Government and Gunboats

Reactions to the Government's Lack of Action

According to the Daily British Colonist, "Were it likely that the disease would only spread among the Indians, there might be those among us like our authorities who would rest undisturbed, content that smallpox will rid this community of a moral ulcer that has festered at our doors through the last four years."⁶

This was certainly the suspicion of the Native people themselves as reflected by the reaction of several Nuu-chah-nulth who:

called on the Governor, and said that they had been deputized by their tribe to ascertain whether there was any truth in a story told them by some white scamps that Gov. Douglas was about to send the smallpox among them for the purpose of killing off the tribe and getting their land. They were assured that they had been hoaxed and left the next day for their home.⁷

Although the Nuu-chah-nulth had been reassured, their concerns were well founded. Although slow to act, the authorities eventually did exactly what they said they wouldn’t. The Native people in Victoria forced to leave their camp, were escorted by two gunboats, the H.M.S. Grappler and H.M.S. Forward, "in order to render assistance to the police should any obstreperous conduct on the part of the Indians occur."⁸ Then, just in case they should return, all their dwellings were burned.⁹

The Daily Press chastised the government for their policies (or lack thereof):

Then, when the disease raged among them, when the unfortunate wretches were dying by scores ... then the humanizing influence of our civilized Government comes in--not to remedy the evil that had brought it about--not to become the Good Samaritan, and endeavor to ameliorate the effects of the disease by medical exertion, but to drive these people away to death, and to disseminate the fell disease along the coast. To send with them the destruction perhaps of the whole Indian race in the British Possessions on the Pacific... The authorities have commenced the work of extermination--let them keep it up... Never was there a more execrable Indian policy than ours.¹⁰

Government and Gunboats