Brown was the captain of the
England, to which three HBC sailors deserted to while the
England was docked at
Victoria.
1 Notice of the desertion was sent to
Fort Rupert, Brown's destination, and the sailors
took to the woods,
intent on meeting the
England at a different port, but the men were killed by local First Nations, likely members
of the Kwaguʼł Tribe, apparently on
Blenkinsop's orders.
2 According to
Morseby, as seen in a transcribed enclosure to
this document, Brown told
Blenkinsop, who was temporarily in charge of the fort in
McNeill's absence, that the offering of a reward
for their Heads
was
a rash thing.