A Fool's Errand

On this date back in 1813 the HMS Racoon entered the Columbia River on its way to Astoria to seize outpost.  The Racoon had sailed from Rio de Janerio in an effort to seize the Columbia River and the Northwest coast for British commerce.  The Raccon left Rio on July 9th, had to sail around Cape Horn.  Meanwhile, a group of Nor'Westerns had reached Astoria with news that a British warship was coming to seize the fort.  So the chief agent Duncan McDougall approached the Northwest Company (British trappers) representatives with a offer to sell Astoria to them, apparently the Nor'Westerns didn't realize that the British warship would seize the fort for free.  The Northwest Company gladly accepted.  This was hardly welcome news to the captain of the Racoon.  Tonight, Astoria 200 years old this year and once sold to the British even though the British were going to take it for free.