The Chinook Chief's Grandson Who Was Shipwrecked in Japan

Ranald McDonald, who died on the Colville reservation August 28, undoubtedly outranked the late Thomas Stensgar, who was said to have been the oldest pioneer of Washington. Stensgar came to the Northwest in 1838, while McDonald was born at Astoria, Or., in 1819, being the son of Archibald McDonald, a Hudson Bay trader, and old Chief Comcomly's daughter. Every one who has read Irving's "Astoria" remembers Comcomly. As soon as young Ranald reached school age he was sent overland to Winnipeg, where he entered the school maintained there by the Hudson Bay Company and remained until he arrived at his majority. As soon as he was out of school he returned to the Coast and embarked as a sailor on a merchant ship. By some circumstance he became stranded on the coast of Japan, where he was taken in custody by the officers of the government and placed in prison for the offense of treading on the sacred ground of the mikado. He says that his youthful appearance doubtless saved him from serving a life sentence. The chief magistrate of the city where he was captured sent him under an armed escort to the court of the king, who made him a servant in the palace. As soon as it was certain that his presence in Japan would not work the absolute overthrow of the government this youthful stranger was placed in charge of a teacher, and in turn imparted a knowledge of the English language to his preceptor and also made known to the island empire some of the ways and customs of the American people. By some means Mr. McDonald got word to his own government and was rescued by an American cruiser after spending about four years on the islands. He claimed that this incident of adventure was the opening wedge to the negotiations for a commercial treaty between the United States and Japan. At the time when Cleveland unfolded his Hawaiian policy of infamy, proposing to restore the discarded queen, some of Ranald McDonald's friends put in a word for him, asking that, in case the attempt to restore Queen Lil succeeded, McDonald, the grandson and heir of Chief Comcomly, be restored to the ancient Chinook kingdom at the mouth of the Columbia. It is said McDonald left valuable memoirs, which are to be published.