Ogden the use of a knife and fork
which had been saved from the wreck.
Such was the unfortunate catastrophe of the Lark; had she reached her
destination in safety, affairs at Astoria might have taken a different
course. A strange fatality seems to have attended all the expeditions by
sea, nor were those by land much less disastrous.
Captain Northrop was still at the Sandwich Islands, on December 20th,
when Mr. Hunt arrived. The latter immediately purchased, for ten
thousand dollars, a brig called the Pedler, and put Captain Northrop in
command of her. They set sail for Astoria on the 22d January, intending
to remove the property from thence as speedily as possible to the
Russian settlements on the northwest coast, to prevent it from falling
into the hands of the British. Such were the orders of Mr. Astor, sent
out by the Lark.
We will now leave Mr. Hunt on his voyage, and return to see what has
taken place at Astoria during his absence.
CHAPTER LIX.
Arrival of M'Tavish at Astoria.--Conduct of His Followers.--
Negotiations of M'Dougal and M'Tavish.--Bargain for the
Transfer of Astoria--Doubts Entertained of the Loyalty of
M'Dougal.
ON the 2d of October, about five weeks after Mr. Hunt had sailed in the
Albatross from Astoria, Mr.
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