Colonial Despatches

The report from the governor upon this subject has already been forwarded.

Neither from the Governor's nor from the Naval officers' reports does it appear under what circumces the three Englishmen were murdered. The attack on the tribe to which the murders are imputed was made some 33 miles from the seat of the local Govt
†
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† There seems reason for believing that Lt Lacy's proceedings must have produced a beneficial effect

I therefore circulate again with this, No 8963, the Governor's despatch, just received back from Lord Grey.

631
Vide Minute on 8963. The Admy Letter may be put by.

Fanshawe the Admiralty, 7 August 1851, enclosing his letter to Moresby.

Fanshawe to Moresby, No. 10, 7 August 1851, reporting on proceedings with respect to the "Newitty Indians." Transcribed below.

Blanshard to Fanshawe, 18 July 1851, asking that a force be despatched against the "Newitty Indians" to "sieze as many of the tribe as may be found & also to seize or destroy their encampment, canoes & other property." Transcribed below.

Fanshawe to Lacy, 18 July 1851, giving orders for action against the Nahwitti. Transcribe below.

Lacy to Fanshawe, 21 July 1851, describing the outcome of the action against the Nahwitti. Transcribed below.

From all the information I have been able to collect, I believe that the Newitty are encamped on a point nearly opposite to Galiano Island, request therefore that you will dispatch a sufficient force to seize as many of the tribe as may be found, also to seize or destroy their encampment, canoes, & other property —

Mr. Blenkinsop will join the force at Galiano Island with an interpreter & such guides as can be procured —

Should they attempt to elude your force I request that any means that are necessary may be resorted to to detain them as the long impunity they have enjoyed is producing a very bad effort on the neighboring tribes.

I have the honor to report to you that in pursuance of your orders of 30th June. I received H.E. Governor Blanshard on board HM Ship under my command on 3d July & having sailed the same night from Esquimalt Harbour I reached Port Rupert on the 10th.

Then being great difficulty in obtaining definite information, owing to the want of an efficient interpreter, & to the unwillingness of the Indians to render any assistance, several days elapsed before accurate intelligence as to the position of the Newitty Tribe could be obtained. It was then ascertained that they has occupied a rocky mediumcountry between Cape Scott & Shushartie Harbour, distant about 33 miles from Port Rupert, & that relying upon the strength of that position they intended to dispute the arrest of the murderers of thesethese British Seamen, alluded to in your letter —

On the 18th, I received from H.E. the Govr a letter of which Enclosure No 1 is a Copy & the same night, I sent the boats under the command of Lieut Lacy, 1st Lieut of this ship, to whom gave the orders of which I have the honor to enclose a copy (No2)

On the afternoon of the 20th he returned having been highfired on the Newitty Indians when advancing effort the arrest of the murderers & having therefore attacked & destroyed their post with their property & canoes. The Indians retreated into the thick forest, immediately in their rear, where it would have been useless, as well as impudent to follow them— Enclosure No.3 is a copy of Lieut Lacy’s Report.

The position of the Indians was of great strength, being a nearly isolated & precipitous rock, connected with the beach, by a wooden bridge, behind which was a thick forest whence, as well as from the rock, a fire ofof Musketry was kept up but owing to the skillful arrangement of Lieut Lacy, who had previously made a careful reconnaissance of the place from a canoe; it was taken possession of without loss, two men only being wounded.

The tribe immediately dispersed & it was only on 26th that the Governor was able to ascertain the retreat of a small part, but on his sending a messenger to incline them to surrender the murderers they had again decamped.

The other tribes about Fort Rupert took no mediumopen part in favor of the Newitty Indians. — They confidently expected that any attempt to attack them would fail & the contrary result had an obvious effect in rendering them more courteous towards the whites than they had been on our first arrival. —

The dispersed state of the Newitty tribe & the impossibility of getting a trustworthy messenger to search them not precluded any prospect of of further communications with them for the present, & H.E. the Governor having no further business at Fort Rupert, we sailed on 30th & reached this place on 3d August.

Copy

On your meeting Mr Blenkinsop at the rendezvous on Galiano Island, it is hoped that he will be able to furnish correct information as to the position of the Newitty encampment, in which case you will do your utmost to surprise that tribe and arrest all the persons pointed out by Mr Blenkinsop. He will be accompanied by an interpreter by means of whom you will be able to hold such communication as may be required.

Should the Indians resist, you will then use the force under your command in order to effect the seizure of the persons to be be arrested, and in that case you will destroy the encampment, canoes, and every article of property therein contained.

If on your approach the Indians desert their camp, you must destroy it, and all their property, unless they express their readiness to surrender all the person required, you must also in that case capture as many of the tribe as possible without detaching your men further than from the nature of the ground you may deem prudent.

If they endeavour to escape in their canoes, you will use every means to overtake and capture them, them, firing at them if necessary for that purpose.

Dated onboard the Daphne in Beaver Harbour, Vancouver’s Island, this 18th July 1851

Having ascertained the position of the Newitty encampment I proceeded thither in the boats under my orders, and at 11 O’clock on the night of the 19th reached a point about a mile distant from the encampment, where the boats were anchored for the night.

At daylight on the following morning we proceeded to the encampment which we found to be a strong position on a rock, communicating with the shore by a wooden bridge, on approaching a fire of musketry was opened on thethe boats by the Indians, which was returned by the Pinnaces gun, and having nearly silenced their fire, we landed to take possession of the encampment, on which the Indians instantly abandoned it, and took to the bush from whence they kept up an occasional fire, wounding two of the Seamen, and where from the nature of the ground, I did not consider it precedent to pursue them. I therefore in compliance with your orders burnt the houses together with the property contained in them and destroyed the Canoes.