THE BALLAD OF THE BOLD NORTHWESTMAN: AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN JOHN KENDRICK*
by Howay
[Footnotes moved to the end of the article]
• Part of this material was contributed by Judge Howay to the New England Quarterly, Vol. I., No. (Jan. 1928) pp. 78-79·-ED1TOR.
The ballad of the Bold Northwestman, once a prime favorite
in the forecastles of the maritime trading vessels, gives an account
of an incident in the life of one of those whose name was well
known in New England ships and New England homes-Captain
John Kendrick. The mere fact that the ballad does not mention
his name may almost be taken as evidence to support this statement;
it certainly was not omitted for the sake of rhyme or metre,
with both of which the balladist takes more than the usual liberties.
Captain John Kendrick commanded the expedition of the Columbia
and the Washington, the first vessels from Boston to engage in the
maritime fur-trade. In July, 1789, (for what reason is not as yet
·definitely known) he handed over the ship Columbia to Captain
Gray and for the remainder of his life sailed the little sloop, Washington.
In her he reached China in January 1790. There he transformed
her into a brig (or, more probably, a brigantine) and sailed
again for the Northwest Coast in March 1791. In June 1791 the
Indians of Houston Stewart Channel, in the southern part of Queen
Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, attempted to capture his little
vessel. This waterway has borne many names; the maritime traders
refer to it as Koyah's, Coyah's, Coyour's, after the Indian chief of
the locality who figures in the ballad, though not by name. Captain
Robert Gray, in June, 1789, when in command of the sloop Washington,
had called it Barrell Sound, after his principal owner. Captain
George Dixon, in 1787, had named it Ibbertson's Sound. It
has borne the present designation-Houston Stewart Channel since
1853.
There are many references to this ballad, and it is listed in
Dr. Worthington C. Ford's Massachusetts Broadsides- (Mass. Hist.
Soc. ColI. lxxv, 4(1). No one, however, had seen a copy. After
many years of searching Dr. S. E. Morison of Harvard University,
unearthed one in the Widener Library. The ballad is said to have
been the composition of one of the sailors on the Washington. It
is not known what authority exists for the statement; but plainly
it seems the production of a person present at the fight and possessing
little literary training. Dr. Morison has shown that Leonard
Deming, a "trader and barber," the publisher of the broadside containing
the ballad, and who sold it according to a notice upon it at
"No 62 Hanover Street, 2d door from Friend Street, Boston," was
only in that city between 1831 and 1836. These dates therefore
mark the limits within which it was published.
The incident had occurred in the early days of the maritime
fur-trade. The ballad appears to have been composed almost on
the spot. The maritime trade was at its zenith about 1800; we can
readily believe that this ballad was then on every lip and helped to
pass away many a weary hour in the long watches. But by 1830
that trade had become a mere shadow of its former self. Then it
would appear that Leonard Deming caught the ballad from the lips
of some old salt and printed it for circulation by the hawkers and
pedlars.
BOLD NORTHWESTMAN
Come all ye bold Northwestmen who plough the raging main,
Come listen to my story, while I relate the same;
'Twas of the Lady Washington1 decoyed as she lay,
At Queen Charlotte's Island, in North America.
On the sixteenth day of June, boys, in the year Ninety-One,
The natives in great numbers on board our ship did come,[2]
Then for to buy our fur of them our captain did begin,
But mark what they attempted before long time had been.
Abaft upon our quarter deck two arm chests did stand,
And in them there was left the keys by the gunners careless hand;[3]
When quickly they procuring of them did make a prize,
Thinking we had no other arms for to defend our lives.4
Our captain spoke unto them and unto them did say,
If youll return me back those keys I for the same will pay;5
No sooner had he spoke these words than they drew forth their knives,
Saying the vessels ours sir, and we will have your lives.
Our captain then perceiving the ship was in their power,
He spoke unto his people, likewise his officers,
Go down into the cabin and there some arms prepare,6
See that they are well loaded, be sure and don't miss fire. 7
Then down into the cabin straightway we did repair,
And to our sad misfortune few guns could we find there;
We only found six pistols, a gun and two small swords,[8]
And in short time we did agree "blow her up" was the word.
Our powder we got ready and gun room open lay,
Our soul's we did commit to God prepar'd for a wat'ry grave [9]
We then informed our captain, saying ready now are we,
He says a signal I will give, it shall be "follow me." [10]
All this time upon the quarter deck poor man was forced to stand,
With twelve of those curst savages with knives all in their hands;[11]
Till one of those blood-thirsty hounds he made a spring below,
And then he sung out "follow me 1" and after him did go. [12]
Then with what few fire arms we had we rush'd on deck amain,
And by our being resolute, our quarter deck we gain'd;
Soon as we gain'd our arm chest such slaughter then made we,
That in less than ten minutes our' ship of them was free.[13]
Then we threw overboard the dead that on our deck there lay;
And found we had nobody hurt, to work we went straightway;
The number kill'd upon our deck that day was sixty good,
And full as many wounded as soon we understood.[14]
'Twas early the next morning at the hour of break of day,
We sail'd along abreast the town which we came to straightway;
We call'd on hands to quarters and at the town did play,
We made them to return what things they'd stolen that day.[15]
I'd have you all take warning and always ready be,
For to suppress those savages of Northwest America;
For they are so desirous some vessel for to gain,
That they will never leave it off, tilt most of them are slain.
And now unto old China we're fastly rolling on,
Where we shall drink good punch for which we've suffered long;
And when the sixteenth day of June around does yearly come,
We'll drink in commemoration what on that day was done.
And now for to conclude, and make an end unto my song,
Success to the commander of the Lady Washington.[15]
Success unto his voyages wherever he may go,
And may death and destruction always attend his foe.
Though on the face of this ballad the attack upon the Washington
appears to have been unprovoked, a little examination into
the contemporary accounts shows that, like a great many more
so-called unprovoked attacks, it was in reality an effort on the part
of the Indians to take revenge. The story is told, or mentioned, in
five different journals: Haswell's manuscript Second Log, 1791;
Hoskins's manuscript Narrative, 1791; Ingraham's manuscript
Journal of the Hope, 1791; Boit's Log of the Columbia's second
voyage ;[17] and Bartlett's manuscript Journal, 1791 [18 ] The first four
received their information from Captain Kendrick himself; but it
may be surmised that Bartlett obtained his version from the author
of the ballad itself.
All that Boit has to say upon the subject is as follows:
"Captain Kendrick inform'd us that he had had a skirmish,
with the Natives at Barrell's sound in Queen Charlotte Isles, and
was oblig'd to kill upwards of 50 of them before they wou'd desist
from the attack. It appear'd to me, from what I cou'd collect that
the Indians was the aggressors."[19]
Haswell, under date, August 29, 1791, is even more brief. He
merely says:
"The first port he arrived in was Barrel's Sound, where the
natives attempted to capture him. In this, however, they were
mistaken, and a great slaughter was made among them without
shedding blood from any of Capt. Kendrick's crew."
Haswell, Boit, and Hoskins were chief mate, fifth mate, and
clerk respectively of the ship Columbia on her second voyage, 1790 [19].
In August 1791 when the Columbia entered Clayoquot Sound,
Vancouver Island, the brig, Washington, under Kendrick was lying
there at anchor, preparing for the return voyage to China. These
three men were, therefore, the first Europeans to record the story.
Bartlett and Ingraham both heard their accounts in the following
December after the U1ashington reached Macao. Bartlett's version[20]
agrees so closely with the ballad that the parallel passages
have been already set out in the notes.
Ingraham's account, under date, December 25, 1791, is quite
lengthy. It runs thus:
"He had been engaged in a very disagreeable skirmish with the
Naf,ves on the southern part of Washingtons Isles[21] were Koyah is
the I hief it seems Cap Kendrick on his last voyage had for some
misgemenor put this chief in Irons which however seem'd now quite
for~ot but savages seldom forget insults or injuries It is said of
those among us on the East side of the continant that they will never
fail to revenge even an affront of any kind for years after the
transaction has happen'd yet till oppertunity presents itself they
are apparrently on good terms with their adversary. It seems
Koyah was not wanting in this kind of duplicity-It happen'd nearly
in the following manner While Capn Kendrick was trading he
suffer'd about 50 of the natives get on board his vessell while there
remain'd above twice that number was alongside. Capn Kendrick
placing too much confidence in them it seems had no men under
arms (a very necessary precaution among savages of any kind)
neither did Capn Kendrick wish to affront them by turning them
out of his vessell as he thought it might be a hindrance to him in
purchasing furrs which he was very anxious to procure as he was
late in the season22 while the above number of Indians were on
board the keys of the arm chest which stood on the quarter were
missing on which Cap Kendrick challenged the natives with the
theft and applied to Koyah that they might be restor'd but instead
of complying Koyah with severall others leap'd on the top of the
arm chest the better to secure it Koyah exulting in his success
telling Cap Kendrick he could not get at his arms to kill them then
at the same time holding out his leg saying now put me in 1ronsYuch
and Saulkinnats two other chiefs were on board who tried to
allure Capn Kendrick to thade and thereby put him of his guard
but it seems he was aware of their scheme and stood on his guard
with the best weapon he could get which was a bar of Iron-It was
evident that the natives soon ment to put their plot into execution
by hailing on Shore for more canoes to come off-not letting any
of the seamen go before the main Hatchway and insulting them by
taking their hats and their handkerchiefs of their necks likewise
all of them prepairing their daggers (a weapon which these people
are never without) In this very criticle situation Capn Kendrick
desir'd his officers and men to drop of the deck one by one as well
as they could and prepare what arms there was in the Cabben this
was fortunately effected and they got 4 musketts a blunderbuss and
a pair of pistolls loaded-by this time Koyah (perhaps suspecting
what they were about) sprang down into the Cabben which Capn
Kendrick seeing jump'd instantly on his back Koyah seeing the
muskets made a precipitate retreat Capn Kendrick and those with
him follow'd shouting and firing by which the decks were soon
clear'd having again possession of their arms they made good use
of them and kill'd about 30 of the natives leaving others to lament
their folly-happily no person was hurt on board the Washington.
It is sincerely to be hoped the termination of this affair will be of
generall service to vessells trading as by convincing them that they
have little less than enevitable destruction to expect from attacking
people who's Instruments of death are so far superior to their own
it may render them peaceable & content to enjoy what they possess
by fair means only."
Hoskins's Narrative, under date, August 29, 1791, gives the
story at great length. He was a friend of Captain Kendrick and it
is fair to assume that he puts forward the most favorable side for
him. Inasmuch as Hoskins's Narrative still remains in manuscript
the whole account is reproduced, even at the risk of wearying the
reader.
"Captain Kendrick arrived on the 13th of June in latitude 53°
58' north he went into Barrell's Sound where his vessel ~ few
days after his arrival was attacked and actually in possession of the
natives nearly an hour when he again recovered his vessel killed
and wounded a great many amongst the rest a woman who was a
proper amazon This he attributes to the following cause soon
after he sent the Columbia on to China[23] he sailed from Clioquot[24]
for Washington's Islands and went into Barrell's Sound having
been there a short time the natives found means to steal his linnen
etc that had that day been washed this with some other things
they had at times robbed him of induced him to take the two chiefs
Coyah and Schulkinanse he dismounted one of his cannon and
put one leg of each into the carriage where the arms of the cannon
rest and fastened down the clamps threatening at the same time if
they did not restore the stolen goods to kill them nearly all the
goods were soon returned what was not he made them pay for in
skins as this was a means though contrary to his wishes of breaking
friendship with them and well knowing if he let those Chiefs go
they would sell him no more skins he therefore made them fetch
him all their skins and paid them the same price he had done for
those before purchased when they had no more the two Chiefs
were set at liberty when he went into the Sound this time the
natives appeared to be quite friendly and brought skins for sale as
usual the day of the attack there was an extraordinary number
of visitors several Chiefs being aboard the arm chests were on
the quarter deck with the keys in them the gunners having been
overhauling the arms the Chiefs got on these chests and took the
keys out when Coyah tauntingly said to Captain Kendrick pointing
to his legs at the same time now put me into your gun carriage .the
vessel was immediately thronged with natives a woman standing
in the main chains urging them on the officers and people all ret;
red below having no arms but what was in possession of the natives
save the officers private ones Captain Kendrick tarried on deck
endeavouring to pacify the natives and bring them to some terms
at the same time edging towards the companion way to secure his
retreat to the cabbin a fellow all the time holding a huge marling
spike he had stolen fixed into a stick over his head ready to strike
the deadly blow whenever orders should be given the other natives
with their daggers grasped and only waiting for the word to be
given to begin a most savage massacre just as Captain Kendrick
had reached the companion way Coyah jumpt down and he immediately
jumpt on top of his Coyah then made a pass at him with
his dagger but it luckily only went through his jacket and scratched
his belly the officers by this time had their arms in readiness and
would have ventured on deck with them before but for fear of killing
their captain Captain Kendrick now fired a musket from the
cabbin then took a pair of pistols and another musket and went on
deck being followed by his officers with the remainder of the arms
they had collected the natives on seeing this made a precipitate
retreat all but the woman before mentioned in the chains who there
continued urging them to action with the greatest ardour until the
last moment though her arm had been previously cut by one of the
people with a hanger and she was otherways much wounded when
she quitted all the natives had left the vessel and she jumpt over
board and attempted to swim of but she was afterwards shot
though the natives had taken the keys of the arm chests yet they
did not happen to be lockt they were therefore immediately opened
and a constant fire was kept up as long as they could reach the
natives with the cannon or small arms after which they chased them
in their armed boats making the most dreadfull havock by killing
all they came across."
Even though there is no version giving the Indians' side of the
question enough is shown in Hoskins's and Ingraham's accounts to
take this out of the category of unprovoked attacks.
The earliest accounts of the maritime trade show that it was
first carried on over the ship's gunwale from canoes alongside. In
those days when sea-otter skins "were as plenty as blackberries" the
traders could easily obtain a cargo without taking any risks or going
out of their way, literally or metaphorically. No one then was
allowed on the ship's deck except the chiefs or persons high in
authority. But increasing competition gradually broke down this
salutary rule. To obtain furs the traders permitted to come on deck
any Indian who appeared to have influence or whose goodwill it
seemed advisable to gain. Soon every Indian with furs was allowed
there during the trading. In the end the native came to regard as
his inalienable privilege the right to be on the ship when disposing
of his furs.
The results can readily be surmised. The Indian, so admitted,
sawall around him articles whose possession meant so much to him
in decreased labor, ease of operation, and increased production.
Childlike he grasped them. Thus, instead of keeping temptation
out of his way or him out of the way of temptation, the maritime
trader for his own purposes and to win an advantage over his
opponent, placed the savage in the midst of it. When the poor
Indian yielded to the temptation and made away with (stole, if
you prefer the word) goods or bits of metal, he and his associates
were fired upon, or, if caught, he was triced up and flogged or otherwise
punished.
In this case the Indians allowed on deck and permitted to wander
about, could not resist the temptation to pilfer the clothing.
Kendrick seized Coyah and his brother chief, who may or ~ay not
have been implicated, and, by threatening them with instant death,
secured the return of a large quantity of the property. Then he
made the Indians pay for whatever was missing, at his own appraisement.
More than that he by force compelled them to sell
their remaining furs to him at his own price. Force breeds force.
Kendrick was sowing the dragon's teeth. He was, nevertheless,
only doing what was usual in the maritime fur-trade. An example
or two may make this plain. Ingraham admits that he imprisoned
Haida chiefs because their people had induced him to anchor in
their harbor by saying that they had many skins for sale and then
had declared that they only had a very small quantity. At another
place also he imprisoned the chiefs. As he tells the story the reason
was that, although he had saved the lives of the sons of one of
them, the tribe refused to sell him their skins because they had
promised to retain them for a rival trader. Again, the natives of
Esperanza Inlet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, told the
Spaniards that another maritime trading captain had bombarded
their village because they would not sell their furs to him at his
price. The records contain numerous examples of similar conduct
where the trader had not a fraction of the excuse or provocation
that Kendrick had on this occasion.
The explanation of such actions lies on the surface. There was
never any cohesion or co-operation in the maritime fur-trade. It
never developed into a unification or combination of interests. It
was a congeries of individual efforts. It was permeated with the
spirit of keen competition. Each adventurer strove to seize the
present advantage, regardless of the future. Neither ship nor
trader might ever return. One could apply to it very properly the
words of Horace: "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,"
-Enjoy the present moment, trusting the least possible to the future.
The Indian, on the other hand, did not look to individual,
but to tribal or national responsibility. If a ship had done him
some injury he was ready to take revenge on her, if that were
possible; but if not, then his revenge was vicarious and would be
taken upon the next ship that anchored near his village.
In the land trade where the same men and the same companies
continued for years, the trader pursued a totally different method
of dealing with the Indian. He admitted only one Indian, or at any
rate only a few Indians, at a time into his trade shop. He kept
temptation out of the way of the benighted savage; he strove ever
to treat him as a friend, and yet as a child; he made the punishment
for wrong-doing to fall upon the guilty individual and not upon the
innocent members of his tribe. This conduct produced peace and
confidence; while that pursued by the maritime traders resulted in
a state of fear and distrust.
F. W. HOWAY.
-----------------
Footnotes:
1 The consort of the ship. Columbia and commonly called the Washington, though
her full name was Lady ~flaslnngton. These two vessels were the first in the maritime
fur trade to sail from Boston. The Lady Washington was a sloop when she left Boston
in qctober 1787, but in 1790 Kendrick in China changed her rig to that of a brig or
a brigantine.
2 Bartlett's manuscript says: "The Captn was in Lickqur One Day And trusted
More to the Natives then his own Peple and would Suffer Great Numbers Of them to
Come Onbord."
3 Bartlett's manuscript: "His Gunner went On the qurter Deack and tould him
that the Natives would take the Vessel from them and it wos Dangerous to Let So
Many of them Come Onbord the Captn Strock the Guner and Pushd him of the qurter
Deack So that he had Not time to take the Keyse Out of the Arms Chest."
4 Bartlett's manuscript: "When the Natives Saw this they tuck Possition of the
Arm Chest Emedtly and begin to flock Onbord from the Shore in Great Numbrs and
made a Tarible Norse whith thear war Songs."
5 Bartlett's manuscript: "All this time Captn kendrick wos On the Qurter Deack
with a Peace of bar Iron in his hand treading with them,"
6 Here the ballad differs from Bartlett's manuscript. He says that the Indians
"thratten'd to kill them if they made the Least Resistance and Drove them all into the
hole."
7 Bartlett's manuscript: "All this time the Capn wos Convarsing with his men
be Low telling them to Muster up all the Arms that thay find."
8 Bartlett's manuscript: "Only two Pisstols One Musket and two Cutlashes."
9 None of the other accounts mention this purpose.
10 Bartlett's manuscript: "and to be in Redyness to make a Salley uppon Deack
when that he Should Give tbe watch word which wos to Follow me."
II Bartlett's manuscript: "twelve of these Savages Stood with knifes Pointing at
t1le Captn Body to Parvent him from Going below."
12 Bartlett's manuscript: "Corour [Koyah] the Chife of the Natives knowing that
he had Suffishent Command of Deack Made a Spring be Low to Sea what force thay
wos be low. Capt kendrick jumpt Down the hatch uppon the Chifes Back and Coil out
Follow Me."
13 Bartlett's manuscript: "by t1lat the Men all made a Salley uppon them the
Chife Seaing of this was for Makeing of with all his Tribe but in Less than five minnit
the Ship Compeny Gain the Deack from them and Brock Oppen the Arm Chest and
killd forty of Dead Oppon the Spot with out Luseing One Man," Compare Hoskins
statement about the arm chest.
14 The usual differences as to number of casualties.
IS Bartlett's manuscript mentions that the Indians Utucke the mens hats from of
thear heads." Later he says that, the crew being below, the natives "then went to
worck and Devided the Copper that Lay uppon Deack Amoung them," Compare Hoskins
as to t1le revenge that was taken by the vessel's crew and when.
.,6 See a sl.,etch of John Kendrick's life in the Q"arterly of Oregon Histm'ical
Soctety, vol. XXUl, 277 ff. Delano, In hIS Voyages, Boston, 1817, p. 400 gives a fulsome
laudation of his friend, Captain Kendrick. '
17 Published in Massachusetts Historical Quarterly, Proceedings, '9'9-'920 vol. 53
pp. 217 ff;. The Washington Histo~!cat Q"arterly, vol. xii, pp. 3 ff; The Q"arte;/y of tlt~
Oregon H'lStoncal Sonety, vol. XXlt, pp. 256 fi.
18 Published in narrative form in The Sea, The Sh,p, and The Sailor, Salem, Mass.
'925. pp. 287 ff.
. 19 Massachusetts Historical Society, Proceedings, vol. 53, .p. ~34; Washington Histoneal
Quarterly, vol. XlI, 17; The QHarterIy of the Oregon HlStoncal Society, vol. xxii,
pp. 289 ff.
Ship, and The Sailor, pp. 320 ff.
21 The name applied by Captain Gray in June, 1789, to the Qneen Charlotte Islands.
22 The traders usually strove to be on the Northwest Coast by the beginning of
. May. Kendrick arrived at Houston Stewart Channel on I 3th June; that would not be
late.
23 When the Col.....bia and the Washington I~ft Boston, Captain Kendrick, the com.
mander of the expedition, was on the former, while the latter was in charge of Captalt1
Gray; hut in July 1789 they exchanged commands: Gray sailing to China on the Columbia
and Kendrick remaining for a time on the Northwest Coast in the Washington.
24 A sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, quite favoured as a resort by
the Boston traders. The name is now spelled Clayoquot.