The consequence of this step would have been his taking possession of the country, and displaying the British flag, as an emblem, of that possession and a guarantee of protection hereafter.

He found himself too late, however, and the stars and stripes floating over _Astoria_.

This note is not intended by the author as an after-thought: as the opinion it conveys was that which we all entertained at the time of that gentleman's visit.] The natives, who till then had surrounded us in great numbers, began to withdraw, and very soon we saw no more of them.

At first we attributed their absence to the want of furs to trade with; but we soon learned that they acted in that manner from another motive.

One of the secondary chiefs who had formed a friendship for Mr.R.Stuart, informed him, that seeing us reduced in number by the expedition lately sent off, they had formed the design of surprising us, to take our lives and plunder the post.