Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 35 of the 14th of October with it's enclosures reporting the steps taken to discover and punish the Indians concerned in the murder in the year 1862 of the Mr. Bamfield and in the recent massacre of thecrew crew of the Sloop "Kingfisher."

I have to express my approval of the measures which were adopted for this purpose, and I am glad to perceive that they have met with success, and that at the date of your Despatch several of the Indians implicated were in custody and awaiting trial.

Much as I lament the necessity of hostile expeditions against the Indians, I am bound to recognize the duty of protecting peaceful traders by inflicting punishment uponNatives Natives guilty of such treacherous acts of murder and robbery as those committed by the Ahouset tribe.

In the case of the "Kingfisher" there is nothing to shew that the outrage was caused by any thing except the opportunity of plunder. But the Indians it appears, complained much to Commander Pike of the behaviour of the traders to them, saying that frequently any wrong they did was provoked by the bad language used towards them, and in some cases by their being pushedand and struck by the men in the trading Schooners. They begged that the Governor would issue a warning to the Masters and Crews of the trading vessels to be more circumspect in their language and behaviour to Indians when trading with them. This representation seems deserving of your attention and I think that it will be very right to take all suitable opportunities of impressing upon Traders the impropriety and folly of irritating the Natives by violent andcontemptuous contemptuous language or conduct.