"I have suggested whether a visit to Washington would not be desirable,
and that the opportunity of assisting the American Government to make
peace with these troublesome Indians should be improved, by attempting
to get a settlement of your Oregon claims.
"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your most obedient Servant,
"(Signed) EDWARD W. WATKIN.
"Sir EDMUND WALKER HEAD, Bart., &c. &c.,
"Governor, Hudson's Bay Company."
Finding, however, that the Governor and his Committee were not prepared
to act with the energy and preciseness I had desired, I closed my,
unpaid, mission by the following letter of 26th August, 1863, from my
house, Norfolk Street, Park Lane.
"NORFOLK STREET, PARK LANE,
"August 26, 1863.
"MY DEAR SIR,
"I have to thank you for sending me copies of the official letter from
the Secretary of the 13th instant, in reply to my report and private
letter of the 24th July, and of your private notes of the 13th and 18th
instant, the latter noticing my letter of the 4th instant.
"I desire at once to say that the heads of arrangement which I have
written down with the Montreal Telegraph Company and with Mr. Wood, for
your consideration, were of course entirely subject to the sanction of
the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company. And, in
accordance with what I understood to be your views, when to-day you
were good enough to leave the Deputy-Governor in order to see me in the
board room by appointment, I shall consider it my duty to cancel all
that has passed, in such a manner as, I trust, will be perfectly
satisfactory to your colleagues.
