their promise, and made only an attempt to
ransom his life, by a large payment of Furs. In consequence of that
breach of faith, his Father and another influential Indian were taken
into custody; in hopesof
of inducing them by that means, to yield to our
demands; my earnest wish being, if possible, to gain our object without
bloodshed, and without assailing the Tribe at large. After two days of
the most anxious suspense, it was again settled that the felon should be
given up; and he was accordingly brought to within half a mile of the
anchorage, but on seeing me repair to the spot; he fled to the woods and
made his escape. It was then impossible to temporize longer, without a
loss of character, negotiation had been tried in vain, and I therefore
decided on adopting more active measures, and with that view, ordered an
immediate advance towards the Nanaimo River, where their villages are
situated. We accordingly pushed rapidly in that direction, but the
boats had scarcely entered the River before their progress was arrested
by the shallowness of the stream, about three quarters of a mile below
the first village. The troops were nevertheless immediately landed, and
the movement was so rapid, that before the Indians had recovered from
their first consternation, we succeeded in carrying the stockade without
firing a shot. The day being far advanced,we we spent the night there,
and the boats came up before morning. We then moved up the river to the
second village, which we found nearly deserted by its inhabitants, who
had fled to the woods with their effects.
The murderer's father was Chief of this last village, consisting of
many large houses and containing the greater part of thei[r] stock of
winter food. They were now completely in our power, and as soon as I
could collect a sufficient number of the inhabitants I told them that
they should be treated as enemies, and their villages destroyed, if they
continued longer to protect the murderer, who we were now informed had
left the river and lay concealed in the woods near the sea coast, about
three miles distant.
The pinnace was immediately despatched with 16 seamen and 9 half
whites, towards that point, where his place of refuge was soon
discovered. After a long chase in the woods in which the half whites
took the principal part the wretched man was captured and taken on board
the Steam vessel.
The troops were withdrawnthe
the same day from the River, without
molesting or doing any injury whatever to the other natives.
The two felons being now in custody, they were brought to trial and
found guilty of wilful murder by a Jury composed of the Officers
present. They were sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead, and
the execution took place in presence of the whole Nanaimo Tribe, the
scene appearing to make a deep impression on their minds, and will I
trust, have the effect of restraining, others from the commission of
crime.
I am happy to report that I found both the Cowegin and Nanaimo
Tribes more amenable to reason than was supposed; the objects of the
Expedition having, under Providence, been satisfactorily attained, as
much through the influence of the Hudson's Bay Company's name, as by the
effect of intimidation. The surrender of a criminal, as in the case of
the Cowegin murderer, without bloodshed, by the most numerous and
warlike of the Native Tribes on Vancouver's Island, at the demand of the
Civil power may beconsidered
considered, as an epoch, in the history of our Indian
relations, which augurs well for the future peace and prosperity of the
Colony. That object however could not have been effected without the
exhibition of a powerful force.
I feel much indebted to Lieut Sansum for his excellent
arrangements, and for the admirable temper and forbearance exhibited by
the force under his command, in circumstances more trying to brave men,
than actual conflict. The Officers and men have won my thanks not only
by their discipline and steadiness, but also by their promptitude and
alacrity in the field, and the half whites emulated their good example.
The reflection that success has been unstained by a single act of
cruelty, and that no blood has been shed, except that of those, who paid
the just penalty of their crimes, adds not a little to the satisfaction
which I have derived from the result of this expedition, which as
already stated closed on the 19th Inst by the return of the whole
party safe and well.
I
I have nothing more, of much importance, respecting the Colony, to
communicate at present, nor have I time for further remarks as Her
Majesty's Ship "Thetis," by which this letter will be forwarded, sails
from this port tomorrow morning, and I trust the Colony will not remain
long without protection, and that another of Her Majesty's Ships will be
appointed to replace her.
I have the honor to be Sir
Your most obt Servt James Douglas
Governor
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
Perhaps the Duke of Newcastle may think that the conduct of the
Governor, of the Naval Officer Seamen, & others engaged in these two
successful Expeditions deserving of his approbation. If His Grace
should be of that opinion, & direct a desph to be prepared accly
the Admiralty ought perhaps to be informed on acct of the part taken
by the Naval force in the transaction. Communicate this report to the
H.B. Company with the Duke's decision?