Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Blanshard, Richard to Grey, Henry George 25 February 1851, CO 305:3, no. 4442, 9.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1), Marginalia (3).
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.
Blanshard writes to Grey to reiterate and defend his earlier statements on HBC nepotism within and throughout the Vancouver Island colony. Blanshard then reports that Grant has resumed
possessionof his Sooke farm, and closes with a report from Captain Wellesley that the Daedalus was involved in a conflict with Indigenous people near Cape Scott.
The minutes debate whether or not to send the HBC extracts of Blanshard's letter, and advise that the section on the reported conflict be sent to the Admiralty.
Included in the file is a draft letter from the Colonial Office to Hamilton, which forwards an extract from Blanshard's letter on the conflict near Cape Scott.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No 5
of 23rd October 1850, in which after expressing a hope that the
emigration to California may ultimately prove beneficial to this
settlement, you point out a mistake I have fallen into in supposing the
Puget Sound Agricultural Company to be identical with the Hudson's bay
Company. I am fully aware that the rights of the Puget Sound Company
are recognised in the Treaty of 1846, between Great Britain and the
United States, but my remark was merely intended to apply to the state
of things here. The Agent of the Hudsons Bay Company receives, I am
informed, a salary for acting as Agent of the
of the Puget Sound Company,
beyond this the latter company are not represented in this country,
labourers bound by engagements to the Hudson's bay Company have been,
and now are employed on the Puget Sound Company's Land Claim, without
any change of service. The Hudsons Bay Company make use of such
portions of that Land Claim as they think fit, for the erection of
buildings, cutting timber &c, a saw mill and houses attached for the
workmen are standing on it, their property, Farming stock such as
cattle, and sheep, are removed from one company's claim to the other
belonging alternately to each of them, but always under charge of the
Hudson's bay company's servants, none of whom acknowledge any service to
the Puget Sound Company, the greater part being ignorant of its very
name; A Further proof of their identity here may be found in the fact
that these persons employed on the Puget Sound Company's Land Claim are
allowed to make their purchases at the stores of the Hudson's bay
Company, at the same reduced rate of prices as when employed on the Land
claim of the Hudsons bay company, a privilege which is declared to be
strictly reserved to the servants
servants of that company. I think that these
statements will prove sufficient explanation of my remark.
of the Puget Sound Company,
beyond this the latter company are not represented in this country,
labourers bound by engagements to the Hudson's bay Company have been,
and now are employed on the Puget Sound Company's Land Claim, without
any change of service. The Hudsons Bay Company make use of such
portions of that Land Claim as they think fit, for the erection of
buildings, cutting timber &c, a saw mill and houses attached for the
workmen are standing on it, their property, Farming stock such as
cattle, and sheep, are removed from one company's claim to the other
belonging alternately to each of them, but always under charge of the
Hudson's bay company's servants, none of whom acknowledge any service to
the Puget Sound Company, the greater part being ignorant of its very
name; A Further proof of their identity here may be found in the fact
that these persons employed on the Puget Sound Company's Land Claim are
allowed to make their purchases at the stores of the Hudson's bay
Company, at the same reduced rate of prices as when employed on the Land
claim of the Hudsons bay company, a privilege which is declared to be
strictly reserved to the servants
servants of that company. I think that these
statements will prove sufficient explanation of my remark.Mr Grant has returned to the Island and resumed possession of
his farm at Soke, one or two persons in the employment of the Hudson's
bay Company have as they inform me agreed to purchase small plots of
land near Fort Victoria at very high rates, others who are willing to
settle are deterred by the price,
I have received a note from Captain Wellesly, commanding H.M.S.
Daedalus, of 24 October 1850 San Francisco, in which he informs me that
one of his boats was fired
into by the Indians near cape Scott, by which
the officer in charge and two marines were wounded, all slightly, I have
no particulars, but presume the occurrence has been reported to the
Admiral on the station,
I have the honor to be
My Lord
Your obedient Servant
Richard Blanshard. Governor of Vancouvers Island.
My Lord
Your obedient Servant
Richard Blanshard. Governor of Vancouvers Island.
Minutes by CO staff
The portion which relates to the attack on the Daedalus should
probably be communicated to the Admiralty?
ABd
23/5.
I hardly think it is necessary to communicate this to the HBC. I
suppose there is no doubt that the Puget's Sound Company is as a
corporate body distinct from the H.B.C. but that it consists of the same
members or part of them & is in point of policy & management conducted
so as to effect joint objects. There is therefore no real discrepancy
between the two statements.
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Colonial Office to Hamilton, Admiralty, 4 June 1851,
transmitting extract from despatch relating to the attack on the Daedalus.
Footnotes
- This addressee information appears at the foot of the first page of the despatch.
- This text runs perpendicular to main body text; see image scan.
- Note that a large { encloses this paragraph, in the left margin; see image scan.