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diff --git a/42279.txt b/42279.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4d4bf4e..0000000 --- a/42279.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,20832 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Great Company, by Beckles Willson, -Illustrated by Arthur Heming - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Great Company - Being a History of the Honourable Company of Merchants-Adventurers Trading into Hudson's Bay - - -Author: Beckles Willson - - - -Release Date: March 9, 2013 [eBook #42279] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT COMPANY*** - - -E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the numerous original illustrations. - See 42279-h.htm or 42279-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42279/42279-h/42279-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42279/42279-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/cu31924028902216 - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - A list of corrections will be found at the end of the - e-book. - - - - - - [Illustration: LORD STRATHCONA AND MOUNT ROYAL - _Present Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company_.] - - -THE GREAT COMPANY - -Being a History of the Honourable Company of Merchants-Adventurers -Trading into Hudson's Bay - -by - -BECKLES WILLSON - -With an Introduction by -Lord Strathcona And Mount Royal -Present Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company - -With Original Drawings by Arthur Heming -and -Maps, Plans and Illustrations - - - - - - - -New York -Dodd, Mead & Company -1900 - -Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one -thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, by the Copp, Clark Company, -Limited, Toronto, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. - - - - - TO - THE RIGHT HONOURABLE - SIR WILFRID LAURIER, G.C.M.G., - - TO WHOSE GENEROUS SUGGESTION AND CONTINUED - ENCOURAGEMENT IS SO LARGELY DUE THE - COMPILATION OF THESE ANNALS. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Praiseworthy as the task is of unifying the scattered elements of our -Canadian story, yet it will hardly be maintained that such historical -studies ought not to be preceded by others of a more elementary -character. Herein, then, are chronicled the annals of an institution -coherent and compact--an isolated unit. - -The Hudson's Bay Company witnessed the French dominion in Northamerica -rise to its extreme height, decline and disappear; it saw new colonies -planted by Britain; it saw them quarrel with the parent State, and -themselves become transformed into States. Wars came and -passed--European Powers on this continent waxed and waned, rose and -faded away; remote forests were invaded by loyal subjects who erected -the wilderness into opulent provinces. Change, unceasing, never-ending -change, has marked the history of this hemisphere of ours; yet there -is one force, one institution, which survived nearly all conditions -and all _regimes_. For two full centuries the Hudson's Bay Company -existed, unshorn of its greatness, and endures still--the one enduring -pillar in the New World mansion. - -In pondering the early records of the Company, one truth will hardly -escape observation. It did not go forth amongst the savages with the -Bible in its hand. Elsewhere, an old axiom, and true--first the -missionary, then the soldier, then the trader. In the case of the -Company, this order has been reversed. The French associations in -Canada for the collection and sale of furs were preceded by the -Jesuits--brave, fearless, self-denying--whose deeds form the theme of -some of Parkman's most thrilling pages. - -A few years since, in the solitudes of the West, two European tourists -were struck by the frequency with which they encountered a certain -mystic legend. Eager to solve its meaning, they addressed a half-breed -lounger at a small station on the Canadian Pacific Railway. - -"Tell us, my friend," they said, "what those three letters yonder -signify. Wherever we travel in this country we encounter 'H. B. C.' We -have seen the legend sewn on the garments of Indians; we have seen it -flying from rude forts; it has been painted on canoes; it is inscribed -on bales and boxes. What does 'H. B. C.' mean?" - -"That's _the Company_," returned the native grimly, "Here Before -Christ." - -Might not the first missionary who, in 1818, reached York Factory -contemplate his vast cure, and say: Here, bartering, civilizing, -judging, corrupting, revelling, slaying, marching through the -trackless forest, making laws and having dominion over a million -souls--_here before Christ!_ - -It is probable a day is at hand when all this area will be dotted with -farms, villages and cities, a time when its forests will be uprooted -and the plains of Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory tilled by -the husbandman, its hills and valleys exploited by the miner; yet, -certain spots in this vast region must ever bear testimony to the -hunter of furs. Remote, solitary, often hungry and not seldom -frozen--the indomitable servant of the Great Fur Company lived here -his life and gave his name to mountain, lake and river. - -Whatsoever destiny has in store for this country, it can never -completely obliterate either the reverence and admiration we have for -brave souls, or those deeper feelings which repose in the bosoms of so -many Canadian men and women whose forefathers lent their arms and -their brains to the fur-trade. The beaver and the marten, the fox and -the mink, may soon be as extinct as the bison, or no more numerous -than the fox and the beaver are to-day in the British Isles; but this -volume, imperfect as it is, may serve as a reminder that their -forbears long occupied the minds and energies of a hardy race of men, -the like of whose patience, bravery and simple honest careers may not -soon again be seen. - -He who would seek in these pages the native romance, the vivid colour, -the absorbing drama of the Great North-West, will seek, I fear, in -vain. My concern has been chiefly with the larger annals of the -Hudson's Bay Company, its history proper, which until now has not been -compiled. - - TORONTO, 27th June, 1899. - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Mr. Beckles Willson has asked me to write a short introduction for his -forthcoming book on the Hudson's Bay Company, and it gives me great -pleasure to comply with his request. - -It is gratifying to know that this work has been undertaken by a young -Canadian, who has for some years had a laudable desire to write the -history of what he appropriately calls "The Great Company," with whose -operations the development of the Western parts of Canada has been so -closely connected. - -The history of the Company during the two centuries of its existence -must bring out prominently several matters which are apt now to be -lightly remembered. I refer to the immense area of country--more than -half as large as Europe--over which its control eventually extended, -the explorations conducted under its auspices, the successful -endeavours, in spite of strenuous opposition, to retain its hold upon -what it regarded as its territory, its friendly relations with the -Indians, and, finally, the manner in which its work prepared the way -for the incorporation of the "illimitable wilderness" within the -Dominion. - -It is not too much to say that the fur-traders were the pioneers of -civilization in the far West. They undertook the most fatiguing -journeys with the greatest pluck and fortitude; they explored the -country and kept it in trust for Great Britain. These fur-traders -penetrated to the Rocky Mountains, and beyond, into what is now known -as British Columbia, and even to the far north and northwest, in -connection with the extension of trade, and the establishment of the -famous "H. B. C." posts and forts, which were the leading features of -the maps of the country until comparatively recent times. The names of -many of these early explorers are perpetuated in its rivers and -lakes; and many important Arctic discoveries are associated with the -names of officers of the Company, such as Hearne, Dease, and Simpson, -and, in later times, Dr. John Rae. - -The American and Russian Companies which were seeking trade on the -Pacific Coast, in the early days of the present century, were not able -to withstand the activity and enterprise of their British rivals, but -for whose discoveries and work even British Columbia might not have -remained British territory. For many years the only civilized -occupants of both banks of the Columbia River were the fur-traders, -and it is not their fault that the region between it and the -international boundary does not now belong to Canada. Alaska was also -leased by the Hudson's Bay Company from Russia, and one cannot help -thinking that if that country had been secured by Great Britain, we -should probably never have heard of the Boundary Question, or of -disputes over the Seal Fisheries. However, these things must be -accepted as they are; but it will not, in any case, be questioned that -the work of the Company prepared the way for the consolidation of the -Dominion of Canada, enabling it to extend its limits from the Atlantic -to the Pacific, and from the international boundary to the far north. - -The principal business of the Company in the early days was, of -course, the purchasing of furs from the Indians, in exchange for arms, -ammunition, clothes and other commodities imported from the United -Kingdom. Naturally, therefore, the prosperity of the Company depended -largely upon good relations being maintained with the Indians. The -white man trusted the Indians, and the Indians trusted the white man. -This mutual confidence, and the friendly relations which were the -result, made the transfer of the territory to Canada comparatively -easy when the time for the surrender came. It is interesting to note -also, that while intent upon trading with the Indians, the Company did -not neglect the spread of civilizing influences among them. The result -of their wise policy is seen in the relations that have happily -existed since 1870 between the Government and the Indians. There has -been none of the difficulties which gave rise to so many disasters in -the western parts of the United States. Even in the half-breed -disturbance in 1869-70, and in that of 1885, the Indians (with very -few exceptions) could not be induced to take arms against the forces -of law and order. - -Although the Red River settlement was inaugurated and carried out -under its auspices, it has been stated, and in terms of reproach, that -the Company did not encourage settlement or colonization. The -statement may have an element of truth in it, but the condition of the -country at the time must be borne in mind. Of course, the fur trade -and settlement could not go on side by side. On the other hand, until -the country was made accessible, colonization was not practicable. -Settlers could not reach it without the greatest difficulty, even for -many years after the transfer of the territory took place, or get -their produce away. Indeed, until the different Provinces of Canada -became federated, and were thus in a position to administer the -country and to provide it with the necessary means of communication, -the opening up of its resources was almost an impossibility. No single -province of Canada could have undertaken its administration or -development, and neither men nor money were available, locally, to -permit of its blossoming out separately as a Colony, or as a series of -Provinces. - -The work of the Company is still being continued, although, of course, -under somewhat different conditions. The fur trade is quite as large -as ever it was, and the relations of the Company are as cordial as of -old with the Indians and other inhabitants in the districts remote -from settlement, in which this part of the business is largely carried -on. It has also adapted itself to the times, and is now one of the -leading sources of supplies to the settlers in Manitoba, the -North-West Territories, and British Columbia, and to the prospectors -and miners engaged in developing the resources of the Pacific -province. Besides, it has a very large stake in the North-West, in the -millions of acres of land handed over to it, according to agreement, -as the country is surveyed. In fact, it may be stated that the -Hudson's Bay Company is as inseparably bound up with the future of -Western Canada as it has been with its past. - -There are, of course, many other things that might be mentioned in an -introduction of this kind, and there is room especially for an -extended reference to the great and wonderful changes that have been -apparent in Manitoba, the North-West Territories, and British -Columbia, since, in the natural order of things, those parts of Canada -passed out of the direct control of the Company. The subject is so -fascinating to me, having been connected with the Company for over -sixty years, that the tendency is to go on and on. But the different -details connected with it will doubtless be dealt with by Mr. Beckles -Willson himself much better than would be possible in the limited time -at my disposal, and I shall therefore content myself with stating, in -conclusion, that I congratulate the author on the work he has -undertaken, and trust that it will meet with the success it deserves. -It cannot fail to be regarded as an interesting contribution to the -history of Canada, and to show, what I firmly believe to be the case, -that the work of the Hudson's Bay Company was for the advantage of the -Empire. - - [Illustration: SIGNATURE OF LORD STRATHCONA AND MOUNT ROYAL.] - - LONDON, June 23rd, 1899. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE. - - CHAPTER I.--1660-1667. - - Effect of the Restoration on Trade -- Adventurers at Whitehall -- - The East India Company Monopoly -- English Interest in North - America -- Prince Rupert's Claims -- The Fur Trade of Canada -- - Aim of the Work. 17 - - CHAPTER II.--1659-1666. - - Groseilliers and Radisson -- Their Peregrinations in the - North-West -- They Return to Quebec and Lay their Scheme before - the Governor -- Repulsed by him they Proceed to New England -- - And thence Sail for France, where they Endeavour to Interest M. - Colbert. 23 - - CHAPTER III.--1667-1668. - - Prince Rupert -- His Character -- Serves through the Civil War - -- His Naval Expedition in the West Indies -- Residence in - France -- And ultimately in London -- He receives Groseilliers - and introduces him to the King. 35 - - CHAPTER IV.--1668-1670. - - The Prince Visits the _Nonsuch_ -- Arrival in the Bay -- Previous - Voyages of Exploration -- A Fort Commenced at Rupert's River -- - Gillam's Return -- Dealing with the Nodwayes -- Satisfaction of - the Company -- A Royal Charter granted. 44 - - CHAPTER V.--1668-1670. - - Danger Apprehended to French Dominion -- Intendant Talon -- Fur - Trade Extended Westward -- News of the English Expedition - Reaches Quebec -- Sovereign Rights in Question -- English - Priority Established. 52 - - CHAPTER VI.--1671. - - First Public Sale at Garraway's -- Contemporary Prices of Fur - -- The Poet Dryden -- Meetings of the Company -- Curiosity of - the Town -- Aborigines on View. 60 - - CHAPTER VII.--1671-1673. - - Mission of the Pere Albanel -- Apprehension at Fort Charles -- - Bailey's Distrust of Radisson -- Expedition to Moose River -- - Groseilliers and the Savages -- The Bushrangers Leave the - Company's Service -- Arrival of Governor Lyddal. 69 - - CHAPTER VIII.--1673-1682. - - Progress of the Company -- Confusion as to the Names and Number - of the Tribes -- Radisson goes to Paris -- His Efforts to - Obtain Support there, and from Prince Rupert, in England, Fail - -- Arrival of M. de la Chesnaye -- With his help Radisson - Secures Support -- And Sails for Quebec -- Thence Proceeds with - Two Ships to Attack the English Ports in Hudson's Bay -- His - Encounters with Gillam's Expedition from London, and his Son's, - from New England. 80 - - CHAPTER IX.--1682-1683. - - Death of Prince Rupert -- The Company's Difficulty in Procuring - Proper Servants -- Radisson at Port Nelson -- The two Gillams - -- Their Meeting -- Capture of the New England Party -- The - First Scotchman in the Bay -- Governor Bridgar Carried off - Prisoner -- Indian Visitors to the Fort -- Disasters to the - Ships -- The French Burn the Island Fort -- Radisson's Harangue - to the Indians -- Return to France. 94 - - CHAPTER X.--1684-1687. - - Hays writes to Lord Preston -- Godey sent to Radisson's - lodgings -- La Barre's strenuous efforts -- Radisson Returns to - the English -- He leaves for the Bay -- Meets his nephew, - Chouart -- Fort Bourbon Surrendered to the Company -- - Radisson's dramatic Return to London. 112 - - CHAPTER XI.--1683-1686. - - Feigned Anger of Lewis -- He writes to La Barre -- Importance - Attached to Indian Treaties -- Duluth's Zeal -- Gauthier de - Comportier -- Denonville made Governor -- Capture of the - _Merchant of Perpetuana_ -- Expedition of Troyes against the - Company's Posts in the Bay -- Moose Fort Surrendered. 125 - - CHAPTER XII.--1686-1689. - - The French Attack upon Fort Rupert -- Governor Sargeant - Apprised -- Intrepidity of Nixon -- Capture of Fort Albany -- - Disaster to the _Churchill_ -- The Company Hears the ill News -- - Negotiations for Colonial Neutrality -- Destruction of New - Severn Fort -- Loss of the _Hampshire_ -- The Revolution. 134 - - CHAPTER XIII.--1689-1696. - - Company's Claims Mentioned in Declaration of War -- Parliament - Grants Company's Application for Confirmation of its Charter -- - Implacability of the Felt-makers -- Fort Albany not a Success - in the hands of the French -- Denonville urges an Attack upon - Fort Nelson -- Lewis Despatches Tast with a Fleet to Canada -- - Iberville's Jealousy prevents its Sailing to the Bay -- - Governor Phipps Burns Fort Nelson -- Further Agitation on the - part of the French to Possess the West Main -- Company Makes - another Attempt to Regain Fort Albany -- Fort Nelson - Surrendered to Iberville -- Its Re-conquest by the Company. 146 - - CHAPTER XIV.--1696-1697. - - Imprisoned French Fur-Traders Reach Paris -- A Fleet under - Iberville Despatched by Lewis to the Bay -- Company's four - Ships precede them through the Straits -- Beginning of a Fierce - Battle -- The _Hampshire_ Sinks -- Escape of the _Dering_ and - capture of the _Hudson's Bay_ -- Dreadful Storm in the Bay -- - Losses of the Victors -- Landing of Iberville -- Operations - against Fort Nelson -- Bailey Yields -- Evacuation by the - English. 158 - - CHAPTER XV.--1698-1713. - - Petition Presented to Parliament Hostile to Company -- - Seventeenth Century Conditions of Trade -- _Coureurs de - Bois_ -- Price of Peltries -- Standard of Trade Prescribed -- - Company's Conservatism -- Letters to Factors -- Character of - the Early Governors -- Henry Kelsey -- York Factory under the - French -- Massacre of Jeremie's Men -- Starvation amongst the - Indians. 169 - - CHAPTER XVI.--1697-1712. - - Company Seriously Damaged by Loss of Port Nelson -- Send an - Account of their Claims to Lords of Trade -- Definite Boundary - Propositions of Trade -- Lewis anxious to Create Boundaries -- - Company look to Outbreak of War -- War of Spanish Succession - Breaks Out -- Period of Adversity for the Company -- Employment - of Orkneymen -- Attack on Fort Albany -- Desperate Condition of - the French at York Fort -- Petition to Anne. 187 - - CHAPTER XVII.--1712-1720. - - Queen Anne Espouses the Cause of the Company -- Prior's View of - its Wants -- Treaty of Utrecht -- Joy of the Adventurers -- - Petition for Act of Cession -- Not Pressed by the British - Government -- Governor Knight Authorized to take Possession of - Port Nelson -- "Smug Ancient Gentlemen" -- Commissioners to - Ascertain Rights -- Their Meeting in Paris -- Matters Move - Slowly -- Bladen and Pulteney return to England. 198 - - CHAPTER XVIII.--1719-1727. - - The South Sea Bubble -- Nation Catches the Fever of Speculation - -- Strong Temptation for the Company -- Pricking of the Bubble - -- Narrow Escape of the Adventurers -- Knight and his - Expedition -- Anxiety as to their Fate -- Certainty of their - Loss -- Burnet's Scheme to Cripple the French -- It Forces them - Westward into Rupert's Land. 208 - - CHAPTER XIX.--1687-1712. - - Hudson's Bay Tribes Peaceful -- Effect of the Traders' Presence - -- Depletion of Population -- The Crees and Assiniboines -- - Their Habits and Customs -- Their Numbers -- No Subordination - Amongst Them -- Spirituous Liquors -- Effect of Intemperance - upon the Indian. 217 - - CHAPTER XX.--1685-1742. - - Errant Tribes of the Bay -- The Goose Hunt -- Assemblage at - Lake Winnipeg -- Difficulties of the Voyage -- Arrival at the - Fort -- Ceremony followed by Debauch -- Gifts to the Chief -- - He makes a Speech to the Governor -- Ceremony of the Pipe -- - Trading Begun. 230 - - CHAPTER XXI.--1725-1742. - - System of Licenses re-adopted by the French -- Verandrye Sets - Out for the Pacific -- His Son Slain -- Disappointments -- He - reaches the Rockies -- Death of Verandrye -- Forts in Rupert's - Land -- Peter the Great and the Hudson's Bay Company -- - Expeditions of Bering -- A North-West Passage -- Opposition of - the Company to its Discovery -- Dobbs and Middleton -- - Ludicrous distrust of the Explorer -- An Anonymous Letter. 240 - - CHAPTER XXII.--1744-1748. - - War again with France -- Company takes Measures to Defend its - Forts and Property -- "Keep Your Guns Loaded" -- Prince - "Charlie" -- His Stock in the Company Confiscated -- Further - Instructions to the Chief Factors -- Another Expedition to - Search for a North-West Passage -- Parliament Offers Twenty - Thousand Pounds Reward -- Cavalier Treatment from Governor - Norton -- Expedition Returns -- Dobbs' Enmity -- Privy Council - Refuse to Grant his Petition -- Press-gang Outrages -- Voyage - of the _Seahorse_. 257 - - CHAPTER XXIII.--1748-1760. - - Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry Appointed -- Aim of the - Malcontents -- Lord Strange's Report -- Testimony of Witnesses - -- French Competition -- Lords of Plantations Desire to - Ascertain Limits of Company's Territory -- Defeat of the - Labrador Company -- Wolfe's Victory -- "Locked up in the Strong - Box" -- Company's Forts -- Clandestine Trade -- Case of Captain - Coats. 269 - - CHAPTER XXIV.--1763-1770. - - Effect of the Conquest on the Fur-trade of the French -- - Indians again Seek the Company's Factories -- Influx of - Highlanders into Canada -- Alexander Henry -- Mystery - Surrounding the _Albany_ Cleared Up -- Astronomers Visit Prince - of Wales' Fort -- Strike of Sailors -- Seizure of Furs -- - Measures to Discourage Clandestine Trade. 286 - - CHAPTER XXV.--1768-1773. - - Reports of the "Great River" -- Company Despatch Samuel Hearne on - a Mission of Discovery -- Norton's Instructions -- Saluted on - his Departure from the Fort -- First and Second Journeys -- - Matonabee -- Results of the Third Journey -- The Company's - Servants in the Middle of the Century -- Death of Governor - Norton. 299 - - CHAPTER XXVI.--1773-1782. - - Company Suffers from the Rivalry of Canadians -- Cumberland - House Built -- Debauchery and License of the Rivals -- - Frobisher Intercepts the Company's Indians -- The Smallpox - Visitation of 1781 -- La Perouse appears before Fort Prince of - Wales -- Hearne's Surrender -- Capture of York Fort by the - French -- The Post Burned and the Company's Servants carried - away Prisoners. 314 - - CHAPTER XXVII.--1783-1800. - - Disastrous Effects of the Competition -- Montreal Merchants - Combine -- The North-Westers -- Scheme of the Association -- - Alexander Mackenzie -- His two Expeditions Reach the Pacific -- - Emulation Difficult -- David Thompson. 327 - - CHAPTER XXVIII.--1787-1808. - - Captain Vancouver -- La Perouse in the Pacific -- The Straits - of Anian -- A Fantastic Episode -- Russian Hunters and Traders - -- The Russian Company -- Dissensions amongst the Northmen -- - They Send the _Beaver_ to Hudson's Bay -- The Scheme of - Mackenzie a Failure -- A Ferocious Spirit Fostered -- Abandoned - Characters -- A Series of Outrages -- The Affair at Bad - Lake. 344 - - CHAPTER XXIX.--1808-1812. - - Crisis in the Company's Affairs -- No Dividend Paid -- Petition - to Lords of the Treasury -- Factors Allowed a Share in the - Trade -- Canada Jurisdiction Act -- The Killing of MacDonnell - -- Mowat's Ill-treatment -- Lord Selkirk -- His Scheme laid - before the Company -- A Protest by Thwaytes and others -- The - Project Carried -- Emigrants sent out to Red River -- Northmen - Stirred to Reprisal. 361 - - CHAPTER XXX.--1812-1815. - - The Bois-Brules -- Simon McGillivray's Letter -- Frightening - the Settlers -- A Second Brigade -- Governor McDonnell's - Manifesto -- Defection of Northmen to the Company -- - Robertson's Expedition to Athabasca -- Affairs at Red River -- - Cameron and McDonell in Uniform -- Cuthbert Grant -- Miles - McDonnell Arrested -- Fort William -- News brought to the - Northmen -- Their confiscated account-books -- War of 1812 - concluded. 383 - - CHAPTER XXXI.--1816-1817. - - A New Brigade of Immigrants -- Robert Semple -- Cuthbert - Grant's Letter -- The De Meuron Regiment -- Assembling of the - Bois-Brules -- Tragedy at Seven Oaks -- Selkirk at Fort William - -- McGillivray Arrested -- Arrest of the Northmen -- Selkirk - Proceeds to Red River. 404 - - CHAPTER XXXII.--1817-1821. - - The English Government Intervenes -- Selkirk at Red River -- - Makes a Treaty with the Indians -- Hostilities at Peace River - -- Governor Williams makes Arrests -- Franklin at York Factory - -- The Duke of Richmond Interferes -- Trial of Semple's - Murderers -- Death of Selkirk -- Amalgamation. 423 - - CHAPTER XXXIII.--1821-1847. - - The Deed Poll -- A Governor-in-Chief Chosen -- A Chaplain - Appointed -- New License from George IV. -- Trade on the Pacific - Coast -- The Red River Country Claimed by the States -- The - Company in California -- The Oregon Question -- Anglo-Russian - Treaty of 1825 -- The _Dryad_ Affair -- Lieutenant Franklin's two - Expeditions -- Red River Territory Yielded to Company -- - Enterprise on the Pacific. 436 - - CHAPTER XXXIV.--1846-1863. - - The Oregon Treaty -- Boundary Question Settled -- Company - Proposes Undertaking Colonization of North America -- Enmity - and Jealousy Aroused -- Attitude of Earl Grey -- Lord Elgin's - Opinion of the Company -- Amended Proposal for Colonization - Submitted -- Opposition of Mr. Gladstone -- Grant of Vancouver - Island Secured, but Allowed to Expire in 1859 -- Dr. Rae's - Expedition -- The Franklin Expedition and its Fate -- Discovery - of the North-West Passage -- Imperial Parliament Appoints - Select Committee -- Toronto Board of Trade Petitions - Legislative Council -- Trouble with Indians -- Question of - Buying Out the Company -- British Government Refuses Help -- - "Pacific Scheme" Promoters Meet Company in Official Interview - -- International Financial Association Buys Company's Rights -- - Edward Ellice, the "Old Bear." 459 - - CHAPTER XXXV.--1863-1871. - - Indignation of the Wintering-Partners -- Distrust and - Misgivings Arise -- Proposals of Governor Dallas for the - Compensation of the Wintering-Partners in Exchange for their - Abrogation of Deed Poll -- Threatened Deadlock -- Position of - those in Authority Rendered Untenable -- Failure of Duke of - Newcastle's Proposals for Surrender of Territorial Rights -- - The Russo-American Alaskan Treaty -- The Hon. W. McDougall's - Resolutions -- Deputation Goes to England -- Sir - Stafford-Northcote becomes Governor -- Opinion of Lord - Granville as to the Position of Affairs -- Lack of Military - System Company's Weakness -- Cession now Inevitable -- Terms - Suggested by Lord Granville Accepted -- First Riel Rebellion -- - Wolseley at Fort Garry. 481 - - CHAPTER XXXVI.--1821-1871. - - The Company still King in the North-West -- Its Forts Described - -- Fort Garry -- Fort Vancouver -- Franklin -- Walla Walla -- - Yukon -- Kamloops -- Samuel Black -- Mountain House -- Fort - Pitt -- Policy of the Great Company. 497 - - The Hudson's Bay Posts. 509 - - - APPENDIX. - - Royal Charter Incorporating the Hudson's Bay Company 515 - - The Alaska Boundary 527 - - Governors of the Hudson's Bay Company 531 - - Deputy-Governors of the Hudson's Bay Company 532 - - - INDEX 533 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. - - Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal FRONTISPIECE. - - FACING PAGE - - Prince Rupert 32 - - Original Charter of The Great Company 48 - - Capt. Godey and Radisson 112 - - Marching out of the English Garrison 160 - - The Massacre of Jeremie's Men 192 - - The Bushranger and the Indians 337 - - Dog Brigade in the Far North 304 - - Tracking Canoes up the Rapids 368 - - Murder of Governor Semple 416 - - Sir George Simpson 432 - - Sir George Simpson receiving a Deputation 464 - - Interior Hudson's Bay Post 496 - - - ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. - - PAGE - - Early Map of North America 19 - - Radisson 25 - - Chart of Hudson's Straits 30 - - Prince Rupert 36 - - English Map of 1782 57 - - The Beaver 60 - - Arms of the Hudson's Bay Co. 67 - - Type of Early Trading Post 71 - - Bark Canoe of Indians on Hudson's Bay 74 - - Landing of Iberville's Men at Port Nelson 155 - - Ships on Hudson's Bay 160 - - French Encampment 163 - - Capture of Port Nelson by the French 167 - - Trading with the Indians 171 - - A Coureur des Bois 173 - - An Early River Pioneer 178 - - Facsimile of the Company's Standard of Trade 181 - - French Map of the Bay and Vicinity 215 - - Indian Tepee 218 - - An Assiniboine Indian 219 - - Indian with Tomahawk 220 - - Esquimau with Dogs 223 - - Modern Type of Indian 231 - - Type of Cree Indian 234 - - An Old Chief 237 - - Maldonado's Strait of Anian 246 - - Lapie's Map of 1821 247 - - Plans of York and Prince of Wales Forts 262 - - Map showing the Hays River 265 - - Fort Prince of Wales 281 - - A Blackfoot Brave 289 - - Alexander Henry 291 - - Dobbs' Map, 1744 301 - - Visit to an Indian Encampment 315 - - Indian Trappers 318 - - Ruins of Fort Prince of Wales 322 - - Sir Alexander Mackenzie 330 - - A Portage 337 - - De L'Isle's Map, 1752 345 - - The Rival Traders 353 - - York Factory 355 - - Lord Selkirk 372 - - Stornaway 380 - - A Bois-Brule 384 - - Fort George (Astoria) 387 - - Arrival of the Upland Indians 388 - - On the way to Fort William 390 - - The Company's Ships in 1812 392 - - Fort Douglas, Red River 394 - - Scene of Red River Tragedy 411 - - Vicinity of Fort Douglas 414 - - Board Room, Hudson's Bay House 438 - - Red River Cart 441 - - Fur Train from the far North 446 - - Sir George Back, R.N. 451 - - Thomas Simpson 454 - - Hudson's Bay Company's Trade Tokens 458 - - Hudson's Bay Employees on their Annual Expedition 460 - - Opening of Cairn on Point Victory 467 - - Discovery of Relics of Franklin Expedition 468 - - Fort Prince of Wales 477 - - Fort Garry 482 - - Arrival of Hudson's Bay Ships at York Factory 498 - - Fort Pelly 499 - - Fort Simpson 501 - - York Factory 502 - - Father Lacombe 504 - - Gateway to Fort Garry 507 - - Sketch Map of South-East Alaska 527 - - - - -THE GREAT COMPANY. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -1660-67. - - Effect of the Restoration on Trade -- Adventurers at Whitehall - -- The East India Company Monopoly -- English interest in North - America -- Prince Rupert's claims -- The Fur Trade of Canada -- - Aim of the Work. - - -That page in the nation's history which records the years immediately -following the Restoration of the Stewarts to the English throne, has -often been regarded as sinister and inauspicious. Crushed and broken -by the long strain of civil war, apparently bankrupt in letters, -commerce and arms, above all, sick of the restraints imposed upon them -by the Roundheads, the nation has too often been represented as -abandoning itself wholly to the pursuit of pleasure, while folly and -license reigned supreme at court. The almost startling rapidity with -which England recovered her pride of place in the commercial world has -been too little dwelt upon. Hardly had Charles the Second settled down -to enjoy his heritage when the spirit of mercantile activity began to -make itself felt once more. The arts of trade and commerce, of -discovery and colonization, which had languished under the Puritan -ascendancy, revived; the fever of "Imperial Expansion" burst out with -an ardour which no probability of failure was able to cool; and the -court of the "Merry Monarch" speedily swarmed with adventurers, eager -to win his favour for the advancement of schemes to which the chiefs -of the Commonwealth would have turned but a deaf ear. - -Of just claimants to the royal bounty, in the persons of ruined -cavaliers and their children, there was no lack. With these there also -mingled, in the throng which daily beset the throne with petitions for -grants, charters, patents and monopolies,--returned free-booters, -buccaneers in embryo, upstarts and company-promoters. Every London -tavern and coffee-house resounded with projects for conquest, trade, -or the exploitation of remote regions. - -From the news-letters and diaries of the period, and from the minutes -of the Council of Trade and the Royal Society, one may form an -excellent notion of the risks which zealous capital ran during this -memorable decade. - -For two centuries and more mercantile speculation had been busy with -the far East. There, it was believed, in the realms of Cathay and -Hindustan, lay England's supreme market. A large number of the marine -expeditions of the sixteenth century were associated with an -enterprise in which the English nation, of all the nations in Europe, -had long borne, and long continued to bear, the chief part. From the -time of Cabot's discovery of the mainland in 1498, our mariners had -dared more and ventured oftener in quest of that passage through the -ice and barren lands of the New World which should conduct them to the -sunny and opulent countries of the East. - -[Sidenote: English right to Hudson's Bay.] - -The mercantile revival came; it found the Orient robbed of none of its -charm, but monopoly had laid its hand on East India. For over half a -century the East India Company had enjoyed the exclusive right of -trading in the Pacific between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, -and the merchants of London therefore were forced to cast about for -other fields of possible wealth. As far as North America was -concerned, the merest reference to a map of this period will reveal -the very hazy conception which then prevailed as to this vast -territory. Few courtiers, as yet, either at Whitehall or Versailles, -had begun to concern themselves with nice questions of frontier, or -the precise delimitation of boundaries in parts of the continent which -were as yet unoccupied, still less in those hyperborean regions -described by the mariners Frobisher, Button and Fox. To these -voyagers, themselves, the northern half of the continent was merely a -huge barrier to the accomplishment of their designs. - - [Illustration: EARLY MAP OF NORTH AMERICA.] - -Yet in spite of this destructive creed, it had long been a cardinal -belief in the nation that the English crown had by virtue of -Cabot's, and of subsequent discoveries, a right to such territories, -even though such right had never been actively affirmed.[1] - -In the year 1664 the King granted the territory now comprised in the -States of New York, New Jersey and Delaware to his brother, the Duke -of York, and the courtiers became curious to know what similar mark of -favour would be bestowed upon his Majesty's yet unrewarded cousin, -Prince Rupert, Duke of Cumberland and Count Palatine of the Rhine.[2] - -The Duke of York succeeded in wresting his new Transatlantic -possession from the Dutch, and the fur-trade of New Amsterdam fell -into English hands. Soon afterwards the first cargo of furs from that -region arrived in the Thames. - -Naturally, it was not long before some of the keener-sighted London -merchants began to see behind this transaction vast possibilities of -future wealth. The extent of the fur-trade driven in Canada by the -French was no secret.[3] Twice annually, for many years, had vessels -anchored at Havre, laden with the skins of fox, marten and beaver, -collected and shipped by the Company of the Hundred Associates or -their successors in the Quebec monopoly. A feeling was current that -England ought by right to have a larger share in this promising -traffic, but, it was remarked, "it is not well seen by those cognizant -of the extent of the new plantations how this is to be obtained, -unless we dislodge the French as we have the Dutch, which his present -Majesty would never countenance." - -Charles had little reason to be envious of the possession by his -neighbour Lewis, of the country known as New France. - -[Sidenote: French fur-trade.] - -Those tragic and melancholy narratives, the "Relations des Jesuites," -had found their way to the English Court. From these it would seem -that the terrors of cold, hunger, hardships, and Indian hostility, -added to the cost and difficulties of civil government, and the -chronic prevalence of official intrigue, were hardly compensated for -by the glories of French ascendancy in Canada. The leading spirits of -the fur-trade then being prosecuted in the northern wilds, were well -aware that they derived their profits from but an infinitesimal -portion of the fur-trading territory; the advantages of extension and -development were perfectly apparent to them; but the difficulties -involved in dealing with the savage tribes, and the dangers attending -the establishment of further connections with the remote interior, -conspired to make them content with the results attained by the -methods then in vogue. The security from rivalry which was guaranteed -to them by their monopoly did not fail to increase their aversion to a -more active policy. Any efforts, therefore, which were made to extend -the French Company's operations were made by Jesuit missionaries, or -by individual traders acting without authority. - -Such, in brief, was the state of affairs in the year 1666 when two -intrepid bushrangers, employees of the old Company,[4] dissatisfied -with their prospects under the new _regime_, sought their way out from -the depths of the wilderness to Quebec, and there propounded to the -Intendant, Jean Talon, a scheme for the extension of the fur-trade to -the shores of Hudson's Bay. This enterprising pair saw their project -rejected, and as a sequel to this rejection came the inception and -establishment of an English association,[5] which subsequently -obtained a charter from the King, under the name and title of "The -Governor and Company of Merchants-Adventurers trading into Hudson's -Bay." - -To narrate the causes which first led to the formation of this -Company, the contemporary interest it excited, the thrilling -adventures of its early servants, of the wars it waged with the -French and drove so valiantly to a victorious end; its vicissitudes -and gradual growth; the fierce and bloody rivalries it combated -and eventually overbore; its notable expeditions of research by -land and sea; the character of the vast country it ruled and the -Indians inhabiting it; and last but not least, the stirring and -romantic experiences contained in the letters and journals of the -Great Company's factors and traders for a period of above two -centuries--such will be the aim and purpose of this work. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] "The great maritime powers of Europe," said Chief Justice -Marshall, "discovered and visited different parts of this Continent at -nearly the same time. The object was too immense for any of them to -grasp the whole; and the claimants were too powerful to submit to the -exclusive or unreasonable pretensions of any single potentate. To -avoid bloody conflicts, which might terminate disastrously to all, it -was necessary for the nations of Europe to establish some principle -which all would acknowledge and which would decide their respective -rights as between themselves. This principle, suggested by the actual -state of things, was, 'that discovery gave title to the Government by -whose subjects or by whose authority it was made, against all other -European governments, which title might be consummated by -possession.'" - -[2] "Prince Rupert, we hear, is of no mind to press his Plantation -claims until this Dutch warre is over. A Jamaica pattent is spoke -of."--_Pleasant Passages_, 1665. - -[3] As early as 1605, Quebec had been established, and had become an -important settlement; before 1630, the Beaver and several other -companies had been organized, at Quebec, for carrying on the fur-trade -in the West, near and around the Great Lakes and in the North-West -Territory; that the enterprise and trading operations of these French -Companies, and of the French colonists generally, extended over vast -regions of the northern and the north-western portions of the -continent; that they entered into treaties with the Indian tribes and -nations, and carried on a lucrative and extensive fur-trade with the -natives. In the prosecution of their trade and other enterprises these -adventurers evinced great energy, courage and perseverance. They had, -according to subsequent French writers, extended their hunting and -trading operations to the Athabasca country. It was alleged that some -portions of the Athabasca country had before 1640 been visited and -traded in, and to some extent occupied by the French traders in Canada -and their Beaver Company. From 1640 to 1670 these discoveries and -trading settlements had considerably increased in number and -importance. - -[4] In 1663 the charter of the Compagnie des Cents Assoces, granted by -Richelieu in 1627, was ceded to the Crown. In 1665 the new Association -"La Compagnie des Indes Occidentals" received its charter. - -[5] "Several noblemen and other public-spirited Englishmen, not -unmindful of the discovery and right of the Crown of England to those -parts in America, designed at their own charge to adventure the -establishing of a regular and constant trade in Hudson's Bay, and to -settle forts and factories, whereby to invite the Indian nations (who -live like savages, many hundred leagues up the country), down to their -factories, for a constant and yearly intercourse of trade, which was -never attempted by such settlements, and to reside in that -inhospitable country, before the aforesaid English adventurers -undertook the same."--_Company's Memorial_, 1699. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -1659-1666. - - Groseilliers and Radisson -- Their Peregrinations in the - North-West -- They Return to Quebec and lay their Scheme before - the Governor -- Repulsed by him they Proceed to New England -- - And thence Sail for France, where they Endeavour to Interest M. - Colbert. - - -The year 1659, notable in England as the last of the Puritan -ascendancy and the herald of a stirring era of activity, may be -reckoned as the first with which the annals of the Great Company are -concerned. It is in this year that we first catch a glimpse of two -figures who played an important part in shaping its destinies. Little -as they suspected it, the two intrepid fur-traders, Groseilliers and -Radisson, who in the spring of that year pushed their way westward -from Quebec to the unknown shores of Lake Superior, animated in this, -as in all their subsequent exploits, by a spirit of adventure as well -as a love of gain, were to prove the ancestors of the Great Company. - -[Sidenote: Groseilliers' first marriage.] - -Medard Chouart, the first of this dauntless pair, was born in France, -near Meaux, and had emigrated to Quebec when he was a little over -sixteen years old. His father had been a pilot, and it was designed -that the son should succeed him in the same calling. But long before -this intention could be realized he fell in with a Jesuit, returned -from Canada, who was full of thrilling tales about the New France -beyond the seas; and so strongly did these anecdotes, with their -suggestion of a rough and joyous career in the wilderness, appeal to -his nature, that he determined to take his own part in the glowing -life which the priest depicted. In 1641 he was one of the fifty-two -_emigres_ who sailed with the heroic Maissoneuve from Rochelle. Five -years later we find him trading amongst the Hurons, the tribe whose -doom was already sealed by reason of the enmity and superior might of -the Iroquois; and at the close of another year comes the record of his -first marriage. The bride is Etienne, the daughter of a pilot, Abraham -Martin of Quebec, the "eponymous hero" of that plateau adjoining -Quebec where, a century later, was to take place the mortal struggle -between Wolfe and Montcalm. - -It was probably soon after this marriage that Chouart adopted the -title "des Groseilliers," derived from a petty estate which his father -had in part bequeathed to him. - -Not long did his wife survive the marriage; and she died without -leaving any legacy of children to alleviate his loss. But the young -adventurer was not destined to remain for any length of time -disconsolate. Within a year of his wife's death, there arrived in the -colony a brother and sister named Pierre and Marguerite Radisson, -Huguenots of good family, who had been so persistently hounded in -France by the persecution which sought to exterminate their community, -that the one key to happiness had seemed to them to lie beyond the -seas. No sooner had their father died than they bade farewell to -France and sailed for Canada, there to start a new life amidst new and -more tranquil surroundings. - -With this couple young Groseilliers soon struck up an acquaintance; -and so rapidly did the intimacy ripen that before long he was united, -to the sister in matrimony, and to the brother in a partnership for -the pursuit of commercial adventure. The double union proved doubly -fortunate; for Marguerite seems to have made a well-suited wife, and -Pierre, though in birth and education superior to Groseilliers, was no -whit less hardy and adventurous, nor in any respect less fitted for -the arduous tasks which their rough life imposed upon them. The two -speedily became fast friends and associates in enterprise, and thus -united they soon took their place as the leading spirits of the -settlement at Three Rivers. Here, in 1656, Radisson married for the -first time, his bride being a Mlle. Elizabeth Herault, one of the few -Protestant young women in the whole of Canada. Groseilliers, who had -been long disgusted at the priestly tyranny of which he had seen so -much in Canada, probably needed but little inducement to embrace the -Protestant religion, if indeed this had not been stipulated upon at -the time of his marriage. At all events, we now find him reputed to be -among the Protestants of the Colony; some of whom were, in spite of -the bitter prejudice against them, the boldest and most successful -spirits the fur-trading community of that period had to show. - - [Illustration: RADISSON. - (_After an old print._)] - -[Sidenote: Radisson weds Miss Kirke.] - -Radisson, like Groseilliers,[6] had the misfortune to lose his wife -soon after their marriage; but, like his comrade, he too sought -consolation in a fresh marriage. This time he allied himself with the -daughter of a zealous English Protestant, who afterwards became Sir -John Kirke. It was to the brothers of this Kirke that the great -Champlain, thirty years before, had surrendered Quebec. - -With this introduction to the characters of the two remarkable men -whose fortunes were to become so closely entwined with that of the -Hudson's Bay Company, we may pass to their early efforts to extend the -fur-trade beyond those limits which the distracted and narrow-minded -officers of the Compagnie des Cent Assoces, thought it necessary to -observe. - -Reaching the shore of Lake Superior in the early summer of 1659, -Radisson and Groseilliers travelled for six days in a south-westerly -direction, and then came upon a tribe of Indians incorporated with the -Hurons, known as the Tionnontates, or the Tobacco Nation. These people -dwelt in the territory between the sources of the Black and Chippeway -rivers, in what is now the State of Wisconsin, whence, in terror of -the bloody enmity of the Iroquois, they afterwards migrated to the -small islands in Lake Michigan at the entrance of Green Bay. - -During their temporary sojourn with this branch of the unhappy Hurons -the two pioneering traders heard constant mention of a deep, wide, and -beautiful river--comparable to the St. Lawrence--to the westward, and -for a time they were half tempted by their ever-present thirst for -novelty to proceed in that direction. Other counsels, however, seem to -have prevailed; for instead of striking out for the unknown river of -the west they journeyed northward, and wintered with the -Nadouechiouecs or Sioux, who hunted and fished among the innumerable -lakes of Minnesota. Soon afterwards they came upon a separate band of -war-like Sioux, known as the Assiniboines, a prosperous and -intelligent tribe, who lived in skin and clay lodges and were -"familiar with the use of charcoal." - -[Sidenote: A Route to the Bay.] - -From these Assiniboines, Radisson and Groseilliers first heard of the -character and extent of that great bay to the north, named by the -English marine explorers "Hudson's Bay," which was to be the scene of -their later labours; and not only did they glean news of its nature, -but they also succeeded in obtaining information as to the means of -reaching it. - -In August, 1660, the two adventurers found their way back to Montreal, -after over a year's absence. They were accompanied by three hundred -Indians, and in possession of sixty canoes laden with furs, which they -undertook to dispose of to the advantage of the savages and -themselves. As they had anticipated, they found the little colony and -its leaders deeply interested in their reports of the extent and -richness of the fur-producing countries to the westward, as well as -in their description of the unfamiliar tribes inhabiting that region. -The sale of the furs having resulted in a handsome profit, -Groseilliers announced to his brother-in-law his intention of making -the journey on his own account. There was no dearth of volunteers -eager to embark in the enterprise, and from those who offered their -services he chose six Frenchmen--_coureurs des bois_ or bushrangers; -and having provided himself with an ample outfit, turned his footsteps -once more to the prairies of the west, while Radisson went to rejoin -his wife and sister at Three Rivers. - -On the eve of his departure the Jesuit Fathers, distrusting -Groseilliers' religious proclivities and suspecting that he might -attempt to influence the Assiniboines, insisted upon one of their -number accompanying him. The priest chosen for this arduous mission -was the aged missionary Rene Menard, who, in spite of his physical -frailty was still undaunted by any prospect of peril; though he was, -on this occasion, prevailed upon to allow his servant Guerin to -accompany him. It was the priest's last journey. When Groseilliers -again reached Montreal, after a season in the wilderness as prosperous -as its forerunner, he bore the mournful news that Menard had been -massacred and his body, beyond question, devoured by a fierce band of -Indians. - -This voyage, besides showing lucrative results, also proved a -memorable one for Groseilliers, inasmuch as it was during his winter's -sojourn with the distant Assiniboines that he acquired information -which affected his whole subsequent career. There can be no question -that it was the knowledge he obtained from this tribe of a convenient -route to Hudson's Bay, by way of Lake Superior, and of a system of -trade with the tribes dwelling on or in proximity to that unknown sea, -that caused him to set out once again in May, 1662, for the west. He -was accompanied by ten men, all of whom were disaffected towards the -powers which then controlled the fur-trade in New France, and the -combination of good fortune and _esprit de corps_ among his followers -proved so successful that when, after a year's absence, he returned -to the eastern colonies, the number of furs he brought back was -sufficiently great to render a simultaneous disposal of all the packs -inadvisable. He adopted the wise course of dividing them into three -consignments, and these were sold respectively at Montreal, Three -Rivers, and Quebec. Henceforward, but one idea possessed -Groseilliers--a journey to the great fur-lands of the north. It should -be his life's work to exploit the fur-trade of Hudson's Bay. Already -he saw himself rich--richer even than the merchant-princes of old -Rochelle. - -[Sidenote: A new fur Company.] - -But alas for his plans, the official laxity and dissensions which had -made it possible for himself and others thus to infringe with -impunity, the general monopoly granted by the King came to a sudden -end. A fresh patent for a new Company was issued by the Crown; a new -Governor, M. d'Avagour, entered upon the scene, and the rigorous -measures enacted against private traders drove many of these over to -the English and the Dutch. - -A commission from M. d'Avagour, dated the 10th of May, 1663, conveyed -permission to one M. Couture to remove with five men to the bottom of -the Great Bay to the North of Canada, consequent upon the requisition -of some Indians, who had returned to Quebec to ask for aid to conduct -and assist them in their affairs. This same Couture afterwards -certified, or the French Government certified in his stead, that he -really undertook this voyage, and "erected anew upon the lands at the -bottom of the said Bay a cross and the arms of the King engraved on -copper, and placed between two plates of lead at the foot of a large -tree." Much justifiable doubt has been cast upon this story, and at a -much later period, when French and English interests were contesting -hotly for the sovereignty of the territory surrounding Hudson's Bay, -an expedition was sent in search of the boasted memorials, but no -trace of the cross or the copper escutcheon could be found. There -seems every probability that the allegation, or the subsequent -statement of an allegation of this description, was false. - -Groseilliers had thus to reckon with the new fur-trading proprietors -of Quebec, who were to prove themselves less complaisant than the old. -They instantly interdicted traders from going in search of peltries; -reasoning that the produce would ultimately find its way into their -hands, without the need of any such solicitation. And though -Groseilliers persistently explained to them that their policy of -interdiction was really a short-sighted one; that the Indians could -not be always depended upon to bring their own furs to the Company's -mart; and that no great time would elapse before the English or Dutch -would push their way westward to Lake Superior, and so acquire an -unequalled opportunity of developing the resources of the northern -regions; neither his criticism and advice (founded on personal -knowledge of the unstable Indian character) nor the apprehensions of -rivalry, which he showed good grounds for entertaining, had any power -to move the officials of the Hundred Associates. Neither argument, -entreaty, nor prognostications of danger would induce them to look -with any favour upon Groseilliers' project, or even entertain his -proposals. - -[Sidenote: Groseilliers in Boston.] - -Groseilliers afterwards hinted that it was prejudice against his -adopted religion which really lay at the bottom of this complete -rejection of his scheme, and also accounted for the Company's refusal -to avail themselves of his services, otherwise than as a mere salaried -servant. It was at this juncture that he sought the advice of -Radisson, and it is not unlikely that it was the counsels of his -brother-in-law which induced him to resolve upon a bold step in the -furtherance of his cherished project. It was well-known that the -English colonists settled in New England were putting forth the -strongest efforts to secure a share of the fur-trade of the North. -Their allies, the redoubtable Iroquois, had upon several occasions -way-laid and plundered the Huron tribes, who were conveying their -cargoes to Quebec and Montreal, and had delivered these into the hands -of the English. Farther westward, the Dutch were indefatigable in -their endeavours to divert the fur-traffic of the North from the St. -Lawrence to the Hudson. But the Dutch had been vanquished by the -English; New Amsterdam was now New York; and it was English brains -and English money which now controlled the little colony and the -untravelled lands which lay beyond it. It was to the English, -therefore, that the indomitable adventurer now determined to apply. -Madame Radisson had relatives in Boston; her father was an intimate -friend of the Governor. Relying on such influences as these, but still -more on the soundness of his project, Groseilliers made his way to -Boston by way of Acadia. - - [Illustration: A CHART OF HUDSON'S STREIGHTS AND BAY OF DAVIS - STREIGHTS, AND BAFFIN'S BAY; AS PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 1668. ] - -Early in 1664 we find the Mother Superior of the Ursuline Nuns at -Quebec writing thus of Groseilliers: - -"As he had not been successful in making a fortune, he was seized with -a fancy to go to New England to better his condition. He excited a -hope among the English that he had found a passage to the Sea of the -North." - -The good Mother Superior was deceived. It was no part of Groseilliers' -plan to seek a passage to the Sea of the North; but one can hardly -doubt that he found it highly politic that such a report should obtain -currency in Quebec. The fur-trade of the North, and the fur-trade -alone, was Groseilliers' lode-stone; but in spite of all it had cost -him to acquire the knowledge he already possessed, he was ready to -abandon the land and fresh water route, and seek the shores of -Hudson's Bay from the side of the Atlantic Ocean. - -Doubtless many causes operated to alter his original plan; but there -can be little question that the most potent was the opposition of the -Canadian Company. Yet had the sea route not existed, even the -opposition of the Company would not have sufficed to baulk him of a -fulfilment of his designs. He would not have been the first French -trader, even at that early day in the history of the rival colonies, -to circumvent his countrymen, and, taking advantage of their confined -area of activity, to conduct negotiations with the Indians surrounding -the most distant outposts of their territory. The proceeding would -have been hazardous had the Company possessed the force necessary to -assert its rights to the trade of the whole northern and north-western -country; but the new company would not as yet possess the force. The -most real danger Groseilliers had to fear was that, if he persisted in -his endeavours to draw away the trade of the northern tribes, he might -be outlawed and his property, and that of his brother-in-law Radisson, -confiscated. Groseilliers had left his wife and his son in Canada, and -he therefore went to work with considerable caution. - -It has been asserted, and perhaps with excellent point, that -Groseilliers may have been very powerfully influenced in the -abandonment of his land and fresh water route by obtaining an entirely -new idea of the configuration of northern North America. In the maps -which were likely at that time to have found their way to Quebec, the -northern regions are but very dimly defined; and with the knowledge of -geography gained only from these maps Groseilliers could hardly have -realized the accessibility of the approach by sea. It seems likely -therefore that the change of route was not even thought of until -Groseilliers had had his interview with Radisson; it was probably -Radisson--with his superior geographical knowledge and more thorough -comprehension (through his kinship with the Kirkes, all famous -mariners) of the discoveries made by the English in the northern -parts--who advocated the sea-route. The idea must have grown upon him -gradually. His countrymen took it for granted that the whole northern -country was theirs, apparently assuming the sole mode of access to be -by land. The sea route never seems to have occurred to them, or if -they thought of it at all, it was dismissed as dangerous and -impracticable for purposes of commerce. The configuration of the -northern country, the form and extent of the seas, certainly the -character of the straits and islands, were to them little known. -Secure in what they regarded as nominal possession, forgetful that -English mariners had penetrated and named these northern waters, the -officials of the Canada Company were content to pursue a policy of -_laissez faire_ and to deprecate all apprehensions of rivalry. - -Singular coincidence! More than a century was to elapse and another -Company with ten times the wealth, the power, the sovereignty wielded -by this one: not French--for France had then been shorn of her -dominion and authority--but English, scorning the all-conquering, -all-pervading spirit of mercantile England, was to pursue the same -policy, and to suffer the loss of much blood and treasure in -consequence of such pursuit. - -[Sidenote: Groseilliers finds no patrons.] - -In Boston, the main difficulty which Groseilliers encountered was a -scarcity of wealth. His scheme was approved by many of the leading -spirits there, and his assertions as to the wealth of the fur-bearing -country were not doubted. But at that period the little Puritan colony -was much put to it to carry out projects for its own security and -maintenance, not to mention plans for enrichment much nearer home. And -it was pointed out to him that so long as schemes which were regarded -as essential to safety could only be with difficulty supported, no -pecuniary assistance could be rendered for an extraneous project, -however promising its nature.[7] - - [Illustration: PRINCE RUPERT. - (_After the painting by Sir P. Lely._)] - -There were in Boston at this time, however, four personages whom the -King had sent as envoys, in 1664, to force the Dutch to evacuate -Manhattan, and who were also a kind of commission instructed to visit -the English colonies, and to hear and rule their complaints. They were -Richard Nichols, Robert Carr, George Cartwright and Samuel Maverick. -One of these, Colonel Carr, it is said, strongly urged Groseilliers to -proceed to England and offer his services to the King. - -[Sidenote: Zachary Gillam.] - -Although, therefore, he was unable to secure there the patronage he -desired, Groseilliers' visit to Boston was not quite barren of profit. -He fell in besides with an intelligent sea-faring man, Zachary Gillam, -who was then captain and part-owner of a small vessel, the _Nonsuch_, -with which he plied a trade between the colony and the mother country. -Gillam expressed himself eager to assist in the project as far as lay -in his power, and offered his services in case an equipment could be -found. A long correspondence passed between Groseilliers and his -brother-in-law in Canada, the latter very naturally urging that as the -New England project had failed, it would be advisable not to seek -further aid from the English, but that, as nothing was to be expected -from the Canada Company, or the merchants of Canada, it would be as -well to journey to France, and put the matter before the French Court. - - -Groseilliers seems to have agreed to this; and he wrote back begging -Radisson to join him in Boston with the object of accompanying him to -France. In June, 1665, both the adventurers set sail in the _Nonsuch_ -for Plymouth, whence in all likelihood they proceeded direct to Havre. - -It would be unprofitable, and at best but a repetition, to describe -the difficulties Groseilliers and his brother-in-law met with in -Paris, the petitions they presented and the many verbal -representations they made. In the midst of their ill-success Colonel -Carr came to Paris. There is extant a letter of his to Lord Arlington. -"Having heard," says he, "by the French in New England of a great -traffic in beavers" to be got in the region of Hudson's Bay, and -"having had proofs of the assertions" of the two adventurers, he -thought "the finest present" he could make to his majesty was to -despatch these men to him. - -The ambassador pondered on this and at last decided to entrust -Groseilliers with a letter to a certain prince--a friend of his--and a -patron of the Arts and Sciences. Leaving Radisson despondent in Paris, -therefore, the other adventurer crossed the Channel and found himself, -with a beating heart, for the first time in the English capital. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[6] Each writer seems to have followed his own fancy in spelling our -hero's name, I find Groiseliez, Grozeliers, Groseliers, Groiziliers, -Grosillers, Groiseleiz, and Groseillers. Charlevoix spells it -Groseilliers. Dr. Dionne, following Radisson's Chouard, writes -Chouart. But as Dr. Brymner justly observes "he is as little known by -that name as Voltaire by his real name of Arouet, he being always -spoken of by the name of des Groseilliers, changed in one affidavit -into 'Gooseberry.'" The name literally translated is, of course, -Gooseberry-bushes. - -[7] For example, the adjoining colony of Connecticut had appealed to -them for help in their laudable enterprise of despoiling the Dutch of -their possessions. Raids upon the territory and trading-posts -controlled by the Dutch were a constantly recurring feature in the -history of those times, and nearly the whole of the zeal and substance -remaining to the English colonists in Connecticut and Virginia, after -their periodical strifes with the Indians, were devoted to forcing the -unhappy Hollanders to acknowledge the sovereignty of King Charles of -England. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -1667-1668. - - Prince Rupert -- His Character -- Serves through the Civil War - -- His Naval Expedition in the West Indies -- Residence in - France -- And ultimately in London -- He receives Groseilliers - and introduces him to the King. - - -It was a fortunate chance for Medard Chouart des Groseilliers that -threw him, as we shall see, into the hands of such a man as Rupert, -Prince of England and Bohemia. - -A dashing soldier, a daring sailor, a keen and enlightened student, a -man of parts, and at the age of forty-seven still worshipping -adventure as a fetish and irresistibly attracted by anything that -savoured of novelty, there was perhaps no other noble in England more -likely to listen to such a project as the Canadian was prepared to -pour into his ear, no prince in the whole of Europe more likely to -succumb to its charm. - -Rupert may, on good grounds, be considered one of the most remarkable -men of that age. He was the third son of the King of Bohemia by the -Princess Elizabeth Stuart, eldest daughter of James I. In common with -most German princes he had been educated for the army; and, as he used -to observe himself in after years, there was no profession better -fitted for a prince provided he could be allowed to fight battles. It -was a maxim of his that the arts of patience, of strategy, and -parleying with the enemy should be left to statesmen and caitiffs; and -it can be said with truth of Rupert that no one could possibly have -acted more completely in accordance with his rule than himself. "Than -Prince Rupert," wrote a chronicler at his death, "no man was more -courageous or intrepid. He could storm a citadel but, alas, he could -never keep it. A lion in the fray, he was a very lamb, tho' a fuming -one, if a siege was called for." - - [Illustration: PRINCE RUPERT. - (_After a painting by Vandyke._)] - -Youthful, high-spirited and of comely appearance, Rupert found his way -to England during his twentieth year to offer his services to his -royal uncle, King Charles I. The country was then on the brink of a -civil war. Parliament had proved refractory. The Puritan forces had -already assembled; and in a few months the first blow was struck. The -young Prince placed himself at the head of a troop of cavaliers and -soon all England was ringing with the fame of his exploits. On more -than one occasion did Cromwell have reason to remember the prowess of -"fiery Prince Rupert." - -[Sidenote: The Great Company's Founder.] - -Such dashing tactics and spontaneous strategy, however, could not -always prevail. He was charged with the defence of Bristol, with what -result is a matter of common historical knowledge. His own observation -on this episode in his career is an admirable epitome of his -character, as comprehensive as it is brief, "I have no stomach for -sieges." - -Charles wrote him a letter of somewhat undue severity, in which he -exhibited all the asperity of his character as well as his ignorance -of the situation. Perhaps if he had realized that the circumstances -would have rendered the retention of Bristol impossible even to a -Caesar or a Turenne, he might have written in a more tolerant strain; -but it is not very probable. In any case the letter cut Rupert to the -heart. - -Before his final overthrow Charles, indeed, relented from his -severity, and created his nephew Earl of Holdernesse and Duke of -Cumberland, granting him also a safe conduct to France, which was -honoured by the Parliamentary leaders. - -Thenceforward for a few years Rupert's career is directly associated -with the high seas. On the revolt of the fleet from the control of the -Commonwealth he made his way on board of one of the King's vessels, -and figured in several naval battles and skirmishes. But even here the -result was a foregone conclusion. The bulk of the ships and crews -still remaining loyal were rapidly captured or sunk, and the remnant, -of which Rupert assumed command, was exceedingly small. He began by -sailing to Ireland, whither he was pursued by Popham and Blake, who -very quickly blocked him up in the harbour of Kinsale. But the Puritan -captains were deceived if, as it appears, they fancied the Prince an -easy prey. Rupert was no more the sailor than he had been the soldier -to brook so facile a capture. He effected a bold escape, just under -their guns. But realizing his helplessness to engage the Puritan fleet -in open combat, he inaugurated a series of minor conflicts, a kind of -guerilla warfare, which, to our modern notions, would best be -classified under the head of privateering, to use no harsher term. - -[Sidenote: A resemblance to piracy.] - -The Spanish Main was at that period an excellent ground for operations -of this kind, and with very little delay Rupert was soon very busy -with his small but gallant fleet in those waters. Here the commander -of the little _Reformation_ and his convoys spent three years with no -little pecuniary profit to himself and crew. On more than one occasion -his exploits in the neighbourhood of the West Indies bore no distant -resemblance to piracy, as he boarded impartially not only English, -Dutch and Spanish ships, but also those flying the English colours. -Howbeit on one occasion, being advised that the master of one craft -was a Frenchman, he generously forebore to reap the profits of his -valour out of respect to the monarch with whom both his cousins, -Charles and James, had found a refuge. He insisted that the plunder -should be restored. On the whole, however, Rupert seems to have had -little conscience in the matter. The mere excitement of such -adventures alone delighted him, although it would scarce have -satisfied his crews. There is reason to suppose that he himself was -not actuated primarily by the mere love of gain. It is known that -several of his captains returned with large fortunes; Rupert's own -profits were long a matter for conjecture. Even at his death they -could not be approximately ascertained; for while he left a goodly -fortune, comprising jewels valued at twenty thousand pounds, much of -this fortune was acquired legitimately since these stirring days of -his youth; and no small part was derived from his share in the -Hudson's Bay Company. - -The exiled prince, in whose name Rupert was always extremely careful -to conduct his depredations on the prosperous commerce of the West -Indies, does not appear himself to have derived much material -advantage therefrom. It was true the terror of his name was already -industriously spread in those waters, and this perhaps was some -consolation for the contempt with which it was regarded by the -insolent and usurping Puritans. In a newspaper of the period, -"Pleasant Passages," I find under date of October 15, 1652, the -following quaint comment: - -"Prince Rupert hath lately seized on some good prizes and he keeps -himself far remote; and makes his kinsman, Charles Stuart, make a leg -for some cullings of his windfalls." - -[Sidenote: Loss of the "Reformation."] - -Rupert after a time transferred the scene of his operations to the -Azores, where after some collisions with the Portuguese, he met with a -catastrophe so severe as to compel him to permanently desist from his -predatory operations. A violent storm came on, and the _Reformation_ -and his entire fleet perished, no fewer than 360 souls being lost on -the flagship. It was with difficulty that the Prince and twelve of his -companions, including his brother Maurice, escaped with a portion of -the treasure. A contemporary news-writer records that Rupert had -landed at Nantes with ten thousand pounds or so, "'tis said by those -best informed. The King hath sent his carriage to meet him at -Orleans." - -Charles, who was of course the King mentioned, was then in high hopes -of obtaining funds from his cousin Rupert, which might enable him to -make an effort for the recovery of his crown. But the king, minus a -throne, was destined to be disappointed. Rupert did not yet seem -prepared to disgorge, acting, it is easy to see, on advice.[8] - -"No money for his Majesty out of all this," forms the burden of -numerous letters written by the faithful Edward Hyde, afterwards to -become the Lord Chancellor Clarendon. - -"The money the King should have received!" he complains, in an epistle -addressed to Sir Richard Browne. "Why, Rupert is so totally governed -by the Lord Keeper, Sir Edward Herbert, that the King knows him not. -The King hasn't had a penny, and Rupert pretends the King owes him -more than ever I was worth." - -Hyde had no love for the Lord Keeper of the exiled court; but -according to several contemporary writers, the buccaneering Prince -looked upon Herbert as "an oracle," (to quote the diarist Evelyn) and -chose for a time at least to spend most of his gains in his own way. - -But Rupert did not persist in the course suggested by his friend -Herbert. Soon afterwards he is announced to have made Charles a -present of two thousand pounds, for which the King expressed his -profound satisfaction by attaching him immediately to the royal -household. - -A little later, in 1654, there is recorded the following, printed in -the "Loyal Gentleman at Court." - -"Prince Rupert flourishes highly here, with his troop of blackamoors; -and so doth his cousin Charles, they having shared the money made of -his prize goods at Nantz." - -[Sidenote: Rupert's Secretary.] - -It was in this year that Rupert seems to have engaged one William -Strong, a cavalier who had lost all he possessed, to replace John -Holder as his private secretary, a circumstance worthy of mention, -inasmuch as it was Strong who was to figure later as the intermediary -between his master and the adventurer Groseilliers in London. - -There is a passage of this period which describes Rupert as he -appeared in Paris, "a straight and comely man, very dark-featured," -probably owing to exposure in warm climates, "with jet black hair and -a great passion for dress." He is often referred to in news-letters -and diaries of the time under the sobriquet of the "Black Prince." - -"Our Black Prince Ruperte" records one, "has had a narrow escape from -drowning in the Seine; but by the help of one of his blackamoors -escaped." - -This was perhaps the period of the closest friendship between Charles -and his Bohemian cousin; inasmuch as a decided coolness had already -arisen on the part of the exiled monarch and his brother, the Duke of -York. This coolness at length terminated in a quarrel, and a -separation in the ensuing year at Bruges. Indeed, the Duke advised -Rupert to have no further dealings with his royal brother, a -proposition which the Prince wisely, and fortunately for himself, -neglected to entertain, for had he acted otherwise, it is extremely -doubtful if at the Restoration he would have been in a position to -demand any favours at the monarch's hands. James, probably on this -score, never afterwards professed much cordiality towards his kinsman, -Rupert. - -[Sidenote: A patron of commerce.] - -In the years between 1656 and 1665, Rupert spent much of his time in -cultivating science and the arts. There are a hundred evidences of his -extraordinary ingenuity. A mere list of his devices and inventions, as -printed at his decease in 1682, almost entitles him to be considered -the Edison of his day, a day in which inventors were rare. Yet in the -period before the outbreak of the Dutch war his activity was by no -means limited to the laboratory which he had constructed for himself -in Kings' Bench Walk, Temple, or to his study at Windsor. None could -have exhibited greater versatility. In April, 1662, he was sworn a -member of the Privy Council; he also became a member of the Tangier -Commission; and in December of the same year he was unanimously -elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He already cut a prominent -figure as a patron of commerce, being appointed a member of the -Council of Trade, and taking an active part in the promotion of -commerce with Africa as a member of the Royal African Company. - -With all his sympathies and activities, however, it is very clear that -Rupert did not enjoy very great favour at Court. He was suspected of -holding his royal cousin in not very high esteem, and of entertaining -pronounced opinions on the subject of the royal prerogative; whatever -the cause, his influence at Whitehall was not always fortunate. Seeing -his councils neglected on several occasions, he kept aloof, and the -courtiers, taking as they supposed their cue from their master, made -light of his past achievements, finding in his surrender of the city -of Bristol, a specially suitable subject for their derision. - -In 1664 we find in Pepys' Diary that Rupert had been "sent to command -the Guinny Fleet. Few pleased, as he is accounted an unhappy [_i.e._, -unlucky] man." As a consequence of these sentiments, which Rupert was -soon destined by his valour to alter, one Captain Holmes was sent -instead. Nevertheless it was known at Court that Rupert desired a -naval employment, and as the authorities found that their estimate of -his abilities was not mistaken, he was in 1666 selected to command the -fleet against the Dutch, in conjunction with the Duke of Albemarle. -His conduct was most exemplary. On one occasion he wrested a victory -from the Dutch, and again in the month of June beat them soundly, -pursuing them into their own harbour. Returning to England on the -cessation of hostilities, he found himself in much higher favour at -Court. But with a single exception, which I will proceed to relate, -Rupert sought no favours at the hands of his royal relations from this -moment until the day of his death. He was content to pursue an even -career in comparative solitude, a circumstance for which a serious -physical ailment, which soon overtook and for a time threatened his -life, was no doubt in some measure responsible. The fire which -distinguished his youth was exchanged, we are told, for good temper -and sedateness. He was credited with writing an autobiography, but if -the report be true, it is a pity there remains no tangible evidence of -such an intention. It is certain that his correspondence was so large -as to entail the continuous employment of a secretary, William Strong; -but prior to the inception of the Hudson's Bay project, it probably -related almost entirely to his chemical and scientific researches and -achievements. - -In May, 1667, the Prince's secretary opened a letter from Lord -Preston, then English ambassador at Paris, intimating that one M. des -Groseilliers, a Canadian fur-trader, would be the bearer of an -introductory letter from himself to his highness. He was convinced -that the French were managing the fur-trade of New France very -clumsily, and he added that Monsieur des Groseilliers seemed as much -disaffected towards the new company lately chartered by the French -king as towards the old. There is no reason, in the writer's opinion, -why English men of commerce should not avail themselves of -opportunities and instruments, such as the weak policy of their rivals -now afforded, for obtaining a share in the northern fur-trade. - -[Sidenote: Rupert sends for Groseilliers.] - -Unfortunately Rupert was at first unable to see the adventurer who had -travelled so far. The cause of the delay is not quite clear, but it -appears plausible to suppose that it was due to the Prince's illness. -He had already undergone the operation of trepanning, and it was found -necessary to still continue treatment for the disease to which he had -been subject. At any rate it was a fortnight or three weeks before the -first interview took place, and the Prince and the French trader did -not meet until the 4th of June. The result of this interview was that -Prince Rupert promised his credit for the scheme. Three days later he -sent for Groseilliers, who found on his arrival in the Prince's -apartments several gentlemen, among whom Lord Craven, Sir John -Robinson and Mr. John Portman appear to have been numbered. In a week -from this conference both Radisson, Groseilliers and Portman travelled -to Windsor Castle at the request of the Prince. There is no record of -what then passed, but there is mention of a further meeting in a -letter written by Oldenburgh, the secretary of the Royal Society to -Robert Boyle, in America. - -"Surely I need not tell you from hence" he wrote, "what is said here -with great joy of the discovery of a north-west passage by two -Englishmen and one Frenchman, lately represented by them to his -Majesty at Oxford and, answered by the grant of a vessel to sail into -Hudson's Bay and channel into the South Sea." - -From this it would appear that Radisson was then popularly supposed to -be an Englishman, probably on account of his being Sir John Kirke's -son-in-law, and also that the matter was not settled at Windsor, but -at Oxford. - -Then came a long delay--during which there is nothing worthy of -record. It was too late to attempt a voyage to the Bay in 1667, but -during the autumn and winter Groseilliers and Radisson could console -themselves with the assurance that their scheme had succeeded. - -For at last the adventurers had met with a tangible success. A ship -was engaged and fitted out for them; and it was none other than that -commanded by their Boston friend, Captain Zachary Gillam. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[8] "We have another great officer," records "Pleasant Passages" in -another budget of news from Paris, "Prince Ruperte, Master of the -Horse." - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -1668-1670. - - The Prince Visits the _Nonsuch_ -- Arrival in the Bay -- - Previous Voyages of Exploration -- A Fort Commenced at Rupert's - River -- Gillam's Return -- Dealing with the Nodwayes -- - Satisfaction of the Company -- A Royal Charter Granted. - - -Early in the morning of the 3rd of June, 1668, without attracting -undue attention from the riparian dwellers and loiterers, a small -skiff shot out from Wapping Old Stairs. The boatman directed its prow -towards the _Nonsuch_, a ketch of fifty tons, then lying at anchor in -mid-Thames, and soon had the satisfaction of conveying on board in -safety his Highness Prince Rupert, Lord Craven, and Mr. Hays, the -distinguished patrons of an interesting expedition that day embarking -for the New World. Radisson was to have accompanied the expedition but -he had met with an accident and was obliged to forego the journey -until the following year. - -All hands being piped on deck, a salute was fired in honour of the -visitors. Captain Zachary Gillam and the Sieur des Groseilliers -received the Prince, and undertook to exhibit, not without a proper -pride, their craft and its cargo. Subsequently a descent was made to -the captain's cabin, where a bottle of Madeira was broached, and the -success of the voyage toasted by Rupert and his companions. The party -then returned to Wapping, amidst a ringing cheer from captain and -crew. By ten o'clock the _Nonsuch_ had weighed anchor and her voyage -had begun. - -The passage across the Atlantic was without any incident worthy of -record. The vessel was fortunate in encountering no gales or rough -seas. The leisure of Groseilliers and Captain Gillam was employed -chiefly in discussing the most advantageous landfall, and in drawing -up plans for a settlement for fort-building and for trade with the -tribes. By the 4th of August they sighted Resolution Isle, at the -entrance of Hudson's Straits. They continued fearlessly on their -course. During their progress the shores on either hand were -occasionally visible; and once a squall compelled them to go so near -land as to descry a band of natives, the like of whom for bulk and -singularity of costume, Groseilliers and the captain had never clapped -eyes upon. They were right in judging these to be Esquimaux. - -[Sidenote: The "Nonsuch" in the Bay.] - -On the seventh day of their passage amongst those narrow channels and -mountains of ice which had chilled the enthusiasm and impeded the -progress of several daring navigators before them, the forty-two souls -on board the _Nonsuch_ were rewarded with a sight of Hudson's Bay.[9] - -Already, and long before the advent of the _Nonsuch_, Hudson's Bay had -a history and a thrilling one. - -In 1576 Sir Martin Frobisher made his first voyage for the discovery -of a passage to China and Cathay by the north-west, discovering and -entering a strait to which he gave his name. In the following year he -made a second voyage, "using all possible means to bring the natives -to trade, or give him some account of themselves, but they were so -wild that they only studied to destroy the English." Frobisher -remained until winter approached and then returned to England. A -further voyage of his in 1578-79 made no addition to the knowledge -already derived. - -Six years later Captain John Davis sailed from Dartmouth, and in that -and succeeding voyages reached the Arctic circle through the straits -bearing his name. He related having found an open sea tending -westward, which he hoped might be the passage so long sought for; but -the weather proved too tempestuous, and, the season being far -advanced, he likewise returned to a more hospitable clime. After this -there were no more adventures in this quarter of the world until 1607, -when Captain Hudson explored as far north as 80 degrees 23 minutes. On -his third voyage, two years later, he proceeded a hundred leagues -farther along the strait, and arriving at the Bay resolved to winter -there. - -Hudson was preparing for further exploration when Henry Green, a -profligate youth, whom he had taken into his house and preserved from -ruin by giving him a berth on board without the knowledge of the -owners, conspired with one Robert Ivett, the mate, whom Captain Hudson -had removed, to mutiny against Hudson's command. These turned the -captain, with his young son John, a gentleman named Woodhouse, who had -accompanied the expedition, together with the carpenter and five -others, into a long-boat, with hardly any provisions or arms. The -inhuman crew suffered all the hardships they deserved, for in a -quarrel they had with the savages Green and two of his companions were -slain. As for Ivett, who had made several voyages with Hudson, and was -the cause of all the mischief, he died on the passage home. Habbakuk -Prickett, one of the crew, who wrote all the account we have of the -latter part of the voyage, was a servant of Sir Dudley Diggs. Probably -his master's influence had something to do with his escape from -punishment. - -[Sidenote: Henry Hudson's fate.] - -This was the last ever seen or heard, by white men, of Henry Hudson, -and there is every likelihood that he and the others drifted to the -bottom of the Bay and were massacred by the savages. - -In the year of Hudson's death Sir Thomas Button, at the instigation of -that patron of geographical science, Prince Henry, pursued the dead -hero's discoveries. He passed Hudson's Straits and, traversing the -Bay, settled above two hundred leagues to the south-west from the -straits, bestowing upon the adjacent region the name of New Wales. -Wintering in the district afterwards called Port Nelson, Button made -an investigation of the boundaries of this huge inland sea, from him -named Button's Bay. - -In 1611 came the expedition of Baffin; and in 1631 Captain James -sailed westward to find the long-sought passage to China, spending the -winter at Charlton Island, which afterwards became a depot of the -Company. Captain Luke Fox went out in the same year, but his success -was no greater than his predecessors in attaining the object of his -search. He landed at Port Nelson and explored the country round about, -without however much advantage either to himself or to his crew. When -the _Nonsuch_ arrived a quarter of a century had passed since an -European had visited Hudson's Bay. - -After much consultation, the adventurers sailed southward from Cape -Smith, and on Sept. 29 decided to cast anchor at the entrance to a -river situated in 51 degrees latitude. The journey was ended; the -barque's keel grated on the gravel, a boat was lowered and Gillam and -Groseilliers went promptly ashore. The river was christened Rupert's -River,[10] and it being arranged to winter here, all hands were ordered -ashore to commence the construction of a fort and dwellings, upon -which the name of King Charles was bestowed. Thus our little -ship's-load of adventurers stood at last on the remotest shores of the -New World; all but two of them strangers in a strange land. - -[Sidenote: The first Fort.] - -For three days after their arrival Groseilliers and his party beheld -no savages. The work of constructing the fort went on apace. It was, -under Groseilliers' direction, made of logs, after the fashion of -those built by the traders and Jesuits in Canada; a stockade enclosing -it, as some protection from sudden attack. The experienced bushranger -deemed it best not to land the cargo until communication had been made -with the natives; and their attitude, friendly or otherwise, towards -the strangers ascertained. No great time was spent in waiting; for on -the fourth day a small band of the tribe called Nodwayes appeared, -greatly astonished at the presence of white settlers in those parts. -After a great deal of parleying, the Indians were propitiated by -Groseilliers with some trifling gifts, and the object of their -settlement made known. The Indians retired, promising to return before -the winter set in with all the furs in their possession, and also to -spread the tidings amongst the other tribes. - -The autumn supply proved scanty enough; but the adventurers being well -provisioned could afford to wait until the spring. - -Groseilliers' anticipations were realized; but not without almost -incredible activity on his part. He spent the summer and autumn, and -part of the ensuing winter, in making excursions into the interior. He -made treaties with the Nodwayes, the Kilistineaux, the Ottawas, and -other detachments of the Algonquin race. Solemn conclaves were held, -in which the bushranger dwelt--with that rude eloquence of which he -was master, and which both he and Radisson had borrowed from the -Indians--on the superior advantages of trade with the English. Nor did -his zeal here pause; knowing the Indian character as he did, he -concocted stories about the English King and Prince Rupert; many a -confiding savage that year enriched his pale-face vocabulary by adding -to it "Charles" and "Rupert," epithets which denoted that transcendent -twain to whom the French bushranger had transferred his labours and -his allegiance. - -The winter of 1668-69 dragged its slow length along, and in due course -the ground thawed and the snow disappeared. No sooner had the spring -really arrived than strange natives began to make their appearance, -evincing a grotesque eagerness to strike bargains with the whites for -the pelts which they brought from the bleak fastnesses. By June it was -thought fit that Captain Gillam should return with the _Nonsuch_, -leaving Groseilliers and others at the fort. Gillam accordingly sailed -away with such cargo as they had been able to muster, to report to the -Prince and his company of merchants the excellent prospects afforded -by the post on Rupert's River, provided only the Indians could be made -aware of its existence, and the French trade intercepted. - - [Illustration: THE ORIGINAL CHARTER OF THE GREAT COMPANY. - (_From a Photograph._)] - -[Sidenote: Groseilliers' presence of mind.] - -Chouart des Groseilliers in all his transactions with the natives -exhibited great hardihood of speech and action; and few indeed were -the occasions which caught him unawares. It happened more than once, -for instance, that some of the wandering Algonquins or Hurons -recognized in this smooth-tongued leader of the English fort the same -French trader they had known at Montreal, and the French posts on the -western lakes, and marvelled much that he who had then been loudly -crying "up King Lewis and the Fleur-de-lis," should now be found -surrounded by pale-faces of a different speech, known to be the allies -of the terrible Iroquois. Groseilliers met their exclamations with a -smile; he represented himself as profoundly dissatisfied with the -manner in which the French traders treated his friends the Indians, -causing them to travel so far and brave such perils to bring their -furs, and giving them so little in return. "Tell all your friends to -come hither," he cried, "and King Charles will give you double what -King Lewis gives." - -In August, 1669, a gun was heard by Groseilliers and his English and -native companions. With great joy the bushranger ran from the fort to -the point of land commanding the Bay, thinking to welcome back Gillam -and the expected _Nonsuch_. But as the vessel came nearer he saw it -was not the _Nonsuch_, and for a moment he was dismayed, uncertain -whether or not to make himself known. But the colour of the flag she -carried reassured him; he caused a fire to be made, that the attention -of those on board might be attracted by the smoke; and was soon made -aware that his signal had been seen. The sloop headed up Rupert's -River, and a boat containing three men was lowered from her side. -Greater still was Groseilliers' joy when he recognized amongst the -approaching party in the boat his brother-in-law, Pierre Radisson. -These two sturdy children of the wilderness embraced one another with -great affection and set to work diligently to barter. The _Nonsuch_ -arrived safely in the Thames in the month of August. - -[Sidenote: Satisfaction of the Adventurers.] - -It would be difficult to exaggerate the satisfaction of the company -of London merchants at hearing the results of their first venture. -They had taken counsel together, and considering the importance of -securing a charter of monopoly from the King to be paramount, Prince -Rupert was persuaded to use his good offices to this end. - -Charles was doubtless relieved to hear that his cousin Rupert desired -no greater favour. He expressed himself ready to grant such a patent, -provided the Lord Chancellor approved. A charter was accordingly drawn -up forthwith at the instance of the Prince, in the usual form of such -charters; but the winter of 1669-70 elapsed without its having -received the royal assent. Indeed it was not until the second day of -May that Prince Rupert, presenting himself at Whitehall, received from -the King's own hands one of the most celebrated instruments which ever -passed from monarch to subject, and which, though almost incessantly -in dispute, was perpetuated in full force throughout two -centuries.[11] - -[Sidenote: The Charter.] - -This document was granted to Prince Rupert and seventeen nobles and -gentlemen, comprising the Duke of Albemarle,[12] Earls Craven and -Arlington, Lord Ashley,[13] Sir John Robinson, Sir Robert Vyner, Sir -Peter Colleton, Sir Edward Hungerford, Sir Paul Neele, Sir John -Griffith, Sir Philip Carteret, Knights and Baronets; James Hays, John -Kirke, Francis Wellington, William Prettyman, John Fenn, Esquires, and -John Portman, "Citizen and Goldsmith," incorporated into a company, -with the exclusive right to establish settlements and carry on trade -at Hudson's Bay. The charter recites that those adventurers having, at -their own great cost, undertaken an expedition to Hudson's Bay in -order to discover a new passage into the South Sea, and to find a -trade for furs, minerals and other commodities, and having made such -discoveries as encouraged them to proceed in their design, his Majesty -granted to them and their heirs, under the name of "The Governor and -Company of Merchants-Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay," the power -of holding and alienating lands, and the sole right of trade in -Hudson's Strait, and with the territories upon the coasts of the same. - -They were authorized to get out ships of war, to erect forts, make -reprisals, and send home all English subjects entering the Bay without -their license, and to declare war and make peace with any prince or -people not Christian. - -The territory described as Rupert's Land consisted of the whole region -whose waters flowed into Hudson's Bay. It was a vast tract--perhaps as -vast as Europe--how much vaster was yet to be made known, for the -breadth of the Continent of North America had not yet been even -approximately ascertained. For all the Adventurers knew the Pacific -Ocean was not distant more than one hundred miles west of the Bay. - -In the same merry month of May the _Prince Rupert_ set sail from -Gravesend, conveying a new cargo, a new crew, and a newly appointed -overseer of trade, to the Company's distant dominions. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[9] The proportions of this inland sea are such as to give it a -prominent place among the geographical features of the world. One -thousand three hundred miles in length, by six hundred miles in -breadth, it extends over twelve degrees of latitude, and covers an -area not less than half a million square miles. Of the five basins -into which Canada is divided, that of Hudson's Bay is immeasurably the -largest, the extent of country draining into it being estimated at -three million square miles. To swell the mighty volume of its waters -there come rivers which take their rise in the Rocky Mountains on the -west, and the Labrador wilderness on the east; while southward its -river roots stretch far down below the forty-ninth parallel, reaching -even to the same lake source whence flows a stream into the Gulf of -Mexico. A passing breath of wind may determine whether the ultimate -destiny of the rain drop falling into the little lake be the bosom of -the Mexican Gulf or the chilly grasp of the Arctic ice-floe. - -[10] Known afterwards as Nemiscau by the French. - -[11] See Appendix. - -[12] The second Duke, Charles' old friend, General George Monk, known -to all the leaders of English history as the brave restorer of the -King, afterwards created Duke of Albemarle, died in the year the -charter was granted. - -[13] Lord Ashley, the ancestor of the present Earl of Shaftsbury, and -one of the ruling spirits of the reign of Charles II., will also be -remembered as the Achitophel of Dryden. - - "A man so various that he seemed to be - Not one; but all mankind's epitome." - -Arlington, another of the Honourable Adventurers, was also a member of -the celebrated Cabal. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -1668-1670. - - Danger Apprehended to French Dominion -- Intendant Talon -- Fur - Trade Extended Westward -- News of the English Expedition - Reaches Quebec -- Sovereign Rights in Question -- English - Priority Established. - - -[Sidenote: French activity.] - -Although neither the Governor, the Fur Company nor the officials of -the Most Christian King at Quebec, had responded favourably to the -proposals of Groseilliers, yet they were not long in perceiving that a -radical change in their trade policy was desirable. Representations -were made to M. Colbert and the French Court. It was even urged that -France's North American dominions were in danger, unless a more -positive and aggressive course were pursued with regard to extension. -These representations, together with the knowledge that the Dutch on -the south side of the St Lawrence and in the valley of the Hudson had -unexpectedly acknowledged allegiance to the King of England, -determined Lewis to evince a greater interest in Canadian affairs than -he had done hitherto. - -Mezy was recalled, to die soon afterwards; and Daniel de Remin, -Seigneur de Courcelles, was despatched as Provincial Governor. A new -office was created, that of Intendant of Justice, Police and Finance; -and Jean Talon--a man of ability, experience and energy--was made the -first Intendant. Immediately upon his arrival, he took steps to -confirm the sovereignty of his master over the vast realms in the -West; and to set up the royal standard in the region of the Great -Lakes. - -In 1668 Talon returned to France, taking with him one of those hardy -bushrangers (_coureurs de bois_) who passed nearly the whole of their -lives in the interior and in the company of the Hurons. This man seems -to have cut a very picturesque figure. He had been scalped, and bore -about his person many grim mutilations and disfigurements, to bear -witness to his adventures amongst unfriendly tribes. He accompanied -Talon in the capacity of servant or bodyguard, and appears to have had -little difficulty in making himself an object of infinite interest to -the lackeys and concierges of Paris. On the Intendant's return to -Canada, this daring personage, Peray by name, is alluded to as Talon's -most trusted adviser with regard to the western country and the tribes -inhabiting it. In one of the Intendant's letters, dated February 24th, -1669, he writes that Peray had "penetrated among the western nations -farther than any Frenchman; and had seen the copper mine on Lake -Huron. This man offers to go to that mine and explore either by sea, -or by the lake and river--such communication being supposed to exist -between Canada and the South Sea--or to the Hudson's Bay." - -French activity had never been so great in the new world as in the -years between Groseilliers' departure from Quebec and the period when -the English fur-traders first came in contact with the French on the -shores of Hudson's Bay, thirteen years later. - -In the summer of 1669, the active and intelligent Louis Joliet, with -an outfit of 4,000 livres, supplied him by the Intendant, penetrated -into an unknown region and exhibited the white standard of France -before the eyes of the astonished natives. - -This also was the period which witnessed the exploits of La Salle, and -of Saint Lusson. Trade followed quickly on their heels. In March, -1670, five weeks before the charter was granted to the Great Company, -a party of Jesuits arriving at Sault Ste. Marie found twenty-five -Frenchmen trading there with the Indians. These traders reported that -a most lucrative traffic had sprung up in that locality. Coincident -with the tidings they thus conveyed to Talon, the Intendant learnt -from some Algonquins who had come to Quebec to trade, that two -European vessels had been seen in Hudson's Bay. - -[Sidenote: Colbert and the Company.] - -"After reflecting," he wrote to Colbert, "on all the nations that -might have penetrated as far north as that, I can only fall back on -the English, who, under the conduct of one named Groseilliers, in -former times an inhabitant of Canada, might possibly have attempted -that navigation, of itself not much known and not less dangerous. I -design to send by land some men of resolution to invite the -Kilistinons,[14] who are in great numbers in the vicinity of that Bay, -to come down to see us as the Ottawas do, in order that we may have -the first handling of what the savages bring us, who, acting as retail -dealers between ourselves and those natives (_i.e._, the Kilistinons), -make us pay for this roundabout way of three or four hundred leagues." - -The rivalry of French and English north of the St. Lawrence had begun. -With that rivalry began also from this moment that long series of -disputes concerning the sovereignty of the whole northern territories, -which has endured down to our own generation. - -[Sidenote: A much vexed controversy.] - -Few historical themes have ever been argued at greater length or more -minutely than this--the priority of discovery, occupation, and active -assumption of sovereignty over those lands surrounding Hudson's Bay, -which for two centuries were to be held and ruled by the Hudson's Bay -Company. The wisest jurists, the shrewdest intellects, the most -painstaking students were destined to employ themselves for over a -century in seeking to establish by historical evidence, by tradition -and by deduction, the "rights" of the English or of the French to -those regions. - -A great deal of importance has been attached to the fact that in 1627 -a charter had been granted by Lewis XIII. to a number of adventurers -sent to discover new lands to the north of the River of St. Lawrence. -The clause of the charter reads as follows:--"Le fort et habitation de -Quebec, avec tout le pays de la Nouvelle France dite Canada, tant le -long des Cotes depuis la Floride que les predecesseurs Rois de Sa -Majeste ont fait habiter en rangeant les Cotes de la Mer jusqu'au -Cercle Artique pour latitude, et de longitude depuis l'Ile de -Terreneuve tirant a l'ouest au Grand Lac dit la Mer douce et au dela -que de dans les terres, et le long des Rivieres qui y passant et se -dechargent dans le fleuve dit St. Laurent, ou autrement la grande -Riviere du Canada, et dans tous les autres fleuves qui se portent a la -mer." But most writers have omitted to verify the fact that in this -charter to the French Company, the only portions of land granted to -the French Company are the lands or portions of lands which had -already been occupied by the Kings of France, and the object of the -charter was simply to give them an exclusive right of trade therein. -Thus it was clearly indicated that the charter did not go further than -the land occupied by the predecessors of Lewis XIV. - -"New France was then understood to include the whole region of -Hudson's Bay, as the maps and histories of the time, English and -French, abundantly prove." This is a broad assertion, which is not -supported by the early discoverers nor by the historians of that time. -Charlevoix in his history described New France as being an exceedingly -limited territory. There is in l'Escarbot a description which shows -that at that time the whole territory known as New France extended but -a few miles on each side of the St. Lawrence. Charlevoix says -regretfully at that time that the giving up of this territory did not -amount to much, as New France was circumscribed by very narrow limits -on either side of the St Lawrence. - -When an examination is made into the facts of the voyages and -expeditions alleged to have been undertaken by the French prior to -1672, it is difficult to arrive at any but a certain conclusion--that -the French claims had no foundation in fact. - -It was then asserted, and long afterwards repeated, that Jean Bourdon, -the Attorney-General in 1656, explored the entire coast of Labrador -and entered Hudson's Bay. For this assertion one is unable to find any -historical support; certainly no record of any kind exists of such a -voyage. There is a record in 1655, it is true, that Sieur Bourdon, -then Attorney-General, was authorized to make a discovery of _Mer du -Nord_; and in order to comply with that _arret_ of the Sovereign -Council at Quebec, he actually made an attempt at such discovery. -Bourdon left Quebec on May 2nd, 1657, and an entry in the records -proves his return on August 11th of the same year. It is manifestly -impossible that such a voyage could have been accomplished between -these dates. But a reference to this business in the Jesuit relations -of the succeeding year is sufficiently convincing.[15] - -It is there recorded that on the "11th of August, there appeared the -barque of M. Bourdon, which having descended the Grand River on the -north side, sailed as far as the 55th degree, where it encountered a -great bank of ice, which caused it to return, having lost two Hurons -that it had taken as guides. The Esquimaux savages of the north -massacred them and wounded a Frenchman with three arrows and one cut -with a knife." - -Another statement employed to strengthen the French claim to -sovereignty was, that Father Dablon and Sieur de Valiere were ordered -in 1661 to proceed to the country about Hudson's Bay, and that they -accordingly went thither. All accounts available to the historian -agree that the worthy father never reached the Bay. - -[Sidenote: La Couture's mythical voyage.] - -Another assertion equally long-lived and equally ill-founded, was to -the effect that one Sieur La Couture, with five men, proceeded -overland to the Bay, and there took possession of it in the King's -name. There is no account of this voyage in _Charlevoix_, or in the -"Relations des Jesuites," or in the memoir furnished by M. de -Callieres to the Marquis de Denonville. This memoir, which was penned -in 1685, or twenty-one years after the time of which it treated, set -forth that La Couture made the journey for purposes of discovery. -Under the circumstances, particularly owing to the strong necessity -under which the French were placed to find some shadow of right for -their pretensions, M. de Callieres' memoir has been declared -untrustworthy by competent authorities. - - [Illustration: ENGLISH MAP OF 1782.] - -In 1663, Sieur Duquet, the King's Attorney for Quebec, and Jean -L'Anglois, a Canadian colonist, are said to have gone to Hudson's Bay -by order of Sieur D'Argenson, and to have renewed possession by -setting up the King's arms there a second time. Such an order could -hardly have been given by D'Argenson, because he had left Canada on -September 16th, 1671, two years before this pretended order was given -to Sieur Duquet. - -[Sidenote: French falsehoods and fallacies.] - -It has been attempted to explain the silence of the "Relations of the -Jesuits" concerning Bourdon's voyage, by asserting that they were -naturally anxious that members of their own society should be the -pioneers in discovery, and that therefore many important discoveries -were never brought to light in their relations because they were not -made by Jesuits. It is enough to say that such an argument cannot -apply to the voyage of Dablon. He was a Jesuit, a man in whom the -interests of the society were centred, and if a voyage had been made -by him, no doubt a great deal of prominence would have been given to -it. On the contrary, in the third volume of the "Jesuit Relations," -1662, we find this Jesuit, Father Dablon, describing an unsuccessful -voyage that he made. There can be no doubt that he attempted a voyage. -A portion of this relation is written by himself, and he calls it, -"Journal du Premier Voyage Fait Vers la Mer du Nord." The first -portion of it is most important and conclusive, as showing that De -Callieres, in his memoir to M. De Seignely, twenty-one years -afterwards, must have been speaking from hearsay, and without any -authentic documents on which to base his assertions. Dablon says that -the highest point which he did reach was Nekauba, a hundred leagues -from Tadoussac, and that subsequently he returned; and this is from a -report of this journey written by himself. Some have attempted to -raise a doubt as to the identity of the Dablon in De Callieres' -memoir, with the Dablon of the "Relations des Jesuites." But at the -end of one of the volumes is a complete list of all the Jesuits, -pioneers both of the faith and in the way of discovery, and there is -only one Dablon mentioned. Another inaccuracy of this memoir is as to -the trip of Duquet, under an order said to have been given by Sieur -D'Argenson. There can be no doubt that at the time this pretended -order was given, D'Argenson had left Canada. - -On the whole it may be as well for the reader to dismiss the French -pretensions. They are no longer of interest, save to the -hair-splitting student of the country's annals: but in their day they -gave rise to a wilderness of controversy, through which we in the -twentieth century may yet grope vainly for the light. For all -practical purposes the question of priority was settled forever by the -Ontario Boundary Commission of 1884. Let us turn rather to behold to -what account the Honourable Adventurers turned their new property. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[14] Kristineaux, Crees. - -[15] Jean Bourdon was of the Province of Quebec; he was well known to -the Jesuits and trusted by them. He subsequently accompanied Father -Jacques on an embassy to Governor Dongan, the Governor of the Province -of New York. - -In Shea's _Charlevoix_, Vol. III, pp. 39, 40, it is stated that Pere -Dablon attempted to penetrate to the northern ocean by ascending the -Saguenay. Early in June, two months after they set out, they found -themselves at the head of the Nekauba river, 300 miles from Lake St. -John. Warned of the approach of the Iroquois, they dared not proceed -farther. In the New York Historical Documents (p. 97) there is an -account of Dablon from the time of his arrival in Canada in 1655. He -was immediately sent missionary to Onondaga, where he continued with a -brief interval until 1658. In 1661 he set out overland for Hudson's -Bay, but succeeded only in reaching the head waters of the Nekauba, -300 miles from Lac St. Jean. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -1671. - - First Public Sale at Garraway's -- Contemporary Prices of Fur - -- The Poet Dryden -- Meetings of the Company -- Curiosity of - the Town -- Aborigines on View. - - -On the seventeenth day of November, 1671, the wits, beaux and -well-to-do merchants who were wont to assemble at Garraway's -coffee-house, London, were surprised by a placard making the following -announcement:--"On the fifth of December, ensuing, There Will Be Sold, -in the Greate Hall of this Place, 3,000 weight of Beaver Skins,[16] -comprised in thirty lotts, belonging to the Honourable, the Governour -and Company of Merchants-Adventurers Trading into Hudson's Bay." - - [Illustration: THE BEAVER.] - -Such was the notice of the first official sale of the Company. Up to -this date, the peltries brought back in their ships had been disposed -of by private treaty, an arrangement entrusted chiefly to Mr. John -Portman and Mr. William Prettyman, both of whom appear to have had -considerable familiarity with the European fur-trade. The immediate -occasion of this sale is a trivial matter. The causes lying behind it -are of interest. - -Among the numerous houses which cured and dealt in furs at this -period, both in London and Bristol, there were none whose business -seems to have been comparable, either in quantity or quality, to that -of the great establishments which flourished in Leipsic and Amsterdam, -Paris and Vienna. Indeed, it was a reproach continually levelled at -the English fur-dressers that such furs as passed through their hands -were vastly inferior to the foreign product; and it is certain that it -was the practice of the nobles and wealthier classes, as well as the -municipal and judicial dignitaries, for whose costume fur was -prescribed by use and tradition, to resort not to any English -establishment, but to one of the cities above-mentioned, when desirous -of replenishing this department of their wardrobe. Hitherto, then, the -Company had had but little opportunity of extending its trade, and but -little ground to show why an intending purchaser should patronize its -wares. But the superiority both in the number and quality of the skins -which now began to arrive seems to have encouraged the directors to -make a new bid for public custom; and as the purchasing public showed -no disposition to visit their warehouses they determined to take their -wares to the public. - -[Sidenote: First sale well attended.] - -This sale of the Company, however, the first, as it subsequently -proved, of a series of great transactions which during the past two -centuries have made London the centre of the world's fur-trade, did -not take place until the twenty-fourth of January. It excited the -greatest interest. Garraway's was crowded by distinguished men, and -both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, besides Dryden, the -poet, were among the spectators. There are some lines attributed to -him, under date of 1672, which may have been improvised on this -occasion. - - "Friend, once 'twas Fame that led thee forth - To brave the Tropic Heat, the Frozen North, - Late it was Gold, then Beauty was the Spur; - But now our Gallants venture but for Fur." - -A number of purchases seem to have been made by private parties; but -the bulk of the undressed beaver-skins probably went to fur merchants, -and there is good reason to believe that the majority found their way -into the hands of Portman and Prettyman. Beaver seems on this occasion -to have fetched from thirty-five to fifty-five shillings--a high -figure, which for a long time was maintained. But the Company showed -considerable sagacity by not parting with its entire stock of furs at -once. Only the beaver-skins were disposed of at this sale; the -peltries of moose, marten, bear and otter were reserved for a separate -and subsequent auction. - -[Sidenote: Meeting at John Horth's.] - -Prior to its incorporation, and for a year afterwards, the Company -does not seem to have pursued any formal course with regard to its -meetings. At first, they met at the Tower, at the Mint, or at Prince -Rupert's house in Spring Garden. Once or twice they met at Garraway's. -But at a conclave held on November 7th, 1671, it was resolved that a -definite procedure should be established with regard both to the time -and place of meeting, and to the keeping of the minutes and accounts. -These latter, it was ordered, were forthwith to be rendered weekly to -the General Court, so that the adventurers might be conversant with -all sales, orders and commissions included in the Company's dealings. -Employees' accounts were also to be posted up; and the same regulation -was applied to the lists of goods received for the two ships then -lying in the Thames. It was further decreed that the weekly meetings -should take place at Mr. John Horth's office, "The Excise Office," in -Broad Street, pending the building of a "Hudson's Bay House." - -Soon afterwards, a "General Court" of the adventurers was held, at -which the Prince, Lord Ashley, Sir John Robinson, Sir Peter Colleson, -Sir Robert Viner, Mr. Kirke and Mr. Portman were in attendance. We -catch a thoroughly typical glimpse of Prince Rupert at this meeting; -sober business was not at all to his taste, and at a very early stage -in the proceedings he feigned either indisposition or another -appointment, and took his departure. A hint, however, may possibly -have been given to him to do so, for, no sooner was the door closed -behind him, than his friend Lord Ashley introduced a very delicate -topic which was entered into by all those present. It concerned -nothing less than Prince Rupert's profits, which up to this time seem -to have been very vaguely defined. - -Lord Ashley spoke for the Prince and he seems to have demanded some -definite payment besides a share in the enterprise; but there is no -record of an agreement or of any exact sum, nor is there any basis for -the conjecture that his share was ten thousand pounds. The charter of -monopoly was an important one, and the King certainly not the man to -fail in appreciating its value; but how much he did out of good will -to his kinsman, and how much out of consideration for his own profit, -will never be known. A perusal of the vast quantity of manuscript -matter which exists relating to this arrangement leads to the -conclusion that Charles sold the charter out of hand. And indeed one -pamphleteer, intent on defaming the Company in 1766, even goes so far -as to profess actual knowledge of the sum paid to his Majesty by the -adventurers. Upon a consideration of all the speculations advanced, I -have come to the conclusion that it is highly improbable that the King -received any immediate pecuniary advantage whatever on account of the -charter. There is no shadow of evidence to support the charge; and -there is at least some presumptive evidence against it. Charters were -both commonly and cheaply given in those days. Even where -consideration was given, the amount was insignificant. In 1668, for -example, Charles transferred the province of Bombay, which had come to -the British Crown as portion of the dower of Catherine of Braganza, to -the East India Company for an annual rent of no more than L10. On the -whole then the data, such as they are, strongly favour the belief that -he granted the charter simply in the cause of friendship and at the -urgent instance of his cousin; while, as an additional motive, it was -probably also urged upon him that a charter boasting the royal -signature would be a virtual assertion of his dominion over territory -which was always somewhat in dispute. - -Prince Rupert himself in any case was paid a lump sum by the -adventurers, but the amount will probably never be known. - -The early meetings of the Company seem to have been largely occupied -in considering the question of cargoes. This was, no doubt, a very -important business. The Company appear to have had two precedents -which, in part, they naturally adopted, those of the Dutch (or West -India Company) and the French Company. The East India Company's -practice could have afforded them little assistance. They also struck -out a line for themselves, and in their selection of goods for the -purposes of barter they were greatly guided by the advice of Radisson, -who had a very sound conception of the Indian character. From the -first the Company rejected the policy of seeking to exchange glass -beads and gilded kickshaws for furs. Not that they found it -inexpedient to include these trifles in their cargoes: for we read in -one of the news-letters of 1671, speaking of the doings at -Garraway's:-- - -"Hither came Mr. Portman, to whom, reports says, is entrusted the -purchase of beads and ribbons for the American savages by the new -Adventurers, and who is charged with being in readiness to bargain for -sackfuls of child's trinkets as well as many outlandish things, which -are proper for barter. He takes the rallying in great good-humour." - -[Sidenote: Solid character of the merchandise.] - -Long before the Company was thought of, the manufacture of beads and -wampum for the New England trade had been going on in London. But -beads and jewellery, it was argued, were better suited for the African -and East Indian trade. It was Radisson who pointed out with great -propriety that the northern tribes would become most useful to the -Company if they were provided with weapons for killing or ensnaring -the game, as well as with the knives, hatchets and kettles, which were -indispensable for dressing it, and for preparing pemmican. And his -advice was taken on this, as on most other points. Thus for the -_Prince Rupert_ and the _Imploy_, which were to sail in the following -spring, the following cargo was prescribed by Radisson and Captain -Gillam:-- - - 500 fowling pieces, and powder and shot in proportion. - 500 brass kettles, 2 to 16 gallons apiece. - 30 gross of knives. - 2,000 hatchets. - -But it is curious to note how this list of exports was continually -added to. For instance, one of the Company on one occasion rose at the -weekly meeting and stated that he had been told by an experienced -Indian trader that scarlet cloth was very highly esteemed among the -Indians. - -"I hear," said he, "that an Indian will barter anything he possesses -for a couple of yards of scarlet cloth and a few dyed feathers." - -Whereupon, the chairman turned to the original adventurer in the -region controlled by the Company. - -"What does Mr. Radisson say to this?" - -"I think," said Mr. Radisson, "that the honourable adventurer does not -understand the Indian trade as well as I do. He forgets that Indians -are of many races; and that what will suit the case and attract the -cupidity of an Indian far to the south, will have little effect on the -northern tribes. An Iroquois would think more of a brass nail than of -twenty yards of scarlet cloth. In the north, where we have built a -factory, the Indians are more peaceful; but they do not care much for -kickshaws and coloured rags. They, too, esteem powder and shot and the -means of discharging them. But they are just as fond, particularly -Eskimaux, of knives and kettles and hatchets." - -On a subsequent occasion, a third as many again of these implements -were taken as cargo. - -[Sidenote: Ships besieged by peddlers.] - -In the meantime, it was not to be supposed that the rumours of the -great value put upon petty merchandise by the hyperborean savages, -could fail to excite the cupidity of London merchants and dealers in -these things. The ships that sailed in the spring of 1671 were -besieged by peddlers and small dealers, who were prepared to -adventure their property in the wilds. Not only the ships, but the -houses selected for the Company's meetings were beset with eager -throngs, praying the adventurers, collectively and individually, to -act as middlemen for their trumpery merchandise. - -Not only did the ships and the place of meeting suffer siege, but as -many as thirty persons shipped out to Hudson's Bay in the first two -voyages after the granting of the charter, while twenty-one of them -returned in the next two vessels fully determined, apparently, to -repeat a journey which had proved so lucrative. - -To abate this nuisance, it was enacted that no persons would -"hereafter be employed to stay in the country or otherwise but by -consent of the Committee, nor any goods be put aboard the ships but -with their knowledge and consent, to the end that the ships be not -hereafter pestered as they were the last voyage." - -This enactment may have had its rise in the dishonesty of these -self-appointed adventurers. On several occasions on unshipping the -cargo, boxes and barrels containing valuable furs would be found -missing, or their loss would coincide with the disappearance of a -reprobate who had joined the ship without a character. - -Thus we read in the minutes that at one meeting it was ordered that -enquiry be made as to sixty beaver skins, "very good and large, packed -up with the others, in one of the casks, which were not found." One -Jeremiah Walker, a second mate and supercargo was required to state -which cask they were taken in, and his cross-examination reveals the -loose and unbusiness-like methods then in vogue. - -Nothing could be more entertaining than the character of these -meetings, as compared with a modern board-meeting of a joint stock -enterprise. A great air of mystery was kept up. The novelty of the -undertaking was so great as to imbue the committee with a high sense -of the importance and interest of their weekly conclaves. The length -of the speeches bears witness to this spirit. A member had been known -to speak for a whole hour on the edifying theme as to whether the furs -should be placed in barrels or boxes. - - [Illustration: ARMS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.] - -Vague rumours of these secret proceedings permeated the town. They -became a standing topic at the places where men foregathered. To the -popular imagination, the north was a land of fable. The denizens of -those countries were invested with strange attributes and clothed in -weird and wonderful garments. The Hudson's Bay Company dealt with -picturesque monarchs and a fierce, proud and noble people, whose -ordinary attire was the furs of sable, of ermine, of fox, and of -otter; who made treaties and exacted tributes after the fashion of the -ceremonial East. Petty chiefs and sachems were described as kings and -emperors; the wretched squaws of a redskin leader as queens. It was, -perhaps, only natural for a generation which banqueted its imagination -on the seductive fable of a North-West Passage to confuse the Red -Indians of North America with the inhabitants of the East; a very long -period was to pass away before the masses were able to distinguish -between the tawny-skinned Indian of the North American continent and -the swarthy servants of the East India Company. Nor were the masses -alone sinners in this respect. The Indians of Dryden, of Congreve, of -Steele, and even of writers so late as Goldsmith no more resembled the -real Red-men than the bison of the western prairies was akin to the -buffalo of the Himalayas. - -For such reasons as these, the Adventurers kept their ways and their -superior knowledge with superior discretion to themselves. - -[Sidenote: Capital of the Company.] - -It was never known in the seventeenth century what actually -constituted the original capital of the Adventurers. So small was it -that when, in the course of the Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry in -1749, nearly eighty years after the Company had received its charter, -the figures were divulged, the pettiness of the sum occasioned -universal surprise. Each adventurer was apparently required to pay -L300, sterling; and the gross sum was divided into thirty-four equal -shares. Besides Prince Rupert's "sundry charges" (the euphemism -employed to describe the sum paid him for his interest in obtaining -the charter), his Highness was offered a share amounting to one equal -share. "He having graciously signified his acceptance thereof," says -the secretary in the minute-book, "credit given him for three hundred -pounds." The capital thus stood at L10,500. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[16] The beaver, amphibious and intelligent, had for centuries a -considerable place in commerce: and also a celebrity of its own as the -familiar synonym for the common covering of a man's head, and here the -animal becomes historic. By royal proclamation in 1638, Charles I., of -England, prohibited the use of any material in the manufacture of hats -"except beaver stuff or beaver wool." This proclamation was the -death-warrant of beavers innumerable, sacrificed to the demands of the -trade. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -1671-1673. - - Mission of the Pere Albanel -- Apprehension at Fort Charles -- - Bailey's Distrust of Radisson -- Expedition to Moose River -- - Groseilliers and the Savages -- The Bushrangers Leave the - Company's Service -- Arrival of Governor Lyddal. - - -While the Honourable Company of Adventurers was holding its meetings -in Mr. Alderman Horth's house, and gravely discussing its huge profits -and its motley wares, an event was happening some thousands of miles -away which was to decide the fate, for some years at least, of the two -picturesque figures to whom the inception of the whole enterprise was -due. - -In August, 1671, M. Talon, the Intendant of New France, sent for a -certain Father Albanel and a young friend of his, the Sieur de St. -Simon, and after embracing them sent both forth on a perilous mission -to the North. They were directed to "penetrate as far as the Mer du -Nord; to draw up a memoir of all they would discover, drive a trade in -fur with the Indians, and especially reconnoitre whether there be any -means of wintering ships in that quarter." Such were the injunctions -bestowed upon these hardy spirits on the eve of their errand. To recur -to a theme already touched upon, if the French Government of the day -had previously caused visits to be made to Hudson's Bay in the manner -described several years later, all this knowledge would have been -already acquired; and there would have been no necessity to despatch -either priest or layman thither to make that discovery anew. - -[Sidenote: Father Albanel's journey.] - -In the "Jesuit Relations" for 1672 is found Father Albanel's own -narration of his journey: - -"Hitherto this voyage had been considered impossible for Frenchmen, -who, after having undertaken it three times and not having been able -to surmount the obstacles, had seen themselves to abandon it in -despair of success. What appears as impossible is found not to be so -when it pleases God. The conduct of it was reserved to me after -eighteen years' prosecution that I had made, and I have very excellent -proofs that God reserved the execution of it for me, after the -singular favour of a sudden and marvellous, not to say miraculous, -recovery that I received as soon as I devoted myself to this mission -at the solicitation of my Superior; and in fact I have not been -deceived in my expectation; I have opened the road, in company with -two Frenchmen and six savages." Thus it is made apparent that so far -as the Jesuits, pioneers of this country, were concerned, no knowledge -of any of their compatriots having penetrated to Hudson's Bay had ever -reached them. The letter that M. Talon was writing to his royal master -is proof that he, too, was unaware of any prior discovery. No doubt -remains that the worthy priest and the young chevalier, his servant, -were the first party travelling overland from Quebec to penetrate into -those regions and to behold that vast expanse of water. - -The little band of English at Fort Charles, under Charles Bailey, who -had been sent out as Governor of Rupert's Land by the Company, were -soon made aware of the proximity of the French, and no one seems to -have been more affected by the news than Radisson and Groseilliers. -The two brothers-in-law indulged in many anxious surmises. Radisson -offered to go and find out who the intruders were, but the Governor by -no means favoured the idea. In those days, when national rivalries and -prejudices were so intense, and especially so among the English middle -classes, Bailey seems to have felt a great deal of distrust with -regard to the two Frenchmen; and he early made up his mind to let them -know his opinion and feel his authority. The two parties were -continually at loggerheads; the Frenchmen naturally resenting the -Governor's unjust suspicions, and the Governor retorting by a -ponderous irony and a surly and continual surveillance of their speech -and movements. - -[Sidenote: Rivals on the scene.] - -In the following year, 1673, the occupants of the Company's post, at -Rupert's River, were made aware of the neighbourhood of their trade -rivals in no pleasant manner. The Indians of the country round about -began to show signs of disaffection. On being questioned, some of the -more friendly ones were induced to betray the cause. They had been -informed by the Frenchmen, who in that and the previous years had -reached the shores of the Bay, distant some twenty or thirty leagues, -that the English were not to be trusted, that their firearms were -bewitched, and their religion was that of the evil one. Peaceably -inclined, the Nodwayes, who were the principal inhabitants of that -region, fell an easy prey to the proselytism of the indomitable -Jesuits, and many of their younger braves had journeyed to Quebec and -taken part in the mission services there, and at Montreal, before the -arrival of Dablon in their midst. But they were readily adaptable to -the racial and commercial antagonisms of their teachers; and late in -1673 Governor Bailey was informed that they contemplated an attack on -the fort. - - [Illustration: TYPE OF EARLY TRADING POST. - (_From an old print._)] - -On this, the Company's servants began the task of strengthening their -frail defences. The Governor alleged that he had received instructions -from England to despatch Groseilliers to the other side of the Bay, -called the "West Main." Radisson sought to accompany his kinsman, but -was met with a peremptory refusal. This action by no means increased -the amity between him and his rather stupid and choleric superior. -Nevertheless the winter passed without any open exhibition of -hostility between the two men; and it seemed likely that no -difficulties would arise while the cold weather continued. The ground -was, however, still covered with snow when several Indians appeared -and asked to be allowed to take up their abode at the east end of the -fort, that they might be ready for trade in the spring. Bailey, with -his customary sagacity in such matters, suspected some treachery in -this; but on the active expostulations of Radisson the simple request -was granted, and the Indians immediately proceeded to erect their -wigwams. On the 25th of March, when the thaw commenced, six savages, -announcing themselves as ambassadors from Kas-Kidi-dah, the chief of -the tribe, (referred to by Bailey's secretary as "King Cusciddidah,") -came to herald the approach of that potentate. It so chanced that both -the Governor and Radisson were absent, having gone out to reconnoitre -and to obtain an addition to their now slender stock of meat. In all -these little expeditions the Governor and Radisson were inseparable. -The former swore privately he could never bring himself to trust the -fort in the hands of a Frenchman; and, although there was no reason -whatever to apprehend such consequences, the Governor constantly acted -as if any such show of confidence on his part would emphatically -jeopardize the interests of the Company. - -[Sidenote: Governor Bailey's distrust.] - -King Cusciddidah arrived on the following day. "His Majestie brought a -retinue with him," records Thomas Gorst, the Governor's secretary, -"but very little beaver, the Indians having already sent their best to -Canada." - -In the absence of the Governor, the occupants of the fort regarded -Captain Cole as their superior. Cole did not place much confidence in -the pacific mien of the savages surrounding the fort, and a guard was -kept up night and day. Under cover of darkness two sailors were -despatched to find the Governor; but scarcely had they departed on -their quest than Cusciddidah proposed that two of his Indians should -go on the same errand. The acting commandant of the fort could not -well decline this offer, and on the 31st of March the second party -returned, bringing with them the Governor. To the surprise of all -Radisson did not accompany him. No explanation was offered; but the -next day the rumour ran that they had quarrelled in the wilderness, -that from words they came to blows, and that finally Radisson had -attempted to shoot the Governor. - -Filled with a natural alarm, Groseilliers made several attempts to -obtain from Bailey the true story of the affair, but the Governor -declined to affirm or confirm anything, saying that he had no doubt -Groseilliers knew quite as much of the matter as himself. -Groseilliers' anxiety, however, was considerably lessened when at a -formal conference with the Indian king, held at the latter's wigwams -near the fort, he learnt that the French had made a settlement not -above eight days' journey from Rupert's River. Hither, in effect, -Radisson had repaired; and afterwards from thence made his way back to -Quebec. Of his subsequent adventures mention will be made later in the -narrative. - -[Sidenote: First French rivalry.] - -Cusciddidah openly demanded the English protection. He declared his -apprehension of being attacked by other Indians, whom the French had -animated against the English and all who dealt with them. He even gave -a description of the fort the French had erected on the banks of Moose -River, and the contents of its store-house. Already the French were -resorting to many artifices to hinder the natives from trading with -the heretic pale-faces; they gave higher value for the furs brought -them, and lost no opportunity of instilling into the minds of the -Indians a far from flattering opinion of their trade rivals, the -English. - -One hearer received these tidings with complete equanimity. That which -surprised and confounded his companions, filled the bosom of Chouart -des Groseilliers with a secret joy. The Governor's high-handed -deportment had oppressed, if it had not angered him; and he had, -together with his brother-in-law, begun to suspect that this policy of -enmity was dictated by a desire to rid himself and the Company of -them both. But in the proximity of the French he found a weapon of -great utility in his relations with the Governor, his superior -officer. - -On the third of April a council was held, to debate upon the -advisability of the Company's agents removing from Rupert's to Moose -River, thus to prevent their traffic being intercepted by the French. -The Governor adopted a tone of great cordiality towards Groseilliers, -and listened with deference to his advice. Groseilliers boldly -counselled giving up the present fort and establishing themselves -close to the French. Bailey, much to Captain Cole's astonishment, -instantly approved of the plan. In vain did Cole protest against the -course as dangerous; the Governor professed his confidence in -Groseilliers' wisdom, and ordered the sloop to be got ready for the -journey. - - [Illustration: BARK CANOE OF INDIANS ON HUDSON'S BAY.] - -In the meantime the Indians in the neighbourhood of Fort Charles -continued building their wigwams. They raised their wauscohegein or -fort so near the English that the palisades joined. As their numbers -increased, Groseilliers advised putting off their own expedition until -the savages were gone hunting, so that Fort Charles and those left in -charge might not be surprised in their absence. On the 20th of May, -seven canoes containing more subjects of Cusciddidah arrived, bringing -the news to the English that few, if any, Upland Indians might be -expected to visit them that season, the French having persuaded them -to journey with their goods to Canada instead. Indeed, said they, the -tribes had already left, so that even if the English expedition were -made, it would be fruitless. - -At this depressing intelligence Bailey again sought Groseilliers' -advice, and this being still in favour of advancing to Moose River, it -was adopted. Before the departure, on the 27th of May, a band of about -fifty men, women and children appeared, anxious to trade; but instead -of furs they offered wampum, feathers, and a few small canoes, for -none of which merchandise the Company's agents had need. They were of -the nation called Pishapocanoes, a tribe allied to the Esquimaux, and -like them, a "poor, beggarly people; by which," adds one of the party, -"we may perceive the French ran away with the best of the trade." - -Everything being now in readiness, the expedition started, but without -Bailey. The Governor, at the last moment, decided to remain behind at -Fort Charles and await their return. - -[Sidenote: First visit to Moose River.] - -The voyage across the Bay was made in safety, and on the very day of -landing at the mouth of Moose River, a band of Tabiti Indians were -encountered, from whom they obtained about two hundred pelts. The -chief of this band denied that the French had bribed them or the other -Indians not to trade with the English. They declared that as yet their -intercourse had been almost entirely with the Jesuits, one of whom was -Father Albanel, who had merely urged them to live on terms of -friendship with the nations in league with the French. The chief -blamed the English for trading with such pitiful tribes as -Cusciddidah's and the Pishapocanoes, advising them instead to settle -at Moose River, where, he asserted, the Upland Indians would come and -trade with them. - -One curious incident occurred in the course of this parley. The Tabiti -chief, who had been for some time looking rather sharply at -Groseilliers, suddenly broke off the intercourse. When Captain Cole -demanded the reason, the chief declared that it was on Groseilliers' -account, whom he had recognized as the Frenchman with whom he had had -dealings many years before. Groseilliers, nothing loth, stepped -forward, and declared that the chief might possess himself in easiness -on that score, as he was now to all intents and purposes an -Englishman; and that he would always trade with the Tabitis as such. - -"But you drove hard bargains," returned the chief. "You took our -silkiest, softest and richest furs, and you gave us but beads and -ribbons. You told us the skins of the sable, and marten, and beaver -were of little account to you, whereas the English give us, and the -French traders as well, guns and hatchets in exchange." - -This harangue does not seem to have particularly disconcerted -Groseilliers; he was an old Indian trader; he returned a polite -answer, renewing his expressions of amity. Nevertheless, it made a -profound impression upon the other members of the party, who reported -to Bailey on their return that the Indians thought Groseilliers too -hard on them, and refused to deal with him. Indeed, they did not -scruple to assert that the comparative failure of their expedition was -owing to Groseilliers' presence; that both the Tabitis and the -Shechittiwans, hard by, were really possessed of peltries which they -chose to conceal. - -[Sidenote: Bailey at Moose River.] - -On hearing this intelligence, Bailey himself was induced to set out -for Moose River. By rare good fortune, he found the Tabitis reinforced -by a numerous band of Shechittiwans, who had journeyed thither some -fifty leagues and were eager to trade. From this tribe, the Governor -procured no fewer than fifteen hundred skins on very good terms. -Charmed with his adventure, he decided to pursue his course, discover -the Chechouan River, and thence coast along the west shore of the Bay, -to Port Nelson, where there was, as yet, no fort. - -On the 18th of July, he arrived at Chechouan River, "where no -Englishman had been before," but secured little or no beaver. He -treated with the chief of the tribe he found there and with his son, -who exacted from him a promise that he would come with a ship and -trade the next year. In return, they assured him they would provide a -quantity of beaver and induce the Upland tribes to travel thence. -Hardly had the sloop departed than, on the 27th, it ran upon a mass of -floating ice and narrowly escaped foundering. This catastrophe -precipitated the Governor's return to Rupert's River. He arrived to -find Groseilliers and his protege Gorst at daggers drawn, and the -factors, traders and sailors almost at the point of mutiny, and all -this because they objected to serve under a Frenchman. - -[Sidenote: Jesuit priest at Fort Charles.] - -Bailey now seems to have made up his mind what course to pursue with -regard to Groseilliers; but if anything were wanting to complete his -decision, he had not long to wait. On the next day but one, that is to -say the 30th of August, a messenger came to him to announce the -arrival of a canoe. In it was a Jesuit missionary, accompanied by one -of Cusciddidah's own sons. The worthy priest was in a sorry condition -with regard to his apparel, most of which he had either been robbed of -or been compelled to barter for food during his long sojourn in the -wilderness. He had left Quebec during the preceding October, but had -been detained for many months owing to the impassability of the route. -He bore with him letters; one of them for Mr. Bailey from the Governor -of Quebec. This epistle seems to have given Bailey a great deal of -pleasure, and as a communication from one great man to another, he -caused it to be publicly read out in the fort. The French Governor -desired Bailey to treat the priest civilly "on account of the amity -between the two crowns"; and the bearer of this letter had no reason -to complain of a lack of hospitality. He was clothed and entertained -with great kindness. - -Unhappily, on the very evening of his arrival, the Governor was made -aware that the Jesuit had brought other letters, and that these had -been delivered into the hands of Groseilliers. Always suspicious, he -now became convinced of treachery. He saw in this harmless visit of a -pious missionary a deep-laid plot to capture the fort and allow it to -be pillaged by the hostile Indians. He ordered Groseilliers to appear -before him. But Groseilliers was not to be found, and Gorst returned -to say that both the Frenchmen were out walking together. Bailey, -taking several men with him, now went himself in search of the pair; -he confronted Groseilliers, and hurled a host of accusations at his -head. To these accusations, all ill-founded and ill-advised, -Groseilliers very promptly responded by knocking the Governor down. He -then returned calmly to the fort, demanded his wages and possessions, -and calling three of the Indians to his side, including the young -brave who had accompanied the priest, set off valiantly into the -wilderness. In due time he reached Quebec, where he rendered a -faithful account to the authorities of what had transpired. He also -forwarded to England, by way of New England, a minute account of his -experiences, which was duly read out at one of the meetings of the -Company. - -The Jesuit, who had offered to proceed with Groseilliers, had been -detained. He seems to have made himself very useful to the English in -their dealings with the Indians, although he was thoroughly -distrusted, as was to be expected, by the Governor. - -[Sidenote: Arrival of the "Prince Rupert."] - -On the 24th of September, a sloop was descried in the river, which, -with joy, they soon made out to be the _Prince Rupert_, just arrived -from England. She was commanded by Captain Gillam, and with her came -the new Governor, William Lyddal, to supersede Bailey. Captain Gillam -reported that the sister-ship, the _Shaftesbury_, commanded by Captain -Shepherd, was likewise at the mouth of the river. The new Governor's -commission and instructions being read, all hands were immediately put -to work, with the intention of unloading and reloading the ships for -the return voyage immediately. Bailey seems to have expressed the -greatest anxiety to proceed to London without delay; but at length he -was induced to listen to reason. It was pointed out to him that the -season would be far spent before the work of equipment could be -properly concluded. After several councils, it was resolved that they -should winter at Rupert's River; and no effort was made to unload the -vessels until the following spring. In the meantime, the crews were -not idle. Under Lyddal's direction they found employment in cutting -timber and building houses, more particularly a bake-house and a -brew-house, which latter added greatly to the comfort of the fort. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -1673-1682. - - Progress of the Company -- Confusion as to the Names and Number - of the Tribes -- Radisson goes to Paris -- His Efforts to - Obtain Support there, and from Prince Rupert, in England, Fail - -- Arrival of M. de la Chesnaye -- With his help Radisson - Secures Support -- And Sails for Quebec -- Thence Proceeds with - Two Ships to Attack the English Ports in Hudson's Bay -- His - Encounters with Gillam's Expedition from London, and his Son's, - from New England. - - -Rapidly advancing in prosperity and reputation, and possessed of a -basis of credit which gave it a welcome sense of solidity, the Company -now renewed its efforts to extend its trade and settlements. The -weekly meetings in Mr. John Horth's house, which were so full of -mystery to the public, continued to bear fruit; and at length a -regular system was determined for the organization and government of -its distant dependencies. - -[Sidenote: Ignorance of the geography of Hudson's Bay.] - -All ships bound for Hudson's Bay were now ordered to visit Charlton -Island, which lies about forty miles from the mouth of Rupert's River, -in the extreme south of the Bay; and the island was also made a -rendezvous whither all factors were to bring all their merchandise for -the purpose of loading the Company's ships. The geography of the -district had hitherto, in spite of the researches of a long series of -explorers, beginning with Frobisher, and ending with Fox, remained -obscure. But the Company's servants had not been idle, and the -Adventurers were soon in possession of carefully drawn charts, and -maps of the straits, the Bay itself, and the lands surrounding it. -They kept themselves also well-advised by lists, drawings, and -detailed descriptions, of the tribes inhabiting the territories -granted to them under the charter; and the discussions which went on -over this subject were not lacking in humour. It is worth observing -that for a great many years during the early history of the Company, -its Governors, captains, chief factors, chief traders, and the rank -and file of its employees could never by any chance agree, either as -to the number or the characteristics of the aborigines. In concocting -their reports many were animated purely by love of romance: others -relied too implicitly on the tales told by the Indians themselves; -others may be credited with being the victims of their own -imaginations. Nor could the lists enumerating the tribes boast more -consistency. Extracts from those of two governors may be given here -for purposes of comparison:-- - - NATIONS VISITING HUDSON'S BAY. - - Bailey, 1673: Lyddal, 1678: - - Esquemos, Askimows, - Nodwayes, Odwayes, - Twegwayes, Twagions, - Pankeshones, Paggarshows, - Noridgewelks, Narchuels, - Abenekays, Penkayes, - Micmacks, Micmackes, - Kilistinons, Crilistinons, - Assinapoils, Ossa-poets, - Cuchneways, Kitchenayes, - Algonkins, Algonkings, - Outaways, Otawayes, - Outagamis. Wattagamais. - -No wonder, therefore, that the Adventurers in England were puzzled, -and that at one of their later meetings Prince Rupert was forced to -exclaim: - -"Gentlemen, these Indians" (each member had been supplied with -Governor Nixon's list) "are not our Indians. 'Fore God, out of the -nineteen I see only five we have dealt with before." - -Another worthy member declared, on a similar occasion that the tribes -frequenting the Bay were more volatile than the Bedouins. "These are -not men, but chameleons"--was the remark of another adventurer. - -[Sidenote: Confusion of tribes.] - -The chief cause of the confusion lay in the variations of spelling. -More than a century was to elapse before a common orthography was -adopted, and in the interval it was impossible to fix the tribes by -name with certainty. The name of no tribe perhaps underwent such -vicissitudes of spelling and pronunciation as that described by the -earliest Jesuit pioneers as the Ossa-poiles, which in our own day are -known as the Assiniboines. They were in process of time the Poeles, -Poets, the Pedlas, the Semplars, Oss-Semplars, Essapoils and the -Simpoils.[17] - -At a general court held to consider the action of Governor Bailey, the -majority of the adventurers professed themselves rejoiced at having -been quit of the services of the Sieurs Groseilliers and Radisson; yet -there were not wanting others to openly regret the treatment these two -men had received. As may be supposed, the most fervent of their -advocates and defenders was Sir John Kirke, whose daughter had married -Radisson, and who himself had lately been knighted by the king. He -predicted some disaster to the Company from having dismissed these two -faithful servants, and he was loud and persistent in asserting the bad -faith and unjust suspicions of Bailey. - -While the affairs of the Company were proceeding tranquilly at home, -the conduct and employment of one of these two bushrangers was more -enlivening. Chouart was passing his time in inactivity at Three -Rivers. But his brother-in-law, after several ineffectual endeavours -to establish a northern rivalry to the Company, had offered his -services to the French Navy. This career, which at that period must -have been, even for him, sufficiently eventful and exciting, was cut -short by ship-wreck in 1679. Losing all his property, even to his -clothing, Radisson made his way first to Brest and then to Paris. The -Vice-Admiral and Intendant of the Fleet having written in his favour, -the Court was pleased to grant him a sum of one hundred crowns, and -hope was also held out to him that he would be honoured by the command -of a frigate. In the meantime he was accorded leave to go to England -to fetch his wife. - -[Sidenote: Radisson in France.] - -Madame Radisson, otherwise Mistress Mary Kirke, appears to have caused -her husband a great deal of mortification and numerous disappointments. -There is no doubt that her continued residence in England, in spite of -her husband's return to the French service, made him an object of -suspicion to the French Court. Once when he endeavoured, in a -memorable interview with Colbert, to press upon that Minister his -scheme for ousting the English from Hudson's Bay, the Minister -responded coldly: - -"M. Radisson, you are suspected of being in league with the English, -your father-in-law is one of the members of the English Company; and -your wife resides under his roof." - -"I made him understand," declared Radisson long afterwards, "that, -though married, I was not master of my wife. Her father would by no -means consent to my bringing her to France with me." - -These rebuffs determined him to make an attempt to better his worldly -condition elsewhere. A true soldier of fortune, patriotism appears to -have had little weight with him; he was as ready to serve under the -English as the French. He returned to find his father-in-law more -placable. Sir John had at this time certain claims against the French; -and he doubtless fancied that Radisson might assist him in preferring -these at the French Court. He took occasion to ask his father-in-law -what chance there remained to him of again securing employment under -the Company. "None, sir," replied Kirke, "both Bailey, Lyddal and -others are against you and have poisoned the minds of their employers. -Prince Rupert is, however, your friend, and also Captain Gillam; but -one dislikes to speak openly, and the other dare not." - -Acting on this intelligence, Radisson resolved to see Rupert. The -prince received him kindly enough; he took pains to show him his -collection of mezzotints, and to explain some of his scientific -curiosities. He even went so far as to condole with Radisson on the -treatment he had received. But he had to point out that the temper of -the Company was such that he feared it would be in vain for him to -exercise his interest for his visitor's reinstatement. - -[Sidenote: Plan to dislodge the Company.] - -Radisson, disappointed of his hopes, and frustrated in his desire to -return with his wife, did not meet with a warm welcome on the other -side of the Channel. Colbert received him with black looks; and the -suspicions which gathered about him were now strengthened rather than -dissipated. In this extremity he repaired to the Marquis de Seignely, -to whom he set forth substantially the same plan which he had -cherished for years, of opening out the trade of the North, with the -additional attraction now of dislodging the English from a commerce -which had already proved vastly profitable. Seignely listened with -interest, and requested time to reflect on the matter. At the second -interview Radisson was not overwhelmed with disappointment, for he had -expected no other issue; he was told flatly that he was regarded by -the king as little better than a traitor; and that his Canadian -project met with universal distrust. - -The outlook seemed discouraging indeed, when happily at this juncture -there arrived in Paris M. de la Chesnaye, who was in charge of the -fur-trade in Canada, as the head of the Compagnie du Nord. This event -proved Radisson's salvation. He learned with great rejoicing that La -Chesnaye's visit to France was actuated by a desire to report upon the -intrusion of the English Company. La Chesnaye proved a true friend; he -evinced himself most heartily in favour of the Government securing the -services of Radisson in establishing a rival establishment, on the -principle of those of the Company to which he had formerly been -attached. - -Many consultations took place, both Seignely and Chesnaye listening -with great interest while Radisson explained the equipment and -merchandise of the Hudson's Bay Company, which he strongly advised -should be taken as a pattern in all practical extensions of the French -fur-trade in those regions. - -[Sidenote: Radisson assisted by the Jesuits.] - -The only difficulty now presenting itself was to find money for the -enterprise. The exchequer of the Court was at a low ebb; and it had a -thousand calls upon its charity and liberality. Radisson must wait -even for the few hundred crowns he so sadly needed for his passage to -New France and his personal needs. There was, however, one force in -France which could always be approached with a good courage when any -enterprise in a new country required support, and always with success. -It was the power which, though it had endured a thousand -disappointments and sacrificed a thousand lives, and as many fortunes, -in the attempt to teach the Gospel of Jesus in the wilderness, had -adhered without wavering to its faith in the ultimate victory of the -Cross over the savage nature of the Indians. No adventurer, if he had -but a sufficiently plausible story, need turn away empty-handed from -the door of the Jesuits. To the Jesuits of Paris Radisson presented -himself as a good Catholic seeking to subvert the designs of the -heretic English. He applied for assistance, and he was at length -rewarded for his pains by a sum of five hundred crowns. - -But nearly two years had passed before this assistance was procured. -Radisson's debts had accumulated; his creditors were clamouring about -him, threatening him with the sponging-house; no effort to elude them -met with success, and at length he found himself at Rochelle, with -scarce twenty crowns in his pocket over and above the cost of his -passage. It was then that he made the resolve to reimburse the -Jesuits, "if he should live to be worth so great a sum," and it is -interesting to discover that two years later he kept his word. At -present he could only trust to La Chesnaye, who was anxiously awaiting -his arrival in Quebec. Thither Radisson arrived on the 25th of -September, 1681. - -La Chesnaye showed much joy at seeing his friend; for in truth his own -plans for seeking to share the northern trade of the English were -nearly ripe. He declared that there was no time to be lost; but that -in spite of the urgency of the matter the greatest circumspection -would have to be observed, as Frontenac by no means desired to -compromise the king without first seeing his way clear. - -But if the Governor whose career was about to close was punctilious, -the Intendant Duchesneau was not. He had already dispatched a memoir -to his superior relating to Hudson's Bay, and to what he believed to -be the French rights there. - -[Sidenote: Duchesneau protests against English encroachments.] - -"They" (the English) he wrote, "are still on Hudson's Bay on the north -and do great damage to our fur-trade. The farmers [of the revenue] -suffer in consequence by this diminution of the trade at Tadoussac, -and throughout the entire country, because the English drive off the -Outaoua nations. For the one and the other design they have two forts -on the said Bay--the one towards Tadoussac and the other at Cape -Henrietta Marie, on the side of the Assinibonetz. The sole means to -prevent them succeeding in what is prejudicial to us in this regard -would be to drive them by main force from that Bay, which belongs to -us. Or, if there would be an objection in coming to that extremity, to -construct forts on the rivers falling into the lakes, in order to stop -the Indians at these points." - -The zealous Intendant declared that should King Lewis adopt the -resolution to arrange with the Duke of York for his possessions in -that quarter, "in which case Boston could not resist," Canada would be -ruined, "the French being naturally inconsistent and fond of novelty." - -Finding, however, that they could obtain no official recognition of -the enterprise, La Chesnaye at length resorted to a transparent -fiction in order to account for Radisson's departure--a subterfuge -which was the more necessary since many had begun to suspect his -destination and urged the Governor to do nothing which would bring -down on them the enmity of the English and their allies, the Iroquois. -He requested the Governor, if he would not countenance an expedition -with license to trade on the shores of the Bay, to grant Radisson -formal permission to return to France by way of New England in a -vessel belonging to the Government of Acadia, which at that moment -lay in the St. Lawrence ready to sail. - -It was arranged privately that after his departure Radisson should -proceed in this vessel only as far as Isle Percee in the Gulf, near -the mouth of the river, and there await his kinsmen Groseilliers, his -nephew Chouart, and the two ships which La Chesnaye was even then -busily fitting out. Thus all official cognizance of the expedition -would be avoided. - -[Sidenote: Company's enemies leave Quebec.] - -The terms agreed upon were, that in return for La Chesnaye's -equipment, Radisson and Groseilliers were, provided certain conditions -were carried out, to receive jointly half the profits of the venture, -and La Chesnaye the other half. What these conditions were can only be -guessed; but beyond all question, they concerned the capture or -spoliation of the English trading posts on the Bay. Radisson took with -him his nephew, Jean Baptiste, who had passed nearly the whole of his -life among the Indians as a _coureur de bois_; the pilot, Pierre -Allemand, and an old bushranger named Godefrey, who was well -acquainted with the Indians of the northern regions. Groseilliers was -to remain behind until the spring, when he was to have the command of -the smaller of the two vessels. On the 4th of November the advance -guard of the expedition directed against the Company's establishment -in Hudson's Bay left Quebec. - -In the following spring the rendezvous was kept at the island named. -Radisson is found complaining bitterly of the character of the vessels -_St. Pierre_ and _St. Anne_. The former he describes as an old craft -of 50 tons only, "with twelve men of a crew, including those with me. -There were goods enough for the trade aboard her," he adds, "but so -scanty a supply of provisions that if I had not been so deeply engaged -I should not venture on the enterprise." - -[Sidenote: Rejected advice of Radisson and Groseilliers.] - -If his case was scarcely hopeful, that of his brother-in-law was far -worse. The latter's vessel could boast but little more than half the -tonnage, and while her crew was larger by three men, she carried even -fewer supplies. But Radisson and Groseilliers were not men to shrink -from any enterprise because it seemed hazardous. They had led bold, -reckless lives, and their spirits rose at the prospect of danger. It -was afterwards alleged of this pair that one great cause of their -disagreement with the Company was their absolute inability to remain -quiet and content in the enjoyment of a regular traffic. Such a career -seemed to their bold, energetic dispositions worthier of drapers' -apprentices. It is said they counselled the Company not to think of -establishing one or two trading posts and expect the Indians to come -to them for trade, but to push on in the wilderness to the north and -west, building new depots and stirring up the hunters to greater -activity and more profitable results. Had this advice been followed, -the exploration of the great North-West would not only have been -anticipated by almost a century; but by the occupation of its -territory, the great evils of a later day would have been averted; nor -would anyone in England have challenged the Company's right to an -exclusive trade in the regions granted by its charter. - -But the Company was soon to learn that its earliest pioneers and -forerunners were not to be cast off with impunity. The two bushrangers -experienced considerable difficulty at the outset in propitiating and -calming the fears of their crews, who were terrified, and not without -reason, at the prospect of a voyage of 900 leagues in such craft as -the _St. Pierre_ and the _St. Anne_, and amidst rough water and ice. -But they at length succeeded and effected a start. - -After nineteen days the crew of Groseilliers' ship mutinied. -Groseilliers' attempts to appease them seemed about to end in signal -failure when the man on watch cried out that a vessel was in sight to -windward. Groseilliers seized his opportunity; "See!" he cried, -pointing to the distant barque, "yonder is one of the English Company, -laden with the profits of their trade in the Bay. Every man has his -pocket full of gold and his stomach full of rum; and we shall have the -same if we are not cowards enough to abandon our voyage." - -After innumerable episodes, some of which almost ended in tragic -consequences, Radisson at last, on the 26th of August, arrived on the -west coast of Hudson's Bay. On the following day he was joined by his -brother-in-law in the _St. Anne_ at the mouth of a river named by the -Indians Ka-kirka-kiouay, translated by Radisson as "who goes, who -comes." - -Twelve days before their arrival another ship had entered this same -river, commanded by none other than Captain Gillam, and having on -board John Bridgar, commissioned as Governor of the new settlement at -Port Nelson. - -Having thus entered the river, they advanced fifteen miles up stream, -and Radisson then left Groseilliers to build a fort, while he himself -departed in search of savages with whom to trade. With him he took his -nephew and Godefrey, all three being well armed with muskets and -pistols. In the course of eight days they accomplished forty leagues -and attained the upper part of the river, though without meeting a -single savage. On the eighth day, however, their eyes were rejoiced by -the sight of a large encampment of Indians, who, while not especially -rich in furs, were eager to conclude a treaty with the French, and to -encourage their settlement in the country. Radisson now decided to -return, accompanied by some of the savages, and on the 12th day of -September rejoined his brother-in-law, whose fort he found pretty well -advanced. - -[Sidenote: The younger Gillam discovered.] - -Hardly had he returned when the sudden booming of a cannon startled -the settlement. It was the first time the Indians had ever heard the -sound, and they expressed much astonishment and apprehension. While -the two adventurers hastened to re-assure their allies, they were -themselves hardly less disturbed. Radisson made up his mind to -immediately ascertain whence the firing came and with this intention -he embarked in a canoe and went to the mouth of the river. In passing -to the opposite bank of the stream, and while in the vicinity of a -small island, they perceived signs of European habitation. A tent had -been erected, and at that moment a log house was being built. After a -stealthy reconnoitre, lasting the whole night, Radisson and his -companions advanced boldly in the morning from the opposite shore in -their canoe. The islanders were engaged in making a repast when -Radisson attracted their attention. Speaking first to them in French, -and finding that none of them understood, he thereupon addressed them -in English. He asked them what was their business in those parts. - -Their leader quickly responded: "We are English, and come for the -beaver trade." - -"By whose authority," asked Radisson; "do you possess a commission?" -The other replied that he did not himself possess such a document, but -that his father did, and that he and his companions hailed from New -England. Whereupon Radisson, still seated in his canoe at some -distance from the shore, informed them that they had not a shadow of -right to be in those regions, which he himself had discovered and -settled for the French some years before. He drew upon his imagination -so far as to intimate that he was at that moment in command of a large -force of Frenchmen near at hand, who would effectually maintain the -sovereignty of King Lewis and his exclusive trading right in this -territory; and he concluded his harangue, which was delivered almost -at the top of his voice, by advising the party of New Englanders to -embark as soon as possible and to return from whence they came. - -Before any reply could be made, a cry broke from the lips of both the -leaders. The canoe had touched the bank, and they recognized one -another. The New Englander was the son of Radisson's old friend -Gillam; and, as may be supposed, he possessed a very high admiration -for a man of whom he had heard so much. They speedily embraced, but -Radisson is careful to inform us that he did not entirely trust his -young friend. When young Gillam's ship appeared at the mouth of the -river, and he was invited to go on board, he did so, but he took the -precaution of insisting upon two Englishmen being left as hostages on -shore. It was not without misgivings that, as he neared the vessel in -their canoe, he observed the captain posting the English emblem and -likewise discharging a number of cannon shots. - -"I told him," says Radisson, "that it was not necessary to fire any -more, for fear of causing jealousy amongst our people, who might show -themselves hostile. He proposed that we should negotiate together. I -promised that I would persuade our other officers to consent that, -since the season was already too far advanced for them to withdraw, he -should pass the winter where he was without their doing him any -mischief." - -In short Radisson was resolved at all costs to keep up appearances. He -even went so far as to grant Gillam formal permission to continue -building his house, "barring fortifications," and to guarantee him -against insults from the Indians, over whom he professed to have -absolute power. The two men parted on good terms; and perhaps Gillam's -complaisance was well-advised. Radisson confesses that had the English -shown themselves refractory or exhibited any disposition to assert -rights over the country, it was his firm intention to concert a plan -for seizing their ship, which he observes, was an "excellent prize" -inasmuch it held no commission or warrant to trade from any power. - -It afterwards appeared that this enterprise of the New England ship -was set on foot by Gillam senior, who, dissatisfied with his profits -under the Company, sought to adventure an expedition on his own -account from Boston. He was destined to pay the penalty for this -indiscretion. - -Happy at having come out of this encounter so easily, Radisson and his -party re-embarked in their canoe and struck out northwards. Another -surprise was in store for them. A ship under full sail was on the -point of entering the river. More strategy was necessary. The party -regained the shore and instantly kindled a huge bonfire, upon which -they cast grass and leaves so as to produce a thick column of smoke. -Their purpose was to attract the attention and arrest the progress of -the vessel and in this they succeeded. Believing they had come upon an -Indian settlement, and anxious to reconnoitre before proceeding -farther, the parties aboard the ship cast anchor immediately and so -remained motionless in the channel all night. - -[Sidenote: Arrival of Bridgar.] - -Early in the morning they saw that a boat was being lowered from the -ship, and while it was filling with occupants Radisson made ready to -receive them. Each of his party was posted, armed, at the entrance to -the wood, while Radisson himself walked down to the shore to greet the -strangers. - -They were soon within hail. Radisson set up a loud cry, Indian -fashion, for the purpose of eliciting a response. He was disappointed -in this; for the boat approached steadily and silently; there was a -movement of the oars, but most of the figures appeared stern and -motionless. The boat grounded ten yards from where Radisson stood with -folded arms, and a general attitude of defiance. One of the crew had -got a leg over the side of the boat when our bushranger cried out in a -loud voice: - -"Hold, in the King's name." And then presenting his carbine, "I forbid -you to land." - -The occupants of the boat were astonished. - -"Who are you?" they asked, "and what is your business?" - -"I am a Frenchman," was the answer, delivered in English; "and I hold -this country for his Most Christian Majesty, King Lewis!" - -Radisson signalled to his followers, who emerged from their retreat, -making a brave show of their weapons. The coup seemed destined to be -successful. The leader of the boat party, visibly impressed, remained -standing up in his craft without any attempt on the part of his -followers to land. - -"I beg to inform you, gentlemen, that we hail from London. Our ship -yonder is the _Prince Rupert_, belonging to the honourable Hudson's -Bay Company and commanded by Captain Zachary Gillam." - -"You arrive too late. This country is already in the possession of the -King of France, and its trade belongs to the Northern Company of -Canada." - -A short dispute succeeded. Suddenly changing his tactics, Governor -Bridgar, for it was no other, feigned acquiescence, admitted that -after all Radisson might be right, and requested the privilege of -landing and saluting him. - -[Sidenote: The Bushranger's mendacity.] - -The two leaders now conversed amicably. Radisson took occasion to -elaborate the narrative to which he had recently treated young Gillam, -without, however, mentioning the circumstance of his having met the -latter. He did not scruple to allege a lengthy residence in the -region, detailing his forces, both French and Indian, with a fine -display of exactitude. Commenced on shore, the interview was -transferred to the ship; Radisson, while accepting Bridgar's -hospitality, took care to keep, as before, two or three hostages on -land. On board the _Prince Rupert_ he embraced Gillam, and listened -with a real interest to the tidings he had to convey of what had been -happening in Europe, and of the affairs of the Company. For himself, -he readily volunteered the information that he and his brother-in-law -Groseilliers had two fine large vessels in the vicinity, while the -third was shortly expected. He likewise made no secret of the fact -that a huge fort was being constructed hard by in the interests of the -French Company. In all of these statements Governor Bridgar professed -absolute credence, whatever may have been his private opinion of their -value. - -In reality, however, he was not deceived; and if it had not been for -Radisson's precaution as to the hostages, there is some reason to -believe he would have detained his guest on board the Company's ship -to ruminate for a while on his treachery to the Company. Even allowing -for the truth of Radisson's assertions regarding the occupation by the -French of Port Nelson and the surrounding neighbourhood in large -numbers, Bridgar was not to be dissuaded by mere words from his -intention to establish a factory there. He had every confidence in the -Company's rights; and he determined to carry out his instructions to -the letter. - -No sooner had Radisson departed, therefore, than a majority of the -people on board the _Prince Rupert_ landed and commenced building a -fort. - -The French party hiding in the woods spied on their movements; and -before rejoining their comrades at their own settlement they had the -privilege of seeing the erection of Fort Nelson, the fourth -establishment of the Company in the Hudson's Bay territories, well -under way. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[17] Also known to-day as the Stone Indians. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -1682-1683. - - Death of Prince Rupert -- The Company's Difficulty in Procuring - Proper Servants -- Radisson at Port Nelson -- The two Gillams - -- Their Meeting -- Capture of the New England Party -- The - First Scotchman in the Bay -- Governor Bridgar Carried off - Prisoner -- Indian Visitors to the Fort -- Disasters to the - Ships -- The French Burn the Island Fort -- Radisson's Harangue - to the Indians -- Return to France. - - -[Sidenote: Death of Prince Rupert.] - -On the 28th of November, 1682, at his house in Spring Garden, died the -first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. The prince had been in -ill-health for some time, he was in his sixty-third year; and he had -lived a stirring and adventurous life. His demise occasioned general -regret, more amongst the people than at Court; for, as a writer of -that day observed, "he had of late years proved a faithful counsellor -to the King, but a greater patriot to English liberty; and therefore -was towards his latter end neglected by the Court to that degree that -nothing passed between him and his great relations but bare civilities -in the common forms." On the sixth of the ensuing month his body was -privately interred among others of the Royal Family in a vault in -Westminster Abbey. - -A week later there was held a General Court of the Company, at which -the Duke of York was chosen to succeed Rupert in the governorship. -Besides the Duke himself, his Royal Highness the Duke of Albemarle, -Lord Arlington and Mr. Hays, all delivered enthusiastic panegyrics on -the deceased prince, rightly attributing to his zeal, judgment and -enterprise, the successful establishment of the Company. And the -meeting then adjourned out of regret for the dead Governor without -proceeding to further business. - -More than fifteen years had elapsed since Medard Chouart des -Groseilliers had first fired Prince Rupert with his project of -founding a great fur-traffic in the unknown and unexplored regions of -the New World. The prince had lived to see that project succeed even -beyond his most sanguine expectations. Now, at his death, the Company -owned four ships; and after all the cost of its plant, its ships and -its equipment had been paid, it was returning an annual profit of two -hundred per cent. on its capital. It was well-known that his Highness -favoured greater activity, and one of his last acts had been to sign -the commission of John Bridgar as Governor of the new settlement at -Port Nelson. But during his own Governorship, the Company, feeling, no -doubt, that they must balance the Prince's zeal for adventure with -considerable caution, opposed the policy of rapid expansion with -somewhat excessive prudence; and it was only after his death that they -felt confident in pursuing a more vigorous and enterprising plan of -commerce. - -Under date of April 27th, 1683, while the drama between the French and -English was being enacted at Port Nelson, the following instructions -were addressed to Governor Sargeant, regarding trade with the -interior: "You are to choose out from amongst our servants such as are -best qualified with strength of body and the country language to -travel and to penetrate into the country, and to draw down the Indians -by fair and gentle means to trade with us." - -But the Company was to learn that the parsimony which then -characterized its policy was not calculated to foster the success of -its aims. The majority of the men it sent out from England could not -be classified under the head of adventurous spirits, ready to dare all -for mere excitement and the prospect of gain. They were for the most -part young men gifted with no more aptitude for the work in the -wilderness than a disinclination to pursue their callings at home. No -small number were dissatisfied apprentices; one William Evans had been -a drawer at the Rainbow Inn; Portman had sent his scullion. - -Even at that early day the staffs employed on the plantations were -recruited from amongst the very class least competent to exploit those -regions. The majority of the applicants for employment in the -Company's service in the seventeenth century were not men of character -and vigour, or even of robust physique, but rather hare-brained -artisans of the wild, dare-devil type, whose parents and friends -foresaw for them, if London or Bristol formed the sphere of their -talents, a legal and violent rather than a natural termination of -their respective careers. - -[Sidenote: Company's encouragement requested.] - -Sargeant's response to the foregoing injunction certainly served to -enlighten his superiors. "I shall not be neglectful," he wrote, "as -soon as I can find any man capable and willing to send up into the -country with the Indians, to endeavour to penetrate into what the -country will and may produce, and to effect their utmost in bringing -down the Indians to our factory; but your Honours should give good -encouragement to those who undertake such extraordinary service; or -else I fear that there will be but few that will embrace such -employment." - -The rebuke may have been just; but it seems to have given offence to -some of the more pompous members of the Company; and Sargeant was -desired not to cast any further reflection on his employers in his -communications to them. Nevertheless, the Company was soon to learn -the value of a less niggardly policy. - -Meanwhile for ten days the two ex-employees, Radisson and -Groseilliers, gave no further evidence to the English at the new -settlement on Nelson River of their presence. But on the tenth day -their curiosity and uneasiness regarding the conduct of the English -Governor, Bridgar, and the other servants of the Company, had reached -such a pitch that it was decided without further consideration that -Radisson should start off at once to reconnoitre their behaviour. The -actual distance between Fort Bourbon, on the Hays River, and the -Company's factory on Nelson River was not above fifty miles; but owing -to the dangerous character of the river, and the necessity for delay -before an attempt could be made to cross it, Radisson and his party -consumed fourteen days on the journey. - -[Sidenote: Bridgar's credulity.] - -On their arrival on the 3rd of February, one of the first objects to -attract their attention was the _Prince Rupert_, stuck fast in the ice -and mud about a mile from where the factory was being erected. At the -same time they met the Governor, who was out on a hunting expedition -with the chief mate of the vessel. Satisfying himself that no -treachery was intended, Radisson accepted Bridgar's invitation to -enter the log-house which he had caused to be built for his own -occupation. Radisson introduced one of the Frenchmen who accompanied -him as the captain of an imaginary ship, which he averred had arrived -from France in his behalf. "Mr. B. believed it and anything else I -chose to tell him," remarks Radisson naively, "I aiming always to -prevent him from having any knowledge of the English interloper." -While engaged in the pleasing diversion of drinking each other's -health, a number of musket shots were fired. The crew of the vessel -not taking any notice of this, the bushranger concluded that those on -board were not on their guard and might readily be surprised. - -With this condition uppermost in his mind, the Frenchman quitted -Bridgar, having first allayed any suspicion which might have naturally -arisen as to the intention of the party. The latter went boldly on -board the ship, and no hindrance being offered, their leader had a -colloquy with Captain Gillam. The latter, while he received the visit -civilly enough, found occasion to let Radisson know that he was far -from entirely trusting him. When his visitor suggested that he was -running a great risk in allowing the _Prince Rupert_ to remain -grounded, Gillam bluntly requested Radisson to mind his own business, -adding that he knew perfectly well what he was doing--a boast which, -as the sequel showed, was certainly not well founded. Radisson was -determined not to be put out of temper, and so run risk of spoiling -his plans. - -Winter, even in all its rigour, seems to have had no terrors for our -indomitable bushranger. For the next two months, as we shall see, he -continued to scour backwards and forwards through the country, -inspiring his followers and urging them onward to the prosecution of a -plan which was obvious to them all. After parting from Gillam the -elder, who had not the faintest suspicion that his son was in the -locality, Radisson at once started to parley with Gillam, the -younger. - -When he had regained the island which he had left, he was instantly -made aware that the New Englanders had been considerably less idle -than the Company's servants; having completed a very creditable fort -and mounted it with six pieces of cannon. With Benjamin Gillam, our -bushranger passed off the same subterfuge with which he had hoodwinked -Zachary. He spoke fluently of his newly arrived ship and her cargo and -crew, and to cap his narrative, proceeded to introduce her captain, -who was none other than the old pilot, Pierre Allemand, who, from the -description still extant of his appearance, looked every inch the -bold, fierce and uncompromising mariner. He had a great deal to tell -Benjamin likewise of the Company's post near by, which he said -contained forty soldiers. - -"Let them be forty devils," exclaimed Gillam, junior, "we have built a -good fort and are afraid of nothing." - -Whereupon Radisson gently reminded him that according to his agreement -he was to have built no fort whatever. In reply to this Benjamin -begged his visitor not to take umbrage at such a matter, as he never -intended to dispute the rights of the French in the region; and the -fort was merely intended as a defence against the Indians. - -[Sidenote: A manoeuvre of Radisson's.] - -As the evening wore on, a manoeuvre suggested itself to Radisson. He -resolved to bring father and son together. No sooner had he formed -this amiable resolve than he revealed to Benjamin Gillam the proximity -of the _Prince Rupert_ and her commander, and described the means by -which an encounter might be effected without eliciting the suspicions -of Governor Bridgar or any of the Company's servants. It consisted -briefly in young Benjamin's disguising himself as a Frenchman and a -bushranger. The scheme met with the young man's hearty approbation and -the details were settled as Radisson had designed. - -On the following day the party set out through the snow. Arriving at -the point of land opposite to which the Company's ship lay, Radisson -posted two of his best men in the woods on the path which led to the -factory. He instructed them to allow the Governor to pass should he -come that way, but that if he returned from the ship unaccompanied or -prior to their own departure they were to seize and overpower him on -the spot. With such precautions as these, Radisson felt himself safe -and went on board the _Prince Rupert_ accompanied by Gillam. He -introduced his two companions into the captain's room without any -notice on the part of Gillam the elder, and the mate and another man -he had with him. Leaning across the table, upon which was deposited a -bulky bottle of rum, Radisson whispered to the honest captain that he -had a secret of the highest importance to communicate if he would but -dismiss the others. Gillam readily sent away the mate, but would not -dismiss his second attendant until Radisson, again in a whisper, -informed him that the black-bearded man in the strange head-gear was -his son. - -[Sidenote: Meeting of father and son.] - -After communicating this intelligence the pair had their own way. The -next few moments were devoted to embraces and to an interchange of -news, for Captain Gillam and Benjamin had not met for two years. The -sire could not refrain from imparting to his son that he was running a -great risk; he declared it would be ruinous to him if it got to the -Governor's ears that there was any collusion between them. Radisson -again professed his friendship, but added that in his opinion neither -of the parties had any right to be where they were, he having taken -possession for the King of France. "This territory is all his Most -Christian Majesty's," he said. "The fort we have built yonder we call -Fort Bourbon, and none have any right here but such as own allegiance -to Lewis XIV." He observed that nothing would cause a rupture of the -friendly relations now subsisting between French and English but the -trade in peltries, trade which he had too great reason to fear they -hoped to initiate with the Indians in the spring. - -The elder Gillam coolly responded that the ship he commanded, and the -spot on which they were then assembled, luckily belonged not to -himself, but to the Hudson's Bay Company. - -"With regard to the trade, gentlemen," said he, "you have nothing to -fear from me. Even though I don't carry a solitary beaver back to the -Thames, I shall not trouble myself, being sure of my wages." - -[Sidenote: Gillam nearly betrayed.] - -This interview was prolonged. The healths of the Kings of France and -England, Prince Rupert and M. Colbert (quite in ignorance of the death -of the two last named) were drunk with zeal and enthusiasm. In the -midst of all this, that which Radisson had anticipated, occurred. -Governor Bridgar, notified of Radisson's return, came to the ship in -hot haste. On his joining the group, he remarked meaningly that the -fort the French had constructed must be nearer than he had been given -to think, since its commandant could effect so speedy a return. He -evinced himself very uneasy in mind concerning the Frenchman's -intentions. Before their departure, young Gillam came very near being -betrayed. He was partially recognized by one of the traders who -accompanied the Governor. But the matter passed off without serious -consequences. - -None too soon did the party return to young Gillam's fort on the -island, for a tremendous blizzard ensued, sweeping the whole country, -and forcing Radisson to remain for some days within doors. As soon as -the storm had subsided, however, Radisson started off, declining -Gillam's offer of his second mate to accompany him back to the French -settlement. - -"I managed to dissuade him," he writes, "having my reasons for wishing -to conceal the road we should take. On leaving we went up from the -fort to the upper part of the river, but in the evening we retraced -our steps and next morning found ourselves in sight of the sea, into -which it was necessary to enter in order to pass the point and reach -the river in which was our habitation. But everything was so covered -with ice that there was no apparent way of passing farther. We found -ourselves, indeed, so entangled in the ice that we could neither -retreat nor advance towards the shore to make a landing. It was -necessary, however, that we should pass through the ice or perish. We -remained in this condition for four hours without being able to -advance or retire and in great danger of our lives. Our clothes were -frozen on us and we could only move with difficulty; but at last we -made so strong an attempt that we arrived at the shore, our canoe -being all broken up. Each of us took our baggage and arms, and marched -in the direction of our habitation without finding anything to eat for -three days, except crows and birds of prey, which are the last to -leave these countries." - -Fort Bourbon was reached at length. After reporting to his -brother-in-law all that had passed, Groseilliers was not long in -counselling what was best to be done. In his opinion the first thing -necessary was to secure possession of young Gillam's ship. Time -pressed and the spring would soon be upon them, bringing with it the -advent of the Indians. He argued that delay might prove fatal, -inasmuch as Bridgar might at any moment learn of the presence of the -New England interlopers; and in that event he would probably make an -effort to capture their fort and add their forces to his own. If this -were done, the success of the French in overpowering the English -traders would be slight and their voyage would have been undertaken -for nothing. - -[Sidenote: Calamity to the Company's ship.] - -It was therefore agreed that Groseilliers should remain in charge of -the fort, while his kinsman should immediately return to Nelson River. -In a few days they parted once more, Radisson setting out with a fresh -party and thoroughly resolved upon action. The first discovery he -made, on arriving at the scene of his proposed operations, was that -the Company's ship, the _Prince Rupert_, was frozen fast in the ice, -and must inevitably perish when the spring floods came. He also -speedily ascertained that the Governor, by no means relishing his -presence in the vicinity, was already planning measures to thwart, if -not to capture, his rivals, for he had sent out two sailors charged -with the task of discovering the exact whereabouts of the French and -the extent of their strength and equipment. - -These two spies Radisson promptly captured--no difficult task indeed, -for they had lost their way and were half-frozen and almost famished. -The anticipated fate of the _Prince Rupert_ was not long delayed. The -tidings shortly reached Radisson that she was a total wreck, and with -it came also the news of the loss of her captain, the mate and four -sailors. A subsequent report, however, declared that Gillam had -escaped with his life. - -Receiving this intelligence, Radisson presented himself before the -Governor to see how he was affected by such a calamity. - -He found Bridgar drinking heavily, but resolved to keep up appearances -and to withhold from the French any knowledge of what had happened. He -affected to believe the ship safe, merely observing that she had -shifted her position a few leagues down the river. Radisson asserts -that at this time the Company's factory was short of provisions. It is -impossible that this could have been the case. The assertion was -probably made to cover his own depredations on the stores of the -Company. - -Parting from the Governor, Radisson presented himself before Gillam -the younger, to whom he did not as yet choose to say anything -concerning his father and the loss of his ship. Under various -pretences he induced Gillam to pay him a visit at Fort Bourbon. The -latter does not seem at this time to have been aware of the intention -of the French towards him. But he was soon to be undeceived. - -[Sidenote: Radisson's threats.] - -"I remained quiet for a month," says Radisson, in the course of his -extraordinary narrative, "treating young Gillam, my new guest, well -and with all sorts of civilities, which he abused on several -occasions. For having apparently perceived that we had not the -strength I told him, he took the liberty of speaking of me in -threatening terms behind my back, treating me as a pirate and saying -that in spite of me he would trade in spring with the Indians. He had -even the hardihood to strike one of my men, which I pretended not to -notice; but, having the insolence later, when we were discussing the -privileges of New England, to speak against the respect due the best -of kings, I treated him as a worthless dog for speaking in that way -and told him that, having had the honour to eat bread in his service, -I would pray to God all my life for his Majesty. He left me, -threatening that he would return to his fort and that when he was -there I would not dare to speak to him as I had done. I could not -expect to have a better opportunity to begin what I had resolved to -do. I told this young brute then that I had brought him from his fort, -that I would take him back myself when I pleased, not when he wished. -He answered impertinently several times, which obliged me to threaten -that I would put him in a place of safety if he was not wiser. He -asked me then if he was a prisoner. I said I would consider it and -that I would secure my trade since he threatened to interrupt it. I -then withdrew to give him time to be informed by the Englishmen how -his father's life was lost with the Company's ship, and the bad -situation of Mr. Bridgar. I left in their company a Frenchman who -understood English, unknown to them. When I had left, young Gillam -urged the Englishman to fly, and to go to his master and assure him -that he would give him six barrels of powder and other supplies if he -would undertake to deliver him out of my hands. The Englishman made no -answer, but he did not inform me of the proposition that had been made -him (I had learned that from the Frenchman, who had learned everything -and thought it was time to act for my security)." - -In the evening Radisson said nothing of what he knew of the plot. He -asked those in his train if the muskets were in their places, which he -had put around to act as guarantee against surprise. At the word -_musket_ young Gillam, who did not know what was meant, grew alarmed -and, according to Radisson, wished to fly, believing that it was -intended to kill him. But his flight was arrested by his captor, who -took occasion to free him from his apprehension. The next morning, -however, the bushranger's plans were openly divulged. He told Gillam -that he was about to take his fort and ship. - -"He answered haughtily that even if I had a hundred men I could not -succeed, and that his people would have killed more than forty before -they could reach the palisades. This boldness did not astonish me, -being very sure that I would succeed in my design." - -[Sidenote: Hays' Island fort.] - -Having secured Gillam the younger, it was now necessary to secure the -fort of which he was master. The intrepid Frenchman started for Hays' -Island with nine men, and gaining an entrance by strategy, he cast off -the mask of friendship and boldly demanded the keys of the fort and -the whole stock of arms and powder. He added that in the event of -their refusal to yield he would raze the fort to the ground. No -resistance seems to have been attempted, and Radisson took formal -possession of the place in the name of the King of France. This -ceremony being concluded, he ordered Jenkins, the mate, to conduct him -to the ship, and here formal possession was taken in the same fashion, -without any forcible objection on the part of the crew. Some -explanation of this extraordinary complaisance, if Radisson's story of -the number of men he took with him be true, may be found in the -commander's unpopularity, he having recently killed his supercargo in -a quarrel. - -Nevertheless, Benjamin Gillam was not to be altogether without -friends. - -A certain Scotchman, perchance the first of his race in those regions, -which were afterwards to be forever associated with Scottish zeal and -labours, wishing to show his fidelity to his chief, escaped, and -eluding the efforts of the fleetest of the French bushrangers to catch -him, he arrived at Fort Nelson and told his tale. The Governor's -astonishment may be imagined. He had hitherto no inkling of the -presence of the New England interlopers, and although his captain and -fellow-servant was not equally ignorant, Gillam had kept his counsel -well. The Governor decided at once to head a party of relief, in which -he was seconded by the elder Gillam, who was at the moment only just -recovering from illness caused by exposure during the shipwreck. The -_Susan_ was their first point of attack. Under the cover of night they -made a determined effort to recapture her for the Company. It is -possible that the attempt might have succeeded had not Radisson, -suspecting the move, despatched his entire available force at the same -time and completely overpowered the Governor's men. He thought at -first sight that Bridgar himself was among his prisoners, but the -Governor was not to be caught in that fashion; he had not himself -boarded the ship. The Scotchman who accompanied him, however, was not -so fortunate; he fell into Radisson's hands and suffered for his zeal. -He was tied to a post and informed that his execution would take place -without ceremony on the morrow. The sentence was never carried out. -For Radisson, after exposing his prisoner to the cold all night in an -uncomfortable position, seems to have thought better of his threat, -and after numerous vicissitudes the Scot at length regained his -liberty. - -Reinforcements for the French now arrived from Groseilliers. Believing -himself now strong enough to beard the lion in his lair, Radisson -decided to lose no more time in rounding off his schemes. First, -however, he saw fit to address a letter to the Governor asking him if -he "approved the action of the Company's people whom he held -prisoners, who had broken two doors and the storeroom of his ship, in -order to carry off the powder." - -Bridgar's reply was that he owed no explanation to a renegade employee -of the Company. Radisson had not been sincere in his professions, and -he had dealt basely and deceitfully with him in preserving silence on -the subject of the interlopers. "As I had proper instructions," -concluded Bridgar, in a more conciliatory strain, "on setting sail -from London to seize all ships coming to this quarter, I would -willingly have joined hands with you in capturing this vessel. If you -wish me to regard you as sincere you will not keep this prize for your -own use." - -The other's response was rapid and masterly. He marched upon Fort -Nelson with twelve men, and by the following nightfall was master of -the English establishment. This feat nearly drove the unhappy Governor -to despair, and he sought solace by applying himself to the rum cask -with greater assiduity than ever. In the frame of mind thus -superinduced, John Bridgar, the first Governor of Port Nelson, was -carried off a prisoner to Fort Bourbon. - -This post was built of logs, as the others had been, but there was a -bastion of stone at one end facing the river. It occupied, as nearly -as one may now ascertain, the site upon which was afterwards reared -York Factory. But in the course of the seventy years following the -post was shifted slightly from site to site, when the exigencies of -fire and other causes of destruction demanded a new building. - -A few days after the Governor's arrival at Fort Bourbon, the first -Indians began to appear with provisions, which were now beginning to -be very sorely required. To the chief of this band Radisson related -the story, properly garnished, of his exploits, realizing well how -such things appeal to the savage heart. While the Indians were -pondering upon his valour, great was their surprise to behold about -the fort, a number of English, whom Radisson had made prisoners; and -upon learning that there were others at York Factory and Hays' Island, -they very handsomely offered 200 beavers for permission to go thither -and massacre them. This offer Radisson wisely declined; but it seems -clear that he did his best to stir up enmity amongst his Indian -friends against the English. In this he was not entirely successful. -Good news travels fast, too; and the Indians had got wind of Bridgar's -boast that rather than see the trade pass into the hands of the French -it was his intention to offer six axes for a beaver and as much -merchandise in proportion. - -They had, besides, reason to believe in the superior generosity of the -English traders as compared with the French. - -[Sidenote: Destruction of La Chesnaye's vessels.] - -It was now April, 1683. On the 22nd a disaster little foreseen by -Radisson or Groseilliers occurred, which involved the destruction of -their own frail ships. The _St. Pierre_ and the _St. Anne_ had been -hauled into a small stream as far as possible in the woods and there -sheltered by a knoll. At ten o'clock on the night named all at Fort -Bourbon were awakened by a frightful noise, caused by the breaking up -of the ice. The occupants of the fort rushed outside to find the -waters everywhere rising with almost incredible rapidity; and the -masses of ice blocking up the mouth of the creek caused a complete -general submersion. La Chesnaye's two vessels offered no strong -resistance to the flood, and presently began to crack and splinter in -all parts. In a few hours all that remained sound were the bottoms, -clinging fast to the ice and mud. - -A similar fate was apprehended for the New England ship, and Radisson -made all haste thither. She was saved only by his adopting the -suggestion of Bridgar, that the ice be carefully cut all about the -_Susan_, as he had heard of Governor Bailey doing on a previous -occasion. The ice once cut, the vessel was only pushed by the strength -of the floes to one side, where she remained aground with little -damage. - -The chief concern of the leaders of the French now was to get the -English safely out of the country as soon as possible, before the -arrival of the Company's ships. To this end Radisson and Groseilliers -offered them the hull of the _St. Anne_ which, they believed, could -with industry be patched up with new timber sufficiently well to -withstand a voyage. When the English saw that these were the best -terms they could expect, and that if they were left at the mercy of -the Indians a much worse fate might be in store for them, they set to -work with a will. The labour proved arduous, and they had suffered -terribly. Four had died from cold and hunger, and two had been -poisoned from having rashly drunk of a liquor they had found in the -medicine-room chest, without knowing its nature; another had had his -arm broken quite recently by a musket shot while out hunting. The -Governor felt that his sole hope lay in the expected ships of the -Company. He seems to have always adopted a high tone in dealing with -the French, even to the last. He declared to Radisson that it was only -one of three things that could oblige him to abandon the place, "the -order of his masters, force, or famine." Groseilliers now counselled -burning the island fort, in order to do away with the necessity of -keeping perpetual guard there, and of always taking precautions to -protect themselves against the Governor's intrigues. - -This advice was acted upon forthwith; the fort was burned and a small -lodge erected to accommodate such of the New Englanders as had not -been carried to Fort Bourbon, or were not at work on the hull of the -wrecked ship. - -[Sidenote: Arrival of the Indians.] - -Early in May the Indians began to appear in great numbers. -Bridgar--who, divested of his command and robbed of his stores, was -now allowed at large--heard of their arrival with joy. He seems to -have believed that their chiefs would not repudiate their treaties -with the Company. He hoped in any case to be granted the privilege of -a conference with them, but in this he was quickly undeceived. - -Radisson went forward to meet the Indians, who had come well loaded -with peltries and who were much perturbed at discovering the helpless -state of the Governor and the ascendancy of the French. But they -showed no disinclination to trade with the latter, in spite of their -solemn covenant, provided Groseilliers and his brother-in-law would do -so on the same terms as the English. Both the bushrangers, however, -seem to have been determined to put an immediate stop to what they -termed folly. Let the Company give six axes for a beaver if it chose; -for themselves they would countenance no such wantonness; two would -suffice. - -The tribe being assembled and having spread out their customary gifts, -consisting of beaver tails, smoked moose tongues and pemmican, one of -the leading braves arose and said:-- - -"Men who pretend to give us life, do you wish us to die? You know what -beaver is worth and the trouble we have to take it. You call -yourselves our brothers and yet will not give us what those give who -make no such profession. Accept our gifts, and let us barter, or we -will visit you no more. We have but to travel a hundred leagues and we -will encounter the English, whose offers we have heard." - -On the conclusion of this harangue, silence reigned for some moments. -All eyes were turned on the two white traders. Feeling that now or -never was the time to exhibit firmness, Radisson, without rising to -his feet, addressed the whole assemblage in haughty accents. - -"Whom dost thou wish I should answer? I have heard a dog bark; when a -man shall speak he will see I know how to defend my conduct and my -terms. We love our brothers and we deserve their love in return. For -have we not saved them all from the treachery of the English?" - -[Sidenote: Radisson overawes the Indians.] - -Uttering these words fearlessly, he leapt to his feet and drew a long -hunting knife from his belt. Seizing by the scalp-lock the chief of -the tribe, who had already adopted him as his son, he asked, "Who art -thou?" To which the chief responded, as was customary, "Thy father." - -"Then," cried Radisson, "if that is so, and thou art my father, speak -for me. Thou art the master of my goods; but as for that dog who has -spoken, what is he doing in this company? Let him go to his brothers, -the English, at the head of the Bay. Or he need not travel so far: he -may, if he chooses, see them starving and helpless on yonder island: -answering to my words of command." - -"I know how to speak to my Indian father," continued Radisson, "of the -perils of the woods, of the abandonment of his squaws and children, of -the risks of hunger and the peril of death by foes. All these you -avoid by trading with us here. But although I am mightily angry I will -take pity on this wretch and let him still live. Go," addressing the -brave with his weapon outstretched, "take this as my gift to you, and -depart. When you meet your brothers, the English, tell them my name, -and add that we are soon coming to treat them and their factory yonder -as we have treated this one." - -The speaker knew enough of the Indian character, especially in affairs -of trade, to be aware that a point once yielded them is never -recovered. And it is but just to say that the terms he then made of -three axes for a beaver were thereafter adopted, and that his firmness -saved the Company many a cargo of these implements. His harangue -produced an immediate impression upon all save the humiliated brave, -who declared that if the Assiniboines came hither to barter he would -lay in ambush and kill them. - -The French trader's reply to this was to the Indian mind a terrible -one. - -"I will myself travel into thy country," said he, "and eat sagamite in -thy grandmother's skull." - -While the brave and his small circle of friends were livid with fear -and anger, Radisson ordered three fathoms of tobacco to be -distributed; observing, contemptuously, to the hostile minority that -as for them they might go and smoke women's tobacco in the country of -the lynxes. The barter began, and when at nightfall the Indians -departed not a skin was left amongst them. - -[Sidenote: Departure of the English.] - -It was now time to think of departure. As absent men tell no tales, it -was decided to despatch Bridgar and his companions first. But at the -last moment some trouble seems to have arisen as to which vessel the -English should have to convey them to more hospitable shores. Bridgar -himself would have preferred to go in the ship, and at first his -passage had been arranged for in that craft; but it was at length -settled that he should be carried with the brothers-in-law in their -barque. - -After numerous vicissitudes, which would need a volume to describe, -the _St. Anne_ arrived at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. - -At Tadoussac was a trading post belonging to the French: and the sight -of it seems to have inspired either one or both of these -conscienceless adventurers with the idea of lightening their load of -furs, which consisted of above two thousand skins, though this cargo -only represented about one-third of the number they had actually -secured by cheating, robbery and intrigue in the country of the Bay. - -Having in this nefarious manner disposed of about half of La -Chesnaye's property jointly with themselves, they again set sail and -arrived at Quebec on the 26th of October. - -Immediately on their arrival they went to report themselves to M. de -la Barre, the Governor, La Chesnaye being fortunately, or -unfortunately, absent in Montreal. The Governor thought proper to -return the _Susan_ to the New England merchants, with a warning not -to send again to the place from which she had just come, and the -Company's ill-starred Governor, Bridgar, together with young Gillam, -sailed on board her for New England. - -"We parted," says Radisson with that matchless audacity of statement -for which his narrative deserves to be famous, "on friendly terms; and -he (Bridgar) could testify that I let him know at the time my -attachment; and yet, that I wished still to act as heartily in the -service of the King and the nation as I wished to do for France." - -This hardly tallies with Bridgar's evidence before the Company, that -Radisson was "a cheat, a swindler, and a black-hearted, infamous -scoundrel," and that he was "a born intriguing traitor." As for the -elder Gillam, he was heard to declare, when he had at length arrived -on the frail and half-rotten craft which bore him and his unhappy -comrades to New England, that he would not die happy until his "hangar -had dipped into the blood of the French miscreant, Radisson." - -[Sidenote: Radisson and Groseilliers leave Quebec.] - -Quebec soon got too hot for both of the brothers-in-law. Between the -unfortunate La Chesnaye, who saw himself some thousand crowns out of -pocket, and the Governor, who had received orders from France to -despatch to the Court the two adventurers who seemed bent on making -trouble between the two crowns, Radisson and Groseilliers decided to -leave Quebec, which they did in about a fortnight after their arrival. - -The exact date of their departure was the 11th of November, 1683, and -it was effected on board a French frigate which had brought troops to -the colony. But though the captain of the frigate made all haste, the -frail and shattered _St. Anne_, with Captain Gillam on board, arrived -in Europe before them; and soon England was ringing with his story of -the dastardly encroachment of the French into the realms of the -Company at Port Nelson.[18] - -FOOTNOTE: - -[18] The material for the two last chapters has been derived chiefly -from a pamphlet entitled "French Villainy in Hudson's Bay"; Radisson's -own narrative, and the "Journal" of Gillam, the elder, supplied to -Dongan. Radisson's narrative, divided into two parts, is written in a -clear, legible character, and evinces that its author was a person of -some education. The first part is in English, and was long the -property of Samuel Pepys. Some years after Pepys' death, the -manuscript was purchased for a trifle by Rawlinson, the bibliophile. -The second part, recounting the voyages to Hudson's Bay in 1682-84, is -half in French and half in English; it is now in the Bodleian library. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -1684-1687. - - Hays writes to Lord Preston -- Godey sent to Radisson's - lodgings -- La Barre's strenuous efforts -- Radisson returns to - the English -- He leaves for the Bay -- Meets his nephew - Chouart -- Fort Bourbon surrendered to the Company -- - Radisson's dramatic return to London. - - -[Sidenote: Lord Preston informed of the return of Radisson and -Groseilliers.] - -Lord Preston, who, in the year 1684, held the post of Ambassador -Extraordinary of King Charles II. at the Court of Versailles, was -advised of the return to Paris of the bushranger Radisson in these -terms:-- - - "My Lord: It has just reached our ears and that of his Royal - Highness the Duke of York, Governor of the Honourable Hudson's - Bay Company, that the person who has caused all the recent - trouble in the Hudson's Bay regions whereby our merchants have - suffered so much at the hands of the French, is at this moment - in Paris. As it is much in the interests of the nation as of - the Company that there should be no repetition of these - encroachments and disturbances, it might be advantageous for - your Lordship to see this Mr. Radisson who, it is believed, - could be brought over again to our service if he were so - entreated by your Lordship. His Royal Highness, together with - the other Honourable partners, are convinced from his previous - conduct that it matters little to Mr. Radisson under whose - standard he serves; and that, besides, he is secretly well - disposed toward us, and this in spite of his late treacherous - exploits which have given great offence to the nation and - damage to the Company." - - [Illustration: CAPTAIN GODEY'S VISIT TO RADISSON. - (_See page 112._)] - -This private note was signed by Sir John Hays and Mr. Young on behalf -of the Company. On its receipt by Lord Preston, he at once sent his -attache, Captain Godey, to seek out Radisson and make overtures to -him. On the third floor of a house in the Faubourg St. Antoine, -surrounded by a number of his relations and boon companions, the -dual traitor was discovered, deeply engaged in drinking healths and in -retailing his adventures to the applause of an appreciative circle. -Upon the walls and mantelpiece of the apartment, and such meagre -furniture as it boasted, were disposed numerous relics and trophies, -bespeaking a thirty years' career in the Transatlantic wilderness. - -[Sidenote: Radisson's appearance in Paris.] - -"Radisson himself," remarks Godey, "was apparelled more like a savage -than a Christian. His black hair, just touched with grey, hung in a -wild profusion about his bare neck and shoulders. He showed a swart -complexion, seamed and pitted by frost and exposure in a rigorous -climate. A huge scar, wrought by the tomahawk of a drunken Indian, -disfigured his left cheek. His whole costume was surmounted by a wide -collar of marten's skin; his feet were adorned by buckskin moccasins. -In his leather belt was sheathed a long knife." Such was the picture -presented by this uncouth, adventurous Huguenot, not merely in the -seclusion of his own lodgings, but to the polished and civilized folk -of Paris of the seventeenth century. What were the projects harboured -in this indomitable man's mind? In spite of his persistent intrigues -it is to be doubted if he, any more than Medard Chouart des -Groseilliers, was animated by more than a desire to pursue an exciting -and adventurous career. Habitually holding out for the best terms, he -does not appear to have saved money when it was acquired, but spent it -freely. When he died he was in receipt of a pension from the Company, -so far insufficient to provide for his manner of living that they were -forced to pay his remaining debts. - -Unabashed by the surroundings thus presented to him, Captain Godey -announced himself, shook hands with the utmost cordiality with -Radisson, and pleaded to be allowed to join in the convivial -proceedings then in progress. The better to evince his sincerity, -without further ceremony he accepted and drank as full a bumper of bad -brandy and applauded with as much heartiness as any man of the party -the truly astonishing tales of their host. - -Godey was the last of the guests to depart. - -"Look you," said he, when he and Radisson were alone together, "you, -monsieur, are a brave man, and it does not become the brave to harbour -vengeance. Nor does it become a brave nation to think hardly of any -man because of his bravery, even though that nation itself be a -sufferer. You know," he pursued, "what is said about you in England?" - -Radisson interrupted his guest by protesting with warmth that he -neither knew nor cared anything about such a matter. - -"It is said, then," answered Godey, "that you have been a traitor to -the king, and that there is no authority or defence for your conduct. -You and Groseilliers, whilst professing friendship for the English -Company have done them great injury, and endangered the peace between -the two crowns." - -"I am sorry," rejoined Radisson, "but all that I and my brother-in-law -have done, is to be laid at the door of the Hudson's Bay Company. We -wished honestly to serve them, but they cast us away as being no -longer useful, when now they see what it is they have done, and how -foolishly they have acted in listening to the counsels of Governor -Bridgar. We really bear them no ill-will, neither the Company nor his -Royal Highness."[19] - -[Sidenote: Godey's report.] - -The gallant emissary reported the tenor of this conversation forthwith -to his master, and both were agreed as to the sort of man they had to -deal with. Godey expressed himself convinced that there would be -little difficulty in inducing Radisson to return to the Company's -service. On this advice Preston at once wrote off to Mr. Young, -telling him not to further press the Company's memorial to the King, -nor to seek to have the French Court take cognizance of, and award -recompense for, the wrongs done the English interests. "Radisson has -done this thing out of his own head, and he is the one man competent -to undo it. He is, I learn, well-disposed to the English, and there is -no reason, if proper overtures be made him, why he should not do more -for the English interests in that region than he has yet done." - -At the same time La Barre, the French Governor, was urged to make the -most strenuous efforts to retain the advantages for the French by the -two adventurers. A royal despatch of August 5th, 1683, and signed by -Lewis himself, had already been sent, in these words:-- - - "I recommend you to prevent the English as much as possible - from establishing themselves in Hudson's Bay, possession - whereof was taken in my name several years ago; and as Colonel - d'Unguent,[20] appointed Governor of New York by the King of - England, has had precise orders on the part of the said King to - maintain good correspondence with us and carefully to avoid - whatever may interrupt it, I doubt not the difficulties you - have experienced will cease for the future." - -Lewis was by no means desirous of rendering the position of his fellow -monarch over the Channel uncomfortable. He was disposed to yield in a -small matter when he had his own way in most of the large ones. Had -Charles yielded to French representations about Port Nelson he would -have given great offence to his brother the Duke of York. Indeed, -there is little doubt that had the Company not boasted members of such -distinction, or the patronage of royalty, the French would have at -this juncture forced their demands and overwhelmed the English -possession. Radisson appears to have got wind of the situation and -this was, perhaps, to him a greater argument for returning to the -service of the power likely to be most permanent in Hudson's Bay. He, -however, hung about idle in Paris for some weeks, in a state of -indecision. Had M. de Seignely exerted his full powers of persuasion, -he might have induced our bushranger to remain in the service of -Lewis. But no such inducement was offered. There is some reason to -believe that M. de Seignely undervalued Radisson; but in any case the -apathy of the Court influenced his actions. - -The bushranger was, on the other hand, exhorted to return to his first -engagement with the English, Lord Preston assuring him that if he -could in reality execute what he proposed, he would receive in England -from his Majesty, from his Royal Highness, from the Company, and from -the nation, "every sort of good treatment and entire satisfaction." -The Duke's especial protection was also guaranteed. Radisson, none too -punctilious, at length made up his mind as to the course he would -pursue. - -"I yielded," says he, "to these solicitations and determined to go to -England forever, and so strongly bind myself to his Majesty's service, -and to that of those interested in the nation, that no other cause -could ever detach me from it." - -[Sidenote: Radisson decides to join the English.] - -But in order that he might have an excuse for his conduct, the very -day that he arrived at this decision he is found writing to the French -Minister demanding a certain grant in the north-west of Canada as an -alternative to a former proposal that "in consideration of his -discoveries, voyages and services he should be given every fourth -beaver, trapped or otherwise caught in those territories." M. de -Seignely had no suspicion of the depth of Radisson's duplicity. The -minister thought him "a vain man, much given to boasting, who could do -much harm, and had therefore best have his vanity tickled at home." - -Up to the very eve of his departure, April 24, 1684, he was a daily -attendant on the minister or his subordinates of the Department of -Marine and Commerce. He was not always favoured with an audience; but -when listened to spoke vaguely of fitting out and equipping vessels -for trade on voyages similar to those he had already undertaken. His -_naivete_, to use no harsher term, is remarkable. - -"In order," says he, "that they should not suspect anything by my -sudden absence, I told them I was obliged to take a short trip into -the country on friendly family matters. _I myself made good use of -this time to go to London._" - -He arrived in the English capital on the 10th of May, and immediately -paid his respects to Mr. Young. The project for regaining possession -of York Factory was canvassed. Radisson estimated that there would be -between fifteen and twenty thousands beaver skins in the hands of his -nephew, awaiting shipment. The partners appeared more than satisfied, -and Radisson met with a most cordial reception. He was assured that -the Company had entire confidence in him, and that their greatest -regret was that there had been any misunderstanding between them. They -would, it was declared on their behalf, make all amends in their -power. - -For a few weeks the Hudson's Bay bushranger found himself a lion. He -was presented to the King in the course of a _levee_. Charles listened -with the greatest assumption of interest to the adventurer's account -of himself, and to his asseverations of loyalty and good will. -Radisson in the evening was taken to the play-house in the suite of -his Royal Highness, and there by his bizarre attire attracted almost -as much attention amongst the audience as the play itself. - -"To the Duke's Play-house," writes John Selwyn to his wife, "where -Radisson, the American fur-hunter, was in the Royal box. Never was -such a combination of French, English and Indian savage as Sir John -Kirke's son-in-law. He was not wont to dress so when he was last here, -but he has got him a new coat with much lace upon it, which he wears -with his leather breeches and shoes. His hair is a perfect tangle. It -is said he has made an excellent fortune for himself." - -[Sidenote: Radisson's departure for Hudson's Bay.] - -After a number of conferences with the partners, Radisson finally -departed from Gravesend on May 17. Three ships set sail, that in which -Radisson was embarked being named the _Happy Return_. The elements -being favourable, the little fleet reached the Straits more speedily -than usual. The chief figure of this expedition, who had never borne a -part in any joint enterprise without being animated by jealousy and -distrust, found here ample scope for the exercise of his -characteristic vices. During nearly the entire period of the voyage he -evinced a perpetual and painful apprehension that one of the other -ships carrying officials and servants of the Company would, with -malicious intentions, arrive before him. - -His first concern on awaking in the morning was to be assured that the -companion vessels were in sight, and although the _Happy Return_ was -the most sluggish sailor of the trio, yet to such good purpose were -plied the bushranger's energies and promises that her commander's -seamanship made her a capital match for the others. - -But just before their destination was reached contrary winds, currents -and masses of floating ice brought about a separation, and Radisson -began to be assailed more than ever by the fear that the English -servants would arrive on the ground, overwhelm his nephew and the -other French without his assistance, and thus frustrate all his plans -for claiming sole credit. And in truth this fear was very nearly -justified. Twenty leagues from Port Nelson the ship got blocked amidst -the masses of ice, and progress, except at a raft's pace, became out -of the question. In this dilemma, Radisson demanded of the captain a -small boat and seven men. His request being granted, it was launched, -and after undergoing forty-eight hours' fatigue, without rest or -sleep, the entrance to Nelson River was reached. Imagine Radisson's -surprise, as well as that of his companions, on beholding two ships at -anchor, upon one of which, a complete stranger to them, floated the -Royal Standard of England. - -[Sidenote: The presence of the French made known.] - -It was the English frigate which had entered at Port Nelson. The other -ship was the _Alert_, commanded by Captain Outlaw, having brought out -the Company's new Governor, William Phipps, the previous season. -Radisson boldly headed his boat for this vessel, and when he drew -near, perceived Bridgar's successor, with all his people in arms, on -the quarter-deck. The Governor, in a loud voice, instantly demanded to -know who Radisson was. Upon his making himself and his allegiance -known, they decided to permit him to board the Company's ship. The -bushranger first made it his care to be informed how the land lay, and -he was inwardly rejoiced to learn that the Governor and his men had -not dared to land, out of fear for the French and Indians, who were -considered hostile to the English interests. This was precisely the -situation Radisson most desired; a thought seems to have struck him -that after all, his nephew, Chouart, might prove intractable, and by -no means so easily won over as he had anticipated. It therefore -behooved him to act with adroitness and circumspection. Taking with -him two men, Radisson proceeded up country in the direction of the -abandoned York Factory, hourly hoping that they might discover -something, or at least they should make someone hear, or see a -friendly Indian, by firing musket shots or making a smoke. The attempt -was not fruitless, as he tells us, for after a while they perceived -ten canoes with Indians coming down the river. "At first," he says, "I -thought some Frenchmen might be with them, whom my nephew might have -sent to discover who the new arrivals were." Upon this supposition -Radisson severed himself from his comrades, and going to meet the -savages he made the usual signs to them from the bank, which the -Indians at first seemed to respond to in no amiable spirit. Albeit, on -addressing them in their own tongue, he was immediately recognized, -the Indians testifying by shouts and playful postures to their joy at -his arrival. He quickly learned from them that his nephew and the -other Frenchmen were above the rapids, four leagues from the place -where they then were. They had expected Groseilliers would accompany -Radisson, and when they expressed surprise that this was not the case, -Radisson did not scruple to tell them that Groseilliers awaited him at -a short distance. - -"But what," asked Radisson, "are you doing here? What brings you into -this part of the country and in such numbers?" - -The savage leader's sudden confusion betrayed him to Radisson. The -circumstance of the Indians voluntarily seeking trade with the English -greatly simplified the situation. - -"Look you," said he, heartily, at the same time calling to Captain -Geyer, who was in ambush hard by, "I am glad to find you seeking trade -with the English. I have made peace with the English for the love of -our Indian brothers; you, they and I are to be henceforth only one. -Embrace us, therefore, in token of peace; this (pointing to Geyer) is -your new brother. Go immediately to your son at the fort yonder and -carry him these tidings and the proofs of peace. Tell him to come and -see me at this place, while the others will wait for me at the mouth -of the river." - -It should be mentioned that the chief of this band had previously -announced himself as young Chouart's sire, according to the Indian -custom. He now readily departed on his mission. - -Radisson passed an anxious night. The sun had been risen some hours -before his eyes were gladdened by the sight of a canoe, in which he -descried Chouart. The young man's countenance bore, as well it might, -an expression of profound amazement; and at first hardly the bare -civilities of relationship passed between the pair. Chouart waited -patiently for his uncle to render an explanation of the news which had -reached him. Silently and slowly they walked together, and after a -time the prince of liars, traitors, adventurers and bushrangers began -his account of his position. - -Radisson states that his nephew immediately acquiesced in his scheme. -A memoir penned in 1702, the year of Radisson's death, by M. Barthier, -of Quebec, asserts that the young man received with the utmost -disgust, and flatly declined to entertain, his relative's proposals. -He expressed, on the other hand, the greatest grief on hearing the -news; for he had begun to believe that it was through their efforts -that the dominion of the king had been extended in that region. Now it -appeared that this labour had all been in vain. It was only his love -for his mother, Radisson's sister, which prevented an open rebellion -on the part of Chouart against the proposed treachery. - -[Sidenote: Chouart surrenders to Radisson.] - -No rupture took place; the stronger and more crafty spirit prevailed. -Chouart surrendered on the following day his command of the fort. He -had, he complained, expected a far different fate for the place and -his men. The tattered old _fleur de lis_ standard brought by the _St. -Anne's_ captain from Quebec was lowered and the English emblem, with -the device of the Company, run up in its stead. All the forces were -assembled and amidst cheers for King Charles and the Honourable -Adventurers, the Company's Governor took formal possession. - -But the French bushrangers and sailors watched these proceedings with -melancholy dissatisfaction, not, perhaps, as much from patriotic -motives as from the frailty of their own tenure. They could no longer -be assured of a livelihood amongst so many English, who bore -themselves with so haughty a mien. - -Radisson proceeded to make an inventory of all the skins on hand, -together with all those concealed in _caches_ in the woods. The -results showed 239 packages of beaver, or about 12,000 skins, together -with merchandise sufficient to barter for seven or eight thousand -more. Instructions were now given by Radisson, the Governor remaining -passive, to have all these goods taken in canoes to the ships. - -It now only remained for the bushranger to accomplish one other object -before setting sail with the cargo for England. Radisson speaks of -himself as having a secret commission, but no authority can be found -for his statement. It involved the retention in the Company's service -of his nephew and the other Frenchmen; but even assuming that Radisson -were armed with any such instructions, the plan was not likely to -enjoy the approval of Governor Phipps, who, if he were at the outset -of his term of office determined upon any one thing, it was that Fort -Nelson should be cleared of Frenchmen. Exactly how this was to be -arranged was not quite clear, especially as there was yet no open -rupture between the two authorities. But for such a rupture they had -not long to wait. They were destined on the very eve of his departure -to be involved in a quarrel. - -[Sidenote: Dispute between Radisson and the Governor.] - -Some years before an Assiniboine chief named Ka-chou-touay had taken -Radisson to his bosom and adopted him as his son with all the -customary ceremonies. This formidable chief, who had been at war with -a neighbouring tribe at the time of his adopted son's arrival in the -country, now put in an appearance. Instead of the joy Radisson -expected it was with reproaches that he was greeted. Ka-chou-touay -informed him that a brother chief of his, named La Barbe, with one of -his sons, had been killed while expostulating with a party of English. -The consequences of this rash action might be so grave that Radisson -felt it to be his duty to resort to the Governor and demand that his -servants should be punished for the crime, or else he would not be -answerable for the consequences. The Governor does not appear to have -taken Radisson's demand in good part, declining altogether to -intervene in the matter. The other now proceeded to commands and -threats. He asserted that as long as he remained in the country the -Governor was his subordinate, which greatly angered that official and -high words passed. - -The task the Governor had set himself was by no means easy, especially -if he wished to avoid bloodshed. But the plan of overpowering and -disarming the French was finally accomplished through strategy. All -were escorted aboard the ship, even to Chouart himself, and on the -fourth of September sail was set. - -On this voyage Radisson's state of mind rivalled that which he had -experienced when outward bound. His late anxiety to be the first upon -the scene at Port Nelson was paralleled now by his desire to be the -first in London. If happily, the Company should first hear an account -of what had transpired from himself, he felt convinced full measure of -justice would be done him. If, on the other hand, Governor Phipps' -relation were first received there was no knowing how much prejudice -might be raised against him. - -Great as was his impatience, he managed to hide it with adroitness, so -that none save his nephew suspected the intention he shortly executed. -The captain, crew and Company's servants left the ship leisurely at -Portsmouth. Those going up to London lingered for the coach, but not -so with Radisson, who instantly made his way to the post-house, where -he hired a second-rate steed, mounted it and, without the courtesy of -an adieu to his late comrades, broke into a gallop, hardly restrained -until London bridge was reached. - -[Sidenote: Phipps' letter to the Company.] - -His arrival took place close upon midnight, but late as was the hour, -he took no thought of securing lodging or of apprising his wife of -his advent. He spurred on his stumbling horse to the dwelling of Mr. -Young, in Wood Street, Cheapside. The honourable adventurer had -retired for the night, but, nevertheless, in gown and night-cap -welcomed Radisson with great cordiality. He listened, we are told, -with the greatest interest and satisfaction to the bushranger's tale, -garnished with details of his own marvellous prowess and zeal for the -Company. Nor, perhaps, was Radisson less satisfied when, on attaining -his own lodging, he pondered on the day's exploits. He slumbered -little, and at eleven o'clock Young was announced, and was ushered in, -declaring that he had already been to Whitehall and apprised the Court -of the good news. His Majesty and his Royal Highness had expressed a -wish to see Radisson, the hero of these great doings, and Young was -accordingly brought to escort the bushranger into the Royal presence. -It was a triumph, but a short-lived one. Radisson had hardly left the -precincts of the Court, his ears still ringing with the praises of -King and courtiers, than the Deputy-Governor, Mr. Dering, received -Phipps' account of the affair, which was almost as unfair to Radisson -and the part he had played in the re-capture of Port Nelson, as -Radisson's own account was flattering. - -On the receipt of the report, a General Court of the Adventurers was -held on September 26th. By the majority of members the bushranger was -hardly likely to be accorded full justice, for great offence had been -given by his presentation at Court and the extremely informal manner -of his arrival. Despite the friendliness of Hays, Young and several -other partners, Radisson was not again granted a position of authority -in the Company's service. - -In the meanwhile young Chouart, being detained in England against his -wish, decided to write to Denonville and propose to accompany his -uncle to Port Nelson and make his escape and gain Quebec by land. The -Governor forwarded this letter to Paris and demanded permission to -promise fifty pistoles to those who would seize the traitor Radisson -and bring him to Quebec. The minister complied. But in March, 1687, -he had had no success. "The misfortune," says the minister, "that the -man Radisson has done to the colony, and that he is still capable of -doing if he remains longer amongst the English, should oblige -Denonville and Champagne to make every effort to seize him and so -judgment will be held out." Radisson did, it is true, make another -voyage to Hudson's Bay, but his sojourn was of brief duration, and a -plot set on foot to seize him failed. - -Not long afterwards, "Peter Raddison" is found to be in receipt of a -pension of ten pounds a month from the Company, which he continued to -enjoy for many years to the time of his death at Islington, in 1702. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[19] As an example of the absurd legends current some years later, and -perpetuated, I am sorry to say, to a later day, it would be hard to -match this, from La Potherie: - -"He (Preston) promised to Godey, one of his domestics, to create him -perpetual secretary of the Embassy, providing he engaged Radisson in -his party. Godey, the better to succeed, promised Radisson his -daughter in marriage, whom he (Radisson) espoused." (La Potherie, Vol. -I, p. 145.) Godey was _aide-de-camp_ to Preston; he may have had a -daughter, but Radisson certainly did not espouse her, inasmuch as he -was already married to Sir John Kirke's daughter, who was still -living. - -[20] This is M. de la Barre's quaint fashion of spelling Dongan. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -1683-1686. - - Feigned Anger of Lewis -- He writes to La Barre -- Importance - Attached to Indian Treaties -- Duluth's zeal -- Gauthier de - Comportier -- Denonville made Governor -- Capture of the - _Merchant of Perpetuana_ -- Expedition of Troyes against the - Company's Posts in the Bay -- Moose Fort Surrendered. - - -When the news of the expedition of 1684 reached the Court of -Versailles, Lewis professed anger that the peace between the two -crowns should be broken even in that remote corner of the world. He -related the discussion which had taken place between the English -ambassador and himself with regard to Radisson's treachery. He had -been happy, he said, to inform King Charles's representative that he -was unwilling to afford his "brother of England" any cause of -complaint. Nevertheless, as he thought it important to prevent the -English from establishing themselves in that river, it would be well -to make a proposal to the commandant at Hudson's Bay that neither -French nor English should have power to make any new establishments. - -Long before that he had written to Governor La Barre, in no measured -terms, demanding of him what he meant by releasing the Boston vessel, -the _Susan_, without calling on the Intendant, or consulting the -sovereign council. - -"You have herein done," said he, "just what the English would be able -to make a handle of, since in virtue of your ordinance you caused a -vessel to be surrendered which ought strictly to be considered a -pirate, as it had no commission; and the English will not fail to say -that you so fully recognized the regularity of the ship's papers as to -surrender it." - -[Sidenote: Duluth in the West.] - -Simultaneously with the receipt of this letter from his monarch, there -came to the perplexed Governor a letter from the Sieur Duluth, stating -that at great expense of presents he had prevented the western tribes -from further carrying their beaver trade to the English. He had, it -appeared, met the Sieur de la Croix with his two comrades, who had -presented the despatches in which the Governor had urged him to use -every endeavour in forwarding letters to Chouart, at Nelson River. - -"To carry out your instructions," wrote Duluth, "there was only -Monsieur Pere, who would have to go himself, the savages having all at -that time withdrawn into the interior." He added that Pere had left -during the previous month, and doubtless at that time had accomplished -his mission. Duluth invariably expressed himself with great confidence -on the subject of the implicit trust which the savages reposed in him. -More than once in his letters, as well as in verbal messages forwarded -to his superiors, he boasted that before a couple of years were out -not a single savage would visit the English at Hudson's Bay. To this -end they had bound themselves by the numerous presents they had -received at his hands; and he was assured that they would not go back -on their word. - -As with Duluth so with the other officials, pioneers and emissaries -amongst the French, great importance was attached to treaties and -compacts with the aborigines. Every endeavour was made to obtain the -good-will and amity of the Indians. - -[Sidenote: French and English relations with the Indians.] - -Perhaps nothing exhibits so powerfully the totally differing attitude -and motives of the Company, compared with the French traders, than the -manner in which, in those early times, the Red man was trusted and -believed by the one and distrusted and contemned by the other. One may -peruse neither the narratives of the Jesuits nor of the traders -without an emotion of awe at the simple faith of those pioneers in the -honesty and probity of the Red men. To the very end, when disaster -succeeding disaster overwhelmed the propaganda of Loyola amongst the -northern tribes and exterminated its disciples, we read of the -Frenchman trusting to the word and deferring to the prejudices of his -Indian brother. It was as if the latter were indeed of a common -steadfastness and moral nature with his own. Contrast that trait in -the English character which is exhibited in his early dealings with -inferior and black peoples in India and Africa, to that he has -retained to the present day. Never was the contrast greater than -during the acute conflict of English and French interests in Hudson's -Bay at this time. The early governors and traders almost without -exception openly despised the Indian and secretly derided his most -solemn counsels. August treaties were set aside on the most flimsy -pretexts, and if the virtues of the savages were too highly esteemed -by the French, they were on the other hand perhaps much too cheaply -held by their rivals. - -But to whatever extent they may have held themselves bound by compacts -of this kind, the Company's officials were not so foolish as to doubt -their potency amongst savages. Thus we find that from the years 1682 -to 1688 the Company regularly instructed its servants to enact the -strongest treaties with the "captains and kings of the rivers and -territories where they had settlements." "These compacts," observes -one of the Company's servants, "were rendered as firm and binding as -the Indians themselves could make them. Ceremonies of the most solemn -and sacred character accompanied them." - -Duluth had already built a fort near the River a la Maune, at the -bottom of Lake Nepigon, and thither he expected at least six of the -northern nations to resort in the spring. Lest this should not be -sufficient for the purpose he designed building another in the -Christineaux River, which would offer an effectual barrier to the -expansion of the English trade. With characteristic zeal Duluth, in a -letter written at this time, concluded with these words: - -"Finally, sir, I wish to lose my life if I do not absolutely prevent -the savages from visiting the English." - -But with every good will to serve his monarch and stifle in infancy -the growing trade of the Hudson's Bay Company in the northern regions, -Duluth vastly undervalued the forces of circumstance as well of -enterprise at the command of the enemy. The plans of the French were -destined to be confounded by the unforeseen and treacherous action of -Radisson and Chouart in the following year. - -"What am I to do?" now became the burden of La Barre's appeals to the -King. The young priest who acted as his secretary at Quebec was kept -perpetually writing to Versailles for instructions. His letters are -long, and filled with explanations of the situation, which only served -to confuse his superiors. Fearful of offending the English on one hand -and thereby precipitating New France in a war with New England, and on -the other of arousing the resentment of the colonists by a supine -behaviour, the unhappy Denonville was in an unpleasant dilemma. - -"Am I to oppose force to force?" he asks in one letter. "Am I to -venture against those who have committed these outrages against your -Majesty's subjects at sea? It is a matter in which your Majesty will -please to furnish me with some precise and decisive orders whereunto I -shall conform my conduct and actions." - -[Sidenote: Lewis unwilling to oppose the English.] - -But the Most Christian King was by no means anxious to quarrel with -his cousin Charles either for the dominion of, or the fur-trade -monopoly in, the north. Charles was in possession of a handsome -subsidy paid out of the exchequer of Lewis. Europe was spectator of -the most cordial relations between these two monarchs, relations which -are described by more than one candid historian as those commonly -subsisting between master and vassal. That tempest of indignation -which was to break over England in the reign of Charles's successor -would have not so long been deferred had but a real knowledge of the -"good understanding and national concord" been known to Englishmen at -large. - -Under the circumstances it is not surprising that Lewis concluded to -do nothing. It was not that opportunities to regain what was lost were -lacking. An old soldier, Gauthier de Comportier, who with a number of -other patriots had learned of the jeopardy in which French interests -lay in the north, presented a memoir to the King offering, if a grant -were made him, to win all back from the English and to establish three -posts on the Bourbon River. The grant was refused. - -A change then came which altered the aspect of affairs. - -In February, 1685, Charles II. died, and the Duke of York, second -Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, ascended the throne of England. -Lewis was not the last to perceive that the accession of James would -cause but little real difference, as the latter and himself were bound -together by ties as strong as had bound Charles, yet saw at the same -time that full advantage might safely be reaped from the change of -monarchs. Proceedings were instantly therefore set on foot to retrieve -the fortunes of the French in the fur countries. - -The conduct of Groseilliers and Radisson had deeply offended the -inhabitants of Quebec. An excited populace burnt the pair in effigy, -and a decree was issued for their arrest should they at any time be -apprehended, and for their delivery to those whom they had betrayed. -But it was the anger of La Chesnaye and his associates of the Company -which was especially strong. An expedition which they had sent out to -Port Nelson, with the intention of collecting the wealth in peltries, -returned to the St. Lawrence without so much as a single beaver. - -The success of the English made some decided action on the part of the -French inevitable. La Barre was recalled and his successor, the -Marquis de Denonville, determined to take matters into his own hands, -rather than see the interests of New France in the Bay suffer. He -relied upon the success of the expedition to atone for the boldness of -the initiative, but his action was not taken without repeated warnings -addressed to the Minister. "All the best of our furs, both as to -quality and quantity, we must expect to see shortly in the hands of -the English." If the English were not expelled they would secure all -the fat beaver from an infinite number of tribes in the north who were -being discovered every day; besides abstracting the greater portion of -the peltries that ordinarily reached them at Montreal through the -Ottawas, Assiniboines and other tribes.[21] - -[Sidenote: The French capture a Company's ship.] - -In the month of July, 1685, two ships belonging to the French Company, -returning in disappointment to Canada from Port Nelson, met, at the -mouth of the Straits, one of the Hudson's Bay Company's vessels named -the _Merchant of Perpetuana_, commanded by one Edward Humes. She was -bound for York Fort with a cargo of merchandise and provisions. No -time was lost on the part of the French in intercepting her. Captain -Humes not surrendering with sufficient alacrity to please the enemy, -the _Merchant of Perpetuana_ was boarded and forcibly possessed in the -name of King Lewis. Several English sailors lost their lives. The -vessel having been seized in this manner, her prow was headed for -Quebec, where her master and crew were summarily cast into gaol. - -After a miserable confinement, lasting eleven months, the sufferings -of Captain Humes ended with his death, and the other prisoners, -exposed to the insults and indignities of the Quebec populace, were -ultimately sent away to Martinique on board their own ship, and there -sold as slaves. The mate, Richard Smithsend by name, managed to -escape. Upon reaching London the tale he unfolded to his employers -excited general indignation. A memorial of the outrage, couched in -vigorous language, was presented to the King, but James, resolved not -to give offence to his friend and ally the Most Christian King, took -no notice of the matter. - -Amongst the French in Canada there were not wanting bold spirits to -follow up this daring stroke. Chief amongst them, not merely for the -character of his achievements, but for his uncommon and romantic -personality, was the Chevalier de Troyes. This Canadian nobleman, who -was of advanced years, was a retired captain in the army. He believed -he now saw an opportunity to win a lasting distinction, and to rival, -and perhaps surpass, the exploits of Champlain, Lusson, Frontenac and -the other hero-pioneers of New France. Scholarly in his tastes, and -frail of body, though by profession a soldier, he emerged from privacy -on Christmas Eve, 1685, and asked of the Governor a commission to -drive the English utterly from the Northern Bay. - -The authority the old soldier sought for was granted. He was empowered -to "search for, seize and occupy the most advantageous posts, to seize -the robbers, bushrangers and others whom we know to have taken and -arrested several of our French engaged in the Indian trade, whom we -order him to arrest, especially the said Radisson and his adherents -wherever they may be found, and bring them to be punished as -deserters, according to the rigour of the ordinances." The rigour of -the ordinances was death. - -Fourscore Canadians were selected to form part of the expedition -against the Hudson's Bay Company's posts by the Chevalier de Troyes. -For his lieutenants, the leader chose the three sons of a nobleman of -New France named Charles Le Moine. One, the eldest, a young man of -only twenty-five, was to bear an enduring distinction in the annals of -France as one of her most able and intrepid naval commanders. This was -the Sieur d'Iberville. His brothers, taking their names, as he had -done, from places in their native land, were called the Sieurs de -Sainte Helene and de Marincourt. Thirty soldiers were directly -attached to the Chevalier's command, veterans who had, almost to a -man, seen service in one or other of the great European wars. That -they might not be without the ministrations of religion, Father -Sylvie, a Jesuit priest, accompanied the expedition. - -[Sidenote: Expedition of de Troyes.] - -"The rivers," writes a chronicler of the Troyes expedition, "were -frozen and the earth covered with snow when that small party of -vigorous men left Montreal in order to ascend the Ottawa River as far -as the height of land and thence to go down to James' Bay." At the -beginning of April they arrived at the Long Sault, where they prepared -some canoes in order to ascend the Ottawa River. From Lake -Temiscamingue they passed many portages until they reached Lake -Abbitibi, at the entrance or most southern extremity of which they -built a small fort of stockades. After a short halt they continued -their course towards James' Bay. - -The establishment first doomed to conquest by Troyes and his -companions was Moose Factory, a stockade fort having four bastions -covered with earth. In the centre was a house forty feet square and as -many high, terminating in a platform. The fort was escaladed by the -French late at night and the palisades made short work of by the -hatchets of their bushrangers. - -Amongst the garrison none appears to have attempted a decent defence -save the chief gunner, who perished bravely at his post of duty.[22] A -cry for quarter went up and the English were made prisoners on the -spot. They were sixteen in number, and as the attack was made at night -they were in a state of almost complete undress. Troyes found in the -fort twelve cannon, chiefly six and eight-pounders, three thousand -pounds of powder and ten pounds of lead. - -[Sidenote: Capture of Moose Factory.] - -It is worthy of record that the capture was effected with an amount of -pomp and ceremony calculated to strike the deepest awe into the hearts -of those fifteen unhappy and not too intelligent Company's -apprentices, who knew nothing of fighting nor had bargained for -anything so perilous. For so small a conquest it was both preceded and -followed by almost as much circumstance as would have sufficed for the -Grand Monarque himself in one of his theatrical sieges. The Chevalier -announced in a loud voice that he took possession of the fort and -island "in the name of his Most Christian Majesty the Most High, Most -Mighty, Most Redoubtable Monarch Lewis XIV. of the Most Christian -Name, King of France and Navarre." In obvious imitation of Lusson, a -sod of earth was thrice raised in the air, whilst a cry of "Vive le -Roi" rang out over those waters wherein were sepultured the bodies of -Henry Hudson and his men. - - * * * * * - -NOTE.--The career of the Chevalier de Troyes ended abruptly and -tragically in 1687, when he and all his men, to the number of ninety, -were massacred at Niagara. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[21] Our Frenchmen have seen quite recently from Port Nelson some -Indians who were known to have traded several years ago at Montreal. -The posts at the head of the Bay Abbitibi and Nemisco can be reached -through the woods and seas; our Frenchmen are acquainted with the -road. But in regard to the posts occupied by the English in the River -Bourbon or Port Nelson it is impossible to hold any posts below them -and convey merchandise thither except by sea. Some pretend that it is -feasible to go thence overland; but the river to reach that quarter -remains yet to be discovered, and when discovered could only admit the -conveyance of a few men and not of any merchandise. In regard to -Hudson's Bay, should the King not think proper for enforcing the -reasons his Majesty has for opposing the usurpation of the English on -his lands, by the just titles proving his Majesty's possession long -before the English had any knowledge of the country, nothing is to be -done but to find means to support the Company of the said Bay, formed -in Canada, by the privilege his Majesty has been pleased this year to -grant to all his subjects of New France; and to furnish them for some -years with a few vessels of 120 tons, well armed and equipped. I hope -with this aid our Canadians will support this business, which will -otherwise perish of itself; whilst the English merchants, more -powerful than our Canadians, will with good ships continue their -trade, whereby they will enrich themselves at the expense of the -Colony and the King's revenue.--Despatch of Denonville, 12th November, -1685. - -[22] Iberville declares that he split his head into fragments. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -1686-1689. - - The French Attack upon Fort Rupert -- Governor Sargeant - Apprised -- Intrepidity of Nixon -- Capture of Fort Albany -- - Disaster to the _Churchill_ -- The Company Hears the ill News - -- Negotiations for Colonial Neutrality -- Destruction of New - Severn Fort -- Loss of the _Hampshire_ -- The Revolution. - - -Undecided whether to next attack Fort Rupert or Fort Albany, the -Chevalier de Troyes was prompted to a decision through learning that a -boat containing provisions had left Moose Factory on the previous day -bound for Rupert's River. Iberville was therefore sent with nine men -and two bark canoes to attack a sloop belonging to the Company then -lying at anchor at the mouth of the latter river with fourteen souls -aboard, including the Governor. To accomplish this stroke it was -necessary to travel forty leagues along the sea coast. The road was -extremely difficult and in places almost impassable. A shallop was -constructed to carry a couple of small cannon, and on the 25th of June -Troyes left for Fort Rupert. - -St. Helene was sent on in advance to reconnoitre the establishment. He -returned with the information that it was a square structure, flanked -by four bastions, but that all was in a state of confusion owing to -repairs and additions then being made to the fort. The cannon had not -yet been placed, being temporarily accommodated outside on the slope -of a redoubt. - -Before the attack, which could only have one issue, was made by the -land forces, Iberville had boarded the Company's sloop, surprised -captain and crew, and made all, including Governor Bridgar, prisoners. -Four of the English were killed. - -After this exploit Iberville came ashore, rejoined his superior and -overpowered the almost defenceless garrison of Fort Rupert. - -The French forces now united, and St Helene having been as successful -as his brother in securing the second of the Company's ships, all -embarked and sailed for the remaining post of the Company in that part -of the Bay. - - * * * * * - -Neither Troyes nor Iberville knew its precise situation; but a little -reconnoitring soon discovered it. Fort Albany was built in a sheltered -inlet forty yards from the borders of the Bay. Two miles to the -north-east was an _estrapade_ on the summit of which was placed a seat -for a sentinel to sight the ships expected from England and to signal -them if all was well. But on this morning, unhappily, no sentinel was -there to greet with a waving flag the Company's ship, on the deck of -which young Iberville stood. - -[Sidenote: Attack on Fort Albany.] - -Two Indians, however, brought Governor Sargeant tidings of the -approach of the enemy, and his previous successes at Moose and Rupert -rivers. The Governor immediately resolved upon making a bold stand; -all was instantly got in readiness to sustain a siege, and the men -were encouraged to behave with fortitude. Two hours later the booming -of cannon was heard, and soon afterwards a couple of skirmishers were -sighted at a distance. Despite the Governor's example, the servants at -the fort were thrown into the greatest confusion. Two of their number -were deputed by the rest to inform the Governor that they were by no -means disposed to sacrifice their lives without provision being made -for themselves and families in case of a serious issue. They were -prevailed upon by the Governor to return to their posts, and a bounty -was promised them. Bombardment by the French soon afterwards began, -and lasted for two days, occasionally replied to by the English. But -it was not until the evening of the second day that the first fatality -occurred, when one of the servants was killed, and this brought about -a mutiny. Elias Turner, the chief gunner, declared to his comrades -that it was impossible for the Governor to hold the place and that, -for his part, he was ready to throw himself on the clemency of the -French. Sargeant overhearing this declaration, drew his pistol and -threatened to blow out the gunner's brains if he did not return to -his post, and this form of persuasion proved effective. The French now -profited by the darkness to bring their cannon through the wood closer -to the fort; and by daybreak a series of heavy balls struck the -bastions, causing a breach. Bridgar and Captain Outlaw, then at Fort -Albany, were convinced that the enemy was undermining the powder -magazine, in which case they would certainly be blown up. - -The French from the ship had thrown up a battery, which was separated -from the moat surrounding the fort by less than a musket shot. None -ventured to show himself above ground at a moment of such peril. A -shell exploded at the head of the stairway and wounded the cook. The -cries of the French could now be distinctly heard outside the -fort--"Vive le Roi, vive le Roi." In their fright and despair the -English echoed the cry "Vive le Roi," thinking thereby to propitiate -their aggressors. But the latter mistook the cry for one of defiance, -as a token of loyalty to an altogether different monarch, and the -bullets whistled faster and thicker. Sargeant desired to lower the -flag floating above his own dwelling, but there was none to undertake -so hazardous a task. Finally Dixon, the under-factor, offered to show -himself and propitiate the French. He first thrust a white cloth from -a window and waved a lighted torch before it. He then called in a loud -voice, and the firing instantly ceased. The under-factor came forth, -fully dressed, and bearing two huge flagons of port wine. Walking -beyond the parapets he encountered both Troyes and Iberville, and by -the light of a full moon the little party of French officers and the -solitary Englishman sat down on the mounted cannon, or on the ground -beside it, broached the two flagons and drank the health of the two -kings, their masters. - -"And now, gentlemen," said Dixon, "what is it you want?" - -"Possession of your fort in the name of his Most Christian Majesty, -King Lewis XIV." - -Dixon, explaining that he was not master there, offered to conduct -this message to Sargeant, and in a very short time the French -commanders were seated comfortably within the house of the Governor. -The demand was again preferred, it being added that great offence had -been given by the action of the English in taking captive three French -traders, the previous autumn, and keeping them prisoners on ground -owned and ruled by the King of France. For this reason reparation was -demanded, and Sargeant was desired at once to surrender the fort. The -Governor was surprised at such extreme measures, for which he was -totally unprepared, but was willing to surrender upon terms of -capitulation. On the following morning these were arranged. - -[Sidenote: Capitulation of the fort.] - -It was agreed that Sargeant should continue to enjoy all his personal -effects; and further, that his deputy, Dixon, three domestics and his -servant, should accompany him out of the fort. It was also agreed that -Troyes should send the clerks and servants of the Company to Charlton -Island, there to await the arrival of the Company's ships from -England. In case of their non-arrival within a reasonable time, Troyes -promised to assist them to such vessel as he could command for the -purpose. The Frenchman also gave Sargeant the provisions necessary to -keep him and his companions from starvation. All quitted the fort -without arms, save Sargeant and his son, whose swords and pistols hung -at their sides. The Governor and his suite were provided with passage -to Hays Island, where he afterwards made his escape to Port Nelson. -The others were distributed between Forts Moose and Albany, and were -treated with considerable severity and hardship. - -Having attended to the disposition of his prisoners and their -property, Troyes, accompanied by Iberville, departed on 10th August -for Montreal. The gallant Chevalier and his associates would have been -glad to have pursued their successes, by crossing the Bay and -capturing York Factory. But although two ships belonging to the -Company had fallen to their lot, yet they could find none competent to -command them. The distance between Albany and Port Nelson was by water -two hundred and fifty leagues, and the road overland was as yet -unknown to the French. But it was not their purpose that it should -long remain so. In a letter to his official superior at Quebec, -Denonville, pursuing his way amongst the tribes of the Upper -Mississippi region, boasted that the next year would not pass without -their becoming acquainted with it. - -Wherefore Troyes suffered himself to be prevailed upon by Iberville, -and be content with the victories already won. They carried with them -in their journey more than 50,000 beaver as a trophy of their arms. -Many of the Hudson's Bay Company's servants were employed in bearing -the spoils. Along the dreary march several of these unhappy captives -were killed through the connivance of the French with the Indians; and -the survivors reached Quebec in a dreadfully emaciated and halt -condition. - -Troyes' victories were ludicrously exaggerated: his return, therefore, -was attended with much pomp. - -[Sidenote: French prisoners taken by the "Churchill."] - -Ignorant of Troyes and his conquests, the Company sent out its annual -expedition as usual in 1687. In the autumn of this year the -_Churchill_ was caught in the ice near Charlton Island. Iberville was -quickly apprised of this mishap, and sent a party of four across the -ice to reconnoitre. They appear to have been somewhat careless, for, -while one sank down from utter exhaustion, the others were surprised -by the Company's crew, seized and bound. One of the three, however, -managed to escape the fate of his companions, who were manacled and -placed in the bottom of the ship's hold, where they passed the winter. - -But the three Frenchmen enjoyed no monopoly of misfortune. The captain -of the ship, while hunting on the island in the early days of spring, -lost his life by drowning; and there were numerous minor calamities. -In May, preparation was made for departure, and as the English were -short-handed the two Frenchmen were forced to lend their aid. This -they did willingly, glad to exchange the open air of heaven for that -of the hold of the ship. One day, while most of the crew were aloft, -one of the Frenchmen, perceiving only two of his captors on deck, -furtively secured an axe. With this implement he silently split the -skulls of both men, and then ran to release his comrade temporarily -chained below. The pair seized fire-arms which they came upon in a -corner of the hold, and brandishing these in skilful fashion, they -suddenly changed from captives into masters. In opprobrious terms and -with violent gesticulations they dared the crew to come down from the -rigging, or indeed to lay a hand upon the fringe of a shroud; and -while one watched with two drawn pistols in hand the shivering seamen -in the shrouds and rigging, the other steered the ship towards -Rupert's River. How long this drama might have lasted it is hard to -say, for within a few hours Iberville and his ship hove in sight. He -had fitted out an expedition to rescue his men as soon as the ice -would permit, and now came and took charge of the _Churchill_ and all -on board. - -[Sidenote: News of the disaster reaches England.] - -The tidings of this expedition of the Chevalier Troyes, following -close upon the harrowing tale of Smithsend, the mate of the _Merchant -of Perpetuana_, excited the Adventurers to a pitch of fury. An -extraordinary general meeting was held and London was placarded with -an account of the outrages. A news-letter was issued at the Company's -expense detailing the events, and carrying them into the remotest -parts of the kingdom. Lord Churchill, who had succeeded King James in -the governorship of the Company, personally presented a petition of -the outraged Company of Adventurers to the King, wherein it was prayed -"that James would be pleased to afford them his Royal assistance and -Protection and that Your Majesty will demand and procure satisfaction -to be made them for all losses and damages they have suffered as well -formerly as by this last invasion." - -It is now necessary to mention what had been happening between the two -crowns between 1685 and 1688. - -In the first named year, in response to the pressure brought to bear -upon both by their subjects, James had agreed with Lewis to appoint a -joint commission to examine into the disputes between the two nations -and, if possible, effect a pacific settlement. - -Their respective possessions in America were giving the two Crowns so -much trouble and expense that they were ready to welcome any -arrangement which would reduce the burden. War between England and -France in the old days had been a simple matter, confined to -contiguous territory of whose geography and physical features they -knew something. But now the mother countries could not offer each -other hostilities without a score or so of their offspring colonies -springing at each other's throats. - -If war between France and England could only be confined to war -between France and England, and not be allowed to spread itself over -innumerable savage tribes and dependencies in North America, it was -felt that a great end would thereby be gained. - -[Sidenote: Negotiations for Colonial neutrality.] - -The point sought by both kings was to make America neutral. Such a -thing would have been excellent, had it but been possible. But the -futility of such an arrangement was instantly made manifest. Both -races in America were too eager and too anxious to reap the advantages -of war. It was not likely that the Colonial English would allow a rich -prize to pass them, only to be seized a hundred leagues farther east -by the home authorities. The Colonial French were not to be expected -in time of war to suffer tamely from competition in the fur-trade, -when the very principles of their allegiance urged them to forcible -retaliation. - -Even without the episode of the _Merchant of Perpetuana_ the rivalry -between the two nations for the fur-trade was so bitter as to be a -perpetual danger to peace. For this reason, and in order to mark some -delimitation to the trade of the two countries, the joint commission -had sat and examined into the matter. - -On the sixth of November, 1686, a treaty of neutrality had been -concluded between the two kings. It stipulated for a "firm peace, -union and concord, and good understanding between the subjects" of -James and Lewis. No vessels of either sovereign were thereafter to be -employed in attacking the subjects of the other in any of the -colonies. No soldiers of either king stationed in any of the colonies -were to engage in any act of hostility such as giving aid or succour -to men, or provisions to savages, at war with one another. But the -fourth article of this treaty was productive of much confusion and -misunderstanding. - -"It has been agreed," it ran, "that each of the said kings shall hold -the domains, rights, pre-eminences in the seas, straits and other -waters of America which, and in the same extent, of right belongs to -them; and in the same manner which they enjoy at present." - -Now, at the very moment this treaty was signed, the French, by the -victory of Troyes, were in possession of Fort Albany and the English -still held Port Nelson. As the liberty of navigation was not disturbed -by the Treaty it would appear that the French retained the right to -sail in the Bay. - -Commissioners were appointed to consider the carrying out of the -treaty, the Sieurs Barillon and Bonrepas acting on behalf of France, -and Lords Sutherland, Middleton and Godolphin for James. To these -commissioners the Company presented a further memorial, which dwelt -upon their grievances "for five years past, in a time of peace and -good correspondence between the two crowns." - -[Sidenote: Impracticability of the Treaty.] - -These commissioners appear to have done their best to arrange matters -satisfactorily; but such a result was impossible under the conditions. -They were privately instructed by their respective masters to agree to -hold the trade of Port Nelson in common. Such a proposal was extremely -impracticable, as that well-informed subject, Denonville, made haste -to inform his royal master. The proximity of the English, he declared, -in such a remote part would be a certain source of hostility on both -sides, and a dangerous temptation for numbers of "libertines," whom -the least dissatisfaction would induce to take refuge at Port Nelson. - -The "libertines" he thus alluded to were the bushrangers, who were -already giving the French great trouble and uneasiness through their -wild, undisciplined habits and their freedom from restraint. -Denonville added that the Hudson's Bay Company, paying higher prices -for beaver than the French could do, would always have a preference, -and consequently would almost monopolize the trade. It was therefore -better, in his opinion, to effect a compromise in the Bay, restoring -the three forts Troyes had taken in exchange for Port Nelson, which, -so he stated, was worth more than the other three together for trading -purposes. Besides, on the first rupture, it would be very easy to -retake them by an overland march, as Troyes had done. - -But such proposals on the part of the French were indignantly rejected -by the English Company. There was, therefore, nothing for it but a -_modus vivendi_, under which no further encroachments in the Bay were -to be made by either party. - -But whatever the intent of the negotiations, there was nothing to -compel the parties directly interested to observe them. The elated -French Company was too much inclined to retain what Troyes had wrested -from the English to adhere to sophistries and weak-kneed arguments. It -engaged Iberville to return to Fort Albany, upon which establishment -it had bestowed the name of St. Anne, and repulse the English should -their ships arrive and endeavour to land. Captain Moon, returning from -Port Nelson, did make an attempt with twenty-four men to surprise the -French. He built a station some eight miles distant; but Iberville -heard of it, marched thither with great despatch, and pursued them for -twenty miles. He then made preparations for seizing Captain Moon's -ship, embarking upwards of forty men in canoes and small boats for -this purpose. But those aboard her defeated his intention in the -night, by setting her on fire and making their escape to the shore, -where they rejoined their companions and made the best of their way -overland to New Severn, a fort which had been erected in the previous -year as a means of drawing trade away from the French conquerors in -the eastern parts of the Bay. - -Iberville was not long ignorant of the retreat of those who had -escaped him; nor of the prosperity which attended the new factory. He -arrived before New Severn in October, 1689, obtained its surrender -and took the Company's Governor prisoner. - -Amongst the Governor's papers which he seized was a letter from the -secretary of the Company, ordering him, on behalf of the partners, to -proclaim the Prince and Princess of Orange King and Queen of England, -showing that the chief spirits of the Company were not unfriendly to -those who precipitated the Revolution. - -Glorying in this new exploit, Iberville now returned to Fort St. Anne, -just in time to behold the spectacle of two strange ships standing off -in the Bay. - -The presence of these vessels was explained by the Company having sent -out an expedition, comprising eighty-three men of both crews, with -instructions to land on an island close to the Chechouan River and -establish a fort, from whence they could sally forth to the -re-conquest of Fort Albany. But already the winter had overtaken them, -and the two vessels were locked in the ice. Their fort was, however, -pretty well advanced, and they had landed a number of pieces of -cannon. Iberville lay in ambush and, watching his opportunity, when -twenty-one of the English were proceeding for a supply of stores to -the ship, intercepted them. The whole party fell into the hands of the -French; and Marincourt, with fourteen men, now began to reconnoitre -the forces on the island. A brisk cannonading ensued between the two -parties. After this had lasted some days Iberville found means to -summon the Company's commander to surrender, threatening him with no -quarter if he deferred compliance. - -[Sidenote: Surrender of the Company's ships to the French.] - -[Sidenote: Iberville's treacherous plan.] - -To this the Governor responded that he had been given to understand on -his departure from London that there was a treaty in force between the -two Crowns, and that it occasioned him much astonishment that the -French paid so little heed to it. Iberville's response was not exactly -truthful, for he declared that whether a treaty existed or not he had -not been the first to invade it; and that in any case he could waste -no time in parley. The Governor replied that his force was still a -strong one; but that he would not be averse to surrender if Iberville -would agree to reimburse the Company's officers out of the proceeds of -their store of furs; and also accord them a vessel wherewith to sail -away. This stipulation was granted; Iberville grimly remarking that it -was extraordinary what a large number of officers there were for so -small a company of men. He had already captured the captain of one of -the vessels and the surgeon; and there now remained thirteen others -who thus escaped scot-free from the clutches of the French. The amount -of wages demanded was close upon two thousand pounds. All the others -were made prisoners, including the pilots, of whom it is said there -were a number who had been despatched by the Admiralty to acquire a -knowledge of the Bay and Straits. All were carried off by Iberville to -Quebec, and Marincourt left behind with thirty-six men to guard the -two posts. The young commander did not this time proceed overland, but -having got possession of the Company's ship, the _Hampshire_, he -sailed northward for the Straits. He had scarcely reached the latitude -of Southampton Island when an English ship hove in sight, proceeding -in his direction. They came so close together as to exchange speech. -Iberville had taken the precaution to hoist the English flag, and the -presence of the prisoners caused implicit belief in his friendly -pretensions. He learned that young Chouart, Radisson's nephew, was on -board, and declares that he longed to attack openly the Company's -ship, but the insufficiency of his force to guard the prisoners -prevented him taking this course. He had, however, recourse to a -stratagem which nearly succeeded. The captain of the other ship agreed -to sail together in company through the Straits, and on the first -clear weather to pay a visit to Iberville's ship. It was, it is almost -needless to observe, the Frenchman's intention to seize the guileless -Englishman and his companions the moment they had reached his deck. -But storms intervening, this project fell through. The ships separated -and did not meet again. - -The Hudson's Bay Company was not a little puzzled at the non-arrival -of the _Hampshire_, which had been spoken thus happily in Hudson's -Straits. For a long time the vessel was believed to be lost; as, -indeed, she was, but not quite in the manner apprehended by her -owners. Possession was not regained for some years; and when the -_Hampshire_ sailed again for the Bay it was to encounter there -complete destruction in battle. - -As has been foreshadowed, in 1689 an event occurred which had been -brewing ever since James had relinquished the governorship of the -Company for the governorship of his subjects at large. William of -Orange landed at Plymouth, and the Revolution in England put a new -king on the English throne. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -1689-1696. - - Company's Claims Mentioned in Declaration of War -- Parliament - Grants Company's Application for Confirmation of its Charter -- - Implacability of the Felt-makers -- Fort Albany not a Success - in the hands of the French -- Denonville urges an Attack upon - Fort Nelson -- Lewis Despatches Tast with a Fleet to Canada -- - Iberville's Jealousy prevents its Sailing to the Bay -- - Governor Phipps Burns Fort Nelson -- Further Agitation on the - part of the French to Possess the West Main -- Company Makes - another attempt to Regain Fort Albany -- Fort Nelson - Surrendered to Iberville -- Its Re-conquest by the Company. - - -Upon William the Third's accession to the throne, the Company renewed -its claims to its property, and for reparation for the damages it had -suffered at the hands of the French in time of peace. - -"As to the article of the Company's losses, it will appear," it said, -"by a true and exact estimate, that the French took from the Company, -in full peace between 1682 and 1688, seven ships with their cargoes, -and six forts and factories, from which they carried away great stores -of goods laid up for trading with the Indians. The whole amounts to -L38,332 15s." - -To such effect was this memorial presented to the King that William -caused the hostile proceedings of Lewis in the Company's territory to -be inserted in one of the articles of his Declaration of War, in these -words:-- - - "But that the French King should invade our Caribbee Islands - and possess himself of our territories of the Province of New - York and Hudson's Bay, in hostile manner, seizing our forts, - burning our subjects' houses and enriching his people with the - spoil of our goods and merchandises, detaining some of our - subjects under the hardships of imprisonment, causing others to - be inhumanly killed, and driving the rest to sea in a small - vessel without food or necessaries to support them, are - actions not even becoming an enemy; and yet he was so far from - declaring himself so, that at that very time he was negotiating - here in England, by his Ministers, a treaty of neutrality and - good correspondence in America." - -Much has been made by later writers, hostile to the Company, of a -circumstance which soon afterwards took place. - -[Sidenote: The Company's charter confirmed.] - -Owing to the state of public feeling in England towards the Stewarts -at the time of the Revolution, the Company, keenly alive to the fact -of the exiled king's having been so recently its Governor, sought at -the beginning of William's reign to strengthen its position by an Act -of Parliament for the charter granted by Charles II. Why, have asked -its enemies, if the Company had the utmost confidence in its charter -did it resort to the Lords and Commons to have it confirmed? And why -was this confirmation limited to but seven years? I have already -answered the first question; as to the second, the Company itself -asked for no longer period. The proceeding was no secret; it was done -openly. Parliament made but one stipulation, and that at the instance -of the Felt-makers' Company; that the adventurers "should be obliged -to make at least two sales of 'coat beaver' annually, and not -exceeding four. These should be proportioned in lotts of about L100 -sterling each, and not exceeding L200. In the intervals of public -sales the Company should be debarred from selling beaver by private -Contract, or at any price than was sett up at the last Publick sale." - -The Company asked for a confirmation of its charter by Parliament as a -prudent course in uncertain times; and also in order to more firmly -establish its claim to reparation for damages. The nation's -representatives saw no reason why they should not issue a -confirmation; there being none, save the Felt-makers, to oppose it. - -[Sidenote: The Company increases its capital.] - -The charter being confirmed, it was decided that the nominal capital -of the Company should be increased to L31,500, several good reasons -being put forward in committee for thus trebling the stock. These -reasons are quaintly enumerated as follows: - -I--That the Company have actually in Warehouse above the value of -their first original stock. - -II--That they have set out an Expedition this Yeare in their Shipps -and Cargoe to more than the Value of their First Stock again; the -trading of which Goods may well be estimated, in expectation as much -more. - -III--That our Factories at Port Nelson River and New Severne are under -an increasing Trade; and that our Returns in Beavers this yeare (by -God's Blessing) are modestly expected to be worth 20,000_l._ - -IV--Our Forts, Factories, Guns and other Materials, the prospect of -new Settlements and further Trade, are also reasonably to be estimated -at a considerable intrinsic Value. - -V--And lastly, our just Expectancy of a very considerable reparation -and satisfaction from the French and the close of this War and the -restoring our places and Trade at the Bottom of the Bay; which upon -proof, hath been made out above 100,000_l._ - -Some years later the Treaty of Ryswick, in securing to the French the -fruits of Iberville's victory, powerfully affected for ill the -fortunes of the Company. Nevertheless, the whole nation was then in -sympathy with its cause, knowing that but for the continued existence -of the Honourable Adventurers as a body corporate the chances of the -western portion of the Bay reverting to the English were small. - -But the Felt-makers were implacable. They would like to have seen the -beaver trade in their own hands. At the expiration of the seven years -for which the confirmation was allowed, they again, as will be shown, -evinced, yet vainly, their enmity. - -Because this parliamentary confirmation was limited to so short a -period, some writers have conjectured that at the expiration of that -period the charter ceased to be valid. So absurd a conclusion would -scarcely appear to stand in need of refutation. Could those who -pretend to draw this inference have been ignorant that if some of the -rights conferred by the charter required the sanction of Parliament, -there were other rights conferred by it which required no such -sanction, because they were within the prerogative of the Crown? Even -assuming that at the end of the term for which the act of William and -Mary was passed, such of the provisions of the charter (if there could -be found any such) as derived their efficacy only from parliamentary -support should be considered inefficient, still all the rights similar -to those of the charters for former governments and plantations in -America would continue to exist. That they were so regarded as -existing is made evident by the repeated references to them in various -subsequent international treaties and acts of Parliament. King George -and his advisers completely recognized the Company as proprietors of a -certain domain. In establishing the limits of the newly-acquired -Province of Canada, it was enacted that it should be bounded on the -north by "the territory granted to the Merchants-Adventurers of -England trading into Hudson's Bay," a boundary which by statute was -long to subsist. - -Fort Albany did not prove a success in the hands of the French. The -Quebec Company were losing money, and they had no ships. They were, -besides, severely handicapped by physical conditions, owing to the -inaccessibility of the Bay by land and the impracticability of -carrying merchandise by the overland route. It seemed clear that, -after all, the trade of the Bay could only be made profitable by -sea.[23] The French were consequently most anxious to exchange the -forts on James' Bay for Fort Nelson, because they were aware that -better furs were to be had in the north; and because it would enable -them to intercept the tribes who hunted about Lake Nepigon. - -[Sidenote: Denonville plans the capture of Fort Nelson.] - -Denonville is now found writing long despatches to Seignely, assuring -him that their affairs at Hudson's Bay would prosper if the Northern -Company continued to co-operate with and second the designs of -Iberville, whose fixed resolve was to go and seize Fort Nelson. For -that purpose Denonville regarded it as necessary that the Minister -should inform M. de Lagny that the King desired the capture of that -fort, and to "furnish Iberville with everything he requires to render -his designs successful." The Governor himself thought one ship added -to those they had captured in 1689 from the English would suffice. He -sought to obtain for Iberville some honourable rank in the navy, as -this would, he urged, excite honourable emulation amongst the -Canadians who were ready to follow the sea. Denonville suggested a -lieutenancy, adding his opinion that his young friend was "a very fine -fellow, capable of rendering himself expert and doing good service." -The plea of the Governor was successful and Lewis was pleased to -confer upon Iberville the rank of lieutenant in the French Royal Navy, -the first distinction of the kind then on record. It fired the blood -and pride of not a few of the Canadian youth, one Peter Gauthier de -Varennes amongst the rest. Many years later he, under the name of -Verandrye, was the first of the great pioneers through the territories -of the Great Company. - -All negotiations for an exchange of forts having fallen through, the -_Compagnie du Nord_ determined to make a valiant attempt to obtain -their desires by force. For this purpose they made powerful -application to the Court; and in the autumn of 1691 their petition -resulted in the arrival at Quebec of Admiral Tast with no fewer than -fourteen ships. - -It was said in Quebec that while Lewis XIV. surprised his enemies by -his celerity in taking the field in Europe, the vessels sent out to -America by his order always started two or three months too late for -Canada and the Bay. This tardiness, it was declared, was the sole -cause of all the losses and want of success attending French -enterprises in that part of the New World.[24] - -However this may be, there was beyond question another and not less -potent reason for the failure which overtook the proposed expedition -of Tast on behalf of the Northern Company. Iberville's successes had -up to this moment tended to bolster up the waning popularity of the -Company in Canada. This popular hero had just returned from the Bay -with 80,000 francs value in beaver skins, and 6,000 livres in small -furs, but he now refused point blank to have anything to do with the -expedition. He did not care to share such glory and profit as he might -obtain with his own followers, with the Company and Admiral Tast. - -Without this powerful auxiliary and the support of the populace, -Tast's fleet abandoned its expedition to the Bay, and sailed away to -Acadia and Newfoundland. - -[Sidenote: Burning of Fort Nelson.] - -Nevertheless, while Governor Phipps was in charge of Fort Nelson this -year, a French frigate belonging to the enemy appeared at the entrance -of Bourbon River. As it chanced that nearly the whole of his garrison -were absent from the fort on a hunting expedition, it seemed to the -Governor that armed resistance would be futile. Rather, therefore, -than allow the fort to pass again into the hands of the French under -circumstances so humiliating, he resolved to burn it, together with a -large part of its merchandise, valued at about L8,000, well knowing -that without the merchandise the French could not procure furs from -the Indians. - -Whilst the flames of the fort were ascending, Phipps and three men he -had with him retreated into ambush and established themselves with -some Indians in the interior. - -The Frenchman landed, saw the perdition of his hopes in the ruin of -the fort and its contents, and returned to the ship with a few -hatchets and knives as the sole trophy of his enterprise. - -On the arrival of the Company's ship in the spring however, York -Factory was re-built stronger and on a larger scale than before. - -Iberville at this time finds great cause of complaint in the fact of -the French Company's poverty, and its inability to occupy the region -after it had been won for them. More than a single ship was required; -and a larger number of men in the vicinity of Fort Nelson would have -served to keep the English off perpetually. - -In 1693 the Northern Company petitioned Pontchartrain, who had -succeeded Seignely at Court, respecting operations in the Bay. The -Company declared that it could hold everything if it were only enabled -to seize Fort Nelson; but that continued hostilities and losses had so -weakened it as to oblige it to have recourse to his Excellency to -obtain sufficient force in a suitable time to drive out the English. - -In another petition it is alleged that this "single fort which remains -in the possession of the English is of so much importance that the -gain or loss of everything in Hudson's Bay depends upon it. The -Company's establishment in Quebec, to carry on this commerce, claims -anew the protection of your Excellency, that you may give it a -sufficient force to enable it to become master of Fort Nelson, which -the English took by an act of treason against this Company in time of -peace. This they hope from the strong desire which you have for the -aggrandizement of the kingdom, and from your affection for this -colony." - -Iberville crossed over to France, and met with a warm reception at -Versailles. He unfolded his plans for the capture of Fort Nelson, -stated what force he would require for this desirable purpose, and was -promised two ships in the following spring.[25] Highly gratified with -his success, he departed for home in the _Envieux_. - -[Sidenote: The English regain Fort Albany.] - -The Hudson's Bay Company now made another effort to regain its fort at -Albany. Three powerfully armed ships wintered at Fort Nelson and -sailed thither in the spring of 1693.[26] From all accounts that had -been received, it was not believed that the rival French Company was -in a position to maintain a very strong force for an all-winter -defence, especially since the alienation of Iberville. Forty men were -landed, and approaching the post were met by a brisk fire, which -failed to check the English advance. Much to their own astonishment, -they were permitted to close upon the fort without check, and a ruse -was suspected. A cautious entrance was therefore made: the premises -were found apparently deserted. But at length, in a corner of the -cellar, emaciated and covered with rags, a human being a victim to -scurvy was discovered. His arms and legs were fastened together, and a -heavy chain kept him close to the wall. While they were marvelling at -this discovery, some of the sailors came to inform the captain that -three Frenchmen had been seen at a distance flying as fast as their -legs would carry them. Captain Grimington was not long left in doubt -as to the facts: these three Frenchmen had formed the garrison of the -fort St Anne. The unlucky wretch they now beheld was a bushranger who, -in a paroxysm of rage, had murdered the surgeon at the fort. -Horrified, on recovering his reason, at what he had done, and fearing -that the only witness of the deed, Father Dalmas, would betray him to -the rest, he slew the priest also. The latter, with his expiring -breath, disclosed his murderer, and the French, then ten in number, -had chained the criminal in the cellar, not themselves relishing the -task of his summary execution. - -Iberville did not leave Quebec until the tenth[27] of August, and -arrived at Fort Nelson, September 24th. Almost immediately he -disembarked with all his people, also with cannons, mortars and a -large quantity of ammunition. Batteries were thrown up about five -hundred yards from the palisades, and upon these guns were -mounted.[28] A bombardment now took place, lasting from the 25th of -September to the 14th of October, when the governor was forced to -surrender, owing to the danger of a conflagration as well as to the -loss of several of his best men. On this occasion young Henry -Kelsey[29] showed great bravery, and a report of his gallantry being -forwarded to the Company, he was presented with the sum of forty -pounds as a token of their appreciation. This youth was destined to be -long in the service of the Company, as first in command at Fort -Nelson. - - [Illustration: LANDING OF IBERVILLE'S MEN AT PORT NELSON. - (_From an old print._)] - -[Sidenote: Iberville takes Fort Nelson.] - -Iberville accomplished his entry on the fifteenth of October. The -French standard was hoisted and the fort christened Bourbon, and it -being St. Theresa's Day, the river was given the name of that saint. -The enemy did not come out of this business unscathed; they having -lost several of their men, including a brother of Iberville. - -Some of the English were kept prisoners, while others made their way -as best they could to New Severn and Albany. At the time of the -surrender, the fort was well furnished with merchandise and -provisions, and this circumstance induced the French to remain for the -winter, before returning to France. - -On the 20th of the following July, Iberville departed for the straits -in his two vessels, the _Poli_ and _Salamandre_. He left sixty-seven -men under the command of La Forest. Martigny became lieutenant, and -Jeremie was appointed ensign, with the additional functions of -interpreter and "director of commerce." - -La Forest and his men were not long to enjoy security of trade and -occupation however. A meeting of the Hudson's Bay Company was held the -moment these outrages were reported. The King was besought to send a -fleet of four ships to the rescue and recapture of Fort Nelson. But it -was too late to sail that year. News of the proposed despatch of an -English fleet having reached France, Serigny was sent in June, 1696, -with two of the best craft procurable at Rochelle. Sailing three days -before the English, the two French ships arrived two hours too late. -It was instantly perceived that they were no match for the English, -and accordingly they discreetly withdrew. As the Company's vessels -occupied the mouth of the river, there was no safe landing place at -hand. Both ships set sail again for France; but one, the _Hardi_, was -destined never to reach her destination. She probably ran against ice -at the mouth of the straits and went to the bottom with all on board. - -[Sidenote: Fort Nelson surrenders to the English fleet.] - -The English commenced the attack on the fort August 29th. On the -following day it was decided to land, and the French, seeing the -strength of their force, had no alternative but surrender. Perchance -by way of retaliation for the affairs of Albany and New Severn, the -provisions of capitulation[30] were disregarded; all the French were -made prisoners and carried to England. Possession was taken of a vast -quantity of furs, and the English returned, well satisfied with their -exploit; but not ignorant of the difficulties which surrounded the -maintenance of such a conquest. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[23] It has been truly observed that the protracted and bloody contest -between the French and English for the possession of the Bay was the -result of a desire of the Governor to have access to those waters, and -the resolve of the latter to defeat this purpose. "The truth is," says -Mr. Lindsay, "the fur trade was only profitable when carried on by -water." At Quebec or Three Rivers forty beaver skins made a canoe -load. A single canoe load of northern furs was worth six of the -southern. - -[24] Charlevoix. - -[25] Although by this action the French Court directly participated in -and lent its support to the hostilities against the English, yet to -all intents and purposes the war was between two commercial -corporations. - -The ruling spirits of the Northern Company were not unaware of the -importance and power of the enemy they had to deal with. In a pamphlet -published in France in 1692 there is amusing testimony to the -consideration in which the London Company was held by the French. - -"It is composed," says this authority, "of opulent merchants and -noblemen of the first quality; and it is known that the King himself -is part proprietor, having succeeded to that emolument with the other -belongings to King James II. So great are its profits that each member -is worth at least L5,000 English sterling above what he was before he -embarked in the fur traffic. There can be no secrecy about its -intention, which is to subvert and subjugate the whole northern -Country to its sway." - -[26] The expedition which thus wrested away from the French all the -forts at the bottom of the Bay was in charge of Captain Grimington, an -experienced naval officer, who had seen service in the late wars. - -I have not been able to ascertain Grimington's fate, but in the -Company's minute-book, under date of 19th of May, 1714, I find the -following entry:-- - -"Mrs. Ann Grimington, widow of Captain Michael Grimington, deceased, -having delivered in her petition to the Company, the same was read, -and considering her poverty and the faithful services her husband -performed for the Company, the Committee agreed to allow the said Mrs. -Grimington twelve shillings per month for her subsistence, which the -secretary is ordered to pay her every first Monday in the month, to -commence the first Monday in June next. Interim, the secretary is -ordered to pay her twenty shillings as charity, which is afterwards to -be taken out of the poor-box." This is sufficiently strong evidence of -the state into which the Company had fallen. - -[27] To illustrate the divergence of authorities in such matters, I -may mention that while Jeremie, who took part in this expedition, -calls the two ships the _Poli_ and _Charente_, in which he is followed -by Abbe Ferland. Father Marest, the aumonier of the crew, refers to -the second ship as the _Salamandre_. His relation is entitled "Le -Voyage du _Poli_ et _Salamandre_." In the letter of Frontenac to the -French minister (November 5, 1694) it is stated that Serigny commanded -the _Salamandre_. _La Potherie_ observes that the ships sent out in -1694 were the _Poli_ and _Salamandre_. Furthermore, he declares, they -sailed the 8th of August; Frontenac states the 9th, and Jeremie the -10th (_Jour de St. Laurent_). _La Potherie_ and Jeremie agree on the -date of their arrival, September 24th, although Ferland says it was -the 20th. - -[28] Jeremie gives us a detailed description of the fort in his -"Relation." He says it was composed of four bastions, which formed a -square of thirty feet, with a large stone house above and below. In -one of these bastions was the storeroom for furs and merchandise, -another served for provisions; a third was used by the garrison. All -were built of wood. In a line with the first palisade there were two -other bastions, in one of which lodged the officers, the other serving -as a kitchen and forge. Between these two bastions was a -crescent-shaped earthworks sheltering eight cannon, firing eight-pound -balls, and defending the side of the fort towards the river. At the -foot of this earthworks was a platform, fortified by six pieces of -large cannon. There was no butt-range looking out upon the wood, which -was a weak point; all the cannon and swivel-guns were on the bastions. -In all, the armament consisted of thirty-two cannon and fourteen -swivel-guns outside the fort and fifty-three inside; on the whole, -calculated to make a stalwart defence. - -[29] Kelsey was the earliest English explorer in the North-West. -Mention of his achievements will be found in the course of Chapter XV. - -[30] Allen sent home to his superiors a copy of the capitulation -proposals of the French Commandant. This document is not without -interest. It is headed:-- - - CAPITULATION OF FORT YORK, 1696. - - Articles of capitulation between William Allen, - Commandant-in-Chief at Hays, or St. Therese River, and Sieur G. - de la Forest, Commandant at Fort York or Bourbon, August 31, - 1696. - - I consent to give up to you my fort on the following - conditions:-- - - 1. That I and all my men, French as well as Indians, and my - English servant, shall have our lives and liberty granted to - us, and that no wrong or violence shall be exercised upon us or - whatever belongs to us. - - 2. We shall march out of the fort without arms, to the beat of - the drum, match lighted, ball in mouth, flags unfurled, and - carry with us the two cannon which we brought from France. - - 3. We shall be transported altogether, in our own vessel, to - Plaisance, a French Port in New Newfoundland. We do not wish to - give up the fort till we have embarked, and we shall keep the - French flag over the fort till we march out. - - 4. If we meet with our vessels there shall be a truce between - us, and it shall be permitted to transport us with whatever - belongs to us. - - 5. We shall take with us all the beaver skins and other - merchandise obtained in trade this year, which shall be - embarked with us upon our vessels. - - 6. All my men shall embark their clothes and whatever belongs - to them without being subject to visitation, or robbed of - anything. - - 7. In case of sickness during the voyage, you shall furnish us - with all the remedies and medicines which we may require. - - 8. The two Frenchmen, who ought to return with the Indians, - shall be received in the fort on their return, where they shall - be treated the same as the English, and sent to Europe during - the same year, or they shall be furnished with everything - necessary to take them to Rochelle. - - We shall have the full exercise of our religion, and the Jesuit - priest, our missionary, shall publicly perform the functions of - his ministry. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -1696-1697. - - Imprisoned French Fur-Traders Reach Paris -- A Fleet under - Iberville Despatched by Lewis to the Bay -- Company's four - Ships precede them through the Straits -- Beginning of a Fierce - Battle -- The _Hampshire_ Sinks -- Escape of the _Dering_ and - capture of the _Hudson's Bay_ -- Dreadful Storm in the Bay -- - Losses of the Victors -- Landing of Iberville -- Operations - against Fort Nelson -- Bailey Yields -- Evacuation by the - English. - - -The French prisoners captured in the Company's expedition of 1696 -suffered an incarceration of nearly four months at Portsmouth. No -sooner had their liberty been regained than they boarded a French brig -bound for Havre, and on arrival in Paris lost little time in making -known the condition of affairs at Hudson's Bay. Lewis and his -Ministers, gazing upon this emaciated band of traders and bushrangers, -could hardly refrain from taking immediate action to retrieve the -situation. Precisely following the tactics of their enemy in the -previous year, they engaged four men-of-war; which fleet was -despatched to join Iberville, then at the port of Placentia in -Newfoundland. The Court was well aware that there was no one man so -thoroughly equipped at all points in knowledge of the Bay, and the -conditions there of life and warfare, as this hero. Consequently, -although numerous enough, all other offers to lead the expedition were -rejected. - -On the arrival of the French ships at Placentia, Iberville took -command, embarking in the _Pelican_, of fifty guns. The others were -the _Palmier_, the _Weesph_, the _Pelican_, and the _Violent_.[31] - -But Fort Nelson was not to be captured without a struggle. - -[Sidenote: Meeting of the French and English ships.] - -At almost the very moment the French fleet sailed, there departed from -Plymouth four of the Company's ships, the _Hampshire_, the _Hudson's -Bay_, the _Dering_, and _Owner's Love_, a fire-ship, the two former -having been participants in the conquest of the previous year. The -Company's fleet entered the straits only forty hours before the ships -of the French; and like them was much impeded by the ice, which was -unusually troublesome. Passage was made by the enemy in the English -wake. The _Profound_, commanded by Duque, pushed past the currents, -taking a northerly course, which brought her commander into full view -of two of the Company's ships. Shots were exchanged; but owing to the -difficulties engendered by the ice, it was impossible to manoeuvre -with such certainty as to cut off the Frenchman's escape. While this -skirmish was in progress, Iberville in the _Pelican_ succeeded in -getting past the English unknown to them, and reached the mouth of the -Nelson River in sight of the fort. His presence, as may be imagined, -greatly surprised and disturbed the Governor and the Company's -servants; for they had believed their own ships would have arrived in -season to prevent the enemy from entering the straits. Several rounds -of shot were fired as a signal, in the hope that a response would be -made by the Company's ships which they hourly expected in that -quarter. - -On his part the French commander was equally disturbed by the -non-arrival of his three consorts, which the exigencies of the voyage -had obliged him to forsake. Two days were passed in a state of -suspense. At daybreak on the fifth of September three ships[32] were -distinctly visible; both parties joyfully believed they were their -own. So certain was Iberville, that he immediately raised anchor and -started to join the newcomers. He was soon undeceived, but the -perception of his mistake in no way daunted him. - -The Company's commanders were not prepared either for the daring or -the fury of the Frenchman's onslaught. It is true the _Pelican_ was -much superior to any of their own craft singly, being manned by nearly -two hundred and fifty men, and boasting forty-four pieces of cannon. -The Company's ships lined up, the _Hampshire_ in front, the _Dering_ -next, with the _Hudson's Bay_ bringing up the rear. - - [Illustration: "HAMPSHIRE." "HUDSON'S BAY." "DERING."] - -[Sidenote: A fierce battle in the Bay.] - -The combatants being in close proximity the battle began at half-past -nine in the morning. The French commander came straight for the -_Hampshire_, whose captain, believing it was his enemy's design to -board, instantly lowered his mainsheet and put up his fore-top-sail. -Contact having been by these means narrowly evaded, the scene of -battle suddenly shifted to the _Pelican_ and the _Dering_, whose -mainsail was smitten by a terrific volley. At the same time the -_Hudson's Bay_, veering, received a damaging broadside. The Company's -men could distinctly hear the orders shouted by Iberville to both -ships to discharge a musket fire into the _Dering's_ forecastle, but -in this move he was anticipated by the English sailors, who poured a -storm of bullets in upon the Frenchman, accompanied by a broadside of -grape, which wrought havoc with her sails. While the cries of the -wounded on the _Pelican_ could be distinctly heard, all three of the -Company's ships opened fire, with the design of disabling her rigging. -But the captain of the _Hudson's Bay_, seeing that he could not engage -the _Pelican_, owing to Iberville's tactics, determined to run in -front of her and give her the benefit of a constant hull fire, -besides taking the wind from her sails. Iberville observed the -movement; the two English vessels were near; he veered around, and by -a superb piece of seamanship came so near to the _Hampshire_ that the -crew of the latter saw that boarding was intended. Every man flew out -on the main deck, with his pistol and cutlass, and a terrific -broadside of grape on the part of the Englishman alone saved him. - - [Illustration: THE EVACUATION OF FORT NELSON. - (_See page 166._)] - -The battle raged hotter and fiercer. The _Hampshire's_ salvation had -been only temporary; at the end of three hours and a half she began to -sink, with all sails set. When this occurred, Iberville had ninety men -wounded, forty being struck by a single broadside. Notwithstanding -this, he decided at once to push matters with the _Hampshire's_ -companions, although the _Pelican_ was in a badly damaged state, -especially the forecastle, which was a mass of splinters. - -The enemy made at once for the _Dering_, which, besides being the -smallest ship, had suffered severely. She crowded on all sail and -managed to avoid an encounter, and Iberville being in no condition to -prosecute the chase, returned to the _Hudson's Bay_, which soon -surrendered. Iberville was not destined, however, to reap much -advantage from his prize, the _Hampshire_. The English flag-ship was -unable to render any assistance to her and she soon went down with -nearly all on board.[33] - -To render the situation more distressing, no sooner had some ninety -prisoners been made, than a storm arose; so that it became out of the -question to approach the shore with design of landing. They were -without a long-boat and each attempt to launch canoes in the boiling -surf was attended with failure. - -[Sidenote: A great storm.] - -Night fell; the wind instead of calming, grew fiercer. The sea became -truly terrible, seeking, seemingly, with all its power to drive the -_Pelican_ and the _Hudson's Bay_ upon the coast. The rudders of each -ship broke; the tide rose and there seemed no hope for the crews whose -destiny was so cruel. Their only hope in the midst of the bitter blast -and clouds of snow which environed them, lay in the strength of their -cables. Soon after nine o'clock the _Hudson's Bay_ and its anchor -parted with a shock. - -"Instantly," says one of the survivors, "a piercing cry went up from -our forecastle. The wounded and dead lay heaped up, with so little -separation one from the other that silence and moans alone -distinguished them. All were icy cold, and covered with blood. They -had told us the anchor would hold; and we dreaded being washed up on -the shore stiff the next morning." - -A huge wave broke over the main deck and the ship rocked desperately. -Two hours later the keel was heard to split, and the ship was hurled -rudderless to and fro in the trough of the sea. - -By the French account, matters were in no more enviable state aboard -the _Pelican_; Iberville, however, amidst scenes rivalling those just -described, did his best to animate his officers and men with a spirit -equalling his own. - -"It is better," he cried, "to die, if we must, outside the bastions of -Fort Bourbon than to perish here like pent sheep on board." - -[Sidenote: Terrible plight of the shipwrecked French.] - -When morning broke, it was seen by the French that their ship was not -yet submerged, and it was resolved to disembark by such means as lay -in their power. The Company's servants were more fortunate. The -_Hudson's Bay_ had drifted eight miles to the south of the fort, and -was wrecked on a bank of icy marshland, which at least constrained -them to wade no deeper than their knees. The French, however, were -forced to make their way through the icy water submerged to their -necks, from the results of which terrible exposure no fewer than -eighteen marines and seamen lost their lives. Once on shore they -could not, like the English, look forward to a place of refuge and -appease their hunger with provisions and drink. They were obliged, in -their shivering, half frozen state, to subsist upon moss and seaweed, -but for which indifferent nourishment they must inevitably have -perished. - -The Company's garrison witnessed the calamities which were overtaking -the French, but not knowing how great their number, and assured of -their hostility, did not attempt any acts of mercy. They perceived the -enemy camped in a wood, less than two leagues distant, where, building -several large fires they sought to restore their spirits by means of -warmth and hot draughts of boiled herbs. - - [Illustration: "The enemy camped in a wood where, building several - large fires, they sought to restore their spirits."] - -While the fort was being continually recruited by survivors of the two -wrecked ships, the other three French vessels had arrived on the -scene. The fourth, the _Violent_, lay at the bottom of the Bay, having -been sunk by the ice. The _Palmier_ had suffered the loss of her helm, -but was fortunate in not being also a victim of the storm. The French -forces being now united, little time was lost by Iberville in making -active preparations for the attack upon the fort. - -On the 11th, the enemy attained a small wood, almost under the guns of -the fort, and having entrenched themselves, lit numerous fires and -made considerable noise in order to lend the impression to the English -that an entrenchment was being thrown up. This ruse was successful, -for the Governor gave orders to fire in that direction; and Iberville, -seizing this opportunity, effected a landing of all his men and -armaments from the ships. - -[Sidenote: Iberville demands surrender of the fort.] - -The fort would now soon be hemmed in on all sides, and it were indeed -strange if a chance shot or fire-brand did not ignite the timbers, and -the powder magazine were not exploded. Governor Bailey was holding a -council of his advisers when one of the French prisoners in the fort -gave notice of the approach of a messenger bearing a flag of truce. He -was recognized as Martigny. The Governor permitted his advance, and -sent a factor to meet him and insist upon his eyes being bandaged -before he would be permitted to enter. Martigny was conducted to where -the council was sitting and there delivered Iberville's message, -demanding surrender. He was instantly interrupted by Captain -Smithsend, who, with a great show of passion, asked the emissary if it -were not true that Iberville had been killed in the action. In spite -of Martigny's denials, Smithsend loudly persisted in believing in -Iberville's death; and held that the French were in sore straits and -only made the present attack because no other alternative was offered -to desperate men to obtain food and shelter. Bailey allowed himself to -be influenced by Smithsend, and declined to yield to any of Martigny's -demands. The latter returned, and the French instantly set up a -battery near the fort and continued, amidst a hail of bullets, the -work of landing their damaged stores and armaments. Stragglers from -the wreck of the _Hudson's Bay_ continued all day to find their way to -the fort, but several reached it only to be shot down in mistake by -the cannon and muskets of their own men. On the 12th, after a hot -skirmish, fatal to both sides, the Governor was again requested, this -time by Serigny, to yield up the fort to superior numbers. - -"If you refuse we will set fire to the place, and accord you no -quarter," was the French ultimatum. - -"Set fire and be d----d to you!" responded Bailey. - -He then set to work, with Smithsend, whose treatment at the hands of -the French in the affair of the _Merchant of Perpetuana_ was still -vividly before him, to animate the garrison. - -"Go for them, you dogs!" cried Bailey, "Give it to them hot and heavy; -I promise you forty pounds apiece for your widows!" - -Fighting in those days was attended by fearful mortality, and the -paucity of pensions to the hero's family, perhaps, made the offer seem -handsome. At any rate it seemed a sufficient incentive to the -Company's men, who fought like demons.[34] - -A continual fire of guns and mortars, as well as of muskets, was kept -up. The Canadians sallied out upon a number of skirmishes, filling the -air with a frightful din, borrowing from the Iroquois their piercing -war-cries. In one of these sallies St. Martin, one of their bravest -men, perished. - -Under protection of a flag of truce, Serigny came again to demand a -surrender. It was the last time, he said, the request would be -preferred. A general assault had been resolved upon by the enemy, who -were at their last resort, living like beasts in the wood, feeding on -moss, and to whom no extremity could be odious were it but an exchange -for their present condition. They were resolved upon carrying the -fort, even at the point of the bayonet and over heaps of their slain. - - -Bailey decided to yield. He sent Morrison to carry the terms of -capitulation, in which he demanded all the peltries in the fort -belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. This demand being rejected by -the enemy, Bailey later in the evening sent Henry Kelsey with a -proposition to retain a portion of their armament; this also was -refused. There was now nothing for it but to surrender, Iberville -having granted an evacuation with bag and baggage. - -[Sidenote: Evacuation of the English.] - -At one o'clock on the following day, therefore, the evacuation took -place. Bailey, at the head of his garrison and a number of the crew of -the wrecked _Hudson's Bay_, and six survivors of the _Hampshire_, -marched forth from Fort York with drums beating, flag flying, and with -arms and baggage. They hardly knew whither they were to go; or what -fate awaited them. A vast and inhospitable region surrounded them, and -a winter long to be remembered for its severity had begun. But to the -French it seemed as if their spirits were undaunted, and they set -forth bravely. - -The enemy watched the retreat of the defeated garrison not without -admiration, and for the moment speculation was rife as to their fate. -But it was only for the moment. Too rejoiced to contemplate anything -but the termination of their own sufferings, the Canadians hastened to -enter the fort, headed by Boisbriant, late an ensign in the service of -the Compagnie du Nord. Fort Nelson was once more in the hands of the -French.[35] - - [Illustration: CAPTURE OF FORT NELSON BY THE FRENCH. - (_From a Contemporary Print appearing in M. de la Potherie's - "Relation."_)] - -The Company, too, was debarred from any attempt at reconquest, -because of the Treaty[36] just concluded at Ryswick, which yielded the -territory which had been the scene of so much commerce, action and -bloodshed to the subjects of the Most Christian King. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[31] A young Irishman, Edmund Fitz-Maurice, of Kerry, who had embraced -the Church, and had served with James's army at the Battle of the -Boyne, accompanied the expedition in the character of chaplain. He is -alluded to by the French chronicler of the affair as "Fiche-Maurice de -Kieri de la Maison du Milord Kieri en Irlande." - -[32] The fourth, the fire-ship _Owner's Love_, was never more heard -of. It is supposed that, separated from the others, she ran into the -ice and was sunk, with all on board. - -[33] Thus was concluded what was, in the opinion of the best -authorities, French and English, one of the fiercest and bloodiest -battles of the war. - -"Toute la Marine de Rochefort croient que ce combat a ete un des plus -rudes de cette Guerre," says La Potherie. - -[34] "Ils avoient de tres habile cannoniers," Jeremie, an eye-witness, -was forced to confess. - -[35] "Ainsi le dernier poste," Garneau exclaims, "que les English -avaient dans le baie d'Hudson tombe en notre pouvoir, et la France -resta seule maitresse de cette region." (Tome II., p. 137.) - -But Garneau overlooked the three forts in James' Bay retaken by the -English in 1693; one of which, Fort Anne or Chechouan, he mistook for -Fort Nelson. At any rate Fort Albany or Chechouan remained in -possession of the Company from 1693; and they never lost it. - -It was unsuccessfully attacked by Menthel in 1709. - -[36] So strongly has the Treaty of Ryswick been interpreted in favour -of France, that some historians merely state the fact that by it she -retained all Hudson's Bay, and the places of which she was in -possession at the beginning of the war. The commissioners having never -met to try the question of right, things remained _in statu quo_. Now, -whatever the commissioners might have done, had they ever passed -judgment on the cause the Treaty provided they should try, they could -not have given Fort Albany to the British, for it was one of the -places taken by the French during the preceding peace, and retaken by -the British during the war, and, therefore, adjudged in direct terms -of the Treaty itself to belong to France. Thus, then, it will be seen, -declared the opponents of the Company, that the only possession held -by the Hudson's Bay Company during the sixteen years that intervened -between the Treaty of Ryswick and the Treaty of Utrecht was one to -which they had no right, and which the obligations of the Treaty -required should be given up to France.--_Report of Ontario Boundary -Commission._ - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -1698-1713. - - Petition Presented to Parliament Hostile to Company -- - Seventeenth Century Conditions of Trade -- _Coureurs de Bois_ - -- Price of Peltries -- Standard of Trade Prescribed -- - Company's Conservatism -- Letters to Factors -- Character of - the Early Governors -- Henry Kelsey -- York Factory under the - French -- Massacre of Jeremie's Men -- Starvation amongst the - Indians. - - -Before the news of the catastrophe could reach England, in April, -1698, there was presented to Parliament a petition appealing against -the confirmation of the privileges and trade granted to the Company in -1690. - -The principal reason alleged for this action was the exorbitant price -of beaver which it was contended turned away an immense amount of -Indian trade, which reverted to the French in Canada. - -Another reason given was the undesirable monopoly which caused English -dealers, while paying the highest prices for beaver, to get the worst -article; the best travelling to Russia and other continental -countries. In this petition, concocted by enemies of the Company -envious of its success, it was insinuated that the Company's trade had -been of no use save to increase the practice of stock-jobbing. - -[Sidenote: The Company replies to its enemies.] - -To this the Company made reply that "it was well known that the price -of beaver had decreased one-third since its own establishment; and -that themselves, far from hindering the trade, encouraged it by every -means in their power, being anxious to be relieved of an over-stocked -commodity." Herein they referred to the enormous quantity of furs -stored in their warehouse, for which, during the stringency of -continued trade they were obliged to retain and pay repeated taxes -upon.[37] As for sending goods to Russia it was only of late years -that the Company had extended its trade to that and other foreign -countries and for no other cause than that reasonable prices could not -be obtained in England. - -Although two London guilds, the Skinner's Company and the Felt-makers' -Company, joined issue with the Honourable Adventurers, the fate of the -petition was sealed. On account of the misfortunes which had overtaken -the Company, together with the presence of other and weightier -matters, for Parliamentary consideration, the petition was laid on the -table, and from the table it passed to the archives, where, together -with the Act of 1690, it lay forgotten for a century and a half. - -It will be diverting, at this juncture in the general narrative, to -glance at seventeenth century conditions of life and commerce in the -domain of the Company. - -[Sidenote: Method of trade with the Indians.] - -Even at so early a period as 1690 was the method of transacting trade -with the Indians devised and regulated. The tribes brought down their -goods, beaver skins, martens, foxes and feathers, to the Factory and -delivered them through a small aperture in the side of the storehouse. -They entered the stockade three or four at a time; trading one by one -at the window over which presided the traders. The whole of the actual -trading of the Factory was in the hands of two officials known as -traders. None other of the Company's servants at any fort were -permitted to have direct intercourse with the Indians, save in -exceptional circumstances. The trade was chiefly carried on in summer -when the rivers were free from ice, although occasionally the natives -in the immediate region of the factories came down in winter; the -factors never refusing to trade with them when they so came. No -partiality was shown to particular tribes, but the actual hunters were -favoured more than those who merely acted as agents or carriers. It -was not unusual for the chief factors, as the Governors came to be -called after 1713, to make presents to the chiefs in order to -encourage them to bring down as many of their tribe the ensuing year -as possible. - - [Illustration: TRADING WITH THE INDIANS.] - -Before the era of the standard of trade, it was customary at all the -forts, as it was at one or two long afterwards, for remuneration for -the furs of the savages to be left at the chief factor's discretion. -Many things conspired to alter the values from season to season, and -even from day to day, but no cause was so potent as the contiguous -rivalry of the French. When the French were close at hand in the -vicinity of Fort Nelson, as they were from 1686 to 1693, the price of -beaver would fluctuate with surprising rapidity. It should be borne in -mind that the western country at this period, and for long afterwards, -was frequented by roving, adventurous parties of _coureurs des bois_, -whose activity in trade tended to injure the Company's business. Even -an enactment prescribing death for all persons trading in the interior -of the country without a license, had proved insufficient to abate -their numbers or their activity. - -[Sidenote: Activity of "coureurs des bois."] - -The Hudson's Bay Company seem to have some cognizance of this state of -affairs, and were wont to put down much of the depredations it -suffered at the hands of the French to the unkempt multitude of -bushrangers. In one document it describes them as "vagrants," and La -Chesnaye, who had been the leading spirit of the Quebec Company, was -ready to impute to them much of the woes of the fur-trade, as well as -the greater part of the unpleasant rivalries which had overtaken the -French and their neighbours. One day it would be carried like -wild-fire amongst the tribe who had come to barter, that the French -were giving a pound of powder for a beaver; that a gun could be bought -from the English for twelve beaver. In an instant there was a stampede -outside the respective premises, and a rush would be made for the -rival establishment. Fifty miles for a single pound of powder was -nothing to these Indians, who had often journeyed two whole months in -the depth of winter, endured every species of toil and hardship in -order to bring down a small bundle of peltries; nor when he presented -himself at the trader's window was the Indian by any means sure what -his goods would bring. He delivered his bundles first, and the trader -appraised them and gave what he saw fit. If a series of wild cries and -bodily contortions ensued, the trader was made aware that the Indian -was dissatisfied with his bargain, and the furs were again passed back -through the aperture. This was merely a form; for rarely did the -native make a practical repentance of his bargain, however -unsatisfactory it might appear to him. It is true the Indian was -constant in his complaint that too little was given for his furs; but -no matter what the price had been this would have been the case. Apart -from dissatisfaction being an ineradicable trait in the Indian -character, the contemplation of the sufferings and privations he had -undergone to acquire his string of beads, his blanket, or his hatchet, -must have aroused in him all his fund of pessimism. - -In 1676 the value of the merchandise exported did not exceed L650 -sterling. The value of the furs imported was close upon L19,000. - - [Illustration: A "COUREUR DES BOIS."] - -[Sidenote: Prices paid for furs.] - -In 1678 the first standard was approved of by the Company on the -advice of one of its governors, Sargeant, but it does not appear to -have been acted upon for some years. The actual tariff was not fixed -and settled to apply to any but Albany fort, and a standard was not -filed at the Council of Trade until 1695. It originally covered -forty-seven articles, later increased to sixty-three, and so remained -for more than half a century. At first, as has been noted in an -earlier chapter, the aborigines were content with beads and toys, and -no doubt the bulk of the supplies furnished them might have continued -for a much longer period to consist of these baubles and petty -luxuries had not the policy of the Company been to enrich the Indians -(and themselves) with the arms and implements of the chase. Gradually -the wants of the savages became wider, so that by the time, early in -the eighteenth century, the French had penetrated into the far western -country, these wants comprised many of the articles in common use -amongst civilized people. The standard of trade alluded to was -intended to cover the relative values at each of the Company's four -factories. Yet the discrepancy existing between prices at the -respective establishments was small. In 1718 a blanket, for example, -would fetch six beavers at Albany and Moose, and seven at York and -Churchill. In nearly every case higher prices were to be got from the -tribes dealing at York and Churchill than from those at the other and -more easterly settlements, often amounting to as much as thirty-three -per cent. This was illustrated in the case of shirts, for which three -beavers were given in the West Main, and only a single beaver at East -Main. The Company took fifteen beavers for a gun; whereas, when -Verandrye appeared, he was willing to accept as small a number as -eight. Ten beavers for a gun was the usual price demanded by the -French. It may be observed that a distinguishing feature of the French -trade in competition with the Company was that they dealt almost -exclusively in light furs, taking all of that variety they could -procure, the Indians bringing to the Company's settlements all the -heavier furs, which the French refused at any price, owing to the -difficulty of land transportation. These difficulties, in the case of -the larger furs, were so great that it is related that upon -innumerable occasions the savages themselves, when weakened by hunger, -used to throw overboard all but mink, marten and ermine skins rather -than undergo the painful labour of incessant portages. - -It must not be inferred, however, that the factors ever adhered -strictly in practice to the standard prescribed and regulated from -time to time by the Company. The standard was often privately doubled, -where it could be done prudently, so that where the Company directed -one skin to be taken for such or such an article, two were taken. The -additional profit went into the hands of the chief factor, and a -smaller share to the two traders, without the cognizance of the -Company, and was called the overplus trade. - -[Sidenote: Stationary character of the Company's trade.] - -Occasionally, far seeing, active spirits amongst its servants strove -to break through the policy of conservatism which distinguished its -members; but where they succeeded it was only for a short period; and -the commerce of the corporation soon reverted to its ancient -boundaries. But this apparent attitude is capable of explanation. The -Company were cognizant, almost from the first, that the trade they -pursued was capable of great extension. One finds in the minute-books, -during more than forty years from the time of Radisson and -Groseilliers, partner after partner arising in his place to enquire -why the commerce, vastly profitable though it was, remained stationary -instead of increasing. - -"Why are new tribes not brought down? Why do not our factors seek new -sources of commerce?" A motion directing the chief factor to pursue a -more active policy was often put and carried. But still the trade -returns, year after year, remained as before. Scarce a season passed -without exhortations to its servants to increase the trade. "Use more -diligence," "prosecute discoveries," "draw down distant tribes," form -the burden of many letters. - -"We perceive," writes the Company's secretary in 1685 to Sargeant, -"that our servants are unwilling to travel up into the country by -reason of danger and want of encouragement. The danger, we judge, is -not more now than formerly; and for their encouragement we shall -plentifully reward them, when we find they deserve it by bringing down -Indians to our factories, of which you may assure them. We judge -Robert Sandford a fit person to travel, having the linguae and -understanding the trade of the country; and upon a promise of Mr. -Young (one of our Adventurers) that he should travel, for which -reason we have advanced his wages to L30 per annum, and Mr. Arrington, -called in the Bay, Red-Cap, whom we have again entertained in our -service; as also John Vincent, both which we do also judge fit persons -for you to send up into the country to bring down trade." To this the -Governor replied that Sandford was by no means disposed to accept the -terms their Honours proposed, but rather chose to go home. "Neither he -nor any of your servants will travel up the country, although your -Honours have earnestly desired it, and I pressed it upon those -proposals you have hinted." - -[Sidenote: Character of the Company's Factors.] - -I have already shown why the Company's wishes in this respect were not -fruitful; that the character of the men in the Company's employ was -not yet adapted to the work in hand. Its servants were not easily -induced to imperil their lives; they gained little in valour or -hardihood from their surroundings. They were shut up in the forts, as -sailors are shut up in a ship, scarcely ever venturing out in winter, -and hardly ever holding converse with a savage in his wild state. In -vain, for the most part, were such men stirred to enterprise; and so -this choice and habit of seclusion grew into a rule with the Company's -employees; and the discipline common to the ship, or to contracted -bodies, became more and more stringent. The Company's policy was -nearly always dictated by the advice of their factors, but it can be -shown that these were not always wise, dreading equally the prospect -of leading an expedition into the interior, and the prestige which -might ensue if it were entrusted to a subordinate. - -A discipline ludicrous when contrasted with the popular impression -regarding the fur-trader's career, was maintained in the early days. -It was the discipline of the quarter-deck, and surprised many of the -youth who had entered the Company's employ expecting a life of -pleasure and indulgence. Many of the governors were resembled, Bridgar -and Bailey being surly, violent men, and were, indeed, often chosen -for these qualities by the Company at home. - -It is singular but true, that in the days of our ancestors a choleric -temper was considered an unfailing index of the masterful man. In -both branches of the King's service, on sea and on land, there seemed -to have been no surer sign of a man's ability to govern and lead, than -spleen and tyranny; and many an officer owed his promotion and won the -regard of the Admiralty and the War Office by his perpetual exhibition -of the traits and vices of the martinet. One of the Company's -governors, Duffell, was wont to order ten lashes to his men on the -smallest provocation. Another named Stanton, the governor at Moose -Factory, declared he would whip any man, even to the traders, without -trial if he chose; and this declaration he more than once put into -practice. The whipping of two men, Edward Bate and Adam Farquhar, at -Moose Factory, almost occasioned a mutiny there. The death of one -Robert Pilgrim, from a blow administered by the chief factor, created -a scandal some years later in the century. It was the practice of the -early governors to strike the Indians when they lost their own tempers -or for petty offences. - -[Sidenote: Life at the Company's factories.] - -It is diverting to compare nineteenth century life at the factories, -on its religious, moral and intellectual side, to what obtained in the -early days. In Governor Stanton's time, out of thirty-six men only six -were able to read. There was neither clergyman nor divine worship. The -men passed their time in eating and sleeping. Occasionally, Indian -squaws were smuggled into the fort, at the peril of the governor's -displeasure, for immoral purposes. The displeasure of the governor was -not, however, excited on the grounds of morality, for it was nearly -always the case that the governor had a concubine residing on the -premises or near at hand; and it was observed in 1749 by a servant of -thirty years' standing in the Company's employ, that at each fort most -of the half-breed children in the country claimed paternity of the one -or other of the factors of the Company. - - [Illustration: AN EARLY RIVER PIONEER.] - -To return to the question of the extension of trade, there were from -time to time governors and servants who evinced a zeal and love for -adventure which contrasted favourably with that of their fellows. -Their exploits, however, when compared with those of the hardier race -of French-Canadian bushrangers were tame enough. In 1673 Governor -Bailey summoned all the servants of the fort to appear before him, and -informed them that it was the Company's wish that some amongst them -should volunteer to find out a site for a new fort. Three young men -presented themselves, two of whom afterwards became governors of the -Company. The names of these three were William Bond, Thomas Moore and -George Geyer. Some years later Bond was drowned in the Bay; but his -two companions continued for some years to set an example which was -never followed; and of which they seem finally to have repented. -Indeed, almost without exception, once a fort was built the servants -seem to have clung closely to it; and it was not until the year 1688 -that a really brave, adventurous figure, bearing considerable -resemblance to the bushrangers of the past, and the explorers of the -future, emerges into light. - -[Sidenote: Kelsey's Voyage.] - -Henry Kelsey, a lad barely eighteen years of age, was the forerunner -of all the hardy British pioneers of the ensuing century. He is -described as active, "delighting much in Indians' company; being never -better pleased than when he is travelling amongst them." Young as he -was, Kelsey volunteered to find out a site for a fort on Churchill -River. No record exists of this voyage; but a couple of years later he -repeated it, and himself kept a detailed diary of his tour. - -In this journal the explorer states that he received his supplies on -the 5th of July, 1691. He sent the Assiniboines ten days before him, -and set out for Dering's Point to seek the remainder of their tribe. -At this place it was the custom for the Indians to assemble when they -went down the coast on trading expeditions. Kelsey soon overtook them, -and accompanied them to the country of the Naywatamee Poets, the -journey consuming fifty-nine days. He travelled first by water -seventy-one miles from Dering's Point, and there beached his canoes -and continued by land a distance of three hundred and sixteen miles, -passing through a wooded country. At the end of this came prairie -lands for forty-six miles, intersected by a small shallow river -scarcely a hundred yards wide. Crossing ponds, woods and champaign for -eighty-one miles more, discovering many buffalo and beavers, the young -explorer retraced his steps fifty-four miles, and there met the tribe -of which he was in search. Kelsey did not accomplish this journey -without meeting with many adventures. On one occasion the Naywatamee -Poets left him asleep on the ground. During his slumber the fire burnt -the moss upon which he was lying and entirely consumed the stock of -his gun, for which he was obliged to improvise from a piece of wood -half dry. On another occasion, he and an Indian were surprised by a -couple of grisly bears. His companion made his escape to a tree, while -Kelsey, his retreat cut off, hid himself in a clump of high willows. -The bears perceiving the Indian in the branches made directly for -him, but Kelsey observing their action levelled his gun and killed one -of the animals, the other bear bounding towards the place from which -the shots came, and not finding the explorer, returned to the tree, -when he was brought down by Kelsey's second shot. Good fortune -attended this exploit, for it attained for the young man the name -among the tribes of Miss-top-ashish, or "Little Giant." He returned to -York Factory after this first expedition, apparelled after the manner -of his Indian companions, while at his side trudged a young woman with -whom he had gone through the ceremony of marriage after the Indian -fashion. It was his wish that Mistress Kelsey should enter with her -husband into the court, but this desire quickly found an opponent in -the Governor, whose scruples, however, were soon undermined when the -explorer flatly declined to resume his place and duties in the -establishment unless his Indian wife were admitted with him. - -Thus, then, it is seen that in 1691, forty years before Verandrye's -voyages of discovery, this young servant of the Hudson's Bay Company, -had penetrated to no slight extent into the interior. He had crossed -the Assiniboine country, seen for the first time among the English and -French the buffaloes of the plain, he had been attacked by the grisly -bears which belong to the far west; and in behalf of the Hudson's Bay -Company had taken possession of the lands he traversed, and secured -for his masters the trade of the Indians hitherto considered hostile. - -Although the Governor hoped that the encouragement noted in the case -of Kelsey, together with the advance of salary, would stimulate other -young men to follow his example, yet, strange to say, none came -forward. The day of the Henrys, the Mackenzies, the Thompsons and the -Frobishers had not yet dawned. - -For many years after this the Company was in constant apprehension -that its profits would be curtailed by tribal wars. - -[Sidenote: Effect of Indian wars on the Company's business.] - -"Keep the Indians from warring with one another, that they may have -more time to look after their trade," was a frequently repeated -injunction. "If you prevent them from fighting they will bring a -larger quantity of furs to the Factory," they wrote on one occasion to -Geyer. The Governor admitted the premise, "but," said he, "perhaps -your Honours will tell me how I am going to do it." The Company -devoted a whole meeting to consider the matter, and decided that -nothing was easier, provided their instructions were implicitly -obeyed. - - [Illustration: FAC-SIMILE OF COMPANY'S STANDARD OF TRADE.] - -"Tell them what advantages they may make," they wrote; "that the more -furs they bring, the more goods they will be able to purchase of us, -which will enable them to live more comfortably and keep them from -want in a time of scarcity. Inculcate better morals than they yet -understand; tell them that it doth nothing advantage them to kill and -destroy one another, that thereby they may so weaken themselves that -the wild ravenous beasts may grow too numerous for them, and destroy -them that survive." If Geyer delivered this message to the stern and -valorous chiefs with whom he came in contact, they must have made the -dome of heaven ring with scornful laughter. He was obliged to write -home that fewer savages had come down than in former seasons because -they expected to be attacked by their enemies. The Company then -responded shortly and in a business-like manner, that if fair means -would not prevail to stop these inter-tribal conflicts, that the -nation beginning the next quarrel was not to be supplied for a year -with powder or shot "which will expose them to their enemies, who will -have the master of them and quite destroy them from the earth, them -and their wives and children. This," adds the secretary, and in a -spirit of true prophecy, "must work some terror amongst them." - -[Sidenote: The French at Michilimackinac.] - -A potent cause contributed to the lack of prosperity which marked Port -Nelson under the French _regime_. It was the exploitation of the west -by an army of traders and bushrangers. The new post of Michilimackinac -had assumed all the importance as a fur-trading centre which had -formerly belonged to Montreal. The French, too, were served by capable -and zealous servants, none more so than Iberville himself, the new -Governor of the Mississippi country.[38] His whole ambition continued -to be centred upon driving out the English from the whole western and -northern region, and destroying forever their trade and standing with -the aborigines, and none more than he more ardently desired the -suppression of the _coureur de bois_. "No Frenchmen," he declared, -"should be allowed to follow the Indians in their hunts, as it tends -to keep them hunters, as is seen in Canada; and when they are in the -woods they do not desire to become tillers of the soil." - -At the same time the value of the bushrangers to the French _regime_ -was considerable in damaging the English on the Bay. - -"It is certain," observed one of their defenders, "that if the -articles required for the upper tribes be not sent to Michilimackinac, -the Indians will go in search of them to Hudson's Bay, to whom they -will convey all their peltries, and will detach themselves entirely -from us." - -The bushrangers penetrated into the wilderness and intercepted the -tribes, whose loyalty to the English was not proof against liquor and -trinkets served on the spot, for which otherwise they would have to -proceed many weary leagues to the Bay. - -The Company began to experience some alarm at the fashion the trade -was sapped from their forts at Albany and Moose.[39] The Quebec -Company was in the same plight with regard to Port Nelson. - -[Sidenote: The Western Company.] - -An association of French merchants, known as the Western Company, -sprang up in the early days of the eighteenth century and many forts -and factories were built in the Mississippi region. Its promoters -expected great results from a new skin until now turned to little -account, that of bison, great herds of which animal had been -discovered roaming the western plains. M. de Juchereau, with -thirty-four Canadians, established a post on the Wabash, in the name -of the Western Company. Here, he writes, he collected in a short time -fifteen thousand buffalo skins. - -From 1697 to 1708 a series of three commandants were appointed, one of -whom now administered the affairs at Fort Bourbon, which however never -assumed the importance which had attached to it under the English -rule. - -There is one romantic episode which belongs to this period, serving to -relieve by its vivid, perhaps too vivid, colouring, the long -sombreness of the French _regime_. It was the visit in 1704 of an -officer named Lagrange and his suite from France. In the train of this -banished courtier came a number of gallant youths and fair courtesans; -and for one brief season Fort Bourbon rang with laughter and revelry. -Hunting parties were undertaken every fine day; and many trophies of -the chase were carried back to France. Have ever the generations of -quiet English servants and Scotch clerks snatched a glimpse, in their -sleeping or waking dreams, of those mad revels, a voluptuous scene -amidst an environment so sullen and sombre? - -In the year 1707 Jeremie, the lieutenant, obtained permission of the -Company to return to France on leave. He succeeded in obtaining at -court his nomination to the post of successor to the then commandant, -Delisle. After a year's absence he returned to Port Nelson, to find -matters in a shocking state. No ships had arrived from France, and -stores and ammunition were lacking. A few days after his arrival, -Delisle was taken seriously ill, and expired from the effects of cold -and exposure. - -For a period of six years Jeremie continued to govern Fort Bourbon, -receiving his commission not from the Company but direct from the King -himself, a fact of which he seems very proud. - -Jeremie's tenure of office was marked by a bloody affair, which -fortunately had but few parallels under either English or French -occupation. Although the tribes in the neighbourhood were friendly and -docile, they were still capable, upon provocation, to rival those -Iroquois who were a constant source of terror to the New England -settlers. - -In August, 1708, Jeremie sent his lieutenant, two traders and six -picked men of his garrison to hunt for provisions. They camped at -nightfall near a band of savages who had long fasted and lacked -powder, which, owing to its scarcity, the French did not dare give -them. - -[Sidenote: Indian Treachery.] - -Round about these unhappy savages, loudly lamenting the passing of the -English dominion when powder and shot was plenty, were the heaps of -furs which to them were useless. They had journeyed to the fort in all -good faith, across mountain and torrent, as was their custom, only to -find their goods rejected by the white men of the fort, who told them -to wait. When the French hunting party came to encamp near them, -several of the younger braves amongst the Indians crept up to where -they feasted, and returned with the news to their comrades. The tribe -was fired with resentment. Exasperated by the cruelty of their fate, -they hatched a plan of revenge and rapine. Two of their youngest and -comeliest women entered the assemblage of the white men, and by -seductive wiles drew two of them away to their own lodges. The -remaining six, having eaten and drunk their fill, and believing in -their security, turned to slumber. Hardly had the two roysterers -arrived at the Indian camp than instead of the cordial privacy they -expected, they were confronted by two score famished men drawn up in -front of the lodges, knives in hand and brandishing hatchets. All -unarmed as they were, they were unceremoniously seized and slain. As -no trace was ever found of their bodies, they were, although denied by -the eye-witness of the tragedy, a squaw, probably devoured on the -spot. The younger men now stole again to the French camp and massacred -all the others in their sleep, save one, who being wounded feigned -death, and afterwards managed to crawl off. But he, with his -companions, had been stripped to the skin by the savages, and in this -state, and half-covered with blood, he made his way back to the fort. -The distance being ten leagues, his survival is a matter of wonder, -even to those hardy men of the wilderness. - -The Governor naturally apprehended that the Indians would attempt to -follow up their crime by an attack upon the fort. - -As only nine men remained in the garrison, it was felt impossible to -defend both of the French establishments. He therefore withdrew the -men hastily from the little Fort Philipeaux near by, and none too -quickly, for the Indians came immediately before it. Finding nobody in -charge they wrought a speedy and vigorous pillage, taking many pounds -of powder which Jeremie had not had time to transfer to Bourbon. - -The condition of the French during the winter of 1708-9 was pitiable -in the extreme. Surrounded by starving, blood-thirsty savages, with -insufficient provisions, and hardly ever daring to venture out, they -may well have received the tidings with joy that the indomitable -English Company had re-established a Factory some leagues distant, and -were driving a brisk trade with the eager tribes. - -It was not until 1713 that the French Fur Company succeeded in -relieving its post of Fort Bourbon. It had twice sent ships, but these -had been intercepted on the high seas by the English and pillaged or -destroyed. The _Providence_ arrived the very year of the Treaty of -Utrecht. - -[Sidenote: Starvation amongst the Indians.] - -But wretched as was the case of the French, that of the Indians was -lamentable indeed. A few more years of French occupation and the -forests and rivers of the Bay would know its race of hunters no more. -Many hundreds lay dead within a radius of twenty leagues from the -fort, the flesh devoured from their bones. They had lost the use of -the bow and arrow since the advent of the Europeans, and they had no -resource as cultivators of the soil; besides their errant life forbade -this. Pressed by a long hunger, parents had killed their children for -food; the strong had devoured the weak. One of these unhappy victims -of civilization and commercial rivalries, confessed to the commandant -that he had eaten his wife and six children. He had, he declared, not -experienced the pangs of tenderness until the time came for him to -sacrifice his last child, whom he loved more than the others, and that -he had gone away weeping, leaving a portion of the body buried in the -earth. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[37] "Six or seven times over," the Company say in their reply. - -[38] After the battle of Port Nelson, Iberville had returned to France -leaving Martigny in command of the Fort. His subsequent career may be -read elsewhere; the Bay was no longer to be the theatre of his -exploits. He perished in 1707 at Havana. - -[39] At Albany they were surrounded by the French on every side, a -circumstance which greatly sapped their commerce. Yet, even at this -period, the importation of beaver and other peltries from the single -fort remaining to them was above thirty thousand annually. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -1697-1712. - - Company Seriously Damaged by Loss of Port Nelson -- Send an - Account of their Claims to Lords of Trade -- Definite Boundary - Propositions of Trade -- Lewis anxious to Create Boundaries -- - Company look to Outbreak of War -- War of Spanish Succession - breaks out -- Period of Adversity for the Company -- Employment - of Orkneymen -- Attack on Fort Albany -- Desperate Condition of - the French at York Fort -- Petition to Anne. - - -The Treaty of Ryswick[40] had aimed a severe blow at the prosperity of -the Company,[41] in depriving them of that important quarter of the -Bay known as Port Nelson. - -Although now on the threshold of a long period of adversity, the -Merchants-Adventurers, losing neither hope nor courage, continued to -raise their voice for restitution and justice. Petition after petition -found its way to King, Commons, and the Lords of Trade and -Plantations. - -[Sidenote: The Company's claims.] - -In May, 1700, the Company were requested by the Lord of Trade and -Plantations to send an account of the encroachments of the French on -Her Majesty's Dominion in America within the limits of the Company's -charter; to which the Company replied, setting forth their right and -title, and praying restitution. - -It has been stated, and urged as a ground against the later -pretensions of the Hudson's Bay Company, that at this time they were -willing to contract their limits. While willing to do this for the -purpose of effecting a settlement, it was only on condition of their -not being able to obtain "the whole Straits and Bay which of right -belongs to them." - -"This," remarked a counsel for the Company in a later day, "is like a -man who has a suit of ejectment, who, in order to avoid the expense -and trouble of a law suit, says, 'I will be willing to allow you -certain bounds, but if you do not accept that I will insist on getting -all my rights and all that I am entitled to.'" - -The Company's propositions soon began to take a definite form. - - THE COMPANY'S CLAIMS AFTER THE TREATY OF RYSWICK. - - [_To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Trade and - Plantations._] - - The limits which the Hudson's Bay Company conceive to be - necessary as boundaries between the French and them in case of - an exchange of places, and that the Company cannot obtain the - whole Streights and Bay, which of right belongs to them, - viz.:-- - - 1. That the French be limited not to trade by wood-runners, or - otherwise, nor build any House, Factory, or Fort, beyond the - bounds of 53 degrees, or Albany River, vulgarly called - Chechewan, to the northward, on the west or main coast. - - 2. That the French be likewise limited not to trade by - wood-runners, or otherwise, nor build any House, Factory, or - Fort, beyond Rupert's River, to the northward, on the east or - main coast. - - 3. On the contrary, the English shall be obliged not to trade - by wood-runners, or otherwise, nor build any House, Factory, or - Fort, beyond the aforesaid latitude of 53 degrees, or Albany - River, vulgarly called Chechewan, south-east towards Canada, on - any land which belongs to the Hudson's Bay Company. - - 4. As also the English be likewise obliged not to trade by - wood-runners, or otherwise, nor build any House, Factory, or - Fort, beyond Rupert's River, to the south-east, towards Canada, - on any land which belongs to the Hudson's Bay Company. - - 5. As likewise, that neither the French or English shall at any - time hereafter extend their bounds contrary to the aforesaid - limitations, nor instigate the natives to make war, or join - with either, in any acts of hostility to the disturbance or - detriment of the trade of either nation, which the French may - very reasonably comply with, for that they by such limitations - will have all the country south-eastward betwixt Albany Fort - and Canada to themselves, which is not only the best and most - fertile part, but also a much larger tract of land than can be - supposed to be to the northward, and the Company deprived of - that which was always their undoubted right. - - And unless the Company can be secured according to these - propositions, they think it will be impossible for them to - continue long at York Fort (should they exchange with the - French), nor will the trade answer their charge; and therefore - if your lordships cannot obtain these so reasonable - propositions from the French, but that they insist to have the - limits settled between [Albany and] York and Albany Fort, as in - the latitude of 55 degrees or thereabouts, the Company can by - no means agree thereto, for they by such an agreement will be - the instruments of their own ruin, never to be retrieved. - - By order of the General Court, - - WM. POTTER, _Secretary_. - - Confirmed by the General Court of } - the said Company, 10th July, 1700.} - -The adventurers were, they said, not indisposed to listen to reason. -They proposed limits to be observed by the two nations in their trade -and possessions in the Bay. But should the French be so foolish as to -refuse their offer, then they would not be bound by that or any former -concession, but would then, as they had always theretofore done, -"insist upon the prior and undoubted right to the whole of the Bay and -straits." - -[Sidenote: Lewis proposes boundaries.] - -The Court of Versailles was now most anxious to delimit the boundaries -of the respective possessions of the two countries in the Bay. To this -end, proposals were exchanged between the two crown governments. One -alternative proposed by the French Ambassador was that the Weemish -River, which was exactly half way between Fort Bourbon and Fort -Albany, should mark the respective limits of the French on the east, -while the limits of New France on the side of Acadia should be -restricted to the River St. George. - -This proposition having been referred to them, the Board of Trade and -Plantations discouraged the scheme. The Hudson's Bay Adventurers it -said, challenged an undoubted right to the whole Bay, antecedent to -any pretence of the French. It was, therefore, requisite that they -should be consulted before any concession of territories could be made -to the Most Christian King or his subjects. - -The Company pinned their hopes to an outbreak of hostilities,[42] -which would enable them to attempt to regain what they had lost. A -protracted peace was hardly looked for by the nation. In answer to -Governor Knight's continual complaints, to which were added those of -the dispossessed Geyer, the Company begged its servants to bide their -time; and to exert themselves to the utmost to increase the trade at -Albany, and Moose, and Rupert's River. - -"England," says the historian Green, "was still clinging desperately -to the hope of peace, when Lewis, by a sudden act, forced it into war. -He had acknowledged William as King in the Peace of Ryswick, and -pledged himself to oppose all the attacks on his throne. He now -entered the bed-chamber at St. Germain, where James was breathing his -last, and promised to acknowledge his son at his death as King of -England, Scotland and Ireland." - -[Sidenote: Outbreak of the war between England and France.] - -Such a promise was tantamount to a declaration of war, and in a moment -England sprang to arms. None were so eager for the approaching strife -as the Honourable Merchants-Adventurers. They expressed their opinion -that, while their interests had undoubtedly suffered at the peace of -1697, they were far from attributing it to any want of care on the -part of his Majesty. Their rights and claims, they said, were then -"overweighed by matters of higher consequence depending in that -juncture for the glory and honour of the King." - -Yet a dozen more years were to elapse before they were to come into -their own again; and during that critical period much was to happen to -affect their whole internal economy. The value of the shares fell; the -original Adventurers were all since deceased, and many of their heirs -had disposed of their interests. A new set of shareholders appeared on -the scene; not simultaneously, but one by one, until almost the entire -personnel of the Company had yielded place to a new, by no means of -the same weight or calibre.[43] - -Mention has already been made of the manner in which the Company -devoted its thought and energy to its weekly meetings. Not even in -the gravest crises to which the East India Company was subjected, was -there a statute more inconvenient or severe, than the following: -"Resolved and ordered by the Committee, to prevent the Company's -business from being delayed or neglected, that for the future if any -member do not appear by one hour after the time mentioned in the -summons and the glass run out, or shall depart without leave of the -Committee, such member shall have no part in the moneys to be divided -by the Committee, and that the time aforesaid be determined by the -going of the clock in the Court-room, which the Secretary is to set as -he can to the Exchange clock; and that no leave shall be given until -one hour after the glass is run out." - -But out of their adversity sprung a proposition which, although not -put into effect upon a large scale until many years afterwards, yet -well deserves to be recorded here. To stem the tide of desertions from -the Company's service, caused by the war, and the low rate of wages, -it was in 1710 first suggested that youthful Scotchmen be -employed.[44] - -[Sidenote: Employment of Scotchmen in the service.] - -The scarcity of servants seems to have continued. In the following -year greater bribes were resorted to. "Captain Mounslow was now -ordered to provide fifteen or sixteen young able men to go to H. B. -This expedition for five years, which he may promise to have wages, -viz.: L8 the 1st year; L10 the 2nd; L12 the 3rd and L14 for the two -last years, and to be advanced L3 each before they depart from -Gravesend." The result of this was that in June, 1711, the first batch -of these servants came aboard the Company's ship at Stromness. But -they were not destined to sail away to the Bay in their full numbers. -Overhauled by one of Her Majesty's ships, eleven of the young men were -impressed into the service. For many years after this incident it was -not found easy to engage servants in the Orkneys. - - [Illustration: "The younger men now stole again to the French camp - and massacred all the others in their sleep." - (_See page 185._)] - -Captain Barlow was governor at Albany Fort in 1704 when the French -came overland from Canada to besiege it. The Canadians and their -Indian guides lurked in the neighbourhood of Albany for several days -before they made the attack, and killed many of the cattle that were -grazing in the marshes. A faithful Home Indian (as those Crees in the -vicinity were always termed), who was on a hunting excursion, -discovered those strangers, and correctly supposing them to be -enemies, immediately returned to the fort and informed the governor of -the circumstance. Barlow, while giving little credit to the report, -yet took immediately every measure for the fort's defence. Orders were -given to the master of a sloop hard by to hasten to the fort should he -hear a gun fired. - -In the middle of the night the French came before the fort, marched up -to the gate and demanded entrance. Barlow, who was on watch, told them -that the governor was asleep, but he would go for the keys at once. -The French, according to the governor, on hearing this, and expecting -no resistance, flocked up to the gate as close as they could stand. -Barlow took advantage of this opportunity, and instead of opening the -gate opened two port-holes, and discharged the contents of two -six-pounders into the gathering. This quantity of grape-shot -slaughtered great numbers of the French, and amongst them their -commander, who was an Irishman. - -A precipitate retreat followed such an unexpected reception; and the -master of the sloop hearing the firing proceeded with the greatest -haste to the spot. But some of the enemy, who lay in ambush on the -river's bank, intercepted and killed him, with his entire crew. - -Seeing no chance of surprising the fort, the French retired -reluctantly, and did not renew the attack; although some of them were -heard shooting in the neighbourhood for ten days after their repulse. -One man in particular was noticed to walk up and down the platform -leading from the gate of the fort to the launch for a whole day. At -sundown Fullerton, the governor, thinking his conduct extraordinary, -ventured out and spoke to the man in French. He offered him lodgings -within the fort if he chose to accept them; but to such and similar -proposals the man made no reply, shaking his head. Fullerton then -informed him that unless he would surrender himself as his prisoner he -would have no alternative but to shoot him. In response to this the -man advanced nearer the fort. The governor kept his word, and the -unhappy Frenchman fell, pierced by a bullet. No explanation of his -eccentric behaviour was ever forthcoming, but it may be that the -hardships he expected to encounter on his return to Canada had -unbalanced his mind, and made him prefer death to these while scorning -surrender. - -[Sidenote: Desperate condition of the French at Fort York.] - -It was some solace to know that their French rivals were in trouble, -and that York Factory had hardly proved as great a source of profit to -the French Company as had been anticipated. The achievements of -Iberville and his brothers had done little, as has been shown, to -permanently better its fortunes. To such an extent had these declined, -that the capture, in 1704, of the principal ship of the French Company -by an English frigate, forced these traders to invoke the assistance -of the Mother Country in providing them with facilities for the relief -of the forts and the transportation of the furs to France. In the -following year, the garrison at Fort Bourbon nearly perished for lack -of provisions. The assistance was given; but two years later it was -discontinued, because they could no longer spare either ships or men. -Although both were urgently needed for defence against the New -Englanders. Owing to the enormous increase of unlicensed bushrangers, -the continued hostilities and the unsettled state of the country, no -small proportion of the entire population chose rather to adventure -the perils of illicit trade in the wilderness, than to serve the king -in the wars at home.[45] Unaccustomed for so long a period to till the -soil, their submission was not easily secured, no matter how dire the -penalties. - -Finding their continual petitions to the Lords of Trade ineffectual, -the Company now drew up a more strongly worded one and presented it -to Queen Anne herself. The memorial differed from any other, inasmuch -as the Company now lay stress for the first time on some other feature -of their commerce than furs. - -"The said country doth abound with several other commodities (of which -your petitioners have not been able to begin a trade, by reason of the -interruptions they have met with from the French) as of whale-bone, -whale-oil (of which last your subjects now purchase from Holland and -Germany to the value of L26,000 per annum, which may be had in your -own dominions), besides many other valuable commodities, which in time -may be discovered." - -If the French, it was argued, came to be entirely possessed of -Hudson's Bay, they would undoubtedly give up whale fishing in those -parts, which will greatly tend to the increase of their navigation and -to their breed of seamen. - - When your Majesty, in your high wisdom, shall think fit to give - peace to those enemies whom your victorious arms have so - reduced and humbled, and when your Majesty shall judge it for - your people's good to enter into a treaty of peace with the - French King, your petitioners pray that the said Prince be - obliged by such treaty, to renounce all right and pretensions - to the Bay and Streights of Hudson, to quit and surrender all - posts and settlements erected by the French, or which are now - in their possession, as likewise not to sail any ships or - vessels within the limits of the Company's charter, and to make - restitution of the L108,514, 19s. 8d., of which they robbed and - despoiled your petitioners in times of perfect amity between - the two Kingdoms. - -This petition seems actually to have come into the hands of the Queen -and to have engaged her sympathy, for which the Honourable Adventurers -had to thank John Robinson, the Lord Bishop of London. This dignitary, -_persona grata_ in the highest degree to the sovereign, was also a -close personal friend of the Lake family, whose fortunes[46] were long -bound up with the Hudson's Bay Company. The Company was asked to state -what terms it desired to make. In great joy they acceded to the -request. - - TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF TRADES AND - PLANTATIONS. - - _The Memorandum of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of - England trading into Hudson's Bay:_ - - That for avoiding all disputes and differences that may, in - time to come, arise between the said Company and the French, - settled in Canada, they humbly represent and conceive it - necessary-- - - That no wood-runners, either French or Indians, or any other - person whatsoever, be permitted to travel, or seek for trade, - beyond the limits hereinafter mentioned. - - That the said limits began from the island called Grimington's - Island, or Cape Perdrix, in the latitude of 58-1/2 deg. north, - which they desire may be the boundary between the English and the - French, on the coast of Labrador, towards Rupert's Land, on the - east main, and Novia Britannia on the French side, and that no - French ship, bark, boat or vessel whatsoever, shall pass to the - northward of Cape Perdrix or Grimington's Island, towards or - into the Streights or Bay of Hudson, on any pretence whatever. - -[Sidenote: Demand of the Company.] - - That a line be supposed to pass to the south-westward of the - said Island of Grimington or Cape Perdrix to the great Lake - Miscosinke, _alias_ Mistoveny, dividing the same into two parts - (as in the map now delivered), and that the French, nor any - others employed by them, shall come to the north or - north-westward of the said lake, or supposed line, by land or - water, or through any rivers, lakes or countries, to trade, or - erect any forts or settlements whatsoever; and the English, on - the contrary, not to pass the said supposed line either to the - southward or eastward. - - That the French be likewise obliged to quit, surrender and - deliver up to the English, upon demand, York Fort (by them - called Bourbon), undemolished; together with all forts, - factories, settlements and buildings whatsoever, taken from the - English, or since erected or built by the French, with all the - artillery and ammunition, in the condition they are now in; - together with all other places they are possessed of within the - limits aforesaid, or within the Bay and Streights of Hudson. - - These limits being first settled and adjusted, the Company are - willing to refer their losses and damages formerly sustained by - the French in time of peace, to the consideration of - commissioners to be appointed for that purpose. - - By order of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, - trading into Hudson's Bay. - - Hudson's Bay House, 7th of February, 1711-12. - - -A LIST OF FORTS FROM 1668 TO 1714. - - 1. Rupert, called by the French St. Jacques. Founded 1668 by - Gillam. Taken by the French under Troyes and Iberville, July, - 1686. Retaken by the English, 1693. - - 2. Fort Monsippi, Monsonis, St. Lewis and Moose Fort, taken by - Troyes and Iberville 20th June, 1686. Retaken 1693. - - 3. Fort Chechouan, St. Anne or Albany, taken by de Troyes and - Iberville in 1686. Retaken 1693. - - 4. New Severn or Nieu Savanne, taken by Iberville, 1690. - - 5. Fort Bourbon, Nelson or York. Founded 1670. Taken by the - French, 1682, acting for English, 1684. Retaken by Iberville - 12th October, 1894. Retaken by the English 1696, and by the - French, 1697. Retaken by the English, 1714. - - 6. Fort Churchill, 1688. - - 7. East Main. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[40] By the Treaty of Ryswick, Great Britain and France were -respectively to deliver up to each other generally whatever -possessions either held before the outbreak of the war, and it was -specially provided that this should be applicable to the places in -Hudson's Bay taken by the French during the peace which preceded the -war, which, though retaken by the British during the war, were to be -given up to the French. Commissioners were to be appointed in -pursuance of the Treaty to determine the rights and pretensions which -either nation had to the places in Hudson's Bay. But these -commissioners never met. The commissioners must, however, have been -bound by the text of the Treaty wherever it was explicit. They -_might_, said the Company's opponents, have decided that France had a -right to the whole, but they could _not_ have decided that Great -Britain had a right to the whole. They would have been compelled to -make over to France all the places she took during the peace which -preceded the war, for in that the Treaty left them no discretion. The -following are the words of the Treaty:--"But the possession of those -places which were taken by the French, during the peace that preceded -this present war, and were retaken by the English during the war, -shall be left to the French by virtue of the foregoing article." Thus -the Treaty of Ryswick recognized and confirmed the right of France to -certain places in Hudson's Bay distinctly and definitely, but it -recognized no right at all on the part of Great Britain; it merely -provided a tribunal to try whether she had any or not. - -[41] "Therefore, we shall proceed to inform your Lordships of the -present melancholy prospects of our trade and settlement in Hudson's -Bay, and that none of his Majesty's plantations are left in such a -deplorable state as those of this Company, for by their great losses -by the French, both in times of peace as well as during the late war, -together with the hardships they lie under by the late Treaty of -Ryswick, they may be said to be the only mourners by the peace. They -cannot but inform your Lordships that the only settlement that the -Company now have left in Hudson's Bay (of seven they formerly -possessed) is Albany Fort, vulgarly called Checheawan, in the bottom -of the said Bay, where they are surrounded by the French on every -side, viz., by their settlements on the lakes and rivers from Canada -to the northwards, towards Hudson's Bay, as also from Port Nelson (Old -York Fort) to the southward; but beside this, the Company have, by the -return of their ship this year, received certain intelligence that the -French have made another settlement at a place called New Severn, -'twixt Port Nelson and Albany Fort, whereby they have hindered the -Indians from coming to trade at the Company's factory, at the bottom -of the Bay, so that the Company this year have not received above -one-fifth part of the returns they usually had from thence, insomuch -that the same doth not answer the expense of their expedition." - -[42] The Company being by these and other misfortunes reduced to such -a low and miserable condition, that, without his Majesty's favour and -assistance, they are in no ways able to keep that little remainder -they are yet possessed of in Hudson's Bay, but may justly fear in a -short time to be deprived of all their trade in those parts which is -solely negotiated by the manufacturers of this kingdom. Upon the whole -matter, the Company humbly conceive, they can be no ways safe from the -insults and encroachments of the French, so long as they are suffered -to remain possessed of any place in Hudson's Bay, and that in order to -dislodge them from thence (which the Company are no ways able to do) a -force of three men-of-war, one bomb-vessel, and two hundred and fifty -soldiers besides the ships' company will be necessary, whereby that -vast tract of land which is of so great concern, not only to this -Company in particular, but likewise to the whole nation in general, -may not be utterly lost to this kingdom. - -[43] The Duke of York's (James II.) share, however, was retained by -his heirs up to 1746. - -[44] Captain John Merry is desired to speak with Captain Moody, who -has a nephew in the Orkneys, to write to him to provide fifteen or -sixteen young men, about twenty years old, to be entertained by the -Company, to serve them for four years in Hudson's Bay, at the rate of -L6 per annum, the wages formerly given by the Company.--From the -Company's Order Book, 29th February, 1710. - -[45] "This country," it was remarked in 1710, "is composed of persons -of various character and different inclinations. One and the other -ought to be managed, and can contribute to render it flourishing." - -[46] I find the following in the minute books, under date of 24th -March, 1714. "It was resolved that the Committee when they meet Friday -come Senuit, do agree to wait on the Lord Bishop of London, in order -to return him the thanks of this Company for the care that has been -taken of them by the Treaty of Ryswick." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -1712-1720. - - Queen Anne Espouses the Cause of the Company -- Prior's View of - its Wants -- Treaty of Utrecht -- Joy of the Adventurers -- - Petition for Act of Cession -- Not Pressed by the British - Government -- Governor Knight Authorized to take Possession of - Port Nelson -- "Smug Ancient Gentlemen" -- Commissioners to - Ascertain Rights -- Their Meeting in Paris -- Matters move - slowly -- Bladen and Pulteney return to England. - - -At last the Company had triumphed. Its rights had been admitted; the -Queen and her ministers were convinced of the justice of its -claims.[47] Peace, long and anxiously awaited, began to dawn over the -troubled horizon. Lewis and his courtiers had long sickened of the -war: and at the Flemish town of Utrecht negotiations were on foot for -a cessation of hostilities and the adjustment of differences between -the crowns of England and France. - -The view which Matthew Prior, the English plenipotentiary, took of the -Company's rights was not one, however, inspired by that body. He -wanted the trade of the country, rather than the sovereignty. - -"I take leave to add to your lordship," he observes at the end of a -communication addressed to the Secretary of State, "that these -limitations are not otherwise advantageous or prejudicial to Great -Britain than as we are both better or worse with the native Indians; -and that the whole is a matter rather of industry than of dominion." - -These negotiations finally resulted in a treaty signed on the 31st of -March (O.S.), 1713, by which the whole of Hudson's Bay was ceded to -Great Britain without any distinct definition of boundaries, for the -determining of which commissioners were to be appointed. - -[Sidenote: Effect of the Treaty on the Company.] - -On the news of the conclusion of the Treaty, the Adventurers were -filled with joy. The Committee was in session when a messenger came -hot haste from Whitehall to bear the glad tidings. A General Court was -convoked for several days later. Plans were concerted for securing the -very most that the circumstances would allow. It was necessary to -secure the Act of Cession which it was supposed would be issued by -Lewis, ceding to Great Britain the places on Hudson's Bay, the Company -being regarded merely in the light of sub-ordinary subjects. Many of -the members wished to press at once for pecuniary compensation, but -the wiser heads agreed that this would best be a matter for subsequent -negotiation. Many thought indeed that perhaps there need be no haste -in the matter, as the interest on the original estimate of damages, -already nearly double the principal, was growing daily at an enormous -rate. - -"As to the Company's losses," says a memorandum of this year, "it will -appear by a true and exact estimate that the French took from the -Company in full peace between 1682 and 1688 seven ships, with their -cargoes, and six forts and caches in which were carried away great -stores of goods laid up for trading with the Indians. The whole -amounts to L38,332 15s., and L62,210 18s. 9d. interest, computed to -1713." - -[Sidenote: Company's claim for compensation.] - -Under date of 30th July, 1714, occurs the following: "The Committee -having received a letter from the Lords Commissioners of Trade, and -they desiring their attendance on Tuesday next, and to bring in -writing the demands of the Co. for damages rec'd from the French in -times of peace pursuant to the 10th & 11th Articles of the Treaty of -Utrecht. Upon which the Secretary is ordered to Copy out the Abstract -of the whole damage sustained, amounting to with Interest the sum of -L100,543-13-9; as likewise the particulars in these small volumes in -order to present the same to the Commission of Trade on Wednesday -next." - -It does not seem to have been doubted but that the Queen, if -petitioned, would grant the Company's request in time to send an -expedition to the Bay that very year.[48] - -But while vessels were being acquired, fitted out and loaded with -cargoes, the Company was wise enough not to run the risk of falling -into a trap. Nothing was to be done without the fullest royal -authority. - -It is worthy of remark as illustrating how much the Company trusted -the Canadian authorities, Bolingbroke (May 29, 1713) reminded the Duke -of Shrewsbury (then at Paris) that in Pontchartrain's letter to the -Marquis de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, the latter was directed to -yield the forts and settlements belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company: -"But this order the Merchants thought would hardly fulfil their -requirements. They were despatching two ships to the Bay. It would -therefore be better if his grace obtained direct order to M. Jeremie -in duplicate." - -[Sidenote: No Act of Cession.] - -But the Act of Cession eagerly awaited by the Company was not -forthcoming. The Queen's advisers were wiser than anybody else. Lord -Dartmouth's letter[49] of the 27th May, 1713, enclosing the petition -of the Hudson's Bay Company, shows what was the design in not -accepting an Act of Cession from the French King. Her Majesty insisted -only upon an order from the French Court for delivering possession; -"by which means the title of the Company was acknowledged, and they -will come into the immediate enjoyment of their property without -further trouble." - -The summer of 1713 came on apace, and it was soon too late to think of -occupying Port Nelson that year. But all was made ready for the next. -On the 5th of June, 1714, many of the Adventurers hied themselves to -Gravesend, to wish Governor Knight and his deputy, Henry Kelsey, -godspeed. "The Committee," we read in the minutes, "delivered to -Captain Knight, Her Majesty's Royal Commission, to take possession -(for the Company) of York Fort, and all other places within the Bay -and Straits of Hudson. Also another Commission from Her Majesty -constituting him Governor under the Company, and Mr. H. Kelsey, Deputy -Governor of the Bay and Straits of Hudson, aforesaid." - -Knight took with him, likewise, "the French King's order under his -hand and seal, to Mons. Jeremie, Commander at York Fort, to deliver -the same to whom Her Majesty should appoint, pursuant to the Treaty of -Utrick." - -Knight's eyes, now dimmed with age, were gladdened by the sight of -Port Nelson, on the 25th of July. Jeremie was already advised by the -French ship, and no time was lost in evacuation. A bargain was made -for such buildings and effects as the French had no further use for, -which had been beforehand arranged. "From his particular regard for -the Queen of Great Britain, the King will leave to her the artillery -and ammunition in the forts and places in Hudson's Bay and Straits, -notwithstanding the urgent reasons His Majesty has to withdraw them, -and to appropriate them elsewhere." The cannon were accordingly left. - -[Sidenote: Regulation of boundary.] - -By Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht it was proposed, in order to -avoid all further conflict and misunderstanding, that commissioners -should be appointed to regulate the boundaries of Hudson's Bay and the -extent of the trade thereof, which should be enjoyed by each.[50] But -no great haste was apparent on the part of France to secure this end. -For several years nothing was done in the matter, save and except the -persistent exchange of letters between the two ambassadors. There is a -letter of Bolingbroke's which evinces the feeling current in -diplomatic circles at the time. - -"There is nothing more persistent in the world," he says, "than these -claims of the Hudson's Bay Company. We are desirous greatly to see all -these smug ancient gentlemen satisfied; but notwithstanding we are -unable to budge an inch. The truth of the business seems to me to be -that the French are always hoping that their ultimate concessions will -be less and the English that these concessions will be vastly more. As -for ourselves we have no desire to play with frost; and I for one -shall be relieved to see this question thawed out without further -delay." - -Lewis had consented, at the time of the Peace, to afterwards name two -commissioners who should give possession to such of the English, as -proved that they were actual proprietors, or the heirs of proprietors -of those who had in a former time possessed property in the Bay. This -seemed to provide for the Company's rights in a manner most -satisfactory. - -[Sidenote: Appointment of a Commission.] - -Nevertheless matters dragged on, and it was not until 1719 that a -practical movement was made. On the 3rd of September of that year, -Daniel Pulteney and Martin Bladen, Lords of Trade, were appointed -Commissioners in response to the appointment by Lewis of the Mareschal -Comte d'Estrees and the Abbe Dubois, Minister and Secretary of State. -Pulteney was an Indian merchant, and Bladen had been an officer in the -army. - -The Lords of Trade having made the suggestion, the Company now wished -their Governor, Sir Bibye Lake, to go over to Paris the "more -earnestly to solicit and prosecute the claims of the Honourable -Adventurers." - -"It is by this Committee desired most humbly of the Governor to accept -and undertake this journey and to manage the Company's affairs there, -as he shall judge most conducive to their interest and advantage. -Which, being signified to the Governor, he did, to the great -satisfaction of the Committee readily undertake and accept the same. -It was ordered that the Governor have liberty to take with him such -person or persons to France as he shall think fit." - -Lake accordingly joined Bladen and Pulteney, and was permitted to take -a silent part in the conference. - -It was intended that this Commission, meeting in Paris, should have -power to settle generally the boundaries between the English and -French possessions in America. But this was soon seen to be -impracticable. The settlement of these matters was too vast and -complicated for the Commission to deal with; and the Lords of Trade -instructed Bladen, on his setting out, to deal only with the Hudson's -Bay territories. It is significant that private instructions of a -similar nature were at the same time conveyed to the French -Commissioners by the Court. - -The Commissioners finally met. Perhaps it would be a pity if Bladen's -own quaint account of what followed were allowed to perish:-- - - On Saturday last, my Lord Stair and I met Marechal d'Estrees - and Abbe Dubois. Our time was spent in preparatory discourses - concerning the intent of the 10th article of the Treaty of - Utrecht, relating to the boundaries of Hudson's Bay; and at our - next meeting, which will be to-morrow at my Lord Stair's House, - we design to give in the claim of the Hudson's Bay Company, in - writing, with some few additions pretty material for their - service, in case the Abbe Dubois his health will allow him to - be there, which I fear it will not, for he is confined at - present to his bed. - -[Sidenote: Martin Bladen's description of the Commission.] - - But I confess, I cannot help thinking it will be to a very - little purpose to puzzle ourselves about setting boundaries, by - treaty, in the North of America, if the French have so concise - a way of fixing theirs in the south, without asking our - concurrence; it is to be hoped they will have the modesty to - recede from this new acquisition, but in the meantime I cannot - help saying this gives me no very good relish either of their - friendship or discretion. - - I cannot leave this subject without observing how much it - imports us to be upon our guard in our American Colonies. It - were to be wished that the several Governments of His Majesty's - plantations would pay the respect they owe to their - instructions, and if those of Barbados for some time past had - observed theirs, relating to Santa Lucia, the settlement of a - hundred French families there could never have been put upon us - at this day as a proof of their right to that island. - -There is, further, much talk of a "multiplicity of books and papers -necessary to be read," and of "arduous labours" in going over maps, -charts and memoirs, which, however numerous, "are not to be depended -on."[51] - -While this initial work was going on, one of the adventurers was -entreating his fellows at a Company meeting in London, to take note of -a scheme which the French had been insidiously attempting for the -previous four years to utterly destroy not only the Company's trade, -but all the English colonies as well. He proceeded to read a private -letter from a relation in the colony of Pennsylvania in which it was -shewn that the Mississippi Company required close watching. - -"Its leaders are egged on by the Jesuits, and will stop at no bloody -measures to draw down trade from the Indians. Their projects must -inevitably succeed if we are not watchful." - -This was put forward as one potent reason why the French were -complaisant about yielding us the Bay itself. It was but the shell -they would surrender, whilst preserving to themselves the kernel. - -This letter from the Pennsylvanian had its effect upon the -easily-alarmed adventurers, for they lost no time in communicating -their apprehensions to the Lords of Trade. - -The matter was sent forward to Bladen and Pulteney. "It were heartily -to be wished," the Company observed, "that in imitation of our -industrious neighbours the French, some means can be determined upon -to extend the trade in furs southwards." - -In response, Bladen imparted a brilliant idea. He suggested that St. -Augustine might be "reduced at a small cost," and advantage taken -thereby of the war then in progress with Spain. - -Matters went on in Paris as badly as could be. The English -commissioners lost all patience. Nothing was in the air but John Law -and his Mississippi scheme. The three distinguished Englishmen, -Bladen, Pulteney and Lake, were dined and feted: but were at length -disgusted with the whole business.[52] The "smug ancient gentlemen," -as Bolingbroke had irreverently dubbed the Honourable Adventurers, -were not to be satisfied in regard to the delimitation of boundaries -and at this time. But perhaps even they had less interest in Hudson's -Bay at heart than new interests which had dramatically arisen much -nearer home. - -Governor Lake was sent for suddenly from London, and Bladen and -Pulteney were not long in following him. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[47] THE LORDS OF TRADE TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH. - _To the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth._ - - MY LORD,--In obedience to Her Majesty's commands, signified to - us, we have considered the enclosed petition from the Hudson's - Bay Company to Her Majesty, and are humbly of opinion that the - said Company have a good right and just title to the whole Bay - and Streights of Hudson. - - Since the receipt of which petition, the said Company have - delivered us a memorial, relating to the settlement of - boundaries between them and the French of Canada, a copy - whereof is enclosed, and upon which we take leave to offer, - that as it will be for the advantage of the said Company that - their boundaries be settled, it will also be necessary that the - boundaries between Her Majesty's colonies on the continent of - America and the said French of Canada be likewise agreed and - settled; wherefore we humbly offer these matters may be - recommended to Her Majesty's Plenipotentiaries at Utrecht. - - We are, - My Lord, - Your Lordship's most obedient, and most humble servants, - WINCHELSEA, - PH. MEADOWS, - CHAS. TURNER, - GEO. BAILLIE, - ARTH. MOORE, - FRA. GWYN. - - Whitehall, February 19th, 1711-12. - -[48] THE COMPANY'S PETITION TO QUEEN ANNE FOR ACT OF CESSION. - - _To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty_:-- - - The humble petition of the Governor and Company of Adventurers - of England trading into Hudson's Bay, sheweth: - - That your petitioners, being informed that the Act of Cession - is come over, whereby (among other matters thereby concerted) - the French King obliges himself to restore to your Majesty (or - to whom your Majesty shall appoint to take possession thereof) - the Bay and Streights of Hudson, as also all forts and edifices - whatsoever, entire and demolished, together with guns, shot, - powder and other warlike provisions (as mentioned in the 10th - article of the present treaty of peace), within six months - after the ratification thereof, or sooner, if possible it may - be done. - - Your petitioners do most humbly pray your Majesty will be - graciously pleased to direct the said Act of Cession may be - transmitted to your petitioners, as also your Majesty's - commission to Captain James Knight and Mr. Henry Kelsey, - gentleman, to authorize them, or either of them, to take - possession of the premises above mentioned, and to constitute - Captain James Knight to be Governor of the fortress called Fort - Nelson, and all other forts and edifices, lands, seas, rivers - and places aforesaid; and the better to enable your petitioners - to recover the same, they humbly pray your Majesty to give - orders that they may have a small man-of-war to depart with - their ships, by the 12th of June next ensuing, which ship may - in all probability return in the month of October. - - And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray. - - By order of the Company. - per WM. POTTER, SECRETARY. - -[49] "MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,--The Queen has commanded me to transmit -to you the enclosed petition of the Hudson's Bay Company, that you may -consider of it and report your opinion what orders may properly be -given upon the several particulars mentioned. In the meantime I am to -acquaint you that the places and countries therein named, belonging of -right to British subjects, Her Majesty did not think fit to receive -any Act of Cession from the French King, and has therefore insisted -only upon an order from that Court for delivering possession to such -persons as should be authorized by Her Majesty to take it; by this -means the title of the Company is acknowledged, and they will come -into the immediate enjoyment of their property without further -trouble." - -[50] In 1714 the Hudson's Bay Company sent a memorandum to the Lords -Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, accompanied by a map in which -they claimed that the eastern boundary should be a line running from -Grimington's Island through Lake Miscosinke or Mistassinnie, and from -the said lake by a line run south-westward into 49 degrees north -latitude, as by the red line may more particularly appear, and that -that latitude be the limit; that the French do not come to the north -of it, nor the English to the south of it. - -[51] MR. BLADEN TO MR. DELEFAYE. - - PARIS, November 11th, 1719, N.S. - -On Wednesday last, my Lord Stair and I delivered to the Marechal -d'Estrees the demand of the Hudson's Bay Company, with respect to -their limits, and by comparing the enclosed, which is a copy of that -demand, with the instruction upon his head, you will perceive the same -has been fully complied with. - -So soon as I shall have the French Commissary's answer to our demand, -I shall likewise take care to transmit you a copy of it, to be laid -before their Excellencys the Lord Justices. - -[52] PARIS, May the 4th, N.S., 1720. - - MR. PULTENEY TO MR. SECRETARY CRAGGS. - -My Lord Stair has spoke to the Regent, who said immediately that the -conferences shall be renewed whenever we please; His Excellency then -desired His Royal Highness would appoint a day, which he promised to -do. This is what the Regent has promised my Lord Stair once every -week, for four or five months past, without any effect, and his -Excellency does not expect any more from the promise now, though -possibly a conference may be appointed for form sake. I have been here -near six months, and have seen only one conference, which was -appointed by my Lord Stanhope's desire. I think there had been two -conferences before I came; at the first of them the commissions were -read, and at the second my Lord Stair and Mr. Bladen gave in a -memorial about the limits of the Hudson's Bay Company, to which no -answer has been made. I must own that I never could expect much -success from this commission, since the French interests and ours are -so directly opposite, and our respective pretensions interfere so much -with each on the several points we were to treat about; but that the -French have not been willing to entertain us now and then with a -conference, and try how far we might be disposed to comply with a -conference, and try how far we might be disposed with any of the views -they had in desiring the commission, cannot, I should think be -accounted for, but by supposing they knew we came prepared to reject -all their demands, and to make very considerable ones for -ourselves.... I shall expect your further direction as to my stay or -return; I cannot help owning I heartily wish for the latter, but I -shall always submit to what His Majesty likes best, and shall only -desire in this case that I may have a supply from the treasury, since -I have not had the good fortune to be concerned in either of the -Misiseppis. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -1719-1727. - - The South Sea Bubble -- Nation Catches the Fever of Speculation - -- Strong Temptation for the Company -- Pricking of the Bubble - -- Narrow Escape of the Adventurers -- Knight and his - Expedition -- Anxiety as to their Fate -- Certainty of their - Loss -- Burnet's Scheme to Cripple the French -- It Forces them - Westward into Rupert's Land. - - -The cause of the Governor's recall lay in the existence of a crisis -which promised a happy issue. It arose through the venality of some of -the Company's directors, who were victims of the South Sea fever. - -[Sidenote: South Sea Company.] - -The South Sea Company, whose extraordinary success gave rise to a -thousand joint stock enterprises equally unsound and fatuous, owed its -origin to Harley, Earl of Oxford, in 1711, who in return for the -acceptance of a government debt of L10,000,000 granted to a number of -merchants a monopoly of the trade to the South Seas. - -At that time the most extravagant ideas prevailed concerning the -riches of South America. "If," it was said, "the Hudson's Bay Company -can make vast moneys out of the frozen North, what can be done with -lands flowing with milk and honey?" The South Sea Adventurers -carefully fostered all the current notions, spreading likewise the -belief that Spain was ready to admit them to a share of its South -American commerce. - -In 1717 this Company advanced to the English Government five more -millions sterling, at an interest of six per cent. Their shares rose -daily. Even the outbreak of war with Spain, which destroyed all hope -in the minds of sensible persons of any share in the Spanish traffic, -did not lessen the Company's popularity. In Paris, John Law's -Mississippi Bubble burst, ruining thousands, but, far from being -alarmed at this catastrophe, it was universally believed that Law's -scheme was sound, but had been wrecked through unwise methods. In May, -1720, the South Sea Company proposed to take upon themselves the -entire national debt of upwards of L30,000,000 upon a guarantee of -five per cent. per annum for seven and one-half years, at the end of -which period the debt might be redeemed if the Government chose, or -the interest reduced to four per cent. The nation was dazzled; -Parliament accepted the offer; and the Company's stock rose steadily -to 330 on April 7, falling to 290 on the following day. - -[Sidenote: A fever of speculation.] - -This day in April witnessed a change in methods on the part of the -South Sea directors. Until then the scheme had been honestly promoted; -but the prospect of enormous wealth was too near to be permitted to -escape. It became thenceforward, until the crash, the prime object of -the directors, at no matter what cost or scruple, to maintain the -fictitious value of the shares. By May 28, L100 shares were quoted at -550; three days later they had reached 890. The whole nation caught -the fever; the steadiest merchants turned gamblers. Hardly a day -passed without a new swindling concern being started as a joint stock -company. - -Meanwhile several of the Hudson's Bay Merchants-Adventurers looked on -with envious eyes. The desire was great to embark in so tempting a -scheme, and the opportunity to cast inflated shares on the market -almost too great to withstand. - -But for many weeks the temptation was resisted. At last, at a meeting -early in August, the chief director came before a general court of the -Adventurers with a scheme by which each partner could either retire -with a moderate fortune or remain an active participant, and reap the -benefit of an infusion of public capital. - -The scheme was simplicity itself, to modern notions; but that it was -not so regarded by some of the Adventurers themselves may be gathered -from the following passage from a letter of Mrs. Mary Butterfield, one -of the owners of the Company's stock. - -"I cannot tell you how it is to be done, for that passes my wit; but -in short, the value of our interests is to be trebled without our -paying a farthing; and then to be trebled again if the business is to -the publick taste, and we are told it cannot fail to be." - -[Sidenote: Plan to reorganize the Company.] - -It was late in August before the scheme was detailed. It was explained -that the Company's assets in quick and dead stock and lands were -L94,500. With this as a basis, it was proposed to enlarge the stock to -the sum of L378,000, dividing this into 3,780 shares of L100 each. -Before this could be carried out, however, the existing stock, being -but L31,500, or 315 shares, was to be made and reckoned 945 shares of -L100 value each. By such means a result of L94,500 actual capital -would appear. A majority of partners favoured the scheme, and the -proposal was carried amidst the greatest enthusiasm. Its purpose was -to unload the stock at an inflated figure, far even in excess of that -actually named by its promoters. Had it succeeded and the flotation -been carried out, it would have doubtless administered a death-blow to -the Company as then organized, and would probably have involved the -revocation of its charter in view of what was soon to occur. But the -plan met with a sudden arrest by an event which then happened, and -which in beggaring multitudes altered the whole disposition of the -public with regard to joint stock enterprises. - -A general impression had gained ground that the South Sea Company's -stock had attained high-water mark, and so many holders rushed to -realize that the price fell, on June 3rd, to 640. The directors were -not yet ready for their _coup_. Agents were despatched by them to buy -up and support the market, and the result was that by nightfall of -that day the quoted price was L750. By means of this and similarly -unscrupulous devices, the shares were sent, early in August, to 1,000. -This was the long-awaited opportunity. Many of the directors sold out; -a general anxiety began to prevail and the shares began to drop. In -view of this change in affairs, the Hudson's Bay Company's meeting for -September 3rd was deferred. On the 12th, South Sea shares were selling -at 400, and the decline continued. The country was thrown into the -greatest excitement, and by the time December had arrived, Parliament -had been hastily summoned to consider the calamity. - -With what happened subsequently, to the authors and participators in -this celebrated joint stock swindle, it is not my present purpose to -deal, except to say that the Hudson's Bay Company was saved in the -nick of time from sharing the fate of its neighbour and rival. A -meeting on the 23rd of December was held, at which it was resolved -that the "said subscription be vacated; and that the Company's seal be -taken off from the said instrument." - -Nevertheless one permanent result remained. The capital had been -trebled, and it was now further resolved that each subscriber should -have L30 of stock "for each L10 by him paid in." This trebled, the -total capital stood, at the beginning of 1721, at L94,500. - -The Company had had a narrow escape. To what extent its shares would -have been inflated may be conjectured; but it is certain that it could -not have avoided being swept into the vortex and sharing the same fate -which overtook so many of its commercial contemporaries. Its enemies -were on the watch, and they would have proved relentless. The -revocation of its charter would have accomplished its final downfall. -Already the Company was being assailed because it had not complied -with one of the provisions named in that instrument: that of making -search for a north-west passage. - -It was not, however, to quiet these reproaches, so persistently -levelled at it, that a year before the bursting of the South Sea -Bubble an expedition was actually set on foot to accomplish the -long-deferred exploration. - -Knight, the Company's aged Governor at York Factory, had long listened -to the tales of the Indians concerning the copper mines to the north; -and resolved, on his return to England, to bring the matter before the -Company. This he did, but it was by no means an easy matter to induce -the Adventurers to consent to the expense of further exploration. -Nevertheless Knight's insistence prevailed, more especially as, -besides the profitable results to be obtained through such a voyage, -he was careful to point out that the Company were expected by their -charter to undertake such an expedition. - -[Sidenote: Expedition to explore the north-west passage.] - -In 1719 the Company, therefore, fitted out two ships for the purpose -of discovery north of Churchill. One of these, called the _Albany_, a -frigate, was commanded by George Barlow, whom we have already seen as -Deputy-Governor at Albany in 1704, when the French failed to capture -that post. The other, named the _Discovery_, a sloop, under David -Vaughan. But the command of the expedition itself was entrusted to -Knight, who was a man of great experience in the Company's service, -who had been for many years Governor of different Factories in the -Bay, and who had made the first settlement at Churchill River. - -Nevertheless, in spite of the experience Knight possessed of the -Company's business, and its methods of trade with the Indians, there -was nothing to lead any one to suppose him especially adapted for the -present enterprise, having nothing to direct him but the slender and -imperfect accounts which he, in common with many other of the -Company's servants had received from the Indians, who, as we have -seen, were at that time little known and less understood. - -But these disadvantages, added to his advanced years, he being then -nearly eighty, by no means deterred his bold spirit. Indeed, so -confident was he of success and of the material advantages which would -accrue from his impending discoveries, that he caused to be made, and -carried with him, several large iron-bound chests, wherein to bestow -the gold dust and other treasures which he "fondly flattered himself -were to be found in those parts." - -The first paragraph of the Company's instructions to Knight on this -occasion was as follows:-- - - 4th June, 1719. - TO CAPTAIN JAMES KNIGHT. - - SIR,--From the experience we have had of your abilities in the - management of our affairs, we have, upon your application to - us, fitted out the _Albany_ frigate, Captain George Barlow, and - the _Discovery_, Captain David Vaughan, Commander, upon a - discovery to the northward; and to that end have given you - power and authority to act and do all things relating to the - said voyage, navigation of the said ship and sloop only - excepted; and have given orders and instructions to our said - Commanders for that purpose. You are, with the first - opportunity of wind and weather, to depart from Gravesend on - your intended voyage, and by God's permission to find out the - Straits of Anian, and to discover gold and other valuable - commodities to the northward. - -Knight departed from Gravesend on board the _Albany_, and proceeded on -his voyage. The ships not returning to England that year no uneasiness -was felt, as it was judged they had wintered in the Bay. Besides, both -were known to have on board a plentiful stock of provisions, a house -in frame, together with the requisite tools and implements, and a -large assortment of trading goods. Little anxiety was therefore -entertained concerning their safety for fifteen months. But when New -Year's Day, 1721, arrived, and neither ship nor sloop had been heard -from, the Company became alarmed for their welfare. - -By the ship sailing to Churchill in June they sent orders for a sloop -then in the Bay, called the _Whalebone_, John Scroggs, master, to go -in search of the missing explorers. But the _Whalebone_ was cruising -about in the north of the Bay at the time, on the Esquimaux trade, and -returned to Churchill at so advanced a season of the year as to defer -the execution of the Company's wishes until the following summer. - -[Sidenote: Anxiety as to the fate of the expedition.] - -The north-west coast was little known in those days, so it is not -singular that Scroggs, on board the little _Whalebone_, finding -himself encompassed by dangerous shoals and rocks, should return to -Prince of Wales' Fort little the wiser regarding the fate of the two -ships. He saw amongst the Esquimaux, it is true, European clothing and -articles, as in a later day Rae and McClintock found souvenirs of the -Franklin tragedy; but these might have been come by in trade, or even -as the result of an accident. None could affirm that a shipwreck or -other total calamity had overtaken Knight and his companions. - -Many years elapsed without anything to shed light on the fate of this -expedition. At first, the strong belief which had so long prevailed -in Europe of a north-west passage by way of this Bay, caused many to -conjecture that the explorers had found that passage and had gone -through it into the South Sea. But before the voyages of Middleton, -Ellis, Bean, Christopher and Jobington had weakened this belief it was -known that Knight, Barlow and the crews of the two ships had been -lost. Proofs of their fate were found in the year 1767, as will appear -in a later chapter of this work. - -An important circumstance now transpired which was not without effect -upon the Company's trade; and which, for a time, gave the Adventurers -great uneasiness. - -In 1727 Burnett had been appointed to the Governorship of New York. -Finding that the French in Canada were in possession of all the Indian -fur-trade of the north and west, which was not in the Hudson's Bay -Company's hands, and that the New Englanders and Iroquois were -trafficking with the Iroquois, he determined to take a bold step with -a view to crippling the French. - -[Sidenote: Attempt of New England to secure the fur-trade.] - -It had long been understood that the chief support of New France was -in the fur commerce; and upon enquiry it was found that the traders, -of Quebec and Montreal, were chiefly supplied with European -merchandise for barter from the New York merchants, from whom they -procured it upon much easier terms than it could possibly be got from -France. With this knowledge, the Governor resolved to foster the -fur-trade of his colony by inducing direct transactions with the -Indians. He procured an Act in the Assembly of the colony, prohibiting -the trade in merchandise from New York. The colonial merchants were, -not unnaturally, up in arms against such a measure; but Burnett, bent -upon carrying his point, had their appeal to King George set aside and -the Act confirmed by that monarch. - - [Illustration: CONTEMPORARY FRENCH MAP OF THE BAY AND VICINITY.] - -By this measure, trade at once sprang up with the Western Indians, -since the French had no goods to offer them in any way to their liking -at a reasonable price. Intercourse and familiarity ensued moreover in -consequence; a fortified trading post was built at Oswego, which not -only drew away trade from the French, at Michilimackinac and St. -Marie, but from Albany and Moose as well. - -[Sidenote: Boundaries between French and English territory.] - -It has been observed that the ancient boundaries of Canada or New -France were circumscribed by the Treaty of Utrecht, and that it is -difficult to determine precisely the new boundaries assigned to it. -The general interpretation adopted by the British geographers, as the -country gradually became better known from that time up to the final -cession of Canada, was that the boundary ran along the high lands -separating the waters that discharged into the St. Lawrence from those -that discharge into Hudson's Bay to the sources of the Nepigon River, -and thence along the northerly division of the same range of high -lands dividing the waters flowing direct to Hudson's Bay, from those -flowing into Lake Winnipeg, and crossing the Nelson, or (as it was -then known) the Bourbon River, about midway between the said Lake and -Bay, thence passing to the west and north by the sources of Churchill -River; no westerly boundary being anywhere assigned to Canada. This -and other measures could have but one result: to make the French -traders and the Government of New France perceive that their only hope -to avert famine and bankruptcy lay in penetrating farther and farther -into the west, in an effort to reach remote tribes, ignorant of true -values and unspoilt by a fierce and ungenerous rivalry. - -It seems fitting to reserve the next chapter for a consideration of -who and what the tribes were at this time inhabiting the territories -granted by its charter to the Great Company; together with their -numbers, their modes of life and relations with the factories. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -1687-1712. - - Hudson's Bay Tribes Peaceful -- Effect of the Traders' Presence - -- Depletion of Population -- The Crees and Assiniboines -- - Their Habits and Customs -- Their Numbers -- No Subordination - Amongst Them -- Spirituous Liquors -- Effect of Intemperance - upon the Indian. - - -Let us imagine for a moment that the Hudson's Bay Company had held -traffic with the fierce and implacable Iroquois, the Mohawks or the -courageous and blood-thirsty tribes of the Mississippi, instead of -with the Crees and Assiniboines. How different would have been its -early history! What frail protection would have been afforded by the -forts and wooden palisades, often not stronger than that last fort of -the Jesuits in the Huron country, the inmates of which were -slaughtered so ruthlessly, or that other at Niagara, where the -Chevalier de Troyes and ninety of his companions perished to a man. - -But the Red men of the Company's territories, compared to these, were -pacific. Occasionally want or deep injustice drove them to acts of -barbarism, as we have seen in the case of the massacre at York Factory -under Jeremie's _regime_; but on the whole they had no marked enmity -to the white men, and long displayed a remarkable and extremely -welcome docility. - -[Sidenote: Character of the Assiniboines.] - -"The Assinibouels," remarked Jeremie, "are humane and affable; and so -are also all those Indians with whom we have commerce in the Bay, -never trading with the French but as their fathers and patrons. -Although savages, they are foes to lying, which is extraordinary in -nations which live without subordination or discipline. One cannot -impute to them any vice, unless they are a little too slanderous. They -never blaspheme and have not even a term in their language which -defines an oath." - -If we are to believe the early traders and explorers, the Red man of -Rupert's Land spoke a tongue by no means difficult for an Englishman -to master. Yet if these same traders really took the trouble to master -it, as they alleged, their knowledge certainly brought little order -into the chaos of tribal nomenclature. - - [Illustration: INDIAN TEPEE.] - -The custom of fantastic names for the Indians was long continued. More -than one instance occur of the impropriety with which the -French-Canadians named the Indians. They called one tribe Gros -Ventres, or Big Bellies, and that without any known reason; they being -as comely and well-made as any other tribe. "They are very far," says -one trader, "from being remarkable for their corpulency." This tribe -also came to be known as the Fall Indians. - -[Sidenote: Indian country.] - -Jeremie observed that the Ouinebigonnolinis inhabited the sea-coast. -The Poaourinagou country was inhabited by the Miskogonhirines or -Savannah, who made war with the Hakouchirmions. Twelve leagues above -York Factory was situated the River Oujuragatchousibi, while far -beyond dwelt the Nakonkirhirinons. - -One might readily suspect one commandant of drawing upon his -imagination when he speaks of such nations as the Unighkillyiakow, -Ishisageck Roanu, the Twightwis Roanu, the Oskiakikis, Oyachtownuck -Roanu, Kighetawkigh Roanu, and the Kirhawguagh Roanu. - - [Illustration: AN ASSINIBOINE INDIAN.] - -In the seventeenth century, the districts about the Great Lakes were -rather thickly populated. Certain regions which at the opening of the -eighteenth century were but thinly sprinkled by inhabitants, once had -boasted numerous tribes. For when the first missionaries visited the -south of Lake Superior in 1668, they found the country full of -inhabitants. They relate that, about this time, a band of Nepisingues, -converts to the Jesuitical teaching, emigrated to the Nepigon country. -By 1785 few of their descendants were said to exist, and not a trace -amongst them of the religion espoused by their ancestors. - -As to the Lake of the Woods district, before the smallpox, in 1781, -ravaged this country and completed what the Nodwayes by their warfare -had gone far to accomplish, this part of the country was very densely -inhabited. - -One of the Company's factors reported, in 1736, that a tribe lived -beyond the range of mountains, who had never known the use of -fire-arms, for which reason they were made slaves of by the -Assiniboines and Crees. He declared he had beheld several of this -tribe "who all wanted a joynt of their little finger, which was cut -off soon after birth." - -"The Migichihilinons, that is the Eagle Ey'd Indians," reported -Middleton, one of the Company's captains, "are at two hundred Leagues -Distance; the Assinibouels inhabit the West and North; they are -reputed to be the same Nation because of the great affinity of their -language. The name signifies Men of the Rock. They use the Calumet and -live at two hundred and fifty Leagues Distance. They paint their -Bodies, are grave and have much Phlegm, like _Flemings_." He also -enumerates the Michinipic Poets, or Men of Stone, of the Great Lake; -but I am inclined to think these two are of the same tribe. - - [Illustration: INDIAN WITH TOMAHAWK.] - -[Sidenote: The Crees.] - -The Crees, or Christineaux, were the earliest as well as the most -numerous tribe which had dealings with the Company. They sprang from -the same stock as the Ojibways, Chippewas or Saulteurs, who with the -Assiniboines inhabited the vast interior of the country to the west of -the Bay. Their language, according to one of the early traders, was -less copious and expressive than their mother tongue. They were -deficient in many direct terms for things, often expressing themselves -in approximate phrases, whereas the Ojibways would have an exactly -corresponding term ready at command. The Crees appear not to have -possessed the custom of totems, so that it was often difficult for -members of the tribe to trace their ancestry back for more than two -or three generations. - -[Sidenote: Their mode of living.] - -In their ideas of creation the Crees and the Saulteurs resembled, and -the early traders and bushrangers learnt gradually that both nations -owned a mythology of no mean proportions. Nain au Bouchaw, the God of -the Saulteurs, was known as "Wee-sue-ha-jouch," amongst the Crees; but -the tales they told concerning him were by no means clear and -distinct, nor in such general currency. The Crees were divided into -two groups: those inhabiting the plains, and the denizens of the -woods; the latter being far the most enterprising and useful to the -trade of the Company. The tents of the Crees, like those of the other -tribes in Rupert's Land, were of dressed leather, erected by means of -poles, seventeen of which latter were required for the purpose, two -being tied together about three feet from the top. The whole formed -nearly a circle which was then covered with buffalo, moose, or red -deer skins, well sewn together, nicely cut to fit the conical figure -of the poles. An opening was then arranged above to let out the smoke, -and admit the light. Such tents were of good size, commonly measuring -twenty feet in diameter. A fire was kindled in the centre, around -which a range of stones was placed to keep the fire compact. The Crees -were fond of self-adornment, and were much addicted to false hair. -Their morals at first greatly shocked the servants of the Company, and -in the early reports sent home from York Factory much stress was laid -upon the need for enlightenment in this regard amongst the savages. -Polygamy was common, but not universal. The first wife was considered -as mistress of the tent, ruling all the others, often with a rod of -iron, and obliging them to perform all the drudgery. - -The names of the children were always given to them by their parents, -or some near relative. Those of the boys were various, and generally -derived from some place, season or animal. The names of the female -children, amongst the northern Indians, were chiefly taken from some -part or property of a marten, such as the White Marten, the Black -Marten, the Summer Marten, the Marten's Head, the Marten's Foot, the -Marten's Heart, the Marten's Tail, etc.[53] - -The exact number of Crees at the time of the Company's advent, is -difficult to compute. Even at that time they were dispersed over a -vast extent of country, mixing with the Assiniboines and other nations -with whom they were on terms of peace. In 1709 appeared an estimate -that there were not less than a million members of the Cree Nation. -From what source was derived this striking conclusion is not given. - -It may be laid down as a general rule that all contemporary estimates -as to the population of the Indian tribes which were necessarily -founded upon hearsay prior to actual penetration into their country -are fanciful and totally unreliable. Perhaps the most significant fact -which Parkman brought home to the masses of his readers, was the -astounding discrepancy between current conception of the numbers of -the various tribes, particularly the Iroquois, and that attested and -corroborated by the acute research of scholars, and by the testimony -of contemporaries. In 1749 the Company thought the number of the Crees -to be about 100,000, men, women and children. A half century later -they had diminished to about 14,000, although, in 1810, Henry can find -only about 300 tents full of Crees capable of furnishing less than -1,000 men. In this calculation, however, he did not include the Crees -who lived north of Beaver River. The Crees were, for the most part, -quiet and inoffensive, and their personal appearance not entirely -prepossessing; and although compared with the wilder and more valiant -tribes to the south and east, their carriage and deportment was -inferior, still they were gifted with activity, and prominent, wiry -figures and intelligent countenances. - -[Sidenote: The Assiniboines.] - -The next numerous tribe was the Assiniboine, or Stone Indians, who it -is believed originated with the Sioux or Nodwayes. But owing to some -misunderstanding between the bands they separated, and some half -century before the first fort was built by the Company they were in -possession of a vast extent of prairie country near the Red River, and -thence running westward. The region they inhabited may be said to -commence at the Hare Hills, near Red River, and running along the -Assiniboine to the junction of the north and south branches of the -Saskatchewan. They were generally of a moderate stature, slender and -active. In complexion they were of a lighter copper colour than the -Crees, with more regular features. Moreover they were readily -distinguished from the latter by a different head-dress. - - [Illustration: ESQUIMAU WITH DOGS.] - -Other tribes trading with the Company were the Sioux, Blackfeet, -Blood, Slave and Crow Indians. There were also the Esquimaux, with -whom a traffic in the north was carried on chiefly for whalebone, -ivory and oil. - -"I have often," wrote Captain Coats, "thought this people of the -lineage of the Chinese, in the many features I see in them, their -bloated flatt faces, little eyes, black hair, little hands and feet, -and their listlessness in travelling. They are very fair, when free -from grease, very submissive to their men, very tender to their -children, and indefatigable in the geegaws to please their men and -children." - -They owned no manner of government or subordination. The father or -head of the family obeyed no superior nor any command, and he himself -only gave his advice or opinions. Consequently it was rarely that any -great chief ever existed, and then only in time of war. It is true -that when several families went to war, or to the factories to trade, -they chose a leader, but to such a one obedience was only voluntary; -everyone was at liberty to leave when he pleased, and the notion of a -commander was soon obliterated. - -Merit alone gave title to distinction; such merit as an experienced -hunter could boast, or one who possessed knowledge of communication -between lakes and rivers, who could make long harangues, was a -conjurer, or had a large family. Such a man was sure to be followed by -several Indians when they happened to be out in large parties. They -likewise followed him down to trade at the settlements, although upon -such occasions he was forced to secure their attendance by promises -and rewards, as the regard paid to his ability was of too weak a -nature to command subjection. In war a mutual resentment forced their -union for perpetrating vengeance. - -The Hudson's Bay Indian's method of dividing time was by numbering the -nights elapsed or to come. Thus, if he were asked how long he had been -on his journey, he would answer, "so many nights." From the nocturnal -division he proceeded to lunar or monthly reckoning, twelve to a year, -all of these moons being symbolical of some remarkable event or -appearance. - -Their method of computing numbers was abstruse, they reckoning chiefly -by decades: two-tens, three-tens, ten-tens. A few units over or under -were added or subtracted, thirty-two being three-tens and two over. If -they reckoned any large number a skin or stick was laid down for -every ten, and afterwards tied in a bundle for the aggregate. - -[Sidenote: Intelligence of the Indians.] - -The servants of the Company were not a little astonished at the -wonderful intuition of the Indian, which enabled him to forego the -advantage to be derived from a compass, and yet to rarely miss his -way. The trees, he knew, were all bent to the south, and the branches -on that side were larger and stronger than on the north, as was also -the moss. To apprise his women of the spot where the game was killed, -he broke off branches here and there, laying them in the path with -their ends pointed in the requisite direction. - -In winter, when the braves went abroad they rubbed themselves all over -with bear's grease or beaver oil, treating in this fashion, too, the -furs they wore. - -"They use," says one trader, "no milk from the time they are weaned, -and they all hate to taste Cheese, having taken up an opinion that it -was made of Dead Men's Fat." They were fond of prunes and raisins, and -would give a beaver skin for twelve of them to carry to their -children, and also for a Jew's-harp or a tin trumpet. They were great -admirers of pictures or prints, giving a beaver for bad prints, and -"all toys were jewels to them." - -A trader at a little later period writes: "Having been fortunate -enough to administer medical relief to one of these Indians during -their stay, I came to be considered as a physician, and found that was -a character held in high veneration," and goes on to add that their -solicitude and credulity as to drugs and nostrums had exposed them to -gross deceptions on the part of the agents of the Hudson's Bay -Company. One of the chiefs informed him that he had been at the Bay -the year before and there purchased a quantity of medicines which he -would allow his visitor to inspect. Accordingly, he fetched a bag -containing numerous small papers, in which he found lumps of white -sugar, grains of coffee, pepper, allspice, cloves, tea, nutmegs, -ginger, and other things of the kind, sold as specifics against evil -spirits and against the dangers of battle. These compounds were said -to give power over enemies, particularly the white bear, of which the -Indians in those latitudes were much afraid; others were infallible -against barrenness in women, against difficult labour, and against a -variety of other afflictions. - -[Sidenote: Superstition of the Indians.] - -It is related that some Indians, who were employed in the vicinity of -York Factory in a goose hunt, were so influenced by superstition that -they firmly believed the devil, with hideous howlings, frequented -their tent every night. They came in a most dejected state to the -factory and related a lamentable tale to the Governor, setting forth -with much pathos, the distress they were being subjected to by his -Satanic majesty. So overcome were they that they kept large fires -burning all night, sleeping only in the day time. One of the Red men -declared that he had discharged his gun at the monster, but unluckily -missed. The devil was described as of human shape, with a capacity for -enormous strides. The governor treated the victims to a little brandy, -and as if by magic their courage rose. Investigation that same night -disclosed that the Satan was neither more nor less than a huge -night-owl. - -The same trader also declares he found a number of small prints, such -as in England were commonly sold to children, but which amongst the -Indians were each transformed into a talisman for the cure of some -evil or for procuring some delight. He even gives the mottoes on some -of these, and their specific uses: No. 1--"A sailor kissing his -mistress on his return from sea." This worn about the person of a -gallant attracted, though concealed, the affections of the sex! No. -2--"A soldier in arms." Such a talisman poured a sentiment of valour -into its possessor and gave him the strength of a giant! - -It was alleged that by means of such commodities many customers were -secured to the Company, nor is there reason to doubt it. "Even those -Indians who shortened their voyage by dealing with us, sent forward -one canoe laden with beaver-skins to purchase articles of this kind at -Cumberland House." Henry adds that he was wise enough not to dispute -their value. - -As time went on the Indians began to relinquish many of the habits and -customs, and even the appearance they presented, before the advent of -the white traders. Being in constant communication with the factories, -they became semi-civilized, and took on many of the outer -characteristics of the European. They brought in year after year the -spoils of the chase in strict confidence, and there exchanged them for -the necessaries of life, which they no longer provided for themselves. -To all intents and purposes the tribes were in the pay of the Company, -or lived upon their bounty. It was, therefore, to be expected that all -originality would be lost amongst them. - -The principal things necessary for the support and satisfaction of the -Indian and his family in the middle of the eighteenth century were: a -gun, hatchet, ice chisel, brazil fob, knives, files, flints, powder -and shot, a powder horn, a bayonet, a kettle, cloth, beads, etc. - -It was early found that alcohol was a very dangerous element to -introduce amongst the savages. Talon had presented the unhappy colony -of New France with a statute removing all the penalties and ordinances -of which justice and the authorities had made use to repress the -disorders caused by the too great quantity of liquor given to the -Indians. - -[Sidenote: Liking of the Indians for liquor.] - -The inclination of the Indians for intoxication, it was pointed out to -Colbert by an ecclesiastic who sought to alter the condition of -affairs, is much stronger than that of the people of Europe. They -have, urged he, greater weakness in resisting it. "If in a bourgade -there be liquor freely accessible to the Indians, they usually all -become intoxicated--old, young, great and small, women and children, -so that there is hardly one left sober. If there were liquor -sufficient to last two days, drunkenness invariably continued two -days. If enough for a week, it would last a week; if for a month, it -would last a month. This," said the good priest, "is what we do not -see in Europe--a whole city get drunk, nor see it continue in that -state for weeks and months." It may readily be perceived that those -who wish to strike a bargain favourable to themselves with the -Indians, had only to resort to liquor, and by that means, without -regard to their own salvation or that of the savages, could generally -procure what they desired at a small expenditure. - -An Indian, it was said early in the next century, would barter away -all his furs, nay even leave himself without a rag to cover his -nakedness, in exchange for that vile, unwholesome stuff called English -brandy. - -The Company in England having decided not to employ liquor in its -traffic with the Indians, the temptation was strong upon Colbert and -the French to resort to it. At one of its meetings, in 1685, the -Company listened to a paper describing the methods in vogue by the -French traders at the important post of Tadoussac. At this fort or -factory, for more than twenty years previously, it was the custom to -allow an Indian a quart of wine; this fluid, although it boasted such -a title, hardly merited it. It was composed of one part of brandy to -five parts of water; a proportion which fluctuated, it is true, but -chiefly in respect of more water. To this more or less fiery liquid -was given at a little later date the name high wine; and high wine -figured largely in the dealings of both French and English with the -Indians for more than two centuries. If an Indian desired more than -the regulation quart, he was put off until another time. The necessary -moderation was thus secured, and the trade suffered no injury. Colbert -expressed himself as afraid that if the Quebec Company did not employ -liquor the Indians would carry their beavers to the Dutch. He need -not, however, have troubled himself with this apprehension, as it was -the Iroquois alone who could go there, and the French of Quebec did -small trade with this hostile nation. It was asserted that the French -would not lose five hundred skins a year by preserving the moderation -necessary for Christianity, and the good morality of the colony. - -[Sidenote: Effect of intoxication on the Indians.] - -Excess of liquor frequently made Europeans merry and gay; on the -Indian, however, it had a contrary effect. Under its influence he -recalled his departed friends and relations, lamenting their death -with abundance of tears. Should he be near their graves he would often -resort thither and weep there. Others would join the chorus in a song, -even though quite unable to hold up their heads. It was not uncommon -for them to roll about their tents in a fit of frenzy, frequently -falling into the blazing fire. Quarrelling then was common: an ancient -disagreement, long forgotten, being revived. The chiefs had often the -prudence, when matters were going this way, to order the women to -remove all offensive weapons out of the tent. But one weapon, very -effective, the teeth, still remained; and it was not unusual to see -several braves the next morning without a nose, an ear, or a finger. -In affrays such as these, no respect whatever was paid to the ties of -blood, brothers and sisters often fighting with great spirit and -animosity. At the conclusion of one of these encounters early in the -eighteenth century, an Indian entered York Factory one morning and -desired to be admitted to the surgeon. He was conducted to the -surgeon's room; he saluted its inmate in broken English, with "Look -here, man; here my nose," at the same time holding out his palm, which -contained half that desirable facial adjunct. This he desired the -surgeon, having a mighty opinion of the faculty, to restore. The man's -nephew had, it seems, bit it off; he declared he felt no pain, nor was -he sensible of his loss till awaking the next morning he found the -piece lying by his side. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[53] "Matonabbee," says Hearne, "had eight wives, and they were all -called Martens." - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -1685-1742. - - Errant Tribes of the Bay -- The Goose Hunt -- Assemblage at - Lake Winnipeg -- Difficulties of the Voyage -- Arrival at the - Fort -- Ceremony followed by Debauch -- Gifts to the Chief -- - He makes a Speech to the Governor -- Ceremony of the Pipe -- - Trading Begun. - - -The tribes to the west of the Bay led an erratic life. They were -without horses, and it was their custom never to remain above a -fortnight in one spot, unless they found plenty of game. - -When they had encamped, and their lodges were built, they dispersed to -hunt, meeting in the evening when they had procured enough to maintain -them during the day. It was not their custom to travel more than three -or four miles from their lodges, but when scarcity of game was -encountered they would remove a league or two farther off. In this -fashion they traversed the whole forest region, hardly missing a -single day winter or summer, fair or foul, but always employed in some -kind of chase. - -[Sidenote: The Indians as hunters.] - -The Indians were ruthless slaughterers of animals at the earliest -period at which they were known to the servants of the Company. -Whether they happened to be under the pinch of necessity or enjoying -themselves in all the happiness of health and plenty, it was their -custom to slay all they could. They boasted a maxim that the "more -they killed, the more they had to kill." Such an opinion, although -opposed to reason and common sense, was clung to with great -pertinacity by them. The results of this indiscriminate slaughter were -obvious; and to such a pitch of destitution were the tribes often -brought that cannibalism was not infrequent amongst them. - -The species of game, such as marten, squirrel and ermine, got by traps -and snares, were generally caught by the women and children. When the -men had slain their elks, deer, or buffalo, or foxes, they left it -where it fell, leaving the squaws to fetch it to the lodges the next -day, taking care to cut off the titbits or tender morsels, such as -tongues, for their own immediate pleasure. - - [Illustration: MODERN TYPE OF INDIAN.] - -A great part of the factory provisions consisted of geese killed by -the Indians. For this purpose the factors supplied the latter with -powder and shot, allowing them the value of a beaver skin for every -ten geese killed. Accordingly, after the Indian had got his supply, he -set off from his tent early in the morning into the marshes, where he -sat himself down with great patience, difficult of imitation by the -Company's men, and there, sheltered by willows, waited for the geese. -These were shot flying, and so dexterous were the braves at this -sport that a good hunter would kill, in times of plenty, fifty or -sixty a day. Few Europeans were able to endure the cold, hunger and -adversity which often marked these excursions. - -[Sidenote: Meeting at Lake Winnipeg.] - -The nations coming from a distance to York Factory were wont to -assemble in May at Lake Winnipeg to the number of perhaps fifteen -hundred. The chief would then harangue the men, representing their -wants, and exhort the young men to exert themselves to the utmost to -reach the fort with all their skins and to secure good terms from the -white men. Each family then made a feast, in the course of which they -fixed upon those of their number who were to undertake the journey. -During the progress of the wassail which then reigned, it was -customary for speeches to be made, new alliances formed and old ones -strengthened. The morrow was spent in building the birch bark canoes, -in which the northern tribes had attained great proficiency; and being -at last ready for the voyage, the leaders of the expedition were -chosen, and all was ready to start. - -It was never exactly ascertained how many actually participated in -these trading expeditions; the number was regulated by the -circumstance of the tribes being at peace or at war, and also whether -disease raged amongst them. It may be taken, roughly speaking, that -six hundred canoes containing one thousand persons, not counting -women, came down annually to York Factory, with furs to trade. - -No regularity marked their voyage, each striving to be foremost, -because those proceeding first had the best chance of procuring food. -During the voyage each leader canvassed, with all manner of art and -diligence, for braves to join his party. Some were influenced by -presents, and others by promises, for the more canoes each petty -leader had under his command the greater he appeared at the factory. - -[Sidenote: Difficulties of the journey.] - -Throughout their progress the Indians were obliged to go ashore for -several hours daily, which caused great delay in their progress. -Their canoes were small, holding only two men and a pack of one -hundred beaver skins, with not much room for provisions. Had their -canoes been larger their voyages would undoubtedly have been less -protracted, and they would have been able to transport a greater -cargo. Often great numbers of skins were left behind. - -A good hunter of these nations could kill six hundred beavers in the -course of a season; he could carry down to the factory rarely more -than one hundred, using the remainder at home in various ways. -Sometimes he hung them upon branches of trees by way of votive -offering upon the death of a child or near relation; often they were -utilized as bedding and bed coverings; occasionally the fur was burnt -off, and the beast roasted whole for food at banquets. - -These annual journeys were beset by much hardship and suffering even -at the best of times. - -The testimony of at least one Governor is significant. "While," said -he, "it is the duty of every one of the Company's servants to -encourage a spirit of industry among the natives, and to use every -means in their power to induce them to procure furs and other -commodities for trade ... at the same time, it must be confessed that -such conduct is by no means for the real benefit of the poor Indians; -it being well-known that those who have the least intercourse with the -factories, are by far the happiest.... It is true that there are few -Indians but have once in their lives, at least, visited the fort, and -the hardships and dangers which most of them experienced on those -occasions have left such a lasting impression on their minds, that -nothing can induce them to repeat their visits." - -Arriving near their journey's end, they all put ashore; the women -going into the woods to gather pine-brush for the bottom of the tents, -while the leaders smoked together and arranged the procession to the -factory. This settled, they re-embarked, and soon after arrived before -the post of the Company; if there happened to be but one captain, his -situation was in the centre of all the canoes; if more than one, they -placed themselves at the wings, their canoes being distinguished by a -small flag hoisted on a stick and placed astern. Arriving within two -hundred yards of the palisade, they discharged their fowling pieces by -way of compliment to the Governor, who returned the salute by firing -off two or three small cannon. The men of the tribe seldom concerned -themselves with taking out the bundles, except occasionally when the -younger ones assisted the women. - - [Illustration: TYPE OF CREE INDIAN.] - -[Sidenote: Arrival at the Fort.] - -The factor being now informed that the Indians had arrived, the trader -was sent to introduce the leaders into the fort. Chairs were placed in -the trading-room for the visitors, and pipes introduced. During the -first part of the ceremony the leader puffed great clouds of smoke, -but said little; but the tobacco in the bowl becoming low, he began to -be more talkative. Fixing his eyes immovably on the ground, he -informed the factors how many canoes he had brought, and what tribes -he had seen; he enquired after the health of his hosts, and declared -he is glad to see them. When this speech was concluded the Governor -bade the chief and his party welcome, informing him that he had good -goods and plenty, that he loved the Indians, and they might count upon -his kindness to them. The pipe was then removed, and the conversation -became general. - -During this visit the chief was dressed out at the Company's expense. -He was furnished with a coarse cloth coat, red or blue, lined with -baize, and white regimental cuffs; a waistcoat and breeches of baize. -This suit was ornamented with orris lace. He was likewise presented -with a white or checked cotton shirt, stockings of yarn, one red and -the other blue, and tied below the knee with worsted garters; his -moccasins were sometimes put on over these, but he as freely walked -away in bare feet. His hat was of coarse felt and bedecked with three -ostrich feathers, of various colours. A worsted sash was fastened to -its crown; a small silk handkerchief drawn about his neck, and thus -attired, the chief strutted up and down delighted. - -His second in command also claimed attention. He was given a coat, but -not a lined one; a shirt and a cap such as was worn by sailors of the -period. The guests once equipped, bread and prunes were forthcoming -and set before the chief; and of these confections he took care to -fill his pockets before they were carried out. These were followed by -a two-gallon keg of brandy, pipes and tobacco for himself and -followers. - -It was now high time to think of returning to the camp, but this exit -was not to be undertaken without further marks of the favour and -esteem with which the chief was held by the Company. His conduct from -the fort was effected in state. In front a halberd and ensign were -borne; next came a drummer beating a march, followed by several of the -factory servants bearing bread, prunes, pipes, tobacco, brandy, etc. -Behind these came the "King," "Captain," or chief, with stately tread, -and erect, smoking his pipe and conversing with the factors at his -side. Afterwards came the "Lieutenant," "Prince," relative or friend, -who had accompanied the chief. - -The tent was found ready for their reception, strewn with clean pine -brush and beaver coats placed for them to sit. The brandy was -deposited on the ground, and the chief gave orders for its -distribution. After this the factor left, none too soon, however, for -all were soon plunged into a brutal state of intoxication. "It is -fifty to one," writes one trader, "but some one is killed before -morning. They give loose rein to every species of disorderly -tumult--all crying, fighting, and dancing." - -About 1735, a party of Indians came down to trade, and the first day -of their arrival, as was their invariable custom, got vilely drunk. -While thus inebriated, they fought, not noisily, but silently, in the -darkness. When morning dawned, two corpses, in a fearful state of -mutilation, were found stretched on the ground in pools of blood. - -[Sidenote: Ceremony of the pipe.] - -After this debauch, which lasted about two or three days, the sobered -braves took to the calumet of peace. The stem of this pipe was three -or four feet long, decorated with pieces of lace, bears' claws, -eagles' talons, and the feathers of the most beautiful birds. The pipe -being affixed to the stem, the factor took it in both hands, and with -great gravity rose from his chair and pointed the end of the stem to -the east or sunrise, and then to the zenith, and to the west, and then -perpendicularly to the Nadir. After this he took three or four hearty -whiffs and then presented it to the chief, and so on round the whole -party, the women excepted. When the tobacco was consumed, the factor -took the pipe again and twirling it three times round his head, laid -it with great deliberation on the table. A great Ho! was thereupon -emitted from the mouths of the assemblage.[54] - -This ceremony being over, a further gratuity of bread and prunes was -distributed, and the chief made a speech, which one trader has -reported, after this style. - - [Illustration: AN OLD CHIEF. - (_From a Photograph._)] - -"You told me last year to bring many Indians to trade, which I -promised to do. You see, I have not lied, here are many young men come -with me; use them kindly, I say; let them trade good goods, I say. We -lived hard last winter and were hungry; powder being short measure and -bad, I say. Tell your servants to fill the measure, and not put their -thumbs within the brim; take pity on us, take pity on us, I say. - -"We paddle a long way to see you; we love the English. Let us trade -good black tobacco, moist and hard twisted; let us see it before it -is opened. Take pity on us, take pity on us, I say. - -"The guns are bad, let us trade light guns, small in the hand and -well-shaped, and locks that will not freeze in the winter, and red -gun-cases. Let the young men have more than measure of tobacco, cheap -pattees, thick and high. - -"Give us good measure of cloth; let us see the old measure. The young -men love you by coming so far to see you. Give them good goods; they -like to dress and be fine; do you see?" - -As soon as the chief had finished the above speech, he, with his -followers, proceeded to examine the guns and tobacco; the former with -a most minute attention. This over, they traded with furs -promiscuously, the leader being so far indulged as to be admitted into -the trading-room all the time if he desired it. - -[Sidenote: Varieties of beaver.] - -The beaver thus received by the chief trader and stored at the factory -pending its shipment to England in the Company's ships, was classified -into eight varieties. The first was the fat winter beaver, slain in -winter, which was valued at five shillings and sixpence a pound. The -second sort was the fat summer beaver, worth two shillings and -ninepence. Next came in order the dry winter beaver, and the Bordeaux, -both worth three shillings and sixpence. The dry summer beaver, not -much valued, about one shilling and ninepence. Sixth came the coat -beaver, as it was called, which brought four shillings and sixpence. -The Muscovite, dry beaver of a fine skin, covered with a silky hair; -it was worn in Russia, where the short fur was combed away and -manufactured into fabric, leaving only the hair; this fetched four and -sixpence; and lastly on the list figured the Mittain beaver, which -were utilized in the manufacture of mittens, being worth one shilling -and ninepence. - -It was reported that in the year 1742 the natives were so discouraged -in their trade with the Company that many found the peltry hardly -worth the carriage, and the finest furs sold for very little. When the -tribes came to the factory in June they found the goods much higher -in price, and much in excess of the standard they were accustomed to. -According to Joseph la France, a French-Canadian voyageur, they gave -but a pound of gunpowder for four beavers, a fathom of tobacco for -seven beavers, a pound of shot for one, an ell of coarse cloth for -fifteen, a blanket for twelve, two fish-hooks or three flints for one, -a gun for twenty-five, a pistol for ten; a common hat with white lace -cost seven beavers, an axe four, a bill-hook one, a gallon of brandy -four, a chequered shirt seven; "all of which sold at a monstrous -profit, even to two thousand per cent." - -It was a fact, nevertheless, that notwithstanding such discouragement -the two expeditions of Indians who visited York and Churchill that -year brought down two hundred packs of one hundred each, that is to -say twenty thousand beaver skins. As to the other Indians who arrived -from another direction, they carried three hundred packs of one -hundred each, which made a total of fifty thousand beavers, besides -nine thousand martens. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[54] All this ceremony has a significance of its own. Interpreted, it -said: "Whilst the sun shall visit the different parts of the world and -make day and night; peace, firm friendship and brotherly love shall be -established between the English and the Indians, and the same on the -latter's part. By twirling the pipe over the head, it was further -intended to imply that all persons of the two nations, whosoever they -were, shall be included in the friendship and brotherhood, then -concluded or renewed." - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -1725-1742. - - System of Licenses re-adopted by the French -- Verandrye sets - out for the Pacific -- His son slain -- Disappointments -- He - reaches the Rockies -- Death of Verandrye -- Forts in Rupert's - Land -- Peter the Great and the Hudson's Bay Company -- - Expeditions of Bering -- A North-West Passage -- Opposition of - the Company to its Discovery -- Dobbs and Middleton -- - Ludicrous distrust of the Explorer -- An Anonymous Letter. - - -It has already been observed how fearful had grown the demoralization -of the Indians, chiefly through the instrumentality and example of the -_coureur des bois_. This class seemed daily to grow more corrupt, and -bade fair to throw off the last vestige of restraint and become merged -in all the iniquity, natural and acquired, of the savage races. We -have seen, too, how the missionaries intervened, and implored the -civil authorities to institute some sort of reform. It was at their -solicitation that the Government of Canada at length decided to -re-adopt the system of licenses, and to grant the privileges of -exclusive trade to retired army officers, to each of whom they -accorded a certain fur-bearing district by way of recompense for -services rendered by him. In order that the trader might be protected -against hostile assault, permission was given to establish forts in -certain places suitable for their construction. - -One of the French Canadian youth, whom the exploits of Iberville -against the Hudson's Bay Company had fired with a spirit of emulation -and who was head and shoulders above all that race of soldiers turned -fur-traders, who now began to spread themselves throughout the great -west--was Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Verandrye. - -[Sidenote: Sieur de Verandrye.] - -This gallant soldier and intrepid explorer, to whose memory history -has as yet done but scant justice, was born at Three Rivers on the -17th of November, 1685. At an early age he embraced the profession of -arms, and at twenty-four fought so valorously against Marlborough's -forces at Malplaquet that, pierced by nine wounds, he was left for -dead upon the field of battle. Recovering, however, he returned to the -colony, and at twenty-seven married the daughter of the Seigneur -d'Isle Dupas, by whom he had four sons. These sons were all destined -to be associated with their father in the subsequent explorations in -Rupert's Land and the west. - -At the hour when Verandrye was seized with his zeal for exploration -and discovery, the Company's rivals already possessed numerous posts -established by Iberville, Duluth, Frontenac and Denonville, and a host -of lesser lights, in the west. Of one of these, on the shores of Lake -Nepigon, at the extreme end of Lake Superior, Verandrye had been given -the command. - -[Sidenote: Verandrye sets out to explore the West.] - -While at this fort, a rumour had reached him of a mighty river flowing -into the great ocean. Credulous of the truth of this report, borne to -him by the Indians, Verandrye lost little time in communicating it to -a friend, Father de Gonor, at Michilimackinac. It was shortly -thereafter carried to Governor Beauharnois, who was induced, but not -without much pleading, to grant Verandrye fifty men and a missionary -for the purposes of exploration. But, although he had thus far -succeeded, the only pecuniary aid upon which the explorer could rely -was from the fur-trade. He was accordingly given a license to trade, -and on the strength of this concession, certain merchants advanced him -an outfit. He set out and arrived at Rainy Lake in September, 1731, -traversed it, and erected a fort near the site of the present Fort -Francis of a later day, to which he gave the name of St. Peter. - -A year later he built another fort on the western shore of the Lake of -the Woods, and in 1733 paddled down to the mouth of the Winnipeg River -to the lake of that name. Crossing Lake Winnipeg, he ascended the -Assiniboine River and constructed Fort Rouge.[55] - -In 1738 the explorer's three sons, under their sire's instructions, -made their way up the Assiniboine and built Fort la Reine, on the site -of the present Portage la Prairie. - -Well may it be said that the five years from 1733 to 1738 were years -of cruel grief and disappointment for Verandrye. He had been -struggling on to a realization of his dream in spite of the bitterest -discouragements. One of his sons had been slain by the Sioux; he was -without funds; fur-trading being with him only a subsidiary -employment. His men lacking both courage and faith became -unmanageable, and Verandrye addressed the most affecting letters to -his monarch in France, who looked upon him and his schemes coldly. -Those merchants, who had advanced him money, loaded him with their -distrust, perpetually harassed him for returns, and loudly demanded -his recall, so that he was forced to stand still and engage in barter -when his whole soul cried aloud for him to press on in his path and -reach the Pacific. - -[Sidenote: Verandrye's son reaches the Rockies.] - -Verandrye divided his little party in the spring of 1742 and ascended -the Souris River. Those who came to be familiar with the territory in -a later day, when it was frequented by traders, might well appreciate -what were the perils these pioneers encountered, and what dangers they -escaped when they finally left the country of the peace--leaving -Ojibways at Red River, and struck off into the land of the Sioux, a -tribe then, from their ferocity to the whites, called the "tigers of -the plains." But they were to go still farther. Already the eldest son -of the explorer had reached the tribe of the Mandans in the Missouri, -but owing to inability to obtain guides his party had been forced to -return. He was again despatched by his father, this time in company -with the younger son, known as the Chevalier, and two other Frenchmen -into the unknown country to the west. This little band of four made a -journey of several hundred miles, entering into a league with one of -the nations into whose country they penetrated, to lead them to the -great Western Ocean. On the first day of January, 1743, they beheld, -the first amongst white men, the eastern spurs of the northern Rocky -Mountains. But here the Bow Indians, their guides, deserted them, and -surrounded by hostile tribes, the party was forced to return. It was -in this same year that the elder Verandrye, scarred and gaunt from his -long wanderings in the wilderness, presented himself at Quebec to -confront his enemies and traducers. They had represented as making an -enormous fortune and leading an idle life, he who could point proudly -to having taken possession of the country of the Upper Missouri for -Lewis XV., and who had built a score and more of forts in the unknown -regions of the West. - -"If 40,000 livres of debt that I have over my head," said Verandrye -bitterly, "are an advantage, then I can compliment myself on being -very rich, and I would have been much more so in the end, if I had -continued." - -His license was given to another who, however, made a poor showing by -means of it, and it was not until Beauharnois's successor investigated -Verandrye's claims that the explorer received some recognition at -court. He was given a captaincy and the Cross of St. Lewis. - -But the explorer had not waited for this. He had been pushing on in -his work, and in 1748 ascended the Saskatchewan. The progress of the -French was marked by more forts, one in Lake Dauphin and another -called Bourbon at the extremity of his discoveries. Verandrye was -about to cross the Rocky Mountains when death overtook him, on the 6th -of December, 1749. - -The sons of Verandrye were eager to continue his work and attain at -last the Pacific. But Bigot, the Intendant, was not their friend; he -had other plans, and the Verandryes were deposed by favourites with -not half their ability or their claims to honours and rewards. But -they had paved the way and now the French were reaping the profits of -the fur-trade in the North-West on a great scale. - -[Sidenote: Verandrye's work.] - -Thus were successively established, from 1731 to 1748, by Verandrye -and his sons, Fort St. Pierre on Rainy Lake; Fort St. Charles on the -Lake of the Woods; Fort Maurepas near the mouth of the Winnipeg; Fort -Dauphin, on the north-west extremity of Lake Manitoba; Fort la Reine, -on the southern extremity of the last-named lake; Fort Rouge, at the -confluence of the Assiniboine and Red River; Fort Bourbon, at the head -of Lake Winnipeg; Fort Poskoyae, on the Saskatchewan, and Fort Lacerne -(Nipawi), at the forks of the said river. - -In 1752, some years prior to the conquest of Canada, a relative of -Verandrye, named Niverville, established Fort Jonquiere at the foot of -the mountains.[56] Which of all these forts were to pass, after many -vicissitudes, into the hands of the Hudson's Bay Company, we shall see -in the course of subsequent pages. Verandrye and his compeers chose -their sites with great care and ability; so that it was rarely that -their successors were able to improve upon them. On the foundations or -charred remnants of the French forts, should the structures themselves -have perished, the English fur-traders, when they came, reared anew -their posts. - -While thus the French were pressing forward from the south and east at -the same moment, a new rivalry threatened to spring up in the far -north-west. - -[Sidenote: Russia looks toward the New World.] - -The eighteenth century broke upon an abated zeal of the Spaniards in -extending their discoveries and dominions in the New World. Almost -contemporaneously, the threads they threw down were grasped by another -power, which the zeal and energy of one man had suddenly transformed -from a collection of savage, barbarous tribes into a great nation. -Having achieved conquest over his neighbours and the cohesion of his -new empire, Peter the Great turned his attention to a hardly inferior -task. None knew as yet whether the two great continents, Asia and -North America, united on the north-east. During Peter's residence in -England, not the least of the institutions interesting him was the -Hudson's Bay Company. A letter from Peter is quoted by a Russian -writer, in which he alludes to the English rivalry for these trades -"which had so long been the monopoly of Muscovy fur-hunting and -fur-gathering." Doubtless even at this time he was speculating upon -the chances of Russia competing with England for the fur traffic of -the New World. But before such a competition could be brought about -the question of the geographical connection between Asia and America -must be settled. When he had been in Holland in 1717, he had been -urged by some of the most eminent patrons of discovery amongst the -Dutch to institute an expedition of investigation. But again other -matters intervened; although in 1727 two Russian officers were -equipped and in readiness to start overland when they were recalled -for service in Sweden. - -Not until he was on his death-bed did Czar Peter pen with his own hand -the instructions to Admiral Aproxin which bore fruit later. It was -then, too, that the idea, according to Lestkof, was discussed of a -Russian Fur Company, similar in its methods and organization to the -Hudson's Bay Company. - -Peter directed first that one or two boats with decks should be built -at Kamschatka, or in the vicinity; that with these a survey should be -made of the most northerly coasts of his Asiatic Empire, to determine -whether they were or were not contiguous to America. Also that the -persons to whom the expedition might be entrusted should endeavour to -ascertain whether there was any port in those regions belonging to -Europe, and to keep a strict look-out for any European ship, taking -care also to employ some skilful men in making enquiries regarding the -names and situation of the coasts which they discovered. They were to -keep an exact journal and to transmit it to St. Petersburg. - -Peter died, but the Empress Catherine, his successor, was equally -favourable to the scheme, and gave orders to fit out the expedition. -To Captain Vitus Bering was entrusted the command. Under him were two -lieutenants, Martin Spangberg and Alexi Tchirikoff; and besides other -subalterns were several excellent ship-carpenters. - - [Illustration: MALDONADO'S "STRAIT OF ANIAN," 1609.] - -On February 5, 1735, they set out from St. Petersburg, and on March 16 -arrived at Tobolsk, the capital of Siberia. - -[Sidenote: Bering's discoveries.] - -Bering returned from his first voyage satisfied that he had reached -the utmost limits of Asia, and that no junction with America existed. -Some years elapsed, and in 1741 Bering, Spangberg and Tchirikoff again -volunteered. This expedition was destined to prove fatal to the -explorer; he got lost in a fog, intense cold prevailed, scurvy broke -out amongst the men, and on a little island in Bering's Sea he -breathed his last. - - [Illustration: LAPIE'S MAP, 1821.] - -Although many years were to elapse before the Russians took any more -active steps, they had, by virtue of Bering's discoveries, got a -footing on the North American Continent, and were thus already -neighbours, if not yet rivals, of the Hudson's Bay Company. - -"It is very evident," wrote one of the contemporary chroniclers, "that -for upwards of two centuries and a half an opinion has prevailed -amongst the most knowing and experienced persons, that there is a -passage to the north-west, and this built partly upon science, partly -upon tradition. Now, it is very hard to conceive how such an opinion -should maintain its credit if it was not founded in reality; for it is -an old and true maxim that specious opinions endure but a short time, -whereas truth is everlasting." - -For many years the notion of a north-west passage had slept; but in -1737 it again attracted public attention. In that year Arthur Dobbs, a -gentleman of some means and of scientific bent, made formal -application to the Hudson's Bay Company that a search be undertaken. -Upon his representations the Company sent forth two of their ships -upon the quest. These, the _Churchill_ and the _Musquash_ went, -however, no farther north than latitude 62 deg. 15' and returned without -seeing anything worthy of notice, save "a number of small islands, -abundance of black whales, but no very great tides, the highest about -two fathoms, the flood coming from the northward." - -There had been for a great many years in the Company's employ an able -mariner, Captain Christopher Middleton. For some reason or other -Middleton had become dissatisfied with their service and one of his -friends placed him in communication with the patron of discovery, -Dobbs, and a close correspondence ensued.[57] - -Dobbs was eager to employ Middleton in a search for the long-sought -straits. This was by no means an easy matter. In the first place the -Company flatly declined to participate in the scheme, alleging that -they had already done enough in that direction[58] and that the whole -idea was a fallacy. - -There was no north-west passage to India, and the sooner the public -mind divested itself of the folly of supposing one existed the better -it would be for the public purse and the public wisdom. - -The Company pointed out that if Middleton should winter at either of -the Company's factories it might drive the natives to trade with the -French, who were always on the alert; and trade so lost would never -return or be regained. They begged the Admiralty to restrain Captain -Middleton from interfering with the Company's trade and invading their -property and rights. - -Dobbs, however, secured from the Admiralty for Middleton's use the -bomb ketch _Furnace_, which, with another small vessel, the _Welcome_, -was ready to sail early in June. - -[Sidenote: The Company opposes further exploration.] - -So opposed do the Company appear to have their domains meddled with by -these fruitless explorations that they sent out a letter to their -Governor at Churchill, which was the most convenient harbour for the -explorers to winter in, not to receive Middleton into their fort. -Dobbs and his friends getting wind of this, complained to the -Admiralty, who wrote to the Honourable Adventurers in a tone of -decided reproof, observing that even if Middleton were to receive -assistance and provisions, payment would be made for these to the -Company on the return of the expedition to England. - -After deliberating for some time, the Company thereupon wrote to the -Lords of the Admiralty, saying that they had sent a further letter to -Governor Norton requiring him to extend the necessary hospitality to -Middleton. That the sort of hospitality the Company was prepared to -dispense was not of too warm a character may be adjudged from the -following: - - HUDSON'S BAY HOUSE, LONDON, May 15, 1741. - - _Mr. James Isham and Council_, - _Prince of Wales' Fort, Churchill River_: - - GENTLEMEN,--Notwithstanding our orders to you, if Captain - Middleton (who is sent abroad in the Government's service to - discover a passage north-west) should by inevitable necessity - be brought into real distress and danger of his life and loss - of his ship, in such case you are then to give him the best - assistance and relief you can. - -A duplicate of this was put in Middleton's possession, who still -dissatisfied, rushed off instantly with it to Whitehall. It was deemed -necessary to apply to the Lords of the Regency that the Secretary of -State might, by their orders, write to the Company to request the -assistance they refused to the Admiralty. The Company, thus hemmed in, -gave a letter couched in a more friendly style. - -"It is plain," remarks a contemporary writer, "that the Company -believe there is a passage, which they want to conceal; for otherwise -it would have been their interest to have the attempt made. If not -found there would have been an end to prosecuting it any further, and -they might probably have enjoyed their trade to the Bay, without its -being coveted or enquired into." - -Middleton owned to Dobbs that just before his departure the Company -had endeavoured to bribe him with an offer of L5,000 to return to -their service, or that if he was determined to go, to pursue the -voyage by Davis' Straits, or by any other way than the west of the -Bay. They alleged that it would cost the Company that amount to -support their right against the Crown and against private adventurers, -and that "as he had been their friend, and knew all their concerns, it -would be better to give him that sum than to give it to their -lawyers." The Company did not deny that such an offer had been made by -two or three of the committee privately. - -[Sidenote: Middleton explores for a north-west passage.] - -Middleton now proceeded on his journey in quest of the famed -north-west passage. It is charged that on his arrival in the Bay he -never once went ashore or sent his boat to search for any inlet or to -try the tide. He tried the current in latitude 63 deg. 20', and found -it very rapid, in spite of the fact that there existed a great deal of -ice to the northward. Its presence compelled him to stand off from -shore until he passed Cape Dobbs, beyond which he found an opening -northwestward. In this opening he sought shelter for three weeks. - -[Sidenote: Trouble between Middleton and his men.] - -No voyage of discovery since the world began was ever made under such -circumstances. Numerous members of the crew, who had got wind of the -situation, were filled, or professed to be filled, with distrust of -their captain. Caring nothing about the voyage itself or the object -for which it was undertaken, they entered with zeal a hundred times a -day into plots to make the commander's life unbearable. The supposed -passage was christened the "Forbidden Straits," and the crews vastly -amused themselves with Middleton's supposed discomfiture. Several were -very nearly yard-armed for spreading reports that the captain had -purposely sailed past the straits. Sometimes the captain merely -laughed at the views of his subordinates; at other times, it is said, -he flew into a temper, and indulged in threats and abuse. Once, when -from the number of whales and the breadth and depth of the river, word -sped from mouth to mouth that it was a strait they were in, and no -river, "he rated several of them for pretending to say so against his -opinion, saying his clerk was a double-tongued rascal, that he would -cane the lieutenant, broomstick the master, and lash any others who -would concern themselves about the voyage." It was, moreover, charged -against Middleton that he interdicted the keeping of private journals, -and that if any disobeyed this order he threatened to break open their -boxes and get possession of such records. Once when the lieutenants -and masters were absent down the river to look for a cove for the -ships, Middleton grimly observed that he supposed the former would -bring back "some romantick account of a strait or passage." -Nevertheless, for his part, he would not take the ships a foot -farther. Intrigue characterized the whole of this voyage of discovery. - -The officers of both the _Furnace_ and the _Discovery_ took turns in -making jaunts into the country. On the 8th of August, Captain -Middleton, the clerk, gunner, and carpenter went ashore at Cape -Frigid, and after pacing some fifteen miles into the country, -returned, to find the ship drifted, although it lacked some hours of -high water. Rankin and the men on board from this had become convinced -that it was the effects of the flood from the supposed strait. The -captain laughed them to scorn, and said that if it came from any -strait at all it was Hudson's Strait. - -Two northern Indians were taken on board the _Discovery_, and -Thompson, the surgeon, who could speak some of the southern tongue, -began busying himself making a vocabulary of their language. At this -innocent occupation he was observed by Middleton, who threatened to -"crop him" in case he persisted. When they reached Marble Island, -although the two Indians were desirous of going to England, he put the -pair ashore in a bad boat they were ignorant of how to manage. The -supplications of the unhappy savages were useless to turn the -Company's captain from his purpose. In vain they told him that the -island was three leagues from the mainland, and a hundred miles from -their own country; that it was inhabited by the Esquimaux, their -enemies. - -"The Captain gave them some provisions, ammunition, hatchets and -toys. The excuse he made for not bringing them to England was, that -upon his return his friends might be out of the Admiralty, and as he -had no orders to take them home, they would be left a charge upon -him." This was plausible, but Middleton's detractors did not rest -there. They accused the captain of saying that he was afraid the -Indians, when they learned to speak English, would be talking of the -copper mine and the north-west passage, and would thereby put the -public to the expense of sending out more ships in quest of it. "And -this, no doubt," commented Dobbs, "was the true reason for that piece -of cruelty, for he thought if they came to England he should _not be -able to conceal the passage_." - -On Middleton's return, after his quest, he was accused of saying, "My -character is so well established as a discoverer that no man will -ever, hereafter, attempt to discover the north-west passage." - -[Sidenote: Middleton returns without discovering the passage.] - -He certainly received a cordial invitation from the Government, the -Admiralty and the Court. Immediately upon his arrival in London he -communicated with several of the partners of the Hudson's Bay Company. -The preparation of his journal occupied for a time his leisure. "He -himself," says Dobbs, "had got great reputation from the Royal Society -for his observations upon cold; and for what he had discovered had got -a medal from them. He was upon good terms with the Lords of the -Admiralty, and was to dedicate his charts and discoveries to the King -and noblemen of the first rank as well as to the Lords of the -Admiralty." That the Lords of the Admiralty were perfectly satisfied -with his conduct, there is every reason to believe, as in the -following year Middleton was placed in command of the _Shark_, a -sloop. All this naturally put him into a position to serve those under -him. All his recommendations for promotion only strengthened the -suspicions gathering in the mind of Dobbs and his fellow-patrons. "He -had recommended also his lieutenant, and thought none other on board -had weight enough to impeach his proceedings, which, if they failed -in, would ruin their characters; so that securing his officers, he -thought all things would be safe amongst the crew. But Middleton was -not one to forget the patron and prime mover of the expedition, whom -he endeavoured to propitiate by sending him an abstract of his -journal. This abstract seemed, to Dobbs, to be so full of -contradictions and discrepancies, that he wrote to the explorer to -send him, if possible, the journal itself. He had scarcely dispatched -this communication when he received a letter from Lanrick, "a -gentleman who had been bred a scholar," who had accompanied Middleton -on the voyage. It was substantially the same account rendered by the -captain, with this added paragraph: - -"Sir,--This account I should have sent you before now but that the -Captain, for reasons to himself best known, desired that none of us -should say anything about it relating to the discovery for a little." - -This very natural desire on the part of an explorer, about to become -an author, seems to have been fraught with deep and incriminating -significance to Dobbs. After a short time the whole of Middleton's -journal reached him; it appeared to confirm all Dobbs's presentiments. - -[Sidenote: Suspicion attaches to Middleton.] - -Dobbs and the other patrons were therefore convinced that Middleton -had played them false for the Hudson's Bay Company; and their belief -in a north-west passage was strengthened rather than weakened. In -their report, after going over the whole account of the voyage -furnished them, they were especially severe upon Middleton. "His whole -conduct," they said, "from his going to Churchill until his return to -England, and even since his return, it will appear plainly that he -intended to serve the Company at the public expense, and contrived -everything so as to stifle the discovery, and to prevent others from -undertaking it for the future so as to secure the favour of the -Company and the reward they said they promised him before he began the -voyage." - -An informer appeared, who testified that Middleton had declared in -presence of the others at a council held at York Factory, Churchill, -that he "should be able to make the voyage, but none on board should -be any the wiser and he would be a better friend to the Company than -ever." - -Middleton was charged in public with neglect in having failed to -explore the line of coast which afforded a probability of a passage to -the north-west. The principal points at issue appear to have been in -respect to the discovery by Middleton, of the Wager River, Repulse -Bay, and the Frozen Strait. In this century Sir Edward Parry has -remarked: "The accuracy of Captain Middleton is manifest upon the -point most strenuously argued against him, for our subsequent -experience has not left the smallest doubt of Repulse Bay and the -northern part of the Welcome being filled by a rapid tide flowing into -it from the eastward through the Frozen Strait." Dobbs, fully -impressed with a conviction that the captain's story of the Frozen -Strait was all chimera, as well as everything Middleton had said -concerning that part of the voyage, confidently insisted on the -probability of the tide finding its way through Wager River, or at -least through some arm of the sea communicating with that inlet from -the westward.[59] - -One detail only was lacking to render the situation farcical--an -anonymous letter. This reached Dobbs on the 21st of January, and ran -in this absurd vein:-- - - "This script is only open to your Eyes, which have been sealed - or closed with too much (we cannot say Cunning) Artifice, so as - they have not been able to discover our Discoverer's Pranks. - All Nature cries aloud that there is a Passage, and we are sure - there is one from Hudson's Bay to Japan. Send a letter directed - to Messieurs Brook and Cobham, who are Gentlemen who have been - the Voyage, and cannot bear so Glorious an Attempt, should die - under the Hands of Mercenary Wretches, and they will give you - such pungent reasons as will awaken all your Industry. They - desire it may be kept secret so long as they shall think fit; - they are willing to venture their Lives, their Fortunes, their - All, in another attempt; and they are no inconsiderable - persons, but such as have had it much at heart ever since they - saw the Rapidity of Tides in the Welcome. The frozen straits is - all Chimera, and everything you have yet read or seen - concerning that part of our Voyage, We shall send you some - unanswerable Queries. Direct for us at the Chapter Coffee - House, St Paul's Churchyard, London." - -It was now clear that Middleton's voyage had been made in vain, and -that another would shortly be attempted. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[55] This fort has been thought to have been in the neighbourhood of -Selkirk, Manitoba. But Verandrye would not have abandoned such an -advantageous position as that which the meeting of the two rivers -afforded at the modern Winnipeg. - -[56] On the site of Fort Jonquiere, a century later, Captain -Brisebois, of the Mounted Police, founded a post bearing his name. -This post has given way to-day to the well-built and thriving town of -Calgary. - -[57] In one of his letters, dated 21st of January, 1737, Middleton -held that the Company thought it their interest rather to prevent than -forward new discoveries in that part of the world. "For that reason -they won't suffer any of our journals to be made public," he adds. -Than which certainly no observation could be truer. - -[58] A LIST OF VESSELS FITTED OUT BY THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY ON -DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. - - 1719--_Albany Frigate_, Capt. George Barlow, sailed from England - on or about 5th June. Never returned. - _Discovery_, Capt. David Vaughan, sailed from England on or - about 5th June. Never returned. - - 1719--_Prosperous_, Capt Henry Kelsey, sailed from York Fort, June - 19th. Returned 10th August following. - _Success_, John Hancock, master, sailed from Prince of Wales' - Fort, July 2nd. Returned 10th August. - - 1721--_Prosperous_, Capt. Henry Kelsey, sailed from York Fort, - June 26th. Returned 2nd Sept. - _Success_, James Napper, master, sailed from York Fort, June - 26th. Lost 30th of same month. - - 1721--_Whalebone_, John Scroggs, master, sailed from Gravesend, - 31st May; wintered at Prince of Wales' Fort. - - 1722--Sailed from thence 21st June. Returned July 25th following. - - 1737--_The Churchill_, James Napper, master, sailed from Prince of - Wales' Fort, July 7th. Died 8th August; and the vessel - returned the 18th. - _The Musquash_, Robert Crow, master, sailed from Prince of - Wales' Fort, July 7th. Returned 22nd August. - - -[59] "On looking through the correspondence at the Admiralty, it is -impossible not to be struck with the straightforward manliness, -candour and honesty of purpose exemplified by Captain Middleton -throughout this trying business. It was a cruel attack."--Sir John -Barrow. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -1744-1748. - - War again with France -- Company takes Measures to Defend its - Forts and Property -- "Keep your guns loaded" -- Prince - "Charlie" -- His Stock in the Company Confiscated -- Further - Instructions to the Chief Factors -- Another Expedition to - Search for a North-West Passage -- Parliament Offers Twenty - Thousand Pounds Reward -- Cavalier Treatment from Governor - Norton -- Expedition Returns -- Dobbs' Enmity -- Privy Council - Refuse to Grant his Petition -- Press-gang Outrages -- Voyage - of the _Seahorse_. - - -[Sidenote: War with France.] - -In the year 1740 the state of affairs in Europe seemed to point to war -between England and France. England had declared war against Spain, -and although for a time Lewis XV. and his ministers sympathized with -the latter country, they endeavoured to avoid being drawn into a -conflict with her powerful neighbour and hereditary enemy across the -Channel. Yet such a conflict seemed inevitable, when by degrees -Spanish commerce became shattered under the blows of King George's -navy. Apprehensive that England would wrest from Spain her colonies, -France resolved to take sides with Spain. In 1744 war was declared, -and hostilities, which had been in abeyance for thirty-one years, at -once recommenced in the transatlantic possessions of both crowns. - -It was therefore decided at a general court of the Adventurers, at -which no fewer than seventy were present, to take measures to avoid a -repetition of the disasters of fifty years previously. They felt that -their enemies were now many, who would be glad to see them driven from -the Bay, and that less assistance might be expected from the -Government than at any of the crises which had previously overtaken -them. We have seen to what this was due. It now behooved the Company -to gird up its loins, and if the foe came, to strike, and strike with -force. - -It was the Hudson's Bay Company against France and Spain. The incident -of Louisburg alone saved the Company from destruction. - -To illustrate the temper of the Company instructions were immediately -drawn up by the Committee, and despatched to the chief factors in the -Bay. The one addressed to Joseph Isbister and Council at Albany Fort -was dated the 10th of May, 1744. - -"The English and French having declared war," it ran, "against each -other, and the war with Spain still continuing, we do hereby strictly -direct you to be always on your guard, and to keep a good watch, and -that you keep all your men as near home as possible. - -[Sidenote: Bellicose instructions from the Company.] - -"We do also direct that you fix your cannon in the most proper places -to defend yourselves and annoy an enemy, after which you are to fire -each cannon once with powder to see how they prove, and instruct your -men to the use of them without firing; and that you keep them -constantly loaded with powder and ball, ready for service. You are -also to keep your small arms loaded and in good order and at hand, to -be easily come at; and that those loaded arms be drawn or discharged -once a month, and be well cleaned; and you are to exercise your men -once a week till they are well disciplined and afterwards once a -month. And you are also to keep a sufficient number of your trading -guns loaded and at hand in case of an attack; and if there be any -Indians that you can confide in, and will be of service in your -defence, we recommend it to you to employ them in such manner as you -think proper. - -"We have wrote to the factory at Moose River, that in case they have -any intelligence of the French coming down that river to attack them, -they are immediately to send you notice thereof, that you may make the -necessary preparations for your defence, and that there be a constant -correspondence and intelligence between each factory for the safety of -both. - -"As we rely on the courage and conduct of Mr. Isbister, our chief, in -case of an attack from the enemy, which, if done at all on your -factory, we apprehend it will be by land in the winter, from Canada; -in which case the enemy not being able to bring down any cannon with -them, we doubt not of your frustrating their designs and repulsing -them. - -"In case you are attacked at Henly House, and notwithstanding a -vigorous resistance you should have the misfortune to be overpowered, -then you are to nail up the cannon, blow up the House, and destroy -everything that can be of service to the enemy, and make the best -retreat you can to the factory." The letters to the other Governors -were in similar strain. - -The Company directed Isbister to get "the best information you can -from the trading Indians, whether the French are making any -preparations to come down to the factory, or have lodged any -provisions, stores or ammunition at certain distances from their -supply. We also direct you, for your better security, at all times to -keep two Indians in the factory with civil and kind usage, and send -them out every morning for intelligence, to a proper distance, so that -they may return in the evening; and provided that they do not return -that it be an alarm to you, and that you thereupon prepare yourselves -for a vigorous defence. But," it was added, "you must not, upon any -consideration, let those Indians have the least knowledge of the use -you intend to make of their not returning." - -[Sidenote: Letters of marque to the Company's ships.] - -At the Company's urgent request letters of marque were granted to the -_Prince Rupert_ against both France and Spain. The _Prince Rupert_ was -one hundred and eighty tons burthen, and the crews were full of -expectation that the voyage would yield them a prize of some sort or -another. But they were destined not merely to be disappointed, but to -be given a great fright into the bargain. When in the neighbourhood of -Davis' Straits, where a whale fishery was established, several large -vessels were sighted. They seemed to the Company's captain undoubtedly -French men-of-war. Filled with fear, he immediately turned round in -his tracks and bore away as fast as his sails could carry him, and -after beating about for a time managed to pass through the straits -unobserved. So convinced were the Company on the return of its ship in -the autumn that the French were lying in wait for its ships at the -straits, they sought the Admiralty with a request for a convoy to York -Fort, to return with its vessels the following autumn. - -A convoy was granted, but it was hardly necessary. Louisburg had -fallen, and all the strength the French could muster was being -directed in an attempt to win back that fortress from the English. No -French ships could therefore be spared to cruise north of latitude -fifty in North America. - -[Sidenote: Confiscation of Prince Charlie's stock.] - -One consequence of the war with France was a revival of the hopes of -the Jacobites. In 1744 Charles Edward, the grandson of James II., was -placed by Lewis in command of "a formidable armament," and in the -following year the young Pretender placed his foot on a little island -of the Hebrides, where for three weeks he stood almost alone. But the -Highland blood was fired; the clans rallied to the standard of "Prince -Charlie," and when he began his march on Edinburgh, several thousand -Scottish zealots had rallied to his standard. "James the Eighth" was -proclaimed at the Town Cross of the capital, and when his troops and -the English regiments met at Preston Pans, in September, the latter -were defeated with heavy loss. But although this victory swelled his -numbers it did not bring the Lowlanders and English to fight for him. -"Hardly a man," we are told, "had risen in his support as he passed -through the districts where Jacobitism boasted of its strength. The -people flocked to see his march as if it had been a show. Catholics -and Tories abounded in Lancashire, but only a single squire took up -arms." The knell of Jacobitism was rung, and after a brief success the -English forces fell upon Prince Charles Edward at Culloden Moor, and -cut his little army to pieces. Fifty of his followers and adherents in -England ascended the scaffold; Lords Lovat, Balmerino and Kilmarnock -were beheaded, and over forty noblemen and gentlemen were attainted by -Act of Parliament. Scarcely a month had elapsed from Charles Edward's -escape to France after his romantic adventures, when a motion was -submitted to the Governor and Company of Adventurers in England -trading into Hudson's Bay, ordering the confiscation of the stock held -by the heir of the second Governor of the Company, King James II. The -exiled monarch had never relinquished his share, and under the name of -"John Stanion" the dividends had always reached him. But the Jacobite -rising affected his fellow-adventurers' complaisance, and by 1746 -"John Stanion" had ceased to figure as an active partner of the -Company.[60] - -Under date of 3rd of May, 1745, the Company wrote to Governor Isbister -and Council, at Albany Fort, to say that they had "augmented the -complement of men (as you desired) at your Factory and Moose Fort, -that in case of need you may assist each other, and thereby we hope -you will be enabled to baffle the designs of the enemy. - -"We do direct," it pursued, "that not only a continual correspondence -be kept between you and Moose Fort, but that you correspond with the -Factory at Slude River, York Fort, and Prince of Wales' Fort as often -as you can, and if under any apprehensions of an attack, to give -immediate notice to Moose Fort. We still recommend your diligence in -getting intelligence and information of the designs of the French." - -[Sidenote: Further instructions to Company's officials.] - -It also urged Governor Pilgrim and Council, at Prince of Wales' Fort, -"to keep a good watch, and your men near home, except those that are -guarding the battery at Cape Merry, but not to hinder a proper number -to be employed in providing a sufficient quantity of the country -provisions to prevent the complaint of those persons that murmur for -want of victuals; and we recommend sobriety, that you may be capable -of making a vigorous defence if attacked. - -"We again recommend your keeping the land, round the Fort and the -Battery at Cape Merry, free from everything that may possibly -conceal or shelter an enemy, that you may thereby prevent being -surprised. - -"We again direct that you keep up a general correspondence with all -the Factories, and get what intelligence you can of the designs of the -French." - - [Illustration: PLANS OF YORK AND PRINCE OF WALES' FORTS.] - -The course of events now bids us return to Dobbs and the renewed -endeavours to find a north-west passage through the Company's -territory. - -A number of public-spirited persons came forward for the prosecution -of the design. Parliament was urged to act in the matter, and a bill -was carried, offering a reward of twenty thousand pounds for the -discovery of the north-west passage. - -[Sidenote: Parliament and the North-West passage.] - -"Whereas," ran the Act, "the discovering of a north-west passage -through Hudson's Straits, to the Western American Ocean, will be of -great Benefit and advantage to the trade of this Kingdom; and whereas -it will be a great encouragement to Adventurers to attempt the same, -if a public reward was given to such person or persons as shall make a -perfect discovery of the said passage: May it therefore please your -Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's Most -Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Lords -Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament -assembled, and by the authority of the same, that if any ship or -vessel, ships or vessels belonging to any of his Majesty's subjects, -shall find out and sail through any passage by sea between Hudson's -Bay and the Western and Southern Ocean of America, the owner or owners -of such ship or ships, vessel or vessels as aforesaid, so first -finding out and sailing through the said passage, his or their -executors, administrators or assigns shall be entitled to receive and -shall receive as a reward for such discovery, the sum of twenty -thousand pounds." - -Parliament took care, however, to declare that nothing in the Act -should "in any ways extend or be construed to take away or prejudice -any of the estates, rights or privileges of or belonging to the -Governor and Company of Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay." - -With such encouragement, it was not long before a North-West -Association was formed for the raising of L10,000, which sum it was -thought would answer the necessary expense of the proposed expedition. -The ships bought by the Committee were one of one hundred and eighty -tons, called the _Dobbs' Galley_, and another of one hundred and forty -tons, to which the name of the _California_ was given. Each of these -vessels was got ready, and a sufficient quantity of stores and -provisions put on board. A cargo of merchandise, suitable for presents -to the natives was put on board, after assurance to the Hudson's Bay -Company that these would not be used for purpose of barter. The -command of the _Dobbs' Galley_ was entrusted to Captain William Moor, -an old servant of the Company; that of the _California_ being given to -Francis Smith. By way of encouragement, premiums were settled on -officers and crew, in case of success. Thus the captain was to have -L500, each of the mates L200, and every other officer and seaman a -reward suitable to his station. Over and above all this, in case they -were so fortunate as to take any prizes, such were to belong entirely -to them. - -[Sidenote: Expedition of the North-West Association.] - -On the 10th of May the expedition started. In order that they might -get safely beyond the British Isles without danger from the French -privateersmen, the Admiralty appointed a convoy to meet them at the -Island of Pomona, in the Orkneys. Judge of their surprise to find this -convoy commanded by Captain Middleton himself, on board the _Shark_. -Some days later the explorer of 1742 and the explorers of 1746 bade -farewell to one another. - -For some months the ships cruised about the Bay. At last, in -September, it was decided to set about preparations for wintering in -some part of Hays' River. This they found in a creek about five miles -above York Factory, on the south side of the stream. The locality was, -perhaps, hardly congenial in a social sense. - -[Sidenote: Governor Norton.] - -"The Governor," says one who accompanied the expedition as the agent -of the patrons,[61] "being now convinced of our intentions to winter -there, used his utmost endeavours that we might lay our ships below -the fort, in a place open to the sea, where they would have been in -all probability beat to pieces, either from the waves of the sea -setting in or the breaking of the ice; but as his arguments were of no -efficacy in persuading us, and finding himself disappointed in this, -as in his former scheme, being still resolved to distress us as much -as possible, he sent most of the Indians, whose chief employment is to -kill deer, geese, etc., into the country, on purpose that we might not -make use of them in that way, or be in any wise benefited by their -means." - - [Illustration: CONTEMPORARY MAP SHOWING THE HAYS' RIVER.] - -The charge that Governor Norton desired the destruction of the ships -is too absurd to refute at this late day; nevertheless there is -little doubt that the explorers believed it, and anything else their -inflamed imaginations and prejudices against the Company suggested. -Even when Norton designed to show them kindness, the design was -twisted into one of sinister shape. For instance, hearing that their -supply of liquor was short, when Christmas came around, he sent as a -present to the explorers, at the little log-house they had christened -Montague House, a couple of casks of brandy with which to make good -cheer. Soon afterwards scurvy broke out, and the disease was set down -immediately to the brandy. "Our people had been healthy enough -before," says Ellis. - -But even when the scurvy had carried off several of the men at -Montague House, Governor Norton was alleged to have refused both to -succour or to suggest a remedy. "The Indians were charged not to come -near us, or to furnish us with anything (and this out of consideration -for them), because we had a contagious distemper amongst us." Norton's -sole view in all his actions is represented to have been to hinder and -distress the explorers, "which," remarks the writer quoted, -philosophically, "is the encouragement that all are to expect who go -in search of a north-west passage _from such neighbours_." - -When spring came the expedition resumed its labours. It is said the -crews were full of alacrity and cheerfulness. One honest seaman, -"whose sole delight was a delicious dram," was so enthusiastic over -the discovery that "in the warm sincerity of his heart he could not -help saying, with a good, round oath, 'Now, I had rather find the -north-west passage than half an anchor of brandy!'" - -[Sidenote: Return of the expedition to England.] - -The summer was spent in coasting the whole north-west side of the Bay. -But, alas, the north-west passage so ardently and characteristically -desired by the "honest sea-man," was not found, and by the 14th of -October the expedition was back again in England, after an absence of -one year four months and seventeen days. The explorers and the patrons -might well have been discouraged from further attempts, albeit they -returned, we are told, "with clearer and fuller proofs, founded on -plain facts and accurate experiments, that such a passage existed." -Nevertheless, if the Company breathed easier on their return, it was a -temporary relief. A new trial was in store for the Honourable -Adventurers. - -In 1748, war still continuing with France and Spain, the Company again -issued strict orders to Governor Spence at Albany Fort to be always on -his guard, and "to keep a good watch and your men near home, but not -to hinder a proper number to be employed in providing a sufficient -quantity of the country provisions, particularly geese, which we find -you constantly employ the Indians only to kill for you, and which we -are dissatisfied with; that being such a material article, you ought -always to blend some of your people with the natives in the goose -seasons, that they may understand how to kill them, and thereby lessen -your dependence on the native hunters." - -To the Governor of Prince of Wales' Fort it directed that he should -"constantly keep his great guns loaded with powder and ball ready for -service during the time the rivers are open. You are also to keep your -small arms loaded and in good order, and at hand, to be easily come -at, which loaded arms and cannon are to be drawn once a month and well -cleaned, and to exercise your men as often as requisite, whom we -expect by this time are artists, not only in the use of small arms but -also of cannon, that the great expense we have been at in this -particular may answer the end proposed thereby in case of an attack. -You are also to keep a sufficient number of your trading guns loaded -and at hand, which charges are also to be drawn every month, and if -there be any Indians you can confide in, and will be of service to you -in your defence, we recommend it to you to employ them in such manner -as you think proper." - -Certainly if a French commander of even Iberville's power had appeared -before the forts of the Company in 1748 he would have met with a far -different reception to that which was offered to that champion in -1697. - -The Company suffered much from the press-gangs, from time to time, and -in eras of war the evil was almost intolerable. It was well-known that -the sailors in its employ were amongst the ablest and hardiest on the -high seas, which fact exposed them perpetually to the onslaughts of -the crimps and bullies. - -In 1739 the Company's vessel, the _Seahorse_, was intercepted by the -man-of-war _Warwick_, and seventeen men of the _Seahorse_ crew -captured by the press-gang for services in the navy. - -That the _Seahorse_ might not be totally without servants, a number of -incompetent landsmen were put aboard in their stead. Nevertheless, the -voyage was continued to the Bay, although not without great peril, not -arriving until 27th of September. The voyage of the disabled -_Seahorse_ was long a tradition in the Company's service. - -[Sidenote: Dobb's petition rejected by a Parliamentary committee.] - -By an Order-in-Council dated the 4th of February, 1748, a petition -from Arthur Dobbs and members of a committee appointed by the -subscribers for finding out a passage to the Western and Southern -Ocean of America, "was referred to the consideration of a committee of -Parliament." After hearing counsel for and against the Company, this -committee of two members decided that "considering how long the -Company have enjoyed and acted under this charter without interruption -or encroachment, we cannot think it advisable for his Majesty to make -any express or implied declaration against the validity of it till -there has been some judgment of a court of justice to warrant it." -Dobbs and his friends were enraged at this decision, and lost no time -in taking other steps. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[60] The name of John Stanion certainly appears in the list of -proprietors of Hudson's Bay stock, published in 1749, but it is -followed by the significant term _deceased_. - -[61] Henry Ellis. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -1748-1760. - - Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry Appointed -- Aim of the - Malcontents -- Lord Strange's Report -- Testimony of Witnesses - -- French Competition -- Lords of Plantations desire to - Ascertain Limits of Company's Territory -- Defeat of the - Labrador Company -- Wolfe's Victory -- "Locked up in the Strong - Box" -- Company's Forts -- Clandestine Trade -- Case of Captain - Coats. - - -[Sidenote: Parliamentary enquiry.] - -"Mr. Sharpe, the Company's solicitor," we read in the Company's -minute-books, under date of March 10th, 1748, "attending the Committee -acquainted them that a motion was yesterday made and carried in the -House of Commons to enquire into the state and condition of the -countries and trade of Hudson's Bay, and also the right the Company -pretend to have by charter to the property of the land, and exclusive -trade to those countries, and that a committee was appointed -accordingly." - -The Adventurers were not caught entirely unawares. They had expected -some such move on the part of their opponents, and now determined that -since they could not ward off the enquiry, they would take the best -means to present the most favourable statement of the Company's case -to the nation. A ransacking of books and records ensued; and a -rigorous search after facts bearing on the beneficent character of the -Company's rule and policy; and these proofs being at length ready, -were placed by the following December in the form of a memorial in the -hands of every member of the House of Commons. - -The enquiry aroused the greatest national interest. It began soon -after Christmas, 1748, and lasted for two months. - -[Sidenote: Plea of the malcontents.] - -What the malcontents desired is, perhaps, best explained in the words -of their prime mover: "By opening," said he, "the trade in the Bay, -many thousands more would be employed in trade, and a much greater -vent would be opened for our manufactures. Whereas all the gain we -have at present, whilst the trade is confined to the Company, is the -employment of one hundred and twenty men in all their factories, and -two or three ships in that trade, manned with perhaps one hundred and -twenty men in time of war, to enrich nine or ten[62] merchants at -their country's expense; at the same time betraying the nation, by -allowing the French to encroach upon us at the bottom of the Bay, -having given up by that means the greatest part of their trade there -to the French. It is, therefore, humbly submitted to the Government, -whether it is not just, as well as prudent, to open that trade to all -the British merchants, and resume at the same time the charter, so far -as to take from them all those lands they have not reclaimed or -occupied after seventy years possession, leaving them only their -factories, and such lands as they have reclaimed adjoining to them; -and to give grants as usual in other colonies to all who shall go over -to trade and make settlements in the country; for no grants were ever -intended to be made to them, to enable them to prevent other subjects -of Britain from planting colonies in those countries, which they -themselves would not plant or occupy; for such a power, instead of -being beneficial, would be the greatest prejudice to Britain, and is -become a general law in the colonies, that those who take grants of -land and don't plant them in a reasonable, limited time, forfeit their -rights to those lands, and a new grant is made out to such others as -shall plant and improve them; and if this grant be not immediately -resumed so far and the trade laid open, and some force be not sent to -secure our southern possessions in the Bay by the Government in case -there should be a French war, we shall see the French immediately -dispossess the Company of all their factories but Churchill, and all -these countries and that trade will be in the possession of the -French." So ran the argument of the Company's enemies. - -On the 24th of April, 1749, Lord Strange presented, on behalf of the -Select Committee, the report to Parliament. - -"The Committee," said he, "appointed to enquire into the state and -condition of the countries adjoining to Hudson's Bay and the trade -carried on there; and to consider how those countries may be settled -and improved, and the trade and fisheries there extended and -increased; and also to enquire into the right the Company of -Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay pretend to have, by charter, to -the property of lands and exclusive trade to those countries; have -pursuant to the order of the House, examined into the several matters -to them referred. - -"Your Committee thought proper, in the first place, to enquire into -the nature and extent of the charter granted by King Charles the -Second, to the Company of Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay; under -which charter the present Company claim as right to lands and an -exclusive trade to those countries; which charter being laid before -your Committee, they thought it necessary for the information of the -House to annex a copy thereof to this report." - -The charter, published now for the first time, was deemed to be valid. - -[Sidenote: Witnesses called by the committee.] - -The Committee had examined the witnesses in the case. These witnesses -were: Joseph Robson, who had been employed in the Bay for six years as -a stonemason; Richard White, who had been a clerk at Albany Fort and -elsewhere; Matthew Sargeant, who had been employed in the Company's -service and "understood the Indian language"; John Hayter, who had -been house carpenter to the Company for six years at Moose River; -Matthew Gwynne, who had been twice at Hudson's Bay; Edward Thompson, -who had been three years at Moose River as surgeon; Enoch Alsop, who -had been armourer to the Company at Moose River; Christopher -Bannister, who had been armourer and gunsmith, and had resided in the -Bay for twenty-two years; Robert Griffin, silversmith, who had been -five years in the Company's service; Thomas Barnet Smith, who went -over to Albany in 1741; Alexander Brown, who had been six years at -Hudson's Bay as surgeon; Captain Thomas Mitchell, who had commanded a -sloop of the Company. - -Besides the above witnesses there was, of course, Dobbs himself, who -was "examined as to the information he had received from a -French-Canadese Indian (since deceased) who was maintained at the -expense of the Admiralty, on the prospect of his being of service on -the discovery of a north-west passage." Dobbs "informed your Committee -that the whole of that discourse is contained in part of a book -printed for the witness in 1744, to which he desired leave to -refer."[63] There also appeared Captain William Moor, who had been -employed in Hudson's Bay from a boy; Henry Spurling, merchant, who had -traded in furs for twenty-eight years past, during which time he had -dealt with the Hudson's Bay Company; Captain Carruthers, who had been -in the Company's service thirty-five years ago; and Arthur Slater, who -had been employed by the Company on the East Main. - -The opposition endeavoured to show that one object aimed at in -granting a charter to the Hudson's Bay Company was to further the -discovery of the north-west passage. This of course was absurd. It was -charged that they had done almost nothing in this direction, which the -Adventurers on their part rebutted by furnishing Parliament with a -list of the ships they had fitted out for such a discovery. - -In the evidence before the Committee, it became clear that the -witnesses were not unanimous, especially concerning the probability of -finding a north-west passage. - -[Sidenote: Evidence as to a north-west passage.] - -The evidence of Edward Thompson, the ship surgeon on the _Furnace_, -for example, states that he has the "greatest reason to believe there -is one, from the winds, tides and black whales; and he thinks the -place to be at Chesterfield Inlet; that the reason of their coming -back was they met the other boat which had been five leagues farther, -and the crew told them the water was much fresher and shallower -there, but where he was the water was fifty fathoms deep, and the tide -very strong; the ebb six hours and the flood two, to the best of his -remembrance; that it is not common for the tide to flow only two -hours." He imagined it to be obstructed by another tide from the -westward. The rapidity of the tide upwards was so great that the spray -of the water flew over the bow of the schooner, and was "so salt that -it candied on the men's shoes, but the tide did not run in so rapid a -manner the other way." Captain William Moor, being asked if he -believed there was a north-west passage to the South Seas, said he -believed there was a communication, but "whether navigable or not he -cannot say; that if there is any such communication, 'tis farther -northward than he expected; that if it is but short, as 'tis but -probable to conclude from the height of the tides, 'tis possible it -might be navigable. It was the opinion of all the persons sent on that -discovery that a north-west wind made the highest tides." According to -Captain Carruthers, "he don't apprehend there is any such passage; but -if there is, he thinks it impracticable to navigate it on account of -the ice; that he would rather choose to go round by Cape Horn; and -that it will be impossible to go and return through such passage in -one year; and he thinks 'tis the general opinion of seamen, that there -is no such passage." In which opinion the seamen were in the right, -although Dobbs and his friends were long to hold the contrary. - -John Tomlinson, a London merchant, testified that he was a subscriber -to "the undertaking for finding a north-west passage, which -undertaking was dropped for want of money; that he should not choose -to subscribe again on the same terms; that he can not pretend to say -whether there is such a passage or not, or whether, if found, it could -ever be rendered useful to navigation." - -It was only to be expected that the merchants, having no share in the -Company's profits, should be, to a man, in favour of throwing open the -trade of Hudson's Bay. Tomlinson, for example, gave it out as his -opinion that if the charter were revoked more ships would be sent and -more Indians brought down to trade. "This is confirmed," said he, "by -the experience of the Guinea trade, which, when confined to a company, -employed not above ten ships, and now employs one hundred and fifty." -He moreover asserted that "the case of the Guinea trade was exactly -similar, where the ships are near one another, and each endeavours to -get the trade; and the more ships lie there the higher the prices of -negroes." - -[Sidenote: The Company's profits.] - -The Company was obliged, in the course of this enquiry, to divulge a -number of facts relating to its trade, which had until then remained -secret. Parliament was informed that the trade between London and -Hudson's Bay was carried on in 1748, and for some years previous, by -means of four ships; that the cost of the exports was in that year -L5,012 12s. 3d.; that the value of the sales of furs and other imports -amounted to L30,160 5s. 11d. As for the "charge attending the carrying -on of the Hudson's Bay trade, and maintaining their factories," it -was, in 1748, L17,352 4s. 10d. Thus a trade which involved only L5,000 -a year in exports brought back a return of L30,000. Even when the -outlay for working and maintenance of forts and establishments was -considered, there was, in dull times, a profit of forty per cent on -actual paid-up capital. - -With regard to French competition, many of the witnesses were most -emphatic. Robson, for instance, "thought that the beavers which are -brought down to the Company are refused by the French from their being -a heavy commodity; for the natives who come to trade with the Company -dispose of their small, valuable furs to the French, and bring down -their heavy goods to the Company in summer when the rivers are open, -which they sell, and supply the French with European goods purchased -from the Company." - -"The French," said Richard White, another witness, "intercept the -Indians coming down with their trade," he having seen them with guns -and clothing of French manufacture; and further an Indian had told him -that there was a French settlement up Moose River, something to the -southward of the west, at the distance, as the witness apprehended, -of about fifty miles. "The French deal in light furs, and take all of -that sort they can get, and the Indians bring the heavy to us. -Sometimes the Indians bring down martens' skins, but that is when they -don't meet with the French; but never knew any Indians who had met the -French bring down light furs. The French settlement on Moose River is -at Abbitibi Lake. The trade," concluded the witness, "might be further -extended by sending up Europeans to winter amongst the natives, which, -though the Company have not lately attempted, the French actually do." - -"The French," said another, "intercept the trade; to prevent which the -Company some time ago built Henley House,[64] which did, in some -measure, answer the purpose: but if they would build farther in the -country it would have a better effect. The French went there first, -and are better beloved; but if we would go up into the country the -French Indians would trade with us." - -[Sidenote: French encroachment on trade.] - -Another of the witnesses testified that he "has been informed by the -Indians that the French-Canadese Indians come within six score miles -of the English factories. The French Indians come to Albany to trade -for their heavy goods." He said he had heard Governor Norton say that -the "French ran away with our trade." "If," continued this witness, -Alexander Brown, "the trade was opened, the French would not intercept -the Indians, since in that case the separate traders must have -out-factories in the same manner the French have, which the Company -have not." Upon being asked by Lord Strange if "in case those -out-settlements were erected, whether the same trade could be carried -on at the present settlements?" the witness replied that "it would be -impossible, but that the trade would be extended, and by that means -they would take it from the French. That if these settlements were -near the French, they must have garrisons to secure them against the -French, and the Indians who trade with and are in friendship with -them (whom he distinguished by the name of French Indians)." - -Brown quoted Norton as saying, in the year 1739, "that the French had -a settlement at about the distance of one hundred or six score miles -from Churchill, which had been built about a year, and contained sixty -men with small arms." - -The result of the deliberations of the Committee of Enquiry was, on -the whole, favourable to the Company. The charter was pronounced -unassailable, and the Company had made out a good case against its -enemies. It had certainly permitted the encroachments of the French. -But the English Government of the day foresaw that French possession -of Canada was doomed, and the Company could make ample amends when the -British flag was unfurled at Quebec and at Montreal. - -The Company having come out of the ordeal unharmed,[65] the Lords of -Trade and Plantations thought it might as well settle in its own mind -the precise territory claimed by the Company under its charter. The -Company, on its part, was not forgetful that the French Government had -not yet paid its little bill, which having been running for over sixty -years, had now assumed comparatively gigantic proportions. - -[Sidenote: The Government asks the Company to define its territory.] - -Accordingly the Lords of Trade and Plantations, on the 25th of July, -1750, addressed a letter to the Company, representing that "as it was -for the benefit of the plantations that the limits or boundaries of -the British Colonies on the Continent of America should be distinctly -known, more particularly as they border on the settlements made by the -French, or any foreign nation in America, their Lordships desired as -exact an account as possible of the limits and boundaries of the -territory granted to the Company, together with a chart or map -thereof, and all the best accounts and vouchers they can obtain to -support the same, and particularly, if any, or what settlements have -been made by the English on the frontiers towards the lakes, and if -any, or what encroachments have been made, and at what period, and to -be exact in stating every particular in the history of whatever -encroachments have been made, which may serve to place the proceedings -in a true light, and confute any right which may at any time be -founded upon them." - -[Sidenote: Company's reply.] - -The Company replied, among other things, that the said Straits and -Bays "are now so well known, that it is apprehended they stand in no -need of any particular description than by the chart or map herewith -delivered; and the limits or boundaries of the lands and countries -lying round the same, comprised, as your memorialists conceive, in the -same grant, are as follows, that is to say: all the lands lying on the -east side or coast of the said Bay, and extending from the Bay -eastward to the Atlantic Ocean and Davis' Strait, and the line -hereafter mentioned as the east and south-eastern boundaries of the -said Company's territories; and towards the north, all the lands that -lie at the north end, or on the north side or coast of the said Bay, -and extending from the Bay northwards to the utmost limits of the -lands; then towards the North Pole; but where or how these lands -terminate is hitherto unknown. And towards the west, all the lands -that lie on the west side or coast of the said Bay, and extending from -the said Bay westward to the utmost limits of those lands; but where -or how these lands terminate to the westward is also unknown, though -probably it will be found they terminate on the Great South Sea, and -towards the south," they propose the line already set out by them, -before and soon after the Treaty of Utrecht, stating that the -Commissioners under that treaty were never able to bring the -settlement of the said limits to a final conclusion; but they urged -that the limits of the territories granted to them, and of the places -appertaining to the French, should be settled upon the footing above -mentioned. - -The Treaty of Utrecht stipulated that the French King should restore -to Great Britain in full right forever, Hudson's Bay, the Straits, and -all lands, rivers, coasts, etc., there situate. Further, that the -Hudson's Bay Company be repaid their losses by French hostile -incursions and depredations in time of peace. - -The Hudson's Bay Company now went farther and asked the Government to -insist that no French vessel should be allowed to pass to the north or -north-west of a line drawn from Grimington's Island and Cape Perdrix. - -One of the most feasible plans of the Company's foes seemed to be to -get hold of some adjacent territory, and from that vantage ground -gradually encroach on the chartered preserves. Such seems to have been -the scheme in July, 1752, when a petition was presented to the Lords -of Trade and Plantations, from "several London Merchants," who sought -a grant of "all that part of America lying on the Atlantic Ocean on -the east part, extending south and north from 52 deg. north latitude -from the equinoctial line to 60 deg. of the same north latitude, called -Labradore or New Britain, not at this time possessed by any of his -Majesty's subjects or the subjects of any Christian prince or state." - -On the receipt of this petition by the Government, the Hudson's Bay -Company was called upon to say whether it laid claim to this tract. In -their reply the Honourable Adventurers referred to the grant of -Charles II. of all rights to trade and commerce of those seas, etc., -within entrance of Hudson's Straits, and of all lands on the coasts -and confines thereof; Labrador throughout its whole extent, from 60 deg. -north latitude to 52 deg., was therefore alleged to be within their -limits. - -The Company was already settled there, and had spent L10,000 on it. -Moreover, declared the Company, it was a barren land, with few beavers -or other furs of value. - -The Company suggested that the "London Merchants'" aim was to gain a -footing and draw off the Hudson's Bay Company's trade, which it hoped -would not be permitted. This hope of the Adventurers was realized, for -the petition of the London Merchants was not allowed.[66] - -France's fatal hour with respect to her sovereignty over Canada -rapidly approached. In December, 1759, the Company wrote as follows to -the Lords of Plantations:-- - - In prospect of an approaching Treaty of Peace between this - nation and France, and in the hope that the great success his - Majesty's arms have been blessed with, and the many - acquisitions that have been thereby gained from the enemy, will - enable his Majesty to secure to your memorialists satisfaction - for the injuries and depredations they have long since suffered - from the French, which stands acknowledged by treaty and are - stipulated to be made satisfaction for, but through the perfidy - of the enemy, and in disregard of the treaty have hitherto - remained unsatisfy'd; in which the honour of the nation as well - as justice to the individuals, loudly call for redress. - -Halifax and Soame Jenyns thereupon wrote to Pitt in these words: - - Sir,--The Governor and Company of Merchants trading to Hudson's - Bay having presented a memorial to us, stating their claims - with respect to limits and other matters provided for by the - Treaty of Utrecht, and praying that in case of a peace with - France, his Majesty would be graciously pleased to cause - satisfaction to be made to them with respect to such claims, - pursuant to the stipulations of the tenth and eleventh articles - of the said treaty; we beg leave to transmit to you the - enclosed copy of the said memorial for his Majesty's directions - thereupon. - -[Sidenote: Conquest of Canada.] - -While England went mad with joy over Wolfe's victory at Quebec, the -Company thought the time had, at last, come when the indemnity it -claimed so long should be exacted in the treaty of peace which could -not be long delayed. But its sanguine expectations were not destined -to be realized. In vain did the Governor wait at the door of Mr. -Secretary Pitts; in vain did Lord Halifax assure the Company's -secretary that he would make it his own personal business to have the -affair attended to. It was too late in the day.[67] With reason might -the Company's zealous secretary trace in the minutes: "Locked up this -day (November 22nd, 1759), in the Great Iron Chest, a Book containing -estimates of the Company's losses sustained from the French, from 1682 -to 1688." - -The "Great Iron Chest" was to hold the book for many a day, and though -the Company evinced a never-failing alacrity to produce it, yet never -was there to be inscribed the words "settled with thanks," at the foot -of this "little bill against the French." - -We have already been made familiar with the character of the Company's -forts in the Bay so late as the reign of Queen Anne. There had been -almost from the beginning a party amongst the Honourable Adventurers -favourable to the erection of strong forts, not built of logs with -bastions of stone, but of stone throughout, from the designs of -competent engineers. - -A few years after the Company had regained possession of York Factory, -it built (1718) a wooden fort at Churchill River, to which was given -the name of Prince of Wales. In 1730 it constructed another at Moose -River; and about the same time a small post, capable of containing -eight or ten men at Slude River, on the East Main. In 1720 Henley -House, one hundred and fifty miles up Albany River, was built to -contain a garrison of eight men, as a check to the Indians who carried -on a trade with the French. - -[Sidenote: Building of stone forts.] - -But the wooden fort Prince of Wales did not remain long. The -remembrance of their former posts destroyed by fire, and Iberville's -cannon, caused the Company at length to undertake the fortification on -a splendid scale of its best harbour, to safeguard what it designed to -be its principal _entrepot_ from the French, as well as from the -Indians. Opposition was cried down, and the "fortification party," as -it was called, carried the day. A massive thirty-feet wide foundation -was begun at Churchill, from the plans of military engineers who had -served under Marlborough, and, after many vicissitudes, in 1734 Fort -Prince of Wales, one of the strongest forts on the continent, was -reared at the mouth of Churchill River. - - [Illustration: FORT PRINCE OF WALES.] - -It was the original intention to have the walls forty-two feet thick -at their foundation, but on account of the Governor's interference the -dimensions were reduced to twenty-five. It was afterwards found, -however, that there was a tendency to sink when cannon were fired -frequently from the walls, so one section was forthwith pulled down -and rebuilt according to original plans. Three of the bastions had -arches for storehouses, forty feet three inches by ten feet, and in -the fourth was built a stone magazine twenty-four feet long and ten -feet wide in the clear, with a passage to it through the gorge of the -bastion twenty-four feet long and four feet wide. - -The parapets were originally constructed of wood, supplied by denuding -the old fort, situated five miles up the Churchill River, the site of -which was first occupied in 1688; but in 1746 the Company began -erecting a stone parapet. Robson's plan shows that two houses, a -dwelling and office building, were erected inside the fort, and -incidentally he describes one of the two as being one hundred and -eighty-one feet six inches by thirty-three feet, with side walls -seventeen feet high and the roof covered with lead. - -In 1730 Moose, a new fort, was erected on the site of Moose Factory. -About the same time Richmond Fort was built on Whale River, but it did -not continue a great many years. I find, under date of 21st December, -1758, that "the Governor represented to the Committee that Richmond -Fort did not give a sufficient return to pay the most moderate charge -of supporting it," and it was "resolved that the Company's servants -and effects be withdrawn from there as soon as conveniently may be and -replaced at such of the Company's other factories as shall be found -needful." Further, it was "resolved that a factory with accommodation -for twelve men, with all convenience for trading goods stores, and -provisions, be built as early as possible in the year 1760, in the -most convenient place for that purpose on the north side of Severn -River and as high up as may be." - -At the same time it was ordered that the number of men for York Fort -and the new settlement to be made on the Severn River should be -forty-eight men. - -[Sidenote: Clandestine trade.] - -Clandestine trade was a constantly recurring feature of eighteenth -century life in the Bay. Charges were repeatedly preferred against the -Company's servants, and altogether scores were dismissed as a -punishment for this offence. It must be confessed that there was often -a temptation difficult to resist. Nothing seemed more natural for the -poor apprentice to trade his jack-knife, Jew's-harp or silk kerchief -with an Indian or Esquimau for a peltry; and the only reason, perhaps, -why private bartering was not indulged in more generally was the -certainty of detection. But with the Governors and traders and ship -captains, risk was reduced to a minimum. - -One of the most unfortunate examples was the case of Captain Coats. -This able mariner had been in the employ of the Company for a period -of many years. None was superior to him in knowledge of the Bay and -straits. Captain Coats had been twice shipwrecked, once in 1727, "when -near the meridian of Cape Farewell, when running through the ice with -a small sail, when two pieces of ice shutt upon us and sank our ship"; -and again in 1736, when he was entangled in the ice off Cape -Resolution, when his ship had her sides crushed in and sank in twenty -minutes. Coats drew up a journal for the use of his sons, containing -an elaborate description of the Bay and its approaches, together with -a great deal of relative matter; and this journal, which has received -the honour of publication by the Hakluyt Society, concludes by saying -that if these sons are neglected by the Hudson's Bay Company they are -at liberty, and "it is his will and command that every part be made -publick, for the use and benefit of mankind." - -There is herein, it is almost needless to say, no mention of the -captain's clandestine trading operations, which extended over a long -series of years, and which might never have been made known to the -Company had it not been for the sudden death of Pilgrim, who was -formerly governor at Prince of Wales and Moose Fort. A number of -private letters and papers reached England, incriminating Coats, but -they never reached the public; nor in 1752, were the Hakluyt Society -cognisant of the fate which overtook their author. "Of the writer," -remarks Sir John Barrow, who edited the volume, "the editor can learn -but little; nothing, in fact, is now known of Captain Coats, except -that he was in the Company's service as commander of one or other of -their ships from 1727 to 1751." He added that the memorial was -believed to exist in the Company's archives. - -Under date of November 28th, 1751, I find the following: "The Governor -having acquainted the Committee of this affair, and laid the letters -and papers before them, they were fully examined and the contents -thereof considered." Coats was then called in and told of the -information they had received, and the cause they had to suspect that -he had defrauded the Company by carrying on a clandestine trade -greatly to their prejudice and contrary to the fidelity he owed the -Company. - -[Sidenote: Case of Capt. Coats.] - -Coats at first endeavoured to excuse himself, but finding the proofs -contained in the letter papers (many of which were in his own -handwriting and signature) so strong in evidence against him, at last -owned he was guilty of the offence he was accused of and submitted -himself to the Company, and he was ordered to withdraw while his case -was considered. At the expiration of two hours the culprit was called -in and acquainted with his sentence, which was dismissal from the -service. He was ordered to deliver up the keys of the _King George_, -of which he was commander, together with the stores and the keys of -such stores in the warehouse in his custody belonging to the Company. - -The disgraced captain went home, and after a miserable existence of -some weeks, ended his life by his own hand. On the 20th of February, -there is a letter to the Company from his widow, Mary Coats, which was -read out to the Adventurers assembled. It prayed that the Committee -would "indulge her so far as to order the balance that shall appear -upon her late husband's account to be paid, and to permit her to have -the stores brought home, still remaining in the _King George_; the -profit of these, urged the widow, had always been enjoyed by every -master in the Company's services." Moved by the appeal, Widow Coats -was called in and informed that provided she delivered up to the -Company all the books, papers, charts or drafts belonging to her late -husband and now in her custody, she might expect to meet with the -favour of the Company. "For which she returned thanks and promised to -comply therewith." But the Hakluyt Society's publication of Coats' -journal is sufficient to show that his widow did not keep to the -strict letter of her word. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[62] The number of the Adventurers was, before the enquiry of 1749, a -mystery. By many it was charged that they were not above a dozen or -fifteen. - -[63] Dobbs's "Hudson's Bay," a hysterical work, which was throughout -an attack on Captain Christopher Middleton. - -[64] 1720 - -[65] On June 28th, 1749, at a Company's meeting, an account was made -of the cost of defending the Company's charter, upon the motion made -in the House of Commons. It amounted in the whole to only L755 5s. -10d., exclusive of Sharpe, the Company solicitor's services. - -[66] In refusing to advise the granting of a charter to the Company's -enemies, the Attorney-General, Sir Dudley Ryder, and the -Solicitor-General, Sir William Murray--afterwards Lord Mansfield--drew -up a lengthy and important paper, reviewing the charges against the -Company. Their conclusion was that either the charges were "not -sufficiently supported in point of fact, or were in great measure -accounted for from the nature and circumstances of the case." They -deemed the charter valid for all practical purposes. - -[67] "The Company being apprehensive that Mr. Secretary Pitts' -indisposition should deprive them of an opportunity of conferring with -him in due time, with respect to the Company's claim on the French -nation for depredations in times of peace before the Treaty of -Utrecht, resolved that a petition should be drawn up to his Majesty, -humbly representing such losses and damages, reciting the tenth and -eleventh article of the said treaty, and praying that his Majesty will -give his plenipotentiaries at the approaching congress for a treaty of -peace, such directions as will suffice for justice being done to the -Company by compensation for such losses. Also that the boundaries of -Hudson's Bay may be settled."--_Minute Book_, May 20th, 1761. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -1763-1770. - - Effect of the Conquest on the Fur-trade of the French -- - Indians again Seek the Company's Factories -- Influx of - Highlanders into Canada -- Alexander Henry -- Mystery - Surrounding the _Albany_ Cleared Up -- Astronomers Visit Prince - of Wales' Fort -- Strike of Sailors -- Seizure of Furs -- - Measures to Discourage Clandestine Trade. - - -[Sidenote: Effect of the Conquest.] - -The conquest of Canada by the English in 1760[68] had an almost -instantaneous effect upon the fur-trade of the French. The system of -licenses was swept away with the _regime_ of Intendants of New France. -The posts which, established chiefly for purposes of trade, were yet -military, came to be abandoned, and the officers who directed them -turned their disconsolate faces towards France, or to other lands -where the flag of the lily still waved. The English colonies were not -devoid of diligent traders ready to pursue their calling -advantageously: but they shrank from penetrating a country where the -enemy might yet lurk, a country of whose approaches, and of whose -aspect or inhabitants they knew nothing and feared everything. As for -the Indians themselves, they, for a time, awaited patiently the advent -of the French trader. Spring came and found them at the deserted -posts. They sought but they could not find; "their braves called -loudly, but the sighing trees alone answered their call." Despair at -first filled the bosoms of the Red men when they found that all their -winter's toil and hardships in the forest and over the trail had been -in vain. They waited all summer, and then, as the white trader came -not, wearily they took up their burdens and began their journey anew. - -For a wise Indian had appeared amongst them, and he had said: "Fools, -why do you trust these white traders who come amongst you with beads, -and fire-water and crucifixes? They are but as the crows that come and -are gone. But there are traders on the banks of the great lake yonder -who are never absent, neither in our time nor in the time of our -grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They are like the rock which -cannot be moved, and they give good goods and plenty, and always the -same. If you are wise you will go hence and deal with them, and never -trust more the traders who are like fleas and grasshoppers--here one -minute and flown away the next." - -More than one factor of the Company heard and told of this oft-spoken -harangue, and many there lived to testify to its effect upon the -assembled Indians. Not even was it forgotten or disregarded years -afterwards in the height of the prosperity of the Northmen, whose arts -of suasion were exercised in vain to induce the Red man to forego his -journey to York, Churchill or Cumberland. - -"No," they would say, "we trade with our friends, as our grandfathers -did. Our fathers once waited for the French and Bostonians to come to -their forts, and they lay down and died, and their squaws devoured -them, waiting still. You are here to-day, but will you be here -to-morrow? No, we are going to trade with the Company." - -And so they pressed on, resisting temptation, wayward, though loyal, -enduring a long and rough journey that they might deal with their -friends. - -[Sidenote: The "coureurs de bois."] - -Thus for some years the Company prospered, and did a more thriving -business than ever. But before, however, dealing with the new -_regime_, let us turn for a moment to the Canadian bushrangers and -voyageurs thus cut off from their homes and abandoned by their -officers and employers. Their occupation was gone--whither did they -drift? Too long had they led the untrammelled life of the wilderness -to adjust again the fetters of a civilized life in Montreal or Quebec; -they were attached to their brave and careless masters; these in many -instances they were permitted to follow; but large numbers dispersed -themselves amongst the Indians. Without capital they could no longer -follow the fur-trade; they were fond of hunting and fishing; and so by -allying themselves with Indian wives, and by following the pursuits -and adopting the customs of the Red men, themselves became virtually -savages, completely severed from their white fellows. - -But an influx of Scotch Highlanders had been taking place in Canada -ever since 1745, and some of these bold spirits were quick to see the -advantages of prosecuting, without legal penalty, a private trade in -furs. To these were added English soldiers, who were discharged at the -peace, or had previously deserted. How many of these were slain by the -aborigines, and never more heard of, can never be computed; but it is -certain that many more embarked in the fur-trade and fell victims to -the tomahawk, torch, hunger and disease than there is any record of. - -[Sidenote: Hostility of the Indians to the English.] - -It is certain, also, that the hostility of the tribes, chief amongst -them the Iroquois, to the English, was very great, and this hostility -was nourished for some years by the discontented bushrangers and -voyageurs. In the action of Pontiac at Detroit, and the surprise and -capture of Michilimackinac with its attendant horrors, there is -ample proof, both of the spirit animating the Indians, and the danger -which went hand in hand with the new trade in furs. - - [Illustration: A BLACKFOOT BRAVE. - (_Drawn by Edmund Morris, after photo._)] - -The first of these English traders at Michilimackinac to penetrate -into the west, where the French had gone, is said to be Thomas Curry. -This man, having by shrewdness and ability procured sufficient capital -for the purpose, engaged guides and interpreters, purchased a stock of -goods and provisions, and with four canoes reached Fort Bourbon, which -was situated at the western extremity of Cedar Lake, on the waters of -the Saskatchewan. His venture was successful, and he returned to -Montreal with his canoes loaded with fine furs. But he never expressed -a desire to repeat the performance, although it was not long before -his example was followed by many others. James Finlay was the first of -these; he penetrated to Nipawee, the last of the French posts on the -Saskatchewan, in latitude 53-1/2, and longitude 103. This trader was -equally successful. - -[Sidenote: Henry's expedition.] - -After a career of some years in the vicinity of Michilimackinac, of a -general character, identical with that pursued a hundred years before -by Groseilliers, another intrepid trader, Alexander Henry, decided to -strike off into the North-West. He left "the Sault," as Sault Ste. -Marie was called, on the 10th of June, 1775, with goods and provisions -to the value of L3,000 sterling, on board twelve small canoes and four -larger ones. Each small canoe was navigated by three men, and each -larger one by four. On the 20th they encamped at the mouth of the -Pijitic. It was by this river, he tells us, that the French ascended -in 1750, when they plundered one of the Company's factories in the -bay, and carried off the two small pieces of brass cannon, which fell -again into English hands at Michilimackinac. But here Henry fell into -error; for it was by the River Michipicoten that the French went, and -the factory plundered of its adornments was Moose, not Churchill, and -the year 1756, not 1750. - -Henry himself was going on a sort of plundering expedition against -the Company, which was to be far more effective in setting an example -to others, than any the French had yet carried through. Everywhere as -he passed along there were evidences of the recent French occupation. - -To return to 1767, this year had witnessed a clearing up of the -mystery surrounding the fate of the _Albany_, the first of the vessels -sent by the Company to search for a north-west passage. - - [Illustration: ALEXANDER HENRY.] - -[Sidenote: Fate of the "Albany."] - -The Company was at that time carrying on a black whale fishery, and -Marble Island was made the rendezvous, not merely on account of the -commodious harbour, but because of the greater abundance of whales -there. Under these circumstances the boats, when on the lookout for -fish, had frequent occasion to row close to the island, which led to -the discovery, at the easternmost extremity, of a new harbour.[69] -Upon landing at this place, the crews made a startling discovery. They -found English guns, anchors, cables, bricks, a smith's anvil, and many -other articles lying on the ground, which, though they were very old, -had not been defaced by the hand of time, and which having been -apparently without use to the native Esquimaux, and too heavy to be -removed by them, had not been removed from the spot where they had -originally been laid a little farther inland. The whalers beheld the -remains of a frame house,[70] which, though half destroyed by the -Esquimaux for the wood and iron, yet could plainly be seen at a -distance. Lastly, when the tide ebbed in the harbour there became -visible the hulls of two craft, lying sunk in five fathoms of water. -The figurehead of one of these vessels, together with the guns and -other implements, was shortly afterwards carried to England. The -hypothesis of Governor Norton was instantly and only too correctly -espoused by the Company. On this inhospitable island, where neither -stick nor stump was, nor is to be seen, and which lies sixteen miles -from a mainland, no less inhospitable, perished Knight, Barlow, and -the other members of the exploring expedition of 1719. Thus was a fate -nearly half a century in the balance ascertained at last. - -Two years later some members of a whaling party landed at this same -harbour, and one of their number, perceiving some aged Esquimaux, -determined to question them on the matter. - -"This," says the narrator, "we were the better enabled to do by the -assistance of an Esquimau, who was then in the Company's service as a -linguist, and annually sailed in one of their vessels in that -character. The account received from these aged natives was 'full, -clear and unreserved,' and its purport was in this wise: - -"When the doomed vessels arrived at Marble Island, it was late in the -autumn of 1719, and in making the harbour through the ice, the larger -was considerably damaged. The party landed safely, however, and at -once set about building the house. As soon as the ice permitted, in -the following summer, the Esquimaux paid them a further visit, and -observed that the white strangers were largely reduced in number and -that the survivors were very unhealthy in appearance. According to the -account given by these Esquimaux, these were very busily employed, but -the nature of their employment they could not easily describe. It is -probable they were lengthening the long-boat or repairing the ship, -and to support this conjecture, forty-eight years later there lay, at -a little distance from the house, a quantity of oak chips, 'most -assuredly made by carpenters.'" - -Much havoc must have been thenceforward wrought among the explorers, -who could not repair their ship, which even may by this time have been -sunk; and by the second winter, only twenty souls out of fifty -remained. - -[Sidenote: Wretched death of Knight and his men.] - -That same winter, some of the Esquimaux had taken up their abode on -the opposite side of the harbour to the English, and frequently -supplied them with such provisions as they had, which consisted -chiefly of whale's blubber, seal's flesh and train oil. When the -spring advanced, the natives crossed over to the mainland, and upon -visiting Marble Island in the summer of 1721 found only five of the -white men alive, and those in such distress that they instantly seized -upon and devoured the seal's flesh and whale blubber, given them in -trade by their visitors, in a raw state. This occasioned a severe -physical disorder which destroyed three of the five; and the other -two, though very weak made shift to bury their dead comrades. These -two survivors eked out a wretched existence for many weeks, frequently -resorting to the summit of an adjacent rock, in the vain hope of -being seen by some relief party. But alas, they were doomed to a daily -disappointment; the Esquimaux themselves had little to offer them; and -at last they were seen by the wandering natives to crouch down close -together and cry aloud like children, the tears rolling down their -cheeks. First one of the pair died, and then the other, in an attempt -to dig a grave for his fellow. The Esquimau who told the story, led -the whalers to the spot and showed them the skulls and the larger -bones of the luckless pair, then lying above ground not a great -distance from the dwelling. It is believed that the last survivor must -have been the armourer or smith of the expedition, because according -to the account given by the aborigines, he was always employed in -working iron into implements for them, some of which they could still -show. - -There flourished in 1768 the body known as the "Royal Society for -Improving Natural Knowledge." This society wrote to the Company, -requesting that two persons might be conveyed to and from Fort -Churchill in Hudson's Bay, in some of the Company's ships, "to observe -the passage of Venus over the sun, which will happen on the 3rd of -June, 1769." It was desired that these persons might be maintained by -the Company, and furnished with all necessary articles while on board -and on shore. The Company was asked to furnish them with materials and -the assistance of servants to erect an observatory; the Society -engaging to recoup the Company's whole charge, and desiring an -estimate of the expense. - -[Sidenote: Astronomers at Hudson's Bay, 1769.] - -The Company expressed itself as "ready to convey the persons desired, -with their baggage and instruments, to and from Fort Churchill, and to -provide them with lodging and medicine while there, _gratis_, they to -find their own bedding." The Company demanded L250 for diet during the -absence of the astronomers from England, which would be about eighteen -months. The Adventurers recommended the Society to send the intended -building in frame, with all necessary implements, tools, etc., which -"will be conveyed upon freight, the Royal Society likewise paying for -any clothing that may be supplied the observers during their -residence in Hudson's Bay." - -It is interesting to record that the expedition was entirely -successful. The two astronomers went out to Prince of Wales' Fort, and -returned in the _Prince Rupert_, after having witnessed the transit of -Venus on the 3rd of June, 1769. - -Towards the middle of the century there had grown up a deep prejudice -and opposition towards the Hudson's Bay Company from the sailors and -watermen who frequented the Thames. - -It was alleged that the Company did nothing to make itself popular; -its rules were strict and its wages to seamen were low, albeit it had -never suffered very much from this prejudice until the return of the -Middleton expedition. Many absurd stories became current as to the -Company's policy and the life led by the servants at the factories. -These travellers' tales had been thoroughly threshed out by the -enquiry of 1749. The opponents of the Company had told their "shocking -narratives." It was only natural, perhaps, that these should be passed -about from mouth to mouth, and so become exaggerated beyond bounds. -Upon the discharge and death of Captain Coats a demonstration against -the Company had been talked of at Wapping and Gravesend, but nothing -came of it but a few hootings and bawlings as the ships sailed away on -their annual voyages to the Bay. - -By 1768, however, the dissatisfaction had spread to the Company's own -seamen, and now took an active form. The time was well chosen by the -malcontents, because the public were ready at that time to sympathize -with the movement for the amelioration of the conditions which -characterized the merchant service generally. - -[Sidenote: The Company's seamen strike.] - -A numerous body of seamen forcibly entered the Company's ships in the -River Thames, demanding that wages should be raised to 40s. per month. -They struck the topgallant masts and yards, and lowered the lower -yards close down, and got them in fore and aft. The consequence was -that the crews of the Company's ships and brigantine were compelled -to quit their vessels. - -The moment the tidings of this reached the Governor and Company it was -deemed advisable for the Deputy Governor, Thomas Berens and James -Fitzgerald, Esquires, to "attend his Majesty's principal Secretaries -of State, and such other gentlemen in the Administration as they shall -find necessary, and represent the urgent situation of the Company's -affairs in general." - -This was done forthwith, and the facts of the situation placed before -Viscount Weymouth and Sir Edward Hawke First Lord of the Admiralty. - -Secretary of State Weymouth appeared well disposed to do all the -service in his power to redress the present grievances; that a -memorial should be presented on the Company's behalf. - -While the memorial was being drawn up, the three captains acquainted -the Commissioners that under the present disturbances on the River -Thames, they should not be able to secure the seamen they had already -got, without allowing their sailors 40s. per month. It was then the -18th of May, and the Company considered that the lives of its servants -abroad, and the event of the intended voyage, would not admit of -delay. They therefore told their three captains, and the master of the -_Charlotte_, brigantine, that they would allow the sailors 35s. per -month from their respective entries to this day, inclusive, and 40s. -per month from this day for their voyage out and home. - -Hardly had this been done than a letter was received expressing Lord -Weymouth's great concern on being informed that the Company's ships -had been prevented from sailing until a promise was made to raise the -seamen's wages, and that some acts of violence had been committed to -effect their purpose. From the strong assurance his Lordship had -received that there was no danger of any obstacle to delay the -voyages, he was almost ready to doubt the rumour. - -Berens called on Weymouth and informed him that the Company's critical -situation had already obliged the Company to acquiesce in the demand -of 40s. per month for the seamen's wages. No acts of violence were -committed on board the Company's ship, other than that the crews were -daily forced against their inclination to join the rioters. - -The ships were at length got down to Greenwich and proceeded on their -voyage with despatch. - -But the Company was not yet out of the wood. Clandestine trade was to -be again its bogey. The disaffection had been temporarily arrested -amongst the sailors: but they were hardly prepared to learn that it -extended to the captains themselves, who had, however, the best of -reasons for concealing their feelings. When the ships came home in the -following year the Company received information that a seizure of furs -and other valuable goods brought from Hudson's Bay had been made since -the arrival of the Company's ships that season. Communication was -entered into with the Commissioners of Customs requesting a particular -account of such seizures either from the Company's ships or other -places, "in order that the Commissioners may pursue an enquiry for -detecting the frauds that have been committed to the prejudice of His -Majesty's Revenue and the interest of the Company." - -[Sidenote: Clandestine trade by the Company's captains.] - -Suspicion for the loss of numerous packages of furs now began to -fasten itself upon one of the Company's captains, Horner of the -_Seahorse_. Horner acknowledged that he was not altogether ignorant -that the furs had been abstracted from the hold of his ship. The -Company deliberated on his case, and it was "unanimously resolved that -the said John Horner be discharged from the Company's service." The -other captains were now called in and acquainted with the reasons for -Captain Horner's discharge. The Adventurers declared their -determination to make the like public example of all persons who -should be found to be concerned in clandestine trade. - -In the following year the Company came to a wise decision. Taking into -consideration the state of its trade and the many frauds that "have -been practised and detected," it was concluded that such frauds were -connived at by the Company's chief factors and captains, who were not -only privy thereto, but in consideration for some joint interest, -permitted this illicit trade to be carried on. - -[Sidenote: Salaries increased.] - -The Company seems to have thought that the chief factors and captains -might have been tempted to these nefarious practices by the smallness -of their respective salaries, and therefore in the hope of securing -their fidelity and encouraging diligence and industry, and the -extending of the Company's trade to the utmost to the benefit of the -Company and the revenue, it was decided that a salary of L130 per -annum be allowed the chief factors at York, Albany, and Prince of -Wales' Fort; also the factors about to be appointed at Moose Fort and -Severn House, "in lieu of former salaries, and all trapping -gratuities, and perquisites whatever, except a servant, which is to be -allowed to them as before." - -A gratuity was to be given to all chief factors of three shillings -upon every score of made beaver which they consigned and "which shall -actually be brought home to the Company's account." - -To the captains a gratuity was decreed of one shilling and sixpence -per score of made beaver which they should bring to the Company's -warehouse in good saleable condition. - -To prevent any loss from rioters or dissatisfied sailors the Company -decided, in 1770, to insure their ships and goods for the first time -in its history. The secretary made enquiries at the London Assurance -Office, and reported that the premium would be five per cent. per -annum on each ship during their being in dock, or on the River Thames -above Gravesend; and the same on the ships' stores while they -continued in the Company's warehouse at Ratcliff. Whereupon the -Company insured each of its three ships for L2,000, and the ships' -stores in the above warehouse for L3,000. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[68] France ceded to England "Canada with all its dependencies," -reserving only such part of what had been known as Canada as lay west -of the Mississippi. The watershed between the Missouri and the -Mississippi rivers had been the boundary between Canada and Louisiana -when both were owned by France, and by the treaty of 1763 the River -Mississippi was agreed to as the future boundary between the English -and French possessions in that quarter; the language of the treaty -being, "that the confines between [France and England] in that part of -the world shall be fixed irrevocably by a line drawn along the middle -of the River Mississippi from its source [etc.], to the sea." Very -soon after this treaty, viz., on 7th October, 1763, the Province of -Quebec was erected by Royal Proclamation, but the Province as then -constituted took in very little of what was afterwards Upper Canada -and what is now Ontario; the most north-westerly point was Lake -Nipissing; the whole of the territory adjacent to the great lakes was -excluded. In 1774 the boundaries of Quebec were enlarged by the Quebec -Act. That Act recited that "by the arrangements made by the said Royal -Proclamation a very large extent of territory, within which were -several colonies and settlements of subjects of France, who claimed to -remain therein under the faith of the said treaty, was left without -any provision being made for the administration of civil government -therein." The Act, therefore, provided that "all the territories, -islands and countries in North America belonging to the Crown of Great -Britain, bounded on the south by a line" therein described, "from the -Bay of Chaleurs to the River Ohio, and along the bank of the said -river, westward, to the banks of the Mississippi, and northward to the -southern boundary of the territory granted to the Merchants-Adventurers -of England trading into Hudson's Bay," etc., "be, and they are hereby, -during His Majesty's pleasure, annexed to and made part and parcel of -the Province of Quebec as created and established by the said Royal -Proclamation of the 7th October, 1763." - -[69] It is not a little singular that neither Middleton, Ellis, -Christopher, Johnston nor Garbet, all of which explorers had visited -Marble Island prior to 1767, and some of them often, ever discovered -this harbour. The actual discoverer was Joseph Stephens, commanding -the _Success_, a small vessel employed in the whale fishery. Two years -later Stephens was given the command of the _Charlotte_, a fine brig -of 100 tons, his mate then being Samuel Hearne, the explorer. - -[70] "I have seen," wrote Governor Hearne, "the remains of those -houses several times; they are on the west side of the harbour, and in -all probability will be discernible for many years to come." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -1768-1773. - - Reports of the "Great River" -- Company despatch Samuel Hearne - on a Mission of Discovery -- Norton's Instructions -- Saluted - on his Departure from the Fort -- First and Second Journeys -- - Matonabee -- Results of the Third Journey -- The Company's - Servants in the Middle of the Century -- Death of Governor - Norton. - - -[Sidenote: The "Great River."] - -Some northern Indians, who came to trade at Prince of Wales' Fort in -the spring of 1768, brought further accounts of the "Great River," as -they persisted in calling it, and also produced several pieces of -copper, as specimens of a mine long believed by the traders to exist -in the vicinity. This determined Governor Norton to represent it to -the Company as a matter well worthy their attention. As he went that -year to England, he was given the opportunity of doing so in person; -and in consequence of his representations, the Committee resolved to -despatch an intelligent person by land to observe the latitude and -longitude of the river's mouth, and to make a chart of the country -traversed, with such observations as might lead to a better knowledge -of the region. An intelligent mariner, Samuel Hearne, then in the -Company's employ as mate of the brig _Charlotte_, was selected for the -mission.[71] - -[Sidenote: Hearne's expedition of discovery.] - -Before starting on his journey in 1769, Hearne received full -instructions from Moses Norton, the Governor. He was provided with an -escort and was urged to cultivate, as he went, friendly relations with -the Indians. "Smoke your calumet of peace with their leaders in order -to establish a friendship with them." He was equipped with -instruments, and was required to take account of latitude and -longitude of the chief points visited; he was to seek for a north-west -passage through the continent. But a more immediate and practical -matter was dwelt upon in his letter. "Be careful to observe what mines -are near the river,[72] what water there is at the river's mouth, how -far the woods are from the seaside, the course of the river, the -nature of the soil, and the productions of it; and make any other -remarks that you may think will be either necessary or satisfactory. -And if the said river be likely to be of any utility, take possession -of it on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company by cutting your name on -some of the rocks, and also the date of the year, month, etc." - -Hearne promised to follow these instructions implicitly, and soon -after daybreak on the morning of the 6th of November, the occupants of -the fort assembled to witness the intrepid explorer's departure. A -salute of seven guns and a ringing cheer thrice repeated was -responded to by Hearne, already on his way, with a wave of his cap. - - [Illustration: DOBBS' MAP, 1744.] - -He had not gone far, however, when dissatisfaction broke out amongst -his party. First one Indian guide deserted him and then another; but -trusting to the fidelity of the rest Hearne pressed forward. At last, -nearly the whole party left him, taking at the same time several bags -of powder and shot, his hatchets, chisels and files. His chief guide, -Chaw-chin-ahaw, now advised the explorer to return, and announced his -own intention of travelling to his own tribe in the south-west. - -"Thus," says Hearne, "they set out, making the woods ring with their -laughter, and left us to consider our unhappy situation, nearly two -hundred miles from Prince of Wales' Fort, all heavily laden, and in -strength and spirits greatly reduced by hunger and fatigue." - -Mortifying as the prospect of return was, it was inevitable. They -arrived on the 11th of December, to the astonishment of Norton and the -Company's servants. - -[Sidenote: Second expedition.] - -But Hearne was not to be daunted. On the 23rd of February he again set -out with five Indians. This time his journey was a succession of short -stages, with intervals of a whole day's rest between. These intervals -were occupied in killing deer, or in seeking for fish under the ice -with nets. On one occasion they spent a day in building a more -permanent tent, where they waited for the flights of goose to appear. - -The course had been in a general north-western direction from the -Churchill River, but on the 10th of June the party abandoned the -rivers and lakes and struck out into the barren lands. The following -narrative by Hearne is interesting, because up to that moment no -servant of the Company had ever seen a live musk ox, that "now rare -denizen of the northern solitudes." - -"We had not walked above seven or eight miles before we saw three musk -oxen grazing by the side of a small lake. The Indians immediately went -in pursuit of them, and as some were expert hunters they soon killed -the whole of them. This was, no doubt, very fortunate, but to our -great mortification before we could get one of them skinned, such a -fall of rain came on as to put it out of our power to make a fire, -which, even in the finest weather, could only be made of moss, as we -were nearly a hundred miles from any woods. This was poor comfort for -people who had not broken their fast for four or five days. Necessity, -however, has no law, and having before been initiated into the method -of eating raw meat, we were the better prepared for this repast. But -this was by no means so well relished, either by me or the Southern -Indians, as either raw venison or raw fish had been; for the flesh of -the musk-ox is not only coarse and tough, but smells and tastes so -strong of musk as to make it very disagreeable when raw, though it is -tolerable eating when properly cooked. The weather continued so -remarkably bad, accompanied with constant heavy rain, snow and sleet, -and our necessities were so great by the time the weather permitted us -to make a fire, that we had nearly eaten to the amount of one buffalo -quite raw." - -[Sidenote: Hardships of the journey.] - -What severities of hardship were endured by our traveller may be -judged from his description. "We have fasted many times," he declares, -"two whole days and nights; twice upwards of three days, and once, -while at Shethaunee, near seven days, during which we tasted not a -mouthful of anything except a few cranberries, water, scraps of old -leather and burnt bones. On these pressing occasions I have frequently -seen the Indians examine their wardrobe, which consisted chiefly of -skin clothing, and consider what part could best be spared; sometimes -a piece of an old, half-rotten deerskin, and others a pair of old -shoes, were sacrificed to alleviate extreme hunger." - -It was while in the midst of these sufferings and bitter experiences, -which required all the traveller's courage to endure that a disaster -of a different order happened. It was the 11th of August. Hearne had -reached a point some five hundred miles north-west of Churchill. It -proving rather windy at noon, although otherwise fine, he had let his -valuable quadrant stand, in order to obtain the latitude more exactly -by two altitudes. He then retired to eat his mid-day meal. Suddenly he -was startled by a crash, and looking in the direction, found that a -gust of wind had overturned the instrument and sent it crashing to -earth. As the ground where it stood was very stony, the bubble, -sight-vane and vernier were entirely broken to pieces, and the -instrument thus destroyed. In consequence of this misfortune, the -traveller resolved to retrace his steps wearily back to Prince of -Wales' Fort. - -When he had arrived at Churchill River he had met the friendly chief, -Matonabee,[73] who at once, and with charming simplicity, volunteered -a reason for the troubles which had overtaken the white explorer. He -had taken no women with him on his journey. Said Matonabee: - -[Sidenote: The Indian's estimate of woman.] - -"When all the men are heavy-laden they can neither hunt nor travel to -any considerable distance; and in case they meet with success in -hunting, who is to carry the product of their labour? Women," added -he, "were made for labour; one of them carry or haul as much as two -men can do. They also pitch our tents, make and mend our clothing, -keep up our fires at night, and, in fact, there is no such thing as -travelling any considerable distance, or for any length of time, in -this country, without their assistance. Women," he observed again, -"though they do everything, are maintained at a trifling expense, for -as they always act as cooks, the very licking of their fingers in -scarce times is sufficient for their subsistence." - -Hearne did not reach the fort till towards the close of November. On -the 21st he thus describes the weather: "That night we lay on the -south shore of Egg River, but long before daybreak the next morning, -the weather being so bad, with a violent gale of wind from the -north-west, and such a drift of snow that we could not have a bit of -fire; and as no good woods were near to afford us shelter, we agreed -to proceed on our way, especially as the wind was on our backs; and -though the weather was bad near the surface we could frequently see -the moon and sometimes the stars, to direct us in our course. In this -situation we continued walking the whole day, and it was not until -after ten at night that we could find the smallest tuft of wood to put -up in; for though we well knew we must have passed by several -hummocks of shrubby wood that might have afforded us some shelter, yet -the wind blew so hard and the snow drifted so excessively thick that -we could not see ten yards before us the whole day." - -That night his dog, a valuable animal, was frozen to death, and after -that there was nothing for it but he must himself haul his heavy -sledge over the snowdrifts. - -Twice baffled, yet the intrepid explorer was far from being swerved -from his purpose. Not even the distrust of Norton, who wrote home to -the Company that Hearne was unfit for the task in hand, could -discourage him from making a third attempt. On this journey, his plan -was to secure the company and assistance of Matonabee, and three or -four of the best Indians under that chief; and this was put into -practice on the 7th of December, 1770. This time the departure took -place under different auspices. There was no firing of cannon from the -fort, no cheering, and no hearty Godspeeds from the Governor and his -staff. - -Again, similar adventures to those encountered the first two journeys -were met with. Hearne cultivated the friendship of strange, but not -hostile, savages as he went along. In one locality he took part in -"snaring deer in a pound," or large stockade. The rest of the winter -was spent in such a succession of advances as the weather and state of -the country permitted. In April it was possible to obtain supplies of -birch wood staves for tent poles, and birch rind and timber for -building canoes. Spring enabled the party to proceed with greater -rapidity, and at last a rendezvous at a place called Clowey was -reached. From this point the final dash for the Coppermine River, the -main object of the expedition, must be made. At Clowey some hundreds -of Indians joined the little party to proceed to the Coppermine, and -thus it grew suddenly into a military expedition, for the tribe was -bent on making war on the Esquimaux, should the latter be discovered. - -[Sidenote: The expedition reaches the Arctic.] - -The long-desired spot was attained at last. On the 14th of July Hearne -and his party looked out over the dancing surface of the Coppermine -River, and descending this stream to its mouth beheld the Arctic -Ocean. Hearne thus being the first white man to reach the northern sea -from the interior. - -Says the explorer: "In those high latitudes, and at this season of the -year, the sun is always at a good height over the horizon, so that we -not only had daylight, but sunshine the whole night; a thick fog and -drizzling rain then came on, and finding that neither the river nor -sea were likely to be of any use, I did not think it worth while to -wait for fair weather to determine the latitude exactly by an -observation. For the sake of form, however, after having had some -consultation with the Indians, I erected a mark and took possession of -the coast, on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company. I was not provided -with instruments for cutting on stone, but I cut my name, date of the -year, etc., on a piece of board that had been one of the Indian's -targets, and placed it in a heap of stones on a small eminence near -the entrance of the river, on the south side." - -"It is, indeed," remarks Hearne, "well known to the intelligent and -well-informed part of the Company's servants, that an extensive and -numerous tribe of Indians, called E-arch-e-thinnews, whose country -lies far west of any of the Company's or Canadian settlements, must -have traffic with the Spaniards on the west side of the continent; -because some of the Indians who formerly traded to York Fort, when at -war with those people, frequently found saddles, bridles, muskets, and -many other articles in their possession which were undoubtedly of -Spanish manufacture."[74] - -[Sidenote: Hearne returns to England.] - -Hearne went home to England and related his experiences in a paper -read before his employers, the Honorable Adventurers.[75] It was not -until some years later that it was discovered that he had, either in -ignorance or, according to one of his enemies named Dalrymple, "in a -desire to increase the value of his performance," placed the latitude -of the Coppermine at nearly 71 degrees north instead of at about 67-1/2 -degrees. Hearne's own apology was that after the breaking of his -quadrant[76] on the second expedition, he was forced to employ an old -Elton quadrant, which had for thirty years been amongst the relics and -rubbish of Prince of Wales' Fort. But the geographical societies were -indignant at having been thus imposed upon. - -"I cannot help observing," wrote Hearne, "that I feel myself rather -hurt at Mr. Dalrymple's rejecting my latitude in so peremptory a -manner and in so great a proportion as he has done; because before I -arrived at Cange-cath-a-whachaga, the sun did not set during the whole -night, a proof that I was then to the northward of the Arctic circle." - -Hearne's journey, considering the epoch in which it was undertaken, -the life led by the Company's servants at the forts, and the terrible -uncertainties incident to plunging into an icy wilderness, with no -security against hunger or the attacks of savages, was greater than it -really appeared, and without doubt paved the way for the Company's new -policy. - -With the ship which brought Hearne over from England came a large -number of young Orkney Islanders. - -[Sidenote: Company employ Orkney Islanders.] - -The labouring servants, as has been seen, were first in 1712, and from -about 1775 onwards, procured from the Orkney Islands, their wages -being about L6 a year. They were engaged by the captains of the ships, -usually for a period of five years. Each servant signed a contract on -his entrance into the service to serve for the term and not to return -home until its expiration, unless recalled by the Company. He engaged -during his passage back to do duty as watch on board ship without -extra pay; but that which was the last and principal clause of the -agreement related to illicit trading. He was bound in the most solemn -manner not to detain, secrete, harbour or possess any skin or part of -a skin, on any pretence whatever; but on the contrary, he was to -search after and detect all persons who might be disposed to engage in -this species of speculation. Should he detect any such, he was to -expose them to the Governor. If contrary to this agreement, any -persons should be found bold enough to conceal any peltry or otherwise -infringe his contract, they were to forfeit all the wages due them by -the Company. Although a further penalty was nominally exacted under -the contract, that of a fine of two years' pay, it was rarely carried -into effect, and then only when the delinquent was believed to have -largely profited by his illegal transaction. - -In the early days when a servant's time expired and he was about to -return home, the Governor in person was supposed to inspect his chest, -even examining his bedding and other effects, to see that it contained -not even the smallest marten skin. An almost equally rigorous -surveillance attended the sending of private letters and parcels, not -merely in the Bay alone, but in London. In the latter case, the parcel -of clothing, etc., intended for the Company's distant servant, was -first obliged to be sent to the Hudson's Bay House, and there undergo -a careful examination for fear it should contain anything used in -private trade. - -During the time that the Indians were at the posts trading their -furs, the gates were continually kept closed, it being the regular -employment of one person to see that no one made his exit for fear he -should attempt a private barter with the Indians. While this rule was -rarely relaxed, yet it was not at all of the forts that a too strict -watch was kept on the movements of the employees. At York Fort, -however, during the eighteenth century, if a servant wished to take a -walk on a Sunday afternoon, at a time when no natives were trading, it -was first necessary to apply to the Governor for leave. - -Of the run of the Company's servants in the latter half of the -eighteenth century, a writer of that day has said of them: "They are a -close, prudent, quiet people, strictly faithful to their employers," -adding that they were "sordidly avaricious." - -Whilst these young Scotchmen were scattered about the country in small -parties amongst the Indians, their general behaviour won them the -respect of the savages, as well as procured them their protection. It -is a significant fact that for the first fifteen years of the new -_regime_ the Company did not suffer the loss of a single man, -notwithstanding that their servants were annually exposed to all the -dangers incident to the trade and times. - -[Sidenote: Character of the Company's traders.] - -It was observed that very few of the Canadian servants were to be -entirely trusted with even a small assortment of goods, unless some -substantial guarantee were first exacted. The chances were ten to one -that the master would be defrauded of the whole stock of merchandise, -often through the medium of the Indian women, who were quick to -perceive what an easy prey was the one and how difficult the other. -The French-Canadian traders were brave and hardy; apt in learning the -habits and language of the Indians; dexterous canoemen and of a -lively, not to say boisterous, disposition; but none of these -qualities, nor all together, were often the means of earning the -respect and trust of the natives. And it must not be imagined that -these talents and accomplishments were limited to the Canadians, even -in the earliest days of rivalry. - -"Though such may be the sentiments of their employers," wrote one of -the Company's factors, "let these gentlemen for a while look around -them and survey without prejudice the inhabitants of our own -hemisphere, and they will find people who are brought up from their -infancy to hardships, and inured to the inclemency of the weather from -their earliest days; they will also find people who might be trusted -with thousands, and who are much too familiarized to labour and -fatigue to repine under the pressure of calamity as long as their own -and their master's benefit is in view. I will further be bold to say -that the present servants of the Company may be led as far inland as -navigation is practicable, with more ease and satisfaction to the -owners, than the same number of Canadians." - -The former, it was noted, would be always honest, tractable and -obedient, as well from inclination as from fear of losing their -pecuniary expectations; whereas the latter, being generally in debt, -and having neither good name, integrity nor property to lose, were -always neglectful of the property committed to their charge. Whenever -difficulties arose there was never wanting some amongst them to impede -the undertaking. - -[Sidenote: The council at the forts.] - -The Governor at each factory occasionally had a person to act with -him, who was known as the second or under-factor. These, with the -surgeon and the master of the sloop, constituted a council, who were -supposed to deliberate in cases of emergency or upon affairs of -importance. Amongst the latter were classed the reading of the -Company's general letter, received annually and inditing a reply to -it; the encroachments of their French, at a later period, Canadian -rivals; or the misbehaviour of the servants. In these councils very -little regard, it seems, was paid to the opinion of the subordinate -members, who rather desired to obtain the Governor's favour by -acquiescence rather than his resentment by opposition. - -The Governors were appointed for either three or five years, and their -nominal salary was from L50 to L150 per annum, which the premium on -the trade often trebled and sometimes quadrupled. These officials -commonly reigned as absolute in their petty commands as Eastern -Nabobs; and as it was in a Governor's power to render the lives of -those under them happy or unhappy as they chose, it was only natural -that the inferior servants were most diligent in cultivating their -good will. It was out of the power, of course, for any aggrieved or -dissatisfied servant to return home until the ships came, and if he -then persisted in his intention, the payment of his wages was withheld -until the Company should decide upon his character, which was -furnished in writing by the Governor. Although the voice of an -inferior servant counted but little when opposed to the Governor, yet -there are few instances when the Company, in parting with a servant, -refused him his wages in full. - -It is an old axiom that austerity is acquired by a term of absolute -petty dominion, so that it is not remarkable that the Company's early -Governors were distinguished by this trait in the fullest degree. - -"I had an opportunity," wrote one former factor, "of being acquainted -with many Governors in my time. I could single out several whose -affability and capacity merited a better employment. Some I have known -who despised servility and unworthy deeds; but this was only for a -time, and while young in their stations." - -Such criticism, while doubtless unjust, had yet, applied generally, a -basis of truth. - -[Sidenote: Character of the trading governors.] - -Robson complains of a Governor at Churchill, in his time, who had a -thousand times rendered himself obnoxious to society. But perhaps the -Company had never in its employ a more eccentric and choleric official -than the governor who was in command of York Factory from 1773 to -1784. It is said of him that his bad name extended even across the -Atlantic and reached the Orkney Isles, where the malevolence of his -disposition became a by-word, and restrained many youths from entering -the Company's service. Intoxication seems to have been this Governor's -principal delight, and this was often gratified at the expense of -common prudence, as when the French captured York Factory in 1782; no -common spirits being on hand, he procured raw alcohol from the -surgeon, of which he drank several bumpers to raise his courage. - -Although most of the Company's early trading Governors were, in spite -of their tempers and habits, persons of education and intelligence, -yet there were occasional exceptions. One, Governor Hughes, was said -to be incapable of casting up a simple sum in addition; numeral -characters being almost unknown to him; nor was his success in writing -his own name greater. Yet his courage and business ability was beyond -question. - -It has already been observed that the Company were accustomed to treat -with much deference, and to place great reliance upon their chief -factors while these were at their posts in the Bay; yet it must not be -supposed that the same consideration was extended to them on their -return home. A Governor, it was said by one of the Company's servants, -might attend the Hudson's Bay House, and walk about their Hall for a -whole day without the least notice being taken of his attendance. It -is related that one such Governor, after having served the Company for -a matter of seventeen years, went home in 1782, expecting to reap in -person some of the rewards of his faithful service in the compliments -and attentions of the Adventurers as a body. But, to his chagrin, not -the slightest notice was taken of him, and he returned without having -even been introduced to a single partner. - -[Sidenote: Death of Governor Norton.] - -On the 29th of December, 1773, there died one of the notable -characters in the Bay, Governor Moses Norton. Norton was an Indian -half-breed, the son of a previous Governor, Richard Norton. He was -born at Prince of Wales' Fort, but had been in England nine years, and -considering the small sum spent on his education, had made -considerable progress in literature. At his return to the Bay, -according to Hearne, he entered into all the abominable vices of his -countrymen. He established a seraglio, in which figured five or six -of the most comely Indian maidens. Yet, although somewhat lax in his -morality himself, he seems to have been by no means indulgent to -others. To his own friends and relatives, the Indians and half-breeds, -it is said, he was "so partial that he set more value on, and showed -more respect to, one of their favourite dogs than he ever did to his -first officer." This is probably a spiteful exaggeration, but it is -certain that Norton, although a man of ability, was not very popular. -His great desire was to excite admiration for his skilful use of -drugs. "He always," declared one of the Governor's enemies, "kept -about him a box of poison to administer to those who refused him their -wives or daughters." With all these bad qualities, no man took greater -pains to inculcate virtue, morality and continence upon others; always -painting in the most glaring colours the jealous and revengeful -disposition of the Indians, when any attempt was made to violate the -chastity of their wives and daughters. - -His apartments at the fort were not only convenient, but had some -pretensions to elegance, and were always crowded with his favourites. -As this Governor advanced in years, his jealousy increased, and it is -said he actually poisoned two of his women because he thought they had -transferred their affections elsewhere. He had the reputation of being -a most notorious smuggler; but though he put many thousands into the -pockets of the Company's captains, he seldom put a shilling into his -own. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[71] From the good opinion we entertain of you, and Mr. Norton's -recommendation, we have agreed to raise your wages to L130 per annum -for two years, and have placed you in our council at Prince of Wales' -Fort; and we should have been ready to advance you to the command of -the _Charlotte_, according to your request, if a matter of more -immediate consequence had not intervened. - -Mr. Norton has proposed an inland journey, far to the north of -Churchill, to promote an extension of our trade, as well as for the -discovery of a north-west passage, copper mines, etc.; and as an -undertaking of this nature requires the attention of a person capable -of taking an observation for determining the longitude and latitude -and also distances, and the course of rivers and their depths, we have -fixed upon you (especially as it is represented to us to be your own -inclination) to conduct this journey with proper assistants. - -We therefore hope you will second our expectations in readily -performing this service, and upon your return we shall willingly make -you any acknowledgment suitable to your trouble therein. - -We highly approve of your going in the _Speedwell_ to assist in the -whale-fishery last year, and heartily wish you health and success in -the present expedition. - - We remain your loving friends, - - Bibye Lake, Deputy Governor. - John Anthony Merle. - Robert Merry. - Samuel Wegg. - James Winter Lake. - Herman Berens. - Joseph Sparrel. - James FitzGerald. - - -[72] "No man," says Hearne, "either English or Indian, ever found a -bit of copper in that country to the south of the seventy-first degree -of latitude, unless it had been accidentally dropped by some of the -far northern Indians on their way to the Company's factory." - -[73] "This leader," says Hearne, "when a youth, resided several years -at the above Fort and was not only a perfect master of the Southern -Indian language, but by being frequently with the Company's servants -had acquired several words of English and was one of the men who -brought the latest accounts of the Coppermine River. It was on his -information, added to that of one I-dot-le-ezry (who is since dead), -that this expedition was set on foot." - -[74] "I cannot sufficiently regret," wrote Hearne in 1796, "the loss -of a considerable vocabulary of the northern Indian language, -containing sixteen folio pages, which was lent to the late Mr. -Hutchins, then corresponding secretary to the Company, to copy for -Captain Duncan, when he went on discoveries to Hudson's Bay in the -year 1790. But Mr. Hutchins dying soon after, the vocabulary was taken -away with the rest of his effects and cannot now be recovered, and -memory, at this time, will by no means serve to replace it." - -[75] The Company had previously written thus to its servant, Mr. -Samuel Hearne:-- - -Sir,--Your letter of the 28th August last, gave us the agreeable -pleasure to hear of your safe return to our factory. Your journal and -the two charts you sent sufficiently convinces us of your very -judicious remarks. - -We have, naturally, considered your great assiduity in the various -accidents which occurred in your several journeys. We hereby return -you our grateful thanks, and to manifest our obligation we have -consented to allow you a gratuity of L200 for those services. - -[76] "Mr. Dalrymple, in one of his pamphlets relating to Hudson's Bay, -has been so very particular in his observations on my journey, as to -remark that I have not explained the construction of the quadrant -which I had the misfortune to break in my second journey to the North. -It was a Hadley quadrant, with a bubble attached to it for a horizon, -and made by Daniel Scatlif, of Wapping."--_Hearne._ - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -1773-1782. - - Company Suffers from the Rivalry of Canadians -- Cumberland - House built -- Debauchery and license of the Rivals -- - Frobisher Intercepts the Company's Indians -- The Smallpox - Visitation of 1781 -- La Perouse appears before Fort Prince of - Wales -- Hearne's Surrender -- Capture of York Fort by the - French -- The Post Burned and the Company's Servants carried - away Prisoners. - - -The Company was not immediately advised of the ruinous proceedings of -the Montreal traders by its governors at York and Churchill. But at -length the diminution of trade became marked. The Indians continued to -bring in reports of other white traders speaking English, who -intercepted them and gave them trinkets and rum in exchange for their -furs. They declared they were conscious of having made a bad bargain -in not continuing onward to the Company's posts, but what could they -do? "The _Bostonnais_[77] was cunning and he deceived the Indian." At -last, in view of this, it was felt that further delay were folly. - -[Sidenote: Cumberland House built.] - -In the spring of 1773 instructions were sent out to Governor Norton to -despatch Hearne westward and establish a post in the interior. By this -time the rival Canadian traders had carried the trade beyond the -French limits, although, for reasons to be disclosed, all their -activity was in vain, so far as material results either to themselves -or their employers or capitalists were concerned, not to mention the -aborigines themselves. - -Hearne hit upon what he considered a good site for the new post at -Sturgeon Lake, on the eastern bank, in latitude 53 deg., 56 and -longitude 102 deg., 15. The post prospered almost from its foundation. -The neighbouring tribes found that here were to be procured a larger -and better assortment of goods than the Canadians brought them, and -frequented it in preference.[78] - -For several years now a trade with the Indians had been carried on in -the footsteps of the French license-holders. - - [Illustration: VISIT TO AN INDIAN ENCAMPMENT.] - -What was to be expected when the character of the Montreal traders -themselves, and the commerce they prosecuted, was considered, soon -happened. This army of half-wild men, armed to the teeth, unhampered -by legal restraint, constantly drinking, carousing and quarrelling -amongst themselves, gradually spread over the north-west, sowing crime -and anarchy wherever they went. The country they traded in was so -distant, and their method of transportation so slow, that they were -fortunate if they reached their winter quarters without leaving the -corpses of several of their number to mark their path. - -Was it singular that trade carried on in such a fashion, and with -results so ruinous, should cause the "partners," as these unhappy -individuals, who had furnished the funds, were called, to contemplate -the future with dismay? Season after season the "winterers" returned -to the Grand Portage with the same tale; and season after season were -better profits promised, but never, alas, for their dupes, were these -promises fulfilled! - -[Sidenote: Frobisher intercepts Company's Indians.] - -Matters were thus going from bad to worse in this way, when one sober -and enterprising trader, Joseph Frobisher, resolved to leave the -beaten track and penetrate nearer to the Company's Factory, at -Churchill, than had yet been done. In the spring of 1775, as a band of -Indians were on their way as usual to Prince of Wales' Fort, they were -met by Frobisher, who caused them to halt and to drink and smoke with -him. The chiefs imagined he was one of the Company's factors, and -Frobisher did not choose to undeceive them. His wares being of a -better quality than those of his compeers, the Indians suffered -themselves to be persuaded to trade on the spot, which was at a -portage afterwards called by the Montreal traders La Traite, on -account of this episode. The Indians, nevertheless, resumed their -journey to Churchill River, where the indignation of Hearne and the -Council knew no bounds. He informed the Indians that a "scurvy trick" -had been played upon them; and so characterized it in his journal. A -few having still some of the heavier furs by them, were paid double, -as an encouragement to their future discrimination. Nevertheless, in -spite of all, the "scurvy trick" was repeated by Frobisher the -following year, both times securing enormous booty.[79] - -The difficulties and sufferings of these two undertakings, however, -affected him with a distaste for a repetition; but he sent his brother -Benjamin to explore the region still farther. This he accomplished, -going as far west as the Lake of Isle a la Crosse. - -The difficulties of transport are pointed out in letters of Frobisher -and McGill. The value of each canoe load, on arrival at -Michilimackinac, had been estimated, in 1780, to be L660 currency, -equal to $2,640, showing the cost of transport by the Ottawa to have -been $640 for each canoe; the value at Montreal having been $2,000. In -April, 1784, Benjamin Frobisher wrote that twenty-eight canoes were -ready to be sent off, valued at L20,000 currency, or $80,000, a sum -for each canoe largely in excess of the estimate of four years before. - -Frobisher's success in intercepting the Company's Indians induced -others to attempt a similar course. The idea was, of course, to give -goods of a better character, and to travel so far into the savage -country as to relieve the Indian, who always contemplated the annual -journey to the Company's post with repugnance of such necessity. In -1779 Peter Pond, an able, but desperate character, was the first to -attempt storing such goods as he could not bring back immediately, in -one of the wintering huts at Elk River, against his return the -following season. This imitation of a Company's post proved -successful, and led to its being repeated on a larger scale. - -But matters were not equally propitious with the vast bulk of the -peddlers, bushrangers, swashbucklers, and drunken half-breeds who were -comprised in the Canadian trading fraternity. A numerous crew of them -got from their winter quarters at Saskatchewan to the Eagle Hills in -the spring of 1780. Here they held high carouse amidst a body of -Indians as drunken, and much more noisy and abandoned, as themselves. -One of the traders becoming tired of the continued application of an -Indian for more grog, gave him a dose of laudanum. The savage -thereupon staggered a few steps away, lay down and died. A cry went up -from the man's wives, a skirmish ensued, and the sun went down on -seven corpses. One of the traders, two of his men, and four half-breed -voyageurs lost their lives, and the rest were forced to abandon their -all and take to flight. - - [Illustration: INDIAN TRAPPERS. - (_From "Picturesque Canada," by permission._)] - -The same spring, two of the Canadian posts on the Assiniboine River -were assailed during a quarrel. Several white men and a large number -of Indians were killed. - -[Sidenote: Terrible smallpox epidemic.] - -The fearful act of vengeance which might now have been meditated at -this juncture was never carried out, for in 1781 an epidemic of -smallpox broke out, wreaking a memorable destruction upon all the -Indians of Rupert's Land. - -It is worthy of remark, the extraordinary and fatal facility with -which this disease had always made headway among the aborigines of the -North American continent. There must have been some predisposition in -their constitutions which rendered them an easy prey to this scourge -of Europe. Later, when the boon, brought into Europe by Lady Mary -Montague arrested and partially disarmed the monster, smallpox had -wrought unmitigated havoc amongst whole tribes and circles of the Red -men, more than decimating the entire population and occasionally -destroying whole camps, while leaving scarcely more than one -shrivelled hag to relate to the Company's factors the fell tale of -destruction. - -The scourge which depopulated vast regions naturally cleared the -country of white traders. Two parties did, indeed, set out from -Montreal in 1781-82, with the avowed intention of making permanent -settlements on Churchill River and at Athabasca. But the smallpox had -not yet done its worst, and drove them back with only seven packages -of beaver. This season was a better one than the preceding for the -Company's factories; but an event now happened scarcely foreseen by -anyone. England and France had been again at war, but none had as yet -dreamt of a sea attack on the Company's posts in the Bay. Such a thing -had not happened for upwards of eighty years, and the conquest of -Canada seemed to so preclude its probability that the Adventurers had -not even instructed its governors to be on the alert for a possible -foe. - -Up to the era of the terrible smallpox visitation in 1782, the remote -Chippewas and far-off tribes from Athabasca and the Great Slave Lake, -travelling to Prince of Wales' Fort, must have gazed with wonder at -its solid masonry and formidable artillery. The great cannon whose -muzzles stared grimly from the walls had already been woven into -Indian legend, and the Company's factors were fond of telling how the -visiting Red men stood in astonishment for hours at a time before this -fortress, whose only parallel on the continent was Quebec itself. - -[Sidenote: French attack Fort Prince of Wales, 1782.] - -Fort Prince of Wales had been built, as we have seen, at a time when -the remembrance of burned factories and posts easily captured and -pillaged by French and Indians was keen amongst the Honourable -Adventurers. But that remembrance had long since faded; the reasons -for which the fort had been built had seemingly vanished. Wherefore -gradually the garrison waned in numbers, until on the 8th of August, -1782, only thirty-nine defenders[80] within its walls witnessed the -arrival of three strange ships in the Bay. Instantly the word ran from -mouth to mouth that they were three French men-of-war. All was -consternation and incredulity at first, quickly succeeded by anxiety. -Two score pair of English eyes watched the strangers, as pinnace, gig -and long-boat were lowered, and a number of swarthy whiskered sailors -began busily to sound the approaches to the harbour. As may be -believed, an anxious night was passed in the fort by Governor Samuel -Hearne and his men. Daybreak came and showed the strangers already -disembarking in their boats, and as the morning sun waxed stronger, an -array of four hundred troops was seen to be drawn up on the shore of -Churchill Bay, at a place called Hare Point. Orders were given to -march, and with the flag of France once more unfurled on these distant -sub-Arctic shores, the French attacking party approached the Company's -stronghold. - -When about four hundred yards from the walls they halted, and two -officers were sent on ahead to summon the Governor to surrender. The -French ships turned out to be the _Sceptre_, seventy-four guns, the -_Astarte_, and the _Engageante_, of thirty-six guns each, and the -force possessed besides four field guns, two mortars, and three -hundred bomb-shells. This fleet was in command of Admiral Perouse. - -It appears that La Perouse had counted on arriving just in time to -secure a handsome prize in the Company's ships, for which he had lain -in wait in the Bay. Hearne seems to have been panic-stricken and -believed resistance useless. - -To the surprise of the French, a table cloth snatched up by the -Governor was soon seen waving from the parapet of the fort. Fort -Prince of Wales had thus yielded without a shot being fired on either -side. - -The French admiral lost no time in transporting what guns he could -find to his ships, and replenishing his depleted commissariat from the -well-filled provision stores of the fort.[81] - -La Perouse was both angry and disappointed at the escape of the -Company's ships and cargoes. One of these ships, bound for Fort -Churchill, he had met in the Bay and immediately sent a frigate in -pursuit. But Captain Christopher, by the steering of the French -frigate, judged rightly that her commander knew nothing of the -course, and so resorted to strategy. When night came he furled his -sails, as if about to anchor, a proceeding which the French captain -imitated. When he had anchored, the Company's vessel re-set her sails, -and was soon many leagues distant by the time the French fleet reached -Churchill River. - -Possession was followed by license on the part of the soldiers, and -the utter looting of the fort. An attempt was made, occupying two -days, to demolish it; but although French gunpowder was freely added -to the Company's store, yet the walls resisted their best efforts. - - [Illustration: RUINS OF FORT PRINCE OF WALES.] - -Of solid masonry, indeed, was Prince of Wales' Fort. The French -artillerymen could only displace the upper rows of the massive granite -stones, dismount its guns, and blow up the gateway, together with the -stone outwork protecting it. - -It has been remarked as strange that Hearne, who had proved his -personal bravery in his Arctic travels, should have shown such a -craven front on this occasion to the enemy. - -Indeed, Umfreville, who was himself taken prisoner at the capture of -the fort, declared that he, with others, were disgusted at the -Governor's cowardice. He asserted that the French were weak and -reduced in health after a long sea voyage, most of them wretchedly -clad, and half of the entire number barefoot. - -"I assume, your Honours," wrote John Townsend, "that had we shown a -front to the enemy, our fort would have outlasted their ammunition, -and then they would have been completely at our mercy." - -[Sidenote: Hearne blamed for surrendering.] - -The Company was very indignant at the conduct of Governor Hearne. They -demanded the reason of his not sending a scout overland to apprise the -Governor of York Factory of the enemy's proximity. To this Hearne -replied that he was given no opportunity, and that any such scout -would have been inevitably seized and slain. - -On the 11th of August the French fleet set sail for Port Nelson and -anchored there. One of the Company's ships was in the harbour at the -time, and the captain, perceiving the approach of three large ships, -and scenting danger, put out to sea in the night. He was instantly -pursued by a frigate, which obviously outsailed him. Whereupon Captain -Fowler tacked and made for the south in the hope of enticing the -Frenchman into shallow water. But her commander was by no means to -become so easy a prey to destruction, and refused to follow. - -On the following day the news was brought to the Governor that the -enemy was landing in fourteen boats, provided with mortars, cannon, -scaling ladders, and about three hundred men, exclusive of marines. - -York Factory at this time was garrisoned by sixty English and twelve -Indians. Its defence consisted of thirteen cannon, twelve and nine -pounders, which formed a half-moon battery in front; but it being -thought probable that the enemy would arrive in the night and turn -these guns against the fort, they were overturned into the ditch. On -the ramparts were twelve swivel guns mounted on carriages, and within -were abundance of small arms and ammunition. Besides, a rivulet of -fresh water ran within the stockades; and there were also thirty head -of cattle and as many hogs within the confines of the fort. - -On the 22nd, two Indian scouts were sent out to obtain intelligence; -these returned in about three hours with the information that, in -their judgment, the enemy were less than a league distant. Indeed they -had heard several guns fired in the neighbourhood of the fort; and at -sunset of that day all could plainly discern a large fire, presumably -kindled by the French about a mile and a half to the west. - -[Sidenote: French attack York factory.] - -At ten o'clock the next morning, the enemy appeared before the gates. -"During their approach," says one of those in the fort at the time, "a -most inviting opportunity offered itself to be revenged on our -invaders by discharging the guns on the ramparts, which must have done -great execution." - -Unhappily, the Governor was hardly the man for such an occasion. He -knew nothing of war, and had a wholesome dread of all armed and -equipped soldiery. He trembled so that he could scarcely stand, and -begged the surgeon, "for God's sake to give him a glass of liquor to -steady his nerves." There being none at hand, he swallowed a tumbler -of raw spirits of wine. This so far infused courage and determination -into his blood, that he peremptorily declared he would shoot the first -man who offered to fire a gun. Dismay took possession of many of the -Company's servants, and the second in command and the surgeon -endeavoured to expostulate. To avert this, the Governor caught up a -white sheet with his own hand and waved it from a window of the fort. -This was answered by the French officer displaying his pocket -handkerchief. - -Under the sanction of this flag of truce, a parley took place. The -Governor was summoned to surrender within two hours. - -But no such time was needed by the Governor; and the fort was most -ingloriously yielded in about ten minutes. In vain did the council -plead that this fort might have withstood the united efforts of double -the number of those by whom it was assailed in an attack with small -arms. In vain they demonstrated that from the nature of the enemy's -attack by way of Nelson River, they could not use their mortars or -artillery, the ground being very bad and interspersed with woods, -thickets and bogs. The Governor was resolved to yield the place, and -he carried out his intention much to the astonishment and satisfaction -of La Perouse. - -[Sidenote: Unwise surrender.] - -The unwisdom of the surrender was afterwards made too apparent. It was -made to a half-starved, half-shod body of Frenchmen, worn out by -fatigue and hard labour, not a man of whom was familiar with the -country. It was perceived also, when it was too late, that the enemy's -ships lay at least twenty miles from the factory, in a boisterous sea. -Consequently, they could not co-operate with their troops on shore, -save with the greatest difficulty and uncertainty, and if the fort had -held out a few weeks it would have been impossible. The French troops -could have received no supplies but what came from the ships; and -cold, hunger and fatigue were working hourly in favour of the -Company's men. - -La Perouse now issued orders for the fort to be evacuated and burned, -and the Company's people were taken prisoners. - -The Company suffered great loss by the capture of York Factory, which -had, as we have seen, remained in their possession since the Treaty of -Utrecht. The whole of the furs which had not yet been sent on board -the ship were destroyed, as well as a large quantity of stores, -implements and appliances which had been collecting for nearly seventy -years. - -This expedition had resulted in two cheap conquests for La Perouse. -But the fortunes of war bade fair to alter the situation. The Company -sent in a bill to the British Government of many thousands of pounds -for failing to protect their fort on Churchill River; and when peace -was proclaimed, the French plenipotentiary agreed on behalf of his -master to settle this bill. - -Fort Prince of Wales was never rebuilt. Its ruins stand, to-day, to -mark the most northern fortress on the continent of North America, -scarcely inferior in strength to Louisburg or to Quebec. "Its site," -remarks Dr. Bell, "was admirably chosen; its design and armament were -once perfect; interesting still as a relic of bygone strife, but -useful now only as a beacon for the harbour it had failed to protect." -Although the French themselves sustained no loss from the English in -their brief campaign against the fort; yet, owing to the severity of -the climate and their own inexperience, they lost five large boats, a -considerable quantity of merchandise and fifteen soldiers who were -drowned in Hays' River after the surrender of the fort. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[77] The Eastern traders were always known by this title, as though -hailing from Boston, in contradistinction to the "King George men." - -[78] Upon the new post was bestowed the name of Cumberland House. - -[79] The following were the prices paid by the Company about 1780, at -its inland posts:-- - - A gun 20 Beaver skins. - A strand blanket 10 do. - A white do. 8 do. - An axe of one pound weight 3 do. - Half a pint of gunpowder 1 do. - Ten balls 1 do. - -The principal profits accrued from the sale of knives, beads, flint, -steels, awls and other small articles. Tobacco fetched one beaver skin -per foot of "Spencer's Twist," and rum "not very strong," two beaver -skins per bottle. - -[80] "What folly," asks one of the Company's servants, "could be more -egregious than to erect a fort of such extent, strength and expense -and only allow thirty-nine men to defend it?" - -[81] An account of Hearne's journey was found in MS. among the papers -of the Governor, and La Perouse declares in his memoirs that Hearne -was very pressing that it should be returned to him as his private -property. "The goodness of La Perouse's heart induced him to yield to -this urgent solicitation, and he returned the MS. to him on the -express condition, however, that he should print and publish it -immediately on his arrival in England." "Notwithstanding this," -observes Mr. Fitzgerald, "Hearne's travels did not appear until 1795, -_i.e._, twenty-three years after they were performed." This gentleman, -so distinguished in his zeal to prove a case against the Company, -evidently overlooks the circumstance of the gist of travels having -been issued in pamphlet form in 1773 and again in 1778-80. The volume -of 1795 was merely an application--the product of Hearne's leisure -upon retirement. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -1783-1800. - - Disastrous Effects of the Competition -- Montreal Merchants - Combine -- The North-Westers -- Scheme of the Association -- - Alexander Mackenzie -- His two Expeditions Reach the Pacific -- - Emulation Difficult -- David Thompson. - - -[Sidenote: Competition of the Canadian traders.] - -For many years up to 1770, before the traders from Canada had -penetrated their territory, York Factory had annually sent to London -at least 30,000 skins. There were rarely more than twenty-five men -employed in the fort at low wages. In 1790 the Company maintained -nearly one hundred men at this post, at larger wages, yet the number -of skins averaged only about 20,000 from this and the other posts. The -rivalry daily grew stronger and more bitter. Yet from what has been -seen of the habits and character of the Canadian bushrangers and -peddlers, it is almost unnecessary to say that the Company's Scotchmen -ingratiated themselves more into the esteem and confidence of the -Indians wherever and whenever the two rivals met. The advantage of -trade, it has been well said, was on their side--because their honesty -was proven. But there was another reason for the greater popularity of -the Company amongst the natives, and it was that the principal -articles of their trading goods were of a quality superior to those -imported from Canada. - -The extraordinary imprudence and ill-manner of life which -characterized the Montreal traders continually offset the enterprise -and exertions of their employers. Many of these traders had spent the -greater portion of their lives on this inland service; they were -devoid of every social and humane tie, slaves to the most corrupting -vices, more especially drunkenness. So that it is not strange that -they were held in small esteem by the Indians, who, a choice being -free to them, finding themselves frequently deceived by specious -promises, were not long in making up their minds with whom to deal. - -"Till the year 1782," says Mackenzie, "the people of Athabaska sent or -carried their furs regularly to Fort Churchill, and some of them have -since that time repaired farther, notwithstanding they could have -provided themselves with all the necessaries which they required. The -difference of the price set on goods here and at the factory, made it -an object with the Chippewans to undertake a journey of five or six -months, in the course of which they were reduced to the most painful -extremities, and often lost their lives from hunger and fatigue. At -present, however, this traffic is, in a great measure, discontinued, -as they were obliged to expend in the course of their journey, that -very ammunition which was its most alluring object." - -[Sidenote: Montreal merchants combine.] - -But the Company was now threatened with a more determined and -judicious warfare by the better class of Canadian traders. The -enterprise had been checked, first by the animosity of the Indians, -and at the same time by the ravages of the smallpox, but during the -winter of 1783-4, the Montreal merchants resolved, for the better -prosecution of their scheme, to effect a junction of interests, by -forming an association of sixteen equal shares, without, however, -depositing any capital. The scheme was to be carried out in this way: -Each party was to furnish a proportion of such articles as were -necessary in the trade, while the actual traders, or "wintering -partners," of these merchants were to receive each a corresponding -share of the profits. To this association was given, on the suggestion -of Joseph Frobisher, the name of the North-West Company. The chief -management of the business was entrusted to the two Frobishers and -Simon McTavish, another Scotch merchant in Montreal. - -In May, 1784, accordingly, Benjamin Frobisher and McTavish went to the -Grand Portage with their credentials from the other partners in the -new undertaking. Here they met the bulk of the traders and voyageurs, -who were delighted to hear of the new scheme. These entered heartily -into the spirit of the undertaking, and that spring embarked for the -west with the merchandise and provisions brought them, with a lighter -heart than they had known for years, and with a determination to -profit by the disasters of the past. Not all of the chief traders, it -must be said, cast in their lots with the new company. Two, named Pond -and Pangman, opposed it; and finding a couple of merchants who were -willing to furnish sufficient capital, resolved to strike out for -themselves as rivals to the North-West company. This action -occasioned, as might be expected, great bitterness and disorder. -Nevertheless, it was the means of bringing to light a young Scotchman -from the Isles, whose name will be forever linked with the North-West. -His name was Alexander Mackenzie. - -[Sidenote: Alexander Mackenzie.] - -This young man had been for five years in the counting-house of -Gregory, one of the merchants who had allied themselves with the two -malcontents. It was now decided that Mackenzie should set out with -Pond and Pangman in their separate trading venture into the distant -Indian country. A more perilous business than this can scarcely be -imagined. Besides the natural difficulties, the party had to encounter -all the fiercest enmity and opposition of which the adherents of the -new association were capable. It is enough to say that after a fearful -struggle they forced the latter to allow them a participation in the -trade. But the feat which resulted in the coalition of the two -interests in 1787 cost them dear. One of the partners was killed, -another lamed for life, and many of their voyageurs injured. Yet the -establishment thus joined, and shorn of all rivals save the Great -Company, was placed on a solid basis, and the fur-trade of Canada -began to assume greater proportions than it had yet done under the -English _regime_. As this North-West concern was finally itself to -merge into the Company of which these chapters are the history, it -will not be unprofitable to glance at its constitution and methods, -particularly as the economic fabric was to be likewise transferred and -adapted to its Hudson's Bay rival. - - [Illustration: SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE.] - -[Sidenote: The North-West company.] - -It was then, and continued to be, merely an association of merchants -agreeing among themselves to carry on the fur-trade by itself, -although many of these merchants plied other commerce. "It may be -said," observes Mackenzie, "to have been supported entirely on credit; -for whether the capital belonged to the proprietor, or was borrowed, -it equally bore interest, for which the association was annually -accountable." The company comprised twenty shares unequally divided -and amongst the parties concerned. "Of these a certain proportion was -held by the people who managed the business in Canada and were styled -agents for the company. Their duty was to import the necessary goods -from England, store them at their own expense at Montreal, get them -made up into articles suited to the trade, pack and forward them and -supply the cash that might be wanting for the outfits." For all this -they received, besides the profit on their shares, an annual -commission on the business done. A settlement took place each year, -two of the partners going to Grand Portage to supervise affairs of -that growing centre, now outrivalling Detroit, Michilimackinac and -Sault Ste. Marie. The furs were seen safely to the company's warehouse -in Montreal, where they were stored pending their shipment to England. -This class were denominated agents for the concern. - -Then there was the other proprietary class--the actual traders, who -conducted the expeditions amongst the Indians and furnished no -capital. If they did amass capital by the trade they could invest it -in the company through the agents, but could never employ it -privately. There were several who from long service and influence who -had acquired double shares and these were permitted to retire from -activity, leaving one of such shares to whichever young man in the -service they chose to nominate, provided always he was approved by the -company. Such successions, we are told, were considered as due to -either seniority or exceptional merit. The retiring shareholder was -relieved from any responsibility concerning the share he transferred -and accounted for it according to the annual value or rate of the -property. Thus the trader who disposed of his extra share had no -pecuniary advantage from the sale, but only drew a continuous profit -from the share which as a sleeping partner he retained. - -[Sidenote: Partnership regulations.] - -By such means all the younger men who were not provided for at the -inception of the North-West company, or when they afterwards entered -into service, were likely to succeed to the situation and profits of -regular partners in the concern. By their contract they entered the -company's service as articled clerks for five or seven years. -Occasionally they succeeded to shares before the expiration of their -apprenticeship. None could be admitted as a partner unless he had -first served such apprenticeship to the fur-trade, therefore shares -were transferable only to the concern at large. As for the sleeping -partner he could not, of course, be debarred from selling out if he -chose, but if the transaction were not countenanced by the rest, his -name continued to figure in committee, the actual owner of the share -being regarded as merely his agent or attorney. A vote accompanied -every share, two-thirds constituting a majority. - -Such, in brief, was the remarkable constitution of this commercial -body--a constitution which was in those days wholly unique. By such -regular and equitable methods of providing for all classes of -employees, a zeal and independence was fostered. Every petty clerk -felt himself, as he was, a principal, and his loyalty and thrift -became assured forthwith. - -It has been argued, and not unjustly, that such a constitution was -obvious, that no great merit need be ascribed to its originators, that -it was evolved, so to speak, by the situation itself. The character of -the fur-trade at that time was such, the commerce so hazardous and -diffused over so vast a country, that without that spirit of emulation -thus evoked the new fur company must quickly have resolved itself into -its constituent particles. Nevertheless, shrewdness, courage and -foresight were demanded, and in the persons of these Canadian -Scotchmen were forthcoming. - -As for the value of the business in 1788, all the furs, merchandise, -provisions and equipments were worth the sum of L40,000. This might -properly be called the stock of the Company, for, as Mackenzie, who -was now one of its traders, remarked, it included, within the gross -expenditure for that year, the amount of the property unexpended, -which having been appropriated for that year's adventure, was carried -on to the account of the next season. - -So greatly did the new Company flourish that the gross amount of the -adventure ten years later, was close upon L125,000. But in that year, -1798, a change was to occur which will be dealt with in another -chapter. - -[Sidenote: Mackenzie's expedition to the Arctic.] - -In 1789 Mackenzie felt the time ripe to prosecute a journey towards -which his mind had long been directed--that journey overland to the -Pacific, in which Verandrye, as we have seen, had failed through the -hand of death. His commercial associates by no means relished the -enterprise; but Mackenzie's power and influence had now grown -considerable, and he found means this year to carry out his wish. On -the 3rd of June, 1789, Mackenzie set out from Fort Chipewyan, at the -head of Athabaska Lake, a station nearly midway between Hudson's Bay -and the Pacific. - -The young explorer had served here for eight years, and was familiar -with the difficulties he had to face, as well as aware of the best -methods of overcoming them. Taking with him four canoes, he embarked a -German and four Canadians with their wives in the first. The second -canoe was occupied by a northern Indian, called English Chief, who had -been a follower of Matonabee, Hearne's chief guide and counsellor. -This worthy was accompanied by his two wives. The third was taken up -by two sturdy young savages, who served in the double capacity of -hunters and interpreters; whilst the fourth was laden with provisions, -clothing, ammunition, and various articles designed as presents to the -Indians. This canoe was in charge of one of the North-West concern's -clerks, named La Roux. - -In such fashion and in such numbers did Mackenzie's party set forth -from Fort Chipewyan. By the 4th of June they reached Slave River, -which connects the Athabasca and Slave Lakes in a course of about 170 -miles; on the 9th of the same month they sighted Slave Lake itself. -During this part of the journey they had suffered no other -inconvenience than those arising from the attacks of the mosquitoes -during the heat of the day and the excessive cold, which characterizes -the nights in that country, especially in the hours near dawn. - -Skirting the shore they came to a lodge of Red Knife Indians, so -called from their use of copper knives. One of these natives offered -to conduct Mackenzie to the mouth of that river which was the object -of his search, as the Coppermine had been of Hearne's. Unhappily, so -numerous were the impediments encountered from drift ice, contrary -winds, and the ignorance of their guide (whom English Chief threatened -to murder for his incompetence), that it was the 29th of the month -before they embarked upon the stream which to-day bears the name of -the leader of the party who then first ascended it. - -[Sidenote: Journey down the Mackenzie River.] - -On quitting the lake, the Mackenzie River was found to take its course -to the westward, becoming gradually narrower for twenty-four miles, -till it dwindled to a stream half a mile wide, having a strong current -and a depth of three and a half fathoms. A stiff breeze from the -eastward now drove them on at a great speed, and after a run of ten -miles the channel widened gradually until it assumed the appearance of -a small lake. The guide confessed that this was the limit of his -acquaintance with the river. Soon afterwards they came in sight of the -chain of Horn Mountains, bearing north-west, and experienced some -difficulty in resuming the channel of the river. The party continued -the journey for five days with no interruption. On July 6th they -observed several columns of smoke on the north bank and on landing -discovered an encampment of five families of Slave and Dog-ribbed -Indians, who, on the first appearance of the white men, fled in -consternation to the woods. English Chief, however, called after them, -in a tongue they understood, and they, though reluctantly, responded -to his entreaties to return, especially when they were accompanied by -offers of gifts. The distribution of a few beads, rings and knives, -with a supply of grog, soon reconciled them to the strangers. But the -travellers were somewhat appalled to learn from these Indians of the -rigours of the journey which awaited them. These asserted that it -would require several winters to reach the sea, and that old age would -inevitably overtake the party before their return. Demons of terrible -shape and malevolent disposition were stated to have their dwellings -in the rock caves which lined the river's brim, and these were ready -to devour the hardy spirits who should dare continue their journey -past them. This information Mackenzie and his party endeavoured to -receive with equanimity; they staggered more at the narrative of two -impassable falls which were said to exist about thirty days march from -where they then were. - -But although the effect of these tales on the leader of the expedition -was not great, his Indians, already weary of travelling, drank all in -with willing ears. They could hardly be induced to continue the -journey. When their scruples were overcome, one of the Dog-ribbed -Indians was persuaded by the present of a kettle, an axe, and some -other articles, to accompany them as guide. But, alas, when the hour -for embarkation came, his love of home overbore all other -considerations, and his attempt to escape was only frustrated by -actually forcing him on board. - -Continuing their journey, they passed the Great Bear Lake River, and -steering through numerous islands came in sight of a ridge of snowy -mountains, frequented, according to their guide, by herds of bears and -small white buffalo. The banks of the river were seen to be pretty -thickly peopled with natives, whose timidity was soon overcome by -small gifts. From these Indians was procured a seasonable supply of -hares, partridges, fish and reindeer. The same stories of spirits or -manitous which haunted the stream, and of fearful rapids which would -dash the canoes in pieces, were repeated by these tribes. This time -they had a real effect. The guide, during a storm of thunder and -lightning, decamped in the night, and no doubt fled for home as -rapidly as his legs, or improvised canoe, could carry him. No great -difficulty, however, was experienced in procuring a substitute, and -after a short sail the party approached an encampment of Indians, -whose brawny figures, healthy appearance, and cleanliness were a great -improvement on the other tribes they had seen. From these Mackenzie -learnt that he must sleep ten nights before arriving at the sea. In -three nights, he was told, he would meet with Esquimaux, with whom -they had been at war, but were now at peace. - -It was evident that none in these parts had ever heard the sound of -fire-arms for, when one of Mackenzie's men discharged his -fowling-piece, the utmost terror took possession of them. - -When this intrepid pioneer through the lands of the Hudson's Bay -Company had reached a latitude of 67 deg. 47', a great range of snowy -mountains burst into view. Mackenzie, by this time, was convinced that -the waters on which the four frail barks were gliding must flow into -the Arctic Ocean. - -When within a few days of accomplishing the great object of the -journey, the attendant Indians sunk into a fit of despondency and were -reluctant to proceed. The new guide pleaded his ignorance of the -region, as he had never before penetrated to what he and his fellows -termed the Benahulla Toe.[82] Mackenzie, thereupon, assured them all -that he would return if it were not reached in seven days, and so -prevailed on them to continue the journey. - -The nights were now illumined by a blazing sun and everything denoted -the proximity of the sea. On landing at a deserted Esquimaux -encampment, several pieces of whalebone were observed; also a place -where train-oil had been spilt. Signs of vegetation grew rarer and -rarer. - -[Sidenote: The explorer reaches the Arctic.] - -On the 12th of July the explorer reached what appears to have been an -arm of the Arctic Sea. It was quite open to the westward, and by an -observation the latitude was found to be 69 deg.. All before them, as -far as they could see, was a vast stretch of ice. They continued their -course with difficulty fifteen miles to the western-most extremity of -a high island, and then it was found impossible to proceed farther. -Many other islands were seen to the eastward; but though they came to -a grave, on which lay a bow, a paddle and a spear, they met no living -human beings in those Arctic solitudes. The red fox and the reindeer, -flocks of beautiful plover, some venerable white owls, and several -large white gulls were the only natives. - -But Mackenzie knew he had triumphed; for he had, as he stood on the -promontory of Whale Island, caught sight of a shoal of those marine -night monsters from whom the island then received its name. Before -returning, Mackenzie caused a post to be erected close to the -tents, upon which the traveller engraved the latitude of the spot, his -own name, the number of persons accompanying him, and the time they -spent on the island. - - [Illustration: THE BUSHRANGER AND THE INDIANS.] - - [Illustration: A PORTAGE.] - -On the 16th of July they set out on their long journey to the fort. On -the 21st, the sun, which for some time had never set, descended below -the horizon, and on that day they were joined by eleven of the -natives. These represented their tribe as numerous, and perpetually at -war with the Esquimaux, who had broken a treaty into which they had -seduced the Indians and had massacred many of them. On one occasion an -Indian of a strange tribe beyond the mountains to the west -endeavoured to draw for Mackenzie a map of that distant country with a -stick upon the sand. It was a rude production, but gave the explorer -an idea. The savage traced out a long point of land between two -rivers. This isthmus he represented as running into the great lake, at -the extremity of which, as he had been told by Indians of other -nations, there was built a Benahulla Couin, or White Man's Fort. - -"This," says Mackenzie, "I took to be Oonalaska Fort, and consequently -the river to the west to be Cook's River, and that the body of water -or sea into which the river discharges itself at Whale Island -communicated with Norton Sound." - -Mackenzie in vain endeavoured to procure a guide across the mountains; -the natives refused to accompany him. On the 12th of September the -party arrived in safety at Fort Chippewyan, having been absent one -hundred and two days. - -Taken in connection with Hearne's journey, this expedition was of -great importance as establishing the fact of an Arctic sea of wide -extent to the north of the continent. It seemed probable, also, that -this sea formed its continuous boundary. - -But the greater expedition of this intrepid fur-trader was yet to be -undertaken. His object this time was to ascend the Peace River, which -rises in the Rocky Mountains, and crossing these to penetrate to that -unknown stream which he had sought in vain during his former journey. -This river, he conjectured, must communicate with the ocean; and -finding it, he must be borne along to the Pacific. - -[Sidenote: Mackenzie sets out for the Pacific.] - -The explorer set out, accordingly, from Fort Chippewyan on the 10th of -October, 1792, pushing on to the remotest trading post, where he spent -the winter in a traffic for furs with the Beaver and Rocky Indians. -When he had despatched six canoes to Chippewyan with the cargo he had -collected, he engaged hunters and interpreters, built a huge canoe and -set out for the Pacific. This canoe, it may be mentioned, was -twenty-five feet long within, exclusive of the curves of stem and -stern, twenty-six inches hold and four feet nine inches beam. At the -same time it was so light that two men could carry it three or four -miles, if necessity arose, without stopping to rest. In such a slender -craft they not only stowed away their provisions, presents, arms, -ammunition and baggage to the weight of three thousand pounds, but -found room for Mackenzie, seven white companions and two Indians. Up -to the 21st of May the party encountered a series of such difficulties -and hardships that all save the leader himself were disheartened at -the prospect. The river being broken by frequent cascades and -dangerous rapids, it was very often necessary to carry the canoe and -baggage until the voyage could be resumed in safety; and on their -nearer approach to the Rocky Mountains the stream, hemmed in between -stupendous rocks, presented a continuance of fearful torrents and huge -cataracts. The party began to murmur audibly; and, at last, progress -came to a standstill. In truth, there was some reason for this -irresolution; further progress by water was impossible and they could -only advance over a mountain whose sides were broken by sharp, jagged -rocks and thickly covered with wood. Mackenzie despatched a -reconnoitring party, with orders to ascend the mountain and proceed in -a straight course from its summit, keeping the line of the river until -they could ascertain if it was practicable to resume navigation. - -While this party was gone on its quest, the canoe was repaired, and -Mackenzie busied himself in taking an altitude which showed the -latitude to be 56 deg. 8'. By sunset the scouts had severally returned, -each having taken different routes. They had penetrated through thick -woods, ascended hills and dived into valleys, passed the rapids, and -agreed, that though the difficulties by land were appalling, this was -the only practicable course. Unattractive as was the prospect, the -spirits of the party rose as night closed in. Their troubles were -forgotten in a repast of wild rice sweetened with sugar; the usual -evening regale of rum renewed their courage, and followed by a night's -rest, they entered upon the journey next day with cheerfulness and -vigour. - -It is not to the purpose here to relate all that befell Mackenzie on -this memorable voyage, but, after many vicissitudes, towards the -close of June he reached the spot where the party were to strike off -across the country. - -[Sidenote: Journey in the mountain.] - -"We carried on our back," says Mackenzie, "four bags and a half of -pemmican, weighing from eighty-five to ninety-five pounds each, a case -with the instruments, a parcel of goods for presents weighing ninety -pounds, and a parcel containing ammunition of the same weight; each of -the Canadians had a burden of about ninety pounds, with a gun and -ammunition, whilst the Indians had about forty-five pounds weight of -pemmican, besides their gun--an obligation with which, owing to their -having been treated with too much indulgence, they expressed -themselves much dissatisfied. My own load, and that of Mr. Mackay, -consisted of twenty-two pounds of pemmican, some rice, sugar, and -other small articles, amounting to about seventy pounds, besides our -arms and ammunition. The tube of my telescope was also slung across my -shoulder, and owing to the low state of our provisions, it was -determined that we should content ourselves with two meals a day." - -About the middle of July Mackenzie encountered a chief who had, ten -years before, in a voyage by sea, met with two large vessels full of -white men, the first he had ever seen and by whom he was kindly -received. The explorer very plausibly conjectured that these were the -ships of Captain Cook. Thus the names of two of the world's great -explorers were, by that episode, conjoined. - -The navigation of the river, although interrupted by rapids and -cascades, was continued until the 23rd, when the party reached its -mouth. Here the river was found to discharge itself by various smaller -channels into the Pacific. - -The memorable journey was now finished, and its purpose completed. In -large characters, upon the surface of a rock under whose shelter the -party had slept, their leader painted this simple memorial: - -"Alexander Mackenzie, from Canada by land the 22nd of July, one -thousand seven hundred and ninety-three." - -Such was the inscription written with vermilion, at which doubtless -the simple aboriginal tribes came to marvel before it was washed away -by the elements. But its purport was conveyed to England in another -and more abiding character, which yet will not outlast the memory of -the achievement. Mackenzie and his followers had paved the way; almost -despite itself the Company must take possession, before long, of its -own; although much had arisen which rendered the task less easy than -if it had been undertaken immediately on the conquest, thirty years -before. - -[Sidenote: Turner's exploration.] - -The news of Mackenzie's journeys reaching London considerably -perturbed the Honourable Adventurers and undeniably diminished their -prestige. It was not that the Company did not wish to pursue discovery -and bring about a knowledge of the vast unknown regions which -appertained to it under the charter; it was for a long time -impracticable. In 1785 it had sent out orders to continue the -exploration of the west, begun by Hearne. A man had been despatched in -accordance with these instructions, but his courage, or his endurance, -had failed him, and he returned to Cumberland House without having -accomplished anything of note. For the five or six years ensuing, the -reports of the meetings of the Company are sufficient testimony to the -desire of the members to take an active part in seeking trade with -unknown tribes. But to effect this, men were necessary; and men of the -required character were not immediately forthcoming. It was not till -1791 that, after an animated correspondence with the Colonial Office, -a person was suggested for the enterprise who seemed to possess the -equipment adequate to the task. This was Turner, who sought a career -as an astronomer, and with him went Ross, one of the Company's clerks. -Both were badly furnished for an expedition of this kind, and taking -counsel among themselves, came to the conclusion that as they had to -make their way through parts unknown to the Hudson's Bay servants, it -would be as well to seek the assistance of the Northmen as well. From -Alexander Mackenzie, Turner obtained a letter to the factor in charge -of Fort Chippewyan, instructing him to offer the explorers every -facility and courtesy; and indeed so well were Turner and his -companion treated at this post that they passed the winter there. The -result of this expedition went to show that Lake Athabasca, instead of -being situated in proximity to the Pacific, was really distant nearly -a thousand miles. - -There were men enough for the work in hand if the Company had only -availed themselves of them. At the very moment when Mackenzie was -making his voyages, a youth was finishing his education at the Charter -House who had all the cleverness, force and intrepidity for the task -that all desired to see accomplished. His name was David Thompson. The -time having arrived when this youth should choose a career, his -inclination turned to travel in the unknown quarters of the globe, and -hoping that adventure of some sort would transpire for him in the -north-west of the New World, he signed as one of the clerks of the -Company, and set sail in 1794 for Fort Churchill. Arriving here, he -found himself "cribbed, cabined and confined." Governor Colen and -himself were little to their mutual liking, and still less of the same -mind, as Thompson had an ardent, energetic temperament, and was with -difficulty controlled. Yet during the summer of 1795, by reason of -continuous pleadings, he obtained permission to set out on a tour to -the west, and with an escort of one white clerk, an Irishman, and two -Indians, he travelled to Athabasca, surveying the country as he went -along. - -[Sidenote: David Thompson.] - -On his return from Athabasca, Thompson's term of service had expired, -and he was encouraged to apply for employment with the Northmen. They -desired to learn the position of their trading houses, chiefly with -respect to the 49th parallel of latitude, which had become, since the -treaty of 1792 with America, the boundary line between the possessions -of the two countries. For several years Thompson continued in the -service of the Company's rivals, surveying a considerable territory -and drawing up charts and maps, which were sent to the partners at -Fort William.[83] - -After Thompson came Simon Fraser and John Stuart, the names of both of -whom are perpetuated in the rivers bearing their names to-day. Fraser -is described by one of his associates as "an illiterate, ill-bred, -fault-finding man, of jealous disposition, but ambitious and -energetic, with considerable conscience, and in the main holding to -honest convictions." - -Both these men bore a chief share in establishing trading posts on the -other side of the Rocky Mountains, which are now associated with the -Hudson's Bay Company. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[82] White Man's Lake. - -[83] Of David Thompson we get a portrait from Mr. H. H. Bancroft. He -was, he says, "of an entirely different order of man from the orthodox -fur-trader. Tall and fine looking, with sandy complexion, with large -features, deep-set studious eyes, high forehead and broad shoulders, -the intellectual was set upon the physical. His deeds have never been -trumpeted as have those of some of the others; but in the westward -explorations of the North-West Company, no man performed more valuable -service or estimated his achievements more modestly. Unhappily his -last days were not as pleasant as fell to the lot of some of the worn -out members of the Company. He retired, almost blind, to Lachine -House, once the headquarters of the Company, where he was met with in -1831 in a very decrepit condition." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -1787-1808. - - Captain Vancouver -- La Perouse in the Pacific -- The Straits - of Anian -- A Fantastic Episode -- Russian Hunters and Traders - -- The Russian Company -- Dissensions amongst the Northmen -- - They send the _Beaver_ to Hudson's Bay -- The Scheme of Mackenzie - a Failure -- A Ferocious Spirit Fostered -- Abandoned - Characters -- A series of Outrages -- The affair at Bad Lake. - - -When Mackenzie, in July, 1793, reached the Pacific by land from the -east, he had been preceded by sea only three years by Captain George -Vancouver, the discoverer of the British Columbian coast. The same -year Gray, sailing from Boston in 1790, entered the Columbia River -farther south. But the title of Muscovy to the northern coasts had -already been made good by several Russians since Bering's time, and -the Company's charter secured to them the lands drained by the Fraser, -Mackenzie, and Peace rivers, to the west. - -[Sidenote: La Perouse in the Pacific.] - -So little, however, was the Russian title recognized for some time, -that when this unfortunate expedition of La Perouse, with the frigates -_Boussole_ and _Astralabe_, stopped on this coast in 1787, that -doughty destroyer of York and Prince of Wales' Forts did not hesitate -to consider the friendly harbour in latitude 58 deg. 36' as open to -permanent occupation. Describing this harbour, which he named Port des -Francois, he says that nature seemed to have created at this extremity -of the world a port like that of Toulon, but vaster in plan and -accommodation; and then, considering that it had never been discovered -before, that it was situated thirty-three leagues north-west of -Remedios, the limit of Spanish navigation, about two hundred and -eighty-four leagues from Nootka, and one hundred leagues from Prince -William Sound. The mariner records his judgment that "if the French -Government had any project of a factory on this coast no nation could -have the slightest right to oppose it." - - [Illustration: DE L'ISLE'S MAP, 1752.] - -Thus was Russia to be coolly dislodged by the French! There is little -doubt but that the Company, judging by its declarations in committee -some years afterwards, would have had something to say in the matter. -But La Perouse and his frigates sailed farther on in their voyage and -never returned to France. Their fate for a generation remained -unknown, until their shipwrecked hulls were accidentally found on a -desert island in the South Pacific. The unfinished journal of this -zealous admiral had, however, in the meantime been sent by him -overland by way of Kamschatka and Siberia to France, where it was -published by decree of the National Assembly, thus making known his -supposed discovery and his aspirations. - -[Sidenote: Spanish claims.] - -Spain also had been a claimant. In 1775 Bodega, a Spanish navigator, -seeking new opportunities to plant the Spanish flag, reached a -parallel of 58 deg. on this coast, not far from Sitka; but this supposed -discovery was not followed by any immediate assertion of dominion. The -universal aspiration of Spain had embraced this whole region at a much -earlier day, and shortly after the return of Bodega another enterprise -was equipped to verify the larger claim, being nothing less than the -original title as discoverer of the straits between America and Asia, -and of the conterminous continent under the name of Anian. Indeed, a -Spanish document appeared, which caused a considerable fluttering of -hearts amongst the Adventurers, entitled "Relation of the Discovery of -the Strait of Anian made by me, Captain Lorenzo Ferren Maldonado," -purporting to be written at the time, although it did not see the -light until 1781, when it immediately became the subject of a memoir -before the French Academy. This narrative of Maldonado has long since -taken its place with that of the celebrated Munchausen. - -The whole fantastic episode of Anian's Straits is worthy of mention in -a history of the Company and its lands. There is no doubt of the -existence of early maps bearing straits of that name to the north. On -an interesting map by Zoltieri, bearing the date of 1566, without -latitude or longitude, the western coast of the continent is here -delineated with straits separating it from Asia, not unlike Bering's -Straits in outline and with the name in Italian, Stretto di Anian; and -towards the south the coast possesses a certain conformity to that -which we now know. Below the straits is an indentation corresponding -to Bristol Bay; then a peninsula somewhat broader than Alaska, which -is continued in an elbow of the coast; lower down appear three -islands, not unlike Sitka, Queen Charlotte and Vancouver; and lastly, -to the south appears the peninsula of Lower California. After a time -maps began to record the Straits of Anian; but the substantial -conformity of the early delineation with the reality has always been -somewhat of a mystery.[84] - -The foundation of the story of Anian is said to lie in the voyage of -the Portuguese navigator, Caspar de Cortereal, in 1500-1505, who, on -reaching Hudson's Bay in quest of a passage to India, imagined he had -found it, naming his discovery "in honour of two brothers who -accompanied him." - -[Sidenote: Russians on the west coast.] - -Meanwhile Russian hunters and traders from Okhotsk were extending -their expedition from the north-east coast of Siberia to the -north-west coast of North America. A Russian Government expedition -started from Okhotsk in 1790, under the command of Captain Billings, -an Englishman in the Russian service, and to Captain Taryteheff, one -of the members, are due important researches on the hydrography and -ethnology of these countries. The first attempt at permanent -settlement was due to three Russian traders, Shelekoff and the two -Golikoffs, who fitted out two or three vessels to be sent to "the land -of Alaska, also called America; to islands known or unknown, for the -purpose of trading in furs; of exploring the country and entering into -relations with the inhabitants." Their first expedition started in -1781, and the first settlement was founded on the Island of Kodiak. -The authority of the Russian Government was thus established on this -and the adjacent islands. In 1790, Shelekoff, then residing in -Irkoutsk, sent out a merchant named Baranoff to govern the new -colony.[85] - -Thus the knowledge that they were being pressed in on opposite sides -by the Canadian traders on the south and east, and by Russians on the -north and west, reached the Company at the same time. As a matter of -fact, the knowledge of Baranoff's enterprise and the energy with which -it was being prosecuted did not come before the committee until -October, 1794; and it was in that very month that the report of -Mackenzie's journey reached them. - -The next few years were devoted to devising and considering schemes to -counteract these two growing competitors--to oppose the further -progress of the Russians on the one hand, and to combat the -North-Westers on the other. - -For twenty-seven years Baranoff continued to be the controlling mind -of the new Russian trading enterprise. Shelekoff died in 1795; and his -widow continued the business, and upon combining with the Milnikoff -Company it increased gradually in wealth. The charter of these joint -enterprises, to which the name of the Russian-American Fur Company was -given, was signed in August, 1798, and confirmed at St. Petersburg in -1799. That year witnessed the settlement of New Archangel, on the -island of Sitka. - -The consequences of this increased output were not, however, felt in -the fur-markets at Leipsic. Europe was convulsed by war, and Napoleon -had laid an embargo on British goods. The furs, therefore, accumulated -for several years in the stores of the Hudson's Bay Company without -finding a mart. - -From 1787 to 1817, for only a portion of which time the Russian -Company existed, the Unalaska district yielded upwards of 2,500,000 -seal skins alone. The number of other skins reported at times was -prodigious. - -But the time had not come for the Company to actively assert itself in -opposition to the Russians. - -It was paying dearly now for its short-sightedness in not availing -itself of the opportunities afforded by the conquest of Canada to -penetrate into its chartered domain. In the second year of the century -the Honourable Adventurers had been obliged to borrow L20,000 from the -Bank of England, hoping that the cessation of war in Europe, and the -quarrels of the rival Montreal traders in North America, would permit -the Company to regain the advantage it had lost. For in the autumn of -1798 the Company had received advices that its prosperous Canadian -rival had taken a new step in the conduct of its affairs. - -[Sidenote: Rival factions in the North-West Company.] - -Difficulties and dissensions had begun to breed in the ranks of the -Northmen. A few disaffected spirits spoke of secession and carried -their intentions into effect, but the stronger partners were reluctant -to break up an alliance which had proved so prosperous. But in the -closing year, but one of the century, the situation became intolerable -and when the partners met, as was their custom at the Grand Portage, -Mackenzie bluntly told his associates that he had resolved to quit the -Company. He was led to this decision by a personal quarrel between -himself and Simon McTavish, the chief of the North-West Company. -Opposing factions sprang into being, attaching themselves to both -Mackenzie and McTavish, the latter of whom strongly resented the way -in which he was treated at the annual meeting by the partisans of the -former, and each now determined to take his course thenceforward -untrammelled by the other. Mackenzie went to England, where he -published an account of his travels in the north-west and obtained the -honour of knighthood, and in 1801 returned to Canada. Here his friends -flocked about him, and there saw the light of a new organization, -officially entitled the New North-West Company, or Sir Alexander -Mackenzie & Co., but more popularly as the X. Y. Co. The two rival -Canadian associations now put forth all their strength to establish -their commerce in the unknown and unfrequented regions. One of the -old North-West employees, Livingston, who had already, in 1796, -established a post nearly 100 miles north of Slave Lake, undertook to -carry the trade still farther north. But this he was never destined to -accomplish. A few days out on this journey he was confronted by the -aborigines, who slew him and his companions. An expedition to the Bow -River, however, was more successful, and in the midst of many hostile -Indians a trading post was established there. Other proofs of -enterprise on the part of McTavish and his associates were not -wanting. - -The dissensions between the two companies so far do not appear to have -had a prejudicial effect on the traffic, for on the 30th October, -1802, Lieutenant Governor Milnes, in a dispatch to Lord Hobart,[86] -gives an account of the flourishing state of the fur-trade which so -far, he says, from diminishing, appears to increase. New tracts of -country had been visited by the merchants employed in this traffic, -which had furnished new sources of supply, a large proportion of the -furs taken in the North-West being brought to Quebec for shipment.[87] - -But, perhaps, a policy the most daring was pursued with regard to the -Hudson's Bay Company. It was not expected that either McTavish and his -allies, or the X. Y. concern would long be content to forego the -glory and profit attendant upon warfare at close quarters with the -Chartered Company. - -"What is there in their charter," they asked themselves, "which gives -them benefits we cannot enjoy? We shall see." - -[Sidenote: The Northmen at Hudson's Bay.] - -They provided for a most effectual demonstration. In the spring of -1803, they sent the _Beaver_, a vessel of one hundred and fifty tons, -to Hudson's Bay, with instructions to exploit commerce under the very -guns of the Company's forts. Hardly had the _Beaver_ got under way -than an overland expedition was sent by the old French trading route -of Lakes St. Jean and Mistassini, to the same quarter. The result was -the construction of two posts, one on Charlton Island, and the other -at the mouth of Moose River. The astonishment of the Company's -servants can be imagined, when upon looking out one fine morning, they -beheld a band of swarthy half-breeds, captained by Orkneymen, rearing -premises adjacent to their own, and bidding defiance to the ancient -charter of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company. They were told by -their superiors not to be alarmed; the scheme of their rivals would -not succeed any more than had those of the Quebec companies who a -century before had sought to penetrate overland to the Bay. The -company could always undersell them then; and it could now, and did. -The confidence of the factors was justified, and the Indians merely -smiled at the Northmen and their goods, bidding them return to their -country, or betake themselves to the west, where the tribes were -ignorant and knew not the value of things. So, after a season or two, -the North-West concern abandoned Moose River and Charlton Island, and -sought other and more fruitful fields in the west. - -[Sidenote: The Fishery and Fur Company.] - -Mackenzie himself was in London actively engaged in promoting a scheme -of his own. He sought to get the British Government to constrain the -Hudson's Bay Company to grant licenses to a company of British -merchants, to be established in London under the name of "The Fishery -and Fur Company," which company, for the purpose of combining the -fishery in the Pacific with the fur trade of the interior from the -east to the west coasts of the Continent of North America, would at -once "equip whalers in England, and by means of the establishments -already made and in activity at Montreal on the east and advanced -posts and trading houses in the interior towards the west coast, to -which they might extend it and where other establishments to be made -at King George Sound, Nootka Island, under the protection of the -Supreme Government, and on the River Columbia and at Sea Otter Harbour -under the protection of the subordinate Government of these places, -would open and establish a commercial communication through the -Continent of North America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to -the incalculable advantage and furtherance both of the Pacific Fishery -of America and American Fur Trade of Great Britain, in part directly -and in part indirectly, through the channel of the possessions and -factories of the East India Company in China," etc., "it being -perfectly understood that none of these maritime or inland -establishments shall be made on territory in the possession of any -other European nation, nor within the limits of the United States of -North America or of the Hudson's Bay Company." The scheme, however, -failed. - -The death of McTavish, in 1804, brought about a reunion of the two -rival factions, and the North-West Company became stronger than ever. -They imitated the Chartered Company in establishing several of their -members in London as agents, who purchased the necessary merchandise -and saw it safely shipped, besides attending to the fur imports and -other regular business of the concern. - -[Sidenote: Coalition of the North-West and X. Y. Companies.] - -After the coalition of the old North-West and the X. Y. concern, and -the consequent suppression of all private adventurers in Canada, the -only rival of the Northmen in the Uplands was the Hudson's Bay -Company. It was alleged that thenceforward the ferocious spirit which -had been fostered among the clerks and servants of the two companies -by six years of continual violence was all turned against the Company. -It was said that not only was a systematic plan formed for driving -their traders out of all valuable beaver companies, but that hopes -were entertained of reducing the Company to so low an ebb as in time -to induce them to make over their chartered rights to their commercial -rival. With this intent, a series of aggressive acts was now begun and -carried on against the servants of the Company. - - [Illustration: THE RIVAL TRADERS.] - -The Hudson's Bay Company had witnessed the encroachment of the -traders, first French, then English, as well as the establishment and -growth of the North-West association, without taking any active steps -to forcibly restrain them. Many years was the competition carried on -without any violent breach of the peace on either side. Oftentimes -indeed did the rival traders meet in the wilderness at a deserted -camp, or at some remote portage, but they bore no personal enmity in -their hearts. They shook hands, smoked, broke meat together, and -parted--one with his beaver skins to the east, the other to the -north--to Cumberland or York Factory. Doubtless the North-West concern -at the beginning of the century possessed a powerful advantage in the -system of profits and deserved promotion, while the Company's -servants, unstimulated by any hope of additional reward or certain -promotion, was calculated to foster apathy, rather than zeal. - -[Sidenote: Murder of Labau.] - -It was claimed by the Company that the Northmen employed for their -purposes men of the most abandoned character who, as Sir Alexander -Mackenzie expressed it, "considered the command of their employer as -binding on them, and however wrong or irregular the transaction the -responsibility rested with the principal who directed them." One of -the first instances of collision occurred in the year 1800. In that -year Frederick Schultz, a clerk of the old Company, commanded a post -near Nepigon. Amongst his men was a young lad about nineteen years of -age named Labau, who understood English, and had in the course of the -preceding winter become intimate with the servants of the Hudson's Bay -Company, who occupied a post near the same place. Labau was attracted -to the Company's service and, when the traders on both sides were -preparing to leave their wintering ground, resolved to go down to York -Factory. Intelligence of this having reached Schultz, he sent his -interpreter to order Labau to return to his duty, accompanied by a -reminder that he was in debt to the North-West Company. The young man -responded by offering to remit the money he owed the Company, but -declared that he would not remain any longer in its service. This -answer being reported to Schultz he vehemently declared that if the -scoundrel would not come back willingly he would know what to do with -him. The doughty Northman took his dagger, carefully whetted it, and -having dressed himself in his best attire, went over to the Hudson's -Bay post. Here he found Labau, and asked him in a furious tone whether -he would come with him. The young man, being intimidated, faltered out -an affirmative, but watching his opportunity sought to make his -escape out of the room, but Schultz was too quick for him. He drew his -dagger and aimed a blow which Labau tried in vain to avoid. He was -stabbed in the loin, and expired the same evening. After this exploit, -when Schultz returned to the assembly of the Northmen at the Grand -Portage, he met with an indifferent reception, Labau being rather -popular amongst his fellow-servants. It was, therefore, not thought -advisable to employ Schultz any longer in that quarter, although this -was the only notice taken of the murder. The murderer came down in the -canoes of the North-West concern to Montreal, where he remained at -large and unnoticed for months. He was afterwards taken into the -service of the Company, employed in a different region, and after -several years settled down undisturbed in Lower Canada. - - [Illustration: YORK FACTORY. - (_From an old print._)] - -There can be no doubt that much of the success of the Northmen was due -to the indiscriminate manner in which they extirpated the animals in -the country, destroying all without distinction, whether young or old, -in season or out of season. The miserable natives, over-awed by the -preparation and power of the strangers, and dreading the resentment of -the Northmen, witnessed this destruction without daring to resist, -although they complained bitterly that their country was wasted as if -it had been overrun by fire. It is well known that the best season for -hunting all the fur-bearing animals is the winter. The fur in summer -is universally of inferior quality, and this, too, is the season when -wild animals rear their young. For both these reasons it seemed -desirable that the hunting should be suspended during the summer -months, and this was effectually procured when all the best hunters, -all the young and active men of the Indian tribes, were engaged in a -distant excursion. There was consequently a material advantage in -requiring them to leave their hunting grounds in summer, and come to -the factories on the coast for a supply of European goods. While this -was the practice, no furs were brought from home but those of prime -quality, and as the beaver and other valuable fur-bearing animals were -protected from injury during the most critical time of the year, the -breed was preserved, and the supply was plentiful. But when the -traders came to the interior, there to remain throughout the year, the -Indians were tempted to conceal their hunts through the season. They -were too improvident to abstain from killing the breeding animals or -their young. The cub was destroyed with the full-grown beaver, and the -consequence might readily have been foreseen. These valuable animals, -formerly so numerous, rapidly approached the point of complete -extermination. It was observed that the district in which they once -abounded, and from which large supplies were formerly obtained, soon -came to produce few or none. - -[Sidenote: Collision at Big Fall.] - -In autumn, 1806, John Crear, a trader in the service of the Hudson's -Bay Company (also on the establishment of Albany Factory), occupied a -post at a place called Big Fall, near Lake Winipic. One evening a -party of Canadians in two canoes, commanded by Mr. Alexander -MacDonnell, then a clerk of the North-West Company, arrived, and -encamped at a short distance. On the following morning four of Crear's -men set out for their fishing grounds, about a mile off, immediately -after which Mr. MacDonnell came to the house with his men, and -charging Crear with having traded furs with an Indian who was indebted -to the North-West concern, insisted on these furs being given up to -him. On Crear's refusal, MacDonnell's men broke open the warehouse -door. William Plowman, the only servant that remained with Crear, -attempted to prevent them from entering; but one of the Canadians -knocked him down, while another presented a gun at Crear himself. -Although MacDonnell prevented him from firing, the Canadian struck -Crear in the eye with the butt end of his gun, which covered his face -with blood and felled him to the ground. Mr. MacDonnell himself -stabbed Plowman in the arm with a dagger, and gave him a dangerous -wound. The Canadians then rifled the warehouse; the furs, being taken -in summer, were of little value; but they carried off two bags of -flour, a quantity of salt pork and beef, and some dried venison, and -also took away a new canoe belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. In -the following February MacDonnell sent one of his junior clerks with a -party of men, who again attacked Crear's house, overpowered him, beat -him and his men in the most brutal manner, and carried away a great -number of valuable furs. They also obliged Crear to sign a paper -acknowledging that he had given up the furs voluntarily, which they -extorted with threats of instant death if he should refuse. Mr. -Alexander MacDonnell had lately been promoted to the station of a -partner in the North-West concern. - -In the year 1806, Mr. Fidler was sent with a party of eighteen men -from Churchill Factory, to establish a trading post at Isle a la -Crosse, near the borders of the Athabasca country, but within the -territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. He remained there for two -years, sending a detachment of his people to Green Lake and Beaver -River. During the first winter he had some success, but afterwards he -was effectually obstructed. On many former occasions the officers of -the Hudson's Bay Company had attempted to establish a trade in this -place, which is in the centre of a country abounding in beaver, but -they had always been obliged to renounce the attempt. The methods used -with Mr. Fidler may explain the causes of this failure. - -Mr. John MacDonnell had been Mr. Fidler's competitor during the early -part of the winter, but (not being inclined to set all principles of -law and justice at defiance) was removed and relieved, first by Mr. -Robert Henry, and then by Mr. John Duncan Campbell. The North-West -concern having been established for many years at Isle a la Crosse -without any competition, had obtained what they call the attachment of -the Indians, that is to say, they had reduced them to such abject -submission that the very sight of a Canadian was sufficient to inspire -them with terror. In order that this salutary awe might suffer no -diminution, the post at Isle a la Crosse was reinforced with an extra -number of Canadians, so that the natives might be effectually -prevented from holding any intercourse with the traders of the -Hudson's Bay Company, and that the appearance of so very superior a -force, ready to overwhelm and destroy him, might deter Mr. Fidler from -any attempt to protect his customers. A watch-house was built close to -his door, so that no Indian could enter unobserved; a party of -professed batteilleurs were stationed here, and employed not only to -watch the natives, but to give every possible annoyance, night and -day, to the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company. Their fire-wood was -stolen, they were perpetually obstructed in hunting for provisions, -the produce of their garden was destroyed, their fishing lines taken -away in the night time, and their nets, on which they chiefly relied -for subsistence, cut to pieces. The ruffians who were posted to watch -Mr. Fidler, proceeded from one act of violence to another, and in -proportion as they found themselves feebly resisted, they grew bolder, -and at length issued a formal mandate that not one of the servants of -the Hudson's Bay Company should stir out of their house, and followed -up this with such examples of severity that Mr. Fidler's men refused -to remain at the post. They were compelled to leave it, and the -Canadians immediately burnt his house to the ground. - -[Sidenote: The robbery at Bad Lake.] - -A trader, William Corrigal, in the service of the Company, was -stationed, in May, 1806, with a few men at a place called Bad Lake, -not far from Albany Factory. Near this post was another occupied by a -much larger number of men in charge of a partner in the North-West -concern named Haldane. Five of the Canadians in his service watching -their opportunity broke into Corrigal's house about midnight when he -and his men were in bed. The ruffians immediately secured all the -loaded guns and pistols they could find, and one of them seizing the -Company's trader and presenting a pistol at his breast swore to shoot -him if he made any resistance. In the meantime the others rifled the -storehouse and took away furs to the number of 480 beaver. On their -departure Corrigal dressed himself and went immediately to Haldane, -whom he found up, and fully attired, to complain of the conduct of his -servants and to demand that the stolen property be restored. The -answer of the Northman was that "He had come to that country for furs, -and furs he was determined to have." The robbers were permitted to -carry away the stolen peltries to the Grand Portage where they were -sold, and formed part of the returns of the North-West concern that -year. A robbery of the same character took place at Red Lake a little -later in the year. This trading house was also under the charge of -Corrigal, and was forcibly entered by eight of the Northmen, armed -with pistols and knives; under threats to murder the servants of the -Hudson's Bay Company they carried off furs to the amount of fifty -beaver. Not long after this they forcibly broke open the same -warehouse and robbed it of a large quantity of cloth, brandy, tobacco -and ammunition. - -[Sidenote: Violence and robbery by the North-West Company.] - -In the year 1808 Mr. John Spence, of the Hudson's Bay Company, -commanded a post fitted out from Churchill's Factory at Reindeer Lake, -in the neighbourhood of which there was a station of the North-West -Company commanded by Mr. John Duncan Campbell, one of the partners. In -the course of the spring, William Linklater, in the service of the -Hudson's Bay Company, was sent out to meet some Indians, from whom he -traded a parcel of valuable furs. He was bringing them home on a hand -sleigh, and was at no great distance from the house, when Campbell -came out with a number of men, stopped him, demanded the furs, and on -being refused drew a dagger, with which he cut the traces of the -sledge, while at the same time one of his men took hold of Linklater's -shoes, tripped him up, and made him fall on the ice. The sledge of -furs was then hauled away to the North-West concern's house. Campbell -offered to Mr. Spence to send other furs in exchange for those which -he had thus robbed him of; but they were of very inferior value, and -the latter refused the compromise. The furs were carried away, and no -compensation was ever made. - -On a previous occasion, at Isle a la Crosse Lake (in the year 1805), -the same Campbell had attacked two of the servants of the Hudson's Bay -Company, and took a parcel of furs from them in the same way. Some of -the men from the Hudson's Bay House came out to assist their -fellow-servants, but were attacked by superior numbers of the -Canadians, and beaten off, with violence and bloodshed. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[84] See map, page 246. - -[85] To exhibit anew the exaggeration common to the acquisition of new -possessions, I may observe that Shelekoff reported that he had -subjected to the crown of Russia, "fifty thousand men in the Island of -Kodiak alone." But Lisiansky, who took a prominent part in the Russian -Company, remarks, in 1805, that "the population of the island, when -compared with its size, is very small." After the "minutest research" -at that time he found it amounted to only four thousand souls. - -[86] Canadian archives. - -[87] The tables enclosed in the dispatch show, first, the names and -numbers of the posts occupied in the Indian country (exclusive of the -King's posts), the number of partners, clerks and men employed, the -latitude and longitude of each post being also given. The grand total -shows that there were 117 posts, 20 partners, 161 clerks and -interpreters, 877 common men, in all of a permanent staff 1,058 men, -thus divided: Ninety-five in the territory of the United States from -the south side of Lake Superior to the division of the waters falling -into the Mississippi on the one side and Hudson's Bay on the other; -seventy-six on the waters falling into the St. Lawrence from the -Kaministiquia, and also from the St. Maurice; six hundred and thirty -on the waters falling into Hudson's Bay, and two hundred and -fifty-seven on the waters falling into the North Sea by the Mackenzie -River. Besides these there were eighty or one hundred Canadians and -Iroquois hunters, not servants, ranging free over the country and -about five hundred and forty men employed in canoes on the Ottawa -River. The average duties paid annually on landing in Britain amounted -to upwards of L22,000 sterling and the price paid for the furs -exported from Quebec in 1801, at the London sales, was L371,139 11s. -4d. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -1808-1812. - - Crisis in the Company's Affairs -- No Dividend Paid -- Petition - to Lords of the Treasury -- Factors Allowed a Share in the - Trade -- Canada Jurisdiction Act -- The Killing of MacDonnell - -- Mowat's Ill-treatment -- Lord Selkirk -- His Scheme laid - before the Company -- A Protest by Thwaytes and others -- The - Project Carried -- Emigrants sent out to Red River -- Northmen - Stirred to Reprisal. - - -England was again at war with France. Napoleon had placed an embargo -on English commerce, and to the uttermost corner of Europe was this -measure felt. Tons of the most costly furs, for which there was no -market, lay heaped in the Company's warehouse. The greatest difficulty -was experienced in procuring servants, especially seamen, and when -these were procured, they were often seized by a press-gang; shares -began to decline in value; numerous partners were selling out their -interests, and no strong man appeared at the head of affairs. - -In 1808 no dividend was paid, chiefly the result of the -non-exportation of the Company's furs to the Continent of Europe. -There were the accumulations of furs imported during 1806, 1807 and -1808 lying in the warehouse without prospect of sale. - -The pressure still continued and at last, in 1809, the Company was -driven to petition the Chancellor of the Exchequer for transmission to -Lords of the Treasury, setting forth the Company's position and its -claims on the nation. - -[Sidenote: The Company in difficulties.] - -"Accumulated difficulties," it said, "have pressed hardly on the -Company and we ask assistance to maintain a colony that till now has -found within itself resources to withstand the pressure of all former -wars and to continue those outfits on which six hundred Europeans and -their families and some thousands of native Indians depend for their -very existence. - -"We assure your worships that it was not until all those resources -were exhausted that we came to the resolution of making the present -application." - -The petition recited that after having received their charter the -Company had colonized such parts of newly granted territories as -appeared most convenient for carrying on their commerce with the -natives. This commerce "consisted in the barter of British -manufactures for the furs of animals killed by the different tribes of -Indians who were within reach of factories and gradually extended -itself till, as at the present moment, the manufactures of Great -Britain are borne by the traders of Hudson's Bay over the face of the -whole country from Lake Superior to the Athabasca. - -"The trade is at present pursued by the export of furs, gunpowder, -shot, woollens, hardware and other articles, which together with large -supplies of provisions for the factories, constitute an annual outfit -consisting wholly of British manufactures and British produce of from -L40,000 to L50,000, in return for which we receive the furs of bears, -wolves, foxes, otters, martens, beaver and other animals, together -with some oil and articles of inferior value. The cargoes are sold at -public sale. The beaver and some few inferior furs, together with the -oil, are bought for home consumption and sell for about L30,000, but -the fine furs were, till after the sale of 1806, bought by the fur -merchants for the fairs of Frankfort and of Leipsic for Petersburg, -and before the present war, for France. Since that year there has not -been a fur sold for exportation, and as a proof to your worships that -the deficiency of buyers did not arise from our holding back for a -higher market, we sold in 1806 for seven shillings per skin furs that -in the more quiet state of Europe in 1804 had brought us 20s. 3d., and -which for years previous to that time had sold for a similar price; -and other depreciation pervaded in about the same proportion the whole -of those furs calculated only for the foreign market, and in some -instances furs were sold for a less price than the duties we had paid -for them. - -"Since that period no orders have been received from abroad, and our -warehouses are filled with the most valuable productions of three -years' import that if sold at the prices of those years before the -closing of the ports on the Continent would have produced us at least -L150,000. - -"It may be objected to us, that we were improvident in pursuing under -such circumstances a trade which must so inevitably tend to ruin. But -a certainty that a considerable quantity of furs found their way to -New York, and an earnest zeal for the preservation of trade which by -the conduct of the Hudson's Bay Company had been secured to this -country for a century and a half, prompted us to every exertion to -maintain the footing we had established, and the annually increasing -amount of our trade gave us just grounds to look forward with -confidence to the opening of the northern ports of Europe as the -period when all our difficulties would cease; an event which, anterior -to the battles of Austerlitz or of Jena, was looked for with the most -sanguine expectation. - -"Above all were we impelled by the strongest motives to continue these -supplies which were necessary for the subsistence of six hundred -European servants, their wives and children, dispersed over a vast and -extended field of the North American Continent, and who would not be -brought to Europe under a period of three years as well as those upon -whom the many Indian nations now depend for their very existence. - -"The nations of hunters taught for one hundred and fifty years the use -of fire-arms could no more resort, with certainty, to the bow or the -javelin for their daily subsistence. Accustomed to the hatchet of -Great Britain, they could ill adopt the rude sharpened stone to the -purposes of building, and until years of misery and of famine had -extirpated the present race, they could not recur to the simple arts -by which they supported themselves before the introduction of British -manufactures. As the outfits of the Hudson's Bay Company consist -principally of articles which long habit have taught them now to -consider of first necessity, if we withhold these outfits, we leave -them destitute of their only means of support. The truth of this -observation had a melancholy proof in the year 1782, when from the -attack made upon the settlements by La Perouse, and the consequent -failure of our supplies, many of the Indians were found starved to -death. - -[Sidenote: Petition of the Company.] - -"It was not only from the firm conviction that we felt of the -necessity of European manufactures to the present existence of whole -nations of North American Indians that we considered ourselves bound -by the most powerful ties to exert every effort in their favour; but -also that we might continue to them those advantages which would -result to their religious as well as civil welfare from the -progressive improvements, and a gradual system of civilisation and -education which we have introduced throughout the country; -improvements which are now diffusing the comforts of civilized life, -as well as the blessings of the Christian faith to thousands of -uninstructed Indians, and would in their completion, we can -confidently assert, have tended to the future cultivation of lands, -which from experiments we found capable of growing most of the grains -of Northern Europe, and from their climate adapted to the culture of -hemp and flax, and from the labour of those families who would have -been induced to settle at our factories, might soon have brought to -this country the produce of the boundless forests of pine that spread -themselves over almost the southern parts of our possessions. - -"To realize these not visionary schemes, but sure and certain plans, -founded upon the progressive civilization of the natives, were objects -not to be given up without the most urgent necessity, and the hope -that the ruler of the French Empire could not forever shut out our -trade from Europe, induced us to resort to every means within our -power to preserve the advantages resulting to ourselves and to the -Indians, and to the British nation. - -"We have exhausted those funds which we set apart for their -completion; we have pledged our credit till we feel, as honest men, -that upon the present uncertainty we can pledge it no farther, and we -throw ourselves upon your Worship's wisdom to afford us that temporary -assistance which we cannot ask at any other hands. - -"Were we to resort to the early history of our settlements, we might -lay the foundations of just claims upon the public to assist our -present wants. We could show instances of most destructive attacks by -the French upon our factories. Our forts and military works, mounted -with a numerous and expensive artillery for the defence of the colony -against their future operations, were destroyed and the guns ruined. -And particularly was a most grievous loss occasioned to us by the -predatory attack of La Perouse about the conclusion of the American -War, which caused the distress to which we have above alluded. - -"Against these pressures when our trade flourished we were able to -hold up, and we found within ourselves those resources which defeated -the enemy's views and continued to Great Britain the trade we had -established. - -"And it is not until pressed to our last resort that we ask of your -Lordships that assistance with which we may confidently hope to -preserve our trade until the continent may be again opened, when we -shall be delivered from those difficulties under which we are now -sinking." - -The petition was signed by Wm. Mainwaring, Governor; Joseph Berens, -Deputy Governor; George Hyde Wollaston, Thomas Neave, Job Mathew -Raikes, Thomas Langley, John Henry Pelly, Benjamin Harrison, John -Webb. - -In April the Adventurers petitioned the King in Council to reduce -duties on furs to one-half, or trade must suffer extinction. No profit -was derivable, it said, on marten, wolf, bear, wolverine and -fisher-skins. - -To this petition the Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade, -Whitehall, replied in the following February, that the memorial of the -Hudson's Bay Company contained no proposition on which the Lords of -this Council could "offer any opinion to the Lords of Treasury." - -[Sidenote: Small Government assistance.] - -As their petition was denied, the Company now boldly prepared a -request and asked for a loan of L60,000, and that time be extended for -paying the duties on furs imported until the continental market -re-opened. To this request an answer was returned, allowing twelve -months storage of furs free of duty and promising drawbacks as if -storage had only been for one year, but stating that there were no -funds out of which a loan could be made without special authority of -Parliament. - -It was clear that the Company was in very low water, and that some new -salutary policy was demanded. By way of a beginning, barter was -abolished as a basis of trade, and money payments ordered. At the same -time the Adventurers stole a leaf out of the book of the North-West -company, and new regulations, comprising thirty-five articles, were -made in the early months of 1810, for carrying on the business in -Hudson's Bay. - -The principle of allowing to their chief officers a considerable -participation in the profits of their trade was admitted. It was found -absolutely necessary to adopt some step of this sort, as nothing of -such a measure could be sufficient to stem the torrent of aggression -with which they had been assailed by the North-West company; and their -absolute ruin must have ensued if some effectual means had not been -taken, not only to rectify some of the abuses which had crept in under -the former system, but also to rouse their officers to a more -effectual resistance of the lawless violence practised against them. - -The total lack of jurisdiction in the Indian country, as the territory -which was the scene of the operations of the fur-traders was called, -permitted crime to go unpunished, and numerous representations were -made in respect to the evils of this practical immunity from -punishment. In Sir Alexander Mackenzie's letter of the 25th of -October, 1802, he says that, in view of the improbability of the two -companies amalgamating, a jurisdiction should be established as -speedily as possible, to prevent the contending fur companies from -abusing the power either might possess, so as to secure to each the -fruits of fair, honest and industrious exertion; it would also, he -believed, tend to put a stop to the increasing animosity between the -two companies. Mr. Richardson, of the other company, also pressed for -the establishment of a competent jurisdiction and instanced the case -of one of the clerks in his company who had killed a clerk of the -other in defending the property in his care. The young man had come to -Montreal to be tried, but there being no jurisdiction there for such -trial, "he remains in the deplorable predicament that neither his -innocence nor his guilt can be legally ascertained." He also proposed -that a military post should be established at Thunder Bay, on Lake -Superior, as an additional means of securing peace. - -Repeatedly had the Grand Juries of Quebec and Montreal called -attention to this want of jurisdiction. In one report the number of -people from the Canadas, chiefly from Lower Canada, was urged as one -reason for establishing in the Indian country a court of competent -jurisdiction for the trial of offences committed in these territories, -including Hudson's Bay. - -[Sidenote: Plea for establishment of jurisdiction.] - -"The very heavy expense," observes the report, "incident to the -conveyance of offenders from the Territory of Hudson's Bay to England, -with the necessary witnesses on both sides, and the cost of -prosecution and defence, must generally operate, either to prevent -recourse to a tribunal across the ocean, and thereby stimulate to -private retaliation and revenge, or where such course can or shall be -had, the guilty may escape punishment, and the innocent be sacrificed -from the distance of time and place of trial, the death or absence of -witnesses, or other causes; and the mind cannot contemplate without -horror the possible abuses to which such circumstances might give -rise; as in the instance of a prosecutor coming from and at a remote -day, when the accused may be destitute of pecuniary means, and the -exculpatory evidence may either be dead, removed, or be otherwise -beyond his reach, who at all events (however innocent he may finally -be found) will have undergone a long and painful confinement, far -removed from his family and connections, and perhaps ruinous to every -prospect he had in life." - -Sir Robert Milnes strongly supported the representation of the Grand -Jury, and added that "Under such circumstances every species of -offence is to be apprehended, from Trespasses to Murder," and also -that "the national character of the English will be debased among the -Indians, and the numerous tribes of those people will in consequence -thereof be more easily wrought upon by foreign emissaries employed by -the Enemies of Great Britain."[88] - -In consequence of these representations Lord Hobart promised that -immediate steps should be taken to remedy the existing state of -affairs. But Milnes became impatient for a decision, and writing in -September, 1803, to the Under-Secretary, he reminded him of the -promise, the great increase and extent of the fur-trade rendering such -an Act daily more necessary. The Act to give jurisdiction to the -Courts of Upper and Lower Canada had, however, been assented to on the -11th of the preceding month. - - [Illustration: VOYAGEURS TRACKING CANOES UP A RAPID.] - -[Sidenote: Canada Jurisdiction Act.] - -The first case brought to trial under the Act became celebrated. In -the autumn of 1809 William Corrigal was the trader at a Company's post -near Eagle Lake. On the 15th of September a party of North-Westers -established an encampment about forty yards from the Company's post, -under one of their clerks, Aeneas MacDonnell. In the evening an Indian -arrived in his canoe to trade with Corrigal and to pay a debt which he -owed him. As he was not able to defray the whole amount, Corrigal -accepted the canoe in part payment. The Indian requested that it might -be lent to him for a few days, which was agreed to; and the Indian -spent the night at the post with his canoe. In the morning he received -in advance some more merchandise, such as clothing for his family and -ammunition for his winter hunt. When he finally departed, three of the -Company's servants were sent down to the wharf with the canoe and the -goods. On their way they were observed by a number of Northmen, -including MacDonnell, who went immediately down to the lake, armed -with a sword and accompanied by a voyageur named Adhemer, armed with a -brace of pistols. Upon pretence that the unhappy Red man was indebted -to the North-West company, they proceeded to seize and drag away the -canoe and the merchandise to their own wharf. Corrigal observing this, -commanded two of his men, James Tate and John Corrigal, to go into the -water and prevent the seizure, and as they approached on this mission -MacDonnell drew his sword and struck two blows at Tate's head. The -latter was unarmed, and warded the blows with his wrist, which was -severely gashed. He then received another deep wound in the neck, -which felled him to the ground. In the meantime Adhemer had seized -John Corrigal (who was also unarmed) and presenting a cocked pistol at -his head, swore that if he went near the canoe he would blow out his -brains. - -Several of the Company's servants who were near the spot, perceiving -what was going on, and observing that the rest of MacDonnell's men -were collecting with arms, ran up to their own house, which was only -about forty or fifty yards from the lake, for weapons of defence. -MacDonnell next attacked John Corrigal, who to escape him ran into the -lake. Finding the water too deep, however, he was soon obliged to make -a turn towards the shore. His pursuer wading after him, aimed a blow -at him with his sword, cut his arm above the elbow and laid the bone -bare. He followed this up with a tremendous blow at his head, which -Robert Leask, one of the Company's servants, fortunately warded off -with the paddle of his canoe, which was cut in two by the blow. The -North-West leader in a fury now attacked another servant named Essen, -aimed a blow at him with his sword, which, however, only struck his -hat off. But in making his escape Essen fell into the water. Before he -could recover himself another Canadian aimed a blow at his head with a -heavy axe, which missed its aim, but dislocated his shoulder, so that -he could make no use of his arm for over two months after this -affray. - -[Sidenote: Killing of MacDonnell.] - -MacDonnell and Adhemer, the one with a drawn sword and the other with -a cocked pistol, continued to pursue several other of the Company's -servants towards the fort, when one of them, named John Mowat, whom -MacDonnell had previously struck with his sword, and was preparing to -strike again, shot MacDonnell on the spot. - -[Sidenote: Trial of Mowat.] - -MacDonnell's body was carried away, and the parties separated, -Corrigal fearing a further attack. On the 24th, a partner of the -North-West Company, named Haldane, arrived in a canoe with ten men, -and on the following day another partner, McLellan, also arrived. They -came to the gates of the stockades, behind which Corrigal and his men -had barricaded themselves, and demanded the man who had shot -MacDonnell. They declared that if the person was not immediately given -up they would either shoot every one of the Company's men, or get the -Indians to kill them, were it even to cost them a keg of brandy for -each of their heads! Mowat now stepped forward and acknowledged that -he was the man, and that he would shoot MacDonnell again in the same -circumstances. Much to his surprise the North-Westers announced their -intention of taking him and two witnesses down to Montreal for trial. -Mowat was thereupon put in irons. From the 2nd of October, when they -arrived at Rainy Lake, the unhappy man was generally kept in irons -from six in the morning till eight in the evening, and during the -night until the 14th of December. During the whole winter he was kept -in close confinement, and the two witnesses, Tate and Leask, who had -voluntarily accompanied him, were themselves subjected to much insult -and indignity, and were obliged to submit to every species of drudgery -and labour in order to obtain a bare subsistence. In June the whole -party, including Corrigal, arrived at Fort William, the chief -trading-post rendezvous of the North-Westers. Here Mowat was -imprisoned in a close and miserable dungeon, about six feet square, -without any window or light of any kind whatsoever, and when he -finally reached Montreal he was in a most pitiable condition. The -witnesses were seized on a charge of aiding and abetting the murder -of MacDonnell, and this upon the oath of one of the North-West -half-breeds. The Hudson's Bay Company had at this time no agent or -correspondent at Montreal or any place in Canada, and it was not until -the end of November that the Honourable Adventurers heard of the -prosecution being carried on against their servants. Immediate steps -were taken for their protection, and counsel engaged for the defence. -Mowat and his witnesses were indicted for murder. The grand jury found -a true bill against Mowat, but not against the others, and Tate and -Leask were accordingly discharged.[89] - -In spite of the evidence, the jury brought in a verdict of -manslaughter. The judge, however, had charged them to find it murder. -Mowat was sentenced to be imprisoned six months and branded on the -hand with a hot iron. After his discharge, two years from the time he -was first put in irons at Eagle Lake, Mowat proceeded from Canada to -the United States in order to return to England, but was never heard -of again. He is supposed to have been drowned by the breaking of the -ice in one of the rivers he had to cross on his way. - -[Sidenote: The Earl of Selkirk.] - -Such was the situation in the early years of the century. At this time -there rose a name destined to be of more than local fame, that of -Thomas Douglas, fifth Earl of Selkirk, a young man of benevolent -character, whose feelings had been deeply moved by the sufferings of -his countrymen in the Scottish Highlands. Nor was the nobleman's -compassion excited without cause. A compulsory exodus of the -inhabitants of the mountainous regions in the county of Sutherland was -in progress. The tale of expulsion of a vast number of poor tenantry -from the estates of the Duchess of Sutherland, which they and their -ancestors had looked upon as their own without the necessity of rent -and taxes, may be heard to-day from some white-haired old grandfather, -who had it from the lips of his sire, in the far north of Scotland. -The system of rents and land-management as it prevails to-day all over -the Highlands had only then been put in force, and the squatters were -driven to seek their homes as best they might in the remote and -sequestered places of the earth. Selkirk encouraged this emigration as -the only remedy; and having endeavoured in vain to secure the active -co-operation of the Government, resolved to settle a colony on waste -lands granted him in Prince Edward Island. The better to ensure -success, he went in person to oversee the whole enterprise. Gathering -together about eight hundred of these poor people, who bade a -melancholy farewell to their heather-robed hills, they arrived at -their future home early in September, 1803. - - [Illustration: LORD SELKIRK.] - -Selkirk visited Montreal in this and also in the following year on -matters connected with his philanthropic undertaking, and on both -occasions evinced the heartiest interest in the great territory to the -north-west which formed the theatre of action for the two rival -fur-trading companies. - -The Prince Edward Island colony continuing to prosper, Lord Selkirk -now conceived the plan of forming a colony on the banks of the Red -River, in Rupert's Land.[90] In order to execute his project with a -greater assurance of success, he again, in 1805, addressed the British -Government and nation, pointing out the successful issue of his colony -as an example of the excellent results which would attend a further -exodus of the superfluous population. - -Time went on and the execution of the plan being still in abeyance, -the great decline in Hudson's Bay stock suggested an idea to Selkirk. -He submitted the charter to several of the highest legal authorities -in England, and got from them the following: - -"We are of the opinion that the grant of the said contained charter is -good, and that it will include all the country, the waters of which -run into Hudson's Bay, as ascertained by geographical observations. - -[Sidenote: Legal opinion on the Company's charter.] - -"We are of opinion that an individual holding from the Hudson's Bay -Company a lease or grant in fee simple of any part of their territory, -will be entitled to all the ordinary rights of landed property in -England, and will be entitled to prevent other persons from occupying -any part of the lands; from cutting down timber and fishing in the -adjoining waters (being such as a private right of fishing may subsist -in), and may (if he can peaceably or otherwise in due course of law) -dispossess them of any buildings which they have recently erected -within the limits of their property. - -"We are of opinion that the grant of the civil and criminal -jurisdiction is valid, though it is not granted to the Company, but -to the Governor and Council at their respective establishments. We -cannot recommend, however, it to be exercised so as to affect the -lives or limbs of criminals. It is to be exercised by the Governor and -Council as judges, who are to proceed according to the laws of -England. - -"The Company may appoint a sheriff to execute judgments and do his -duty as in England. - -"We are of opinion that the sheriff, in case of resistance to his -authority, may collect the population to his assistance, and put arms -into the hands of his servants for defence against attack, and to -assist in enforcing the judgments of the courts; but such powers -cannot be exercised with too much circumspection. - -"We are of opinion that all persons will be subject to the -jurisdiction of the court, who reside or are found within the -territories over which it extends. - -"We do not think the Canada Jurisdiction Act (43 George III.) gives -jurisdiction within the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company, the -same being within the jurisdiction of their own governors and -council.[91] - -"We are of opinion that the Governor (in Hudson's) might under the -authority of the Company, appoint constables and other officers for -the preservation of the peace and that the officers so appointed would -have the same duties and privileges as the same officers in England, -so far as these duties and privileges may be applicable to their -situation in the territories of the Company." This was signed by Sir -Samuel Ronully, Mr. Justice Holroyd, W. M. Cruise, J. Scarlett and -John Bell. There could be thus no question of Selkirk's right. The -Company's charter, amongst other provisions, expressly forbids all -English subjects from entering, without license or authority, upon the -territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Governor and Company only -are empowered to grant such authority and on them also is conferred -the right of establishing castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons, -colonies, plantations, towns and villages, in any parts or places -within the limits of their territory. They had also the right of -sending ships of war, men or ammunition, to their colonies, -fortifications or plantations, and of appointing governors, commanders -and officers over them. - -Selkirk began by purchasing several thousand pounds worth of shares in -the Company. - -Late in 1810 he made a formal proposition to the Company, a -proposition previously made and rejected, for a settlement to be made -within its territory. This time some of the Honourable Adventurers -began to see that the scheme might be fraught with salvation for -themselves. - -Lord Selkirk was asked to lay before the committee the terms on which -he would accept a grant of land within the Hudson's Bay territories, -"specifying what restrictions he would be prepared to consent to be -imposed on the settlers." Also what security he would offer to the -Company against any injury to its trade or to its rights and -privileges. - -Lord Selkirk responded to this, and his proposals were agreed to, -subject to final approbation of a general court of all the -Adventurers. - -[Sidenote: Selkirk's project.] - -It now dawned upon the wiser spirits that here was being offered them -the means for the Company's salvation. Nevertheless, the traditional -opposition of the Company to any project of the kind still lingered, -and was not easily disposed of. For weeks the meetings in committee -resounded with appeals to "traditional policy," to "loyalty to the -noble, the ancient founders," to "a spirit of reverence for the -history of our Company," but all to no purpose. Selkirk was to carry -the day. A general court was convened, by public notice, in May 1811, -when the stockholders were informed that the Governor and Committee -considered it beneficial to their general interests to grant Lord -Selkirk 116,000 square miles of their territory, on condition that he -should establish a colony and furnish, on certain terms, from amongst -the settlers, such labourers as would be required by the Company in -their trade. - -In order to give the partners a further opportunity of making -themselves fully informed of the nature of the proposed measure, an -adjournment of the court took place. In the meanwhile notice was given -to all the stockholders that the terms of the proposed grant were left -at the secretary's office for their inspection. - -This interval was the opportunity of McGillivray and his friends. - -In certain quarters, no pains or misrepresentations were spared by -persons associated with the North-West Company to prejudice the public -mind against it. The newspapers teemed with falsehoods representing -the country as cold or barren, as a dreary waste or interminable -forest, unfit to be the abode of men and incapable of improvement. -Selkirk was accosted in Pall Mall by a friend who remarked: "By God, -sir, if you are bent on doing something futile, why do you not sow -tares at home in order to reap wheat, or plough the desert of Sahara, -which is nearer." - -Old servants of the Company came forward to dispel these calumnies, -and seeing their first falsehoods destroyed, Selkirk's enemies now -proceeded to follow new tactics. They spoke with feigned alarm -concerning the hostile disposition of the aborigines; they lamented -with affected sympathy and humanity the injuries and slaughters to -which the colonists would be exposed from the savages. - -At the adjourned meeting the proposition was again discussed amidst -the greatest excitement and tumult, and adopted. A memorial or protest -was however entered against the measure, bearing the signature of six -of the proprietors. - -[Sidenote: Opposition by agents of the North-West Company.] - -Of these six signing the protest, three were persons closely connected -with and interested in the rival commercial concerns of the North-West -Company of Montreal; and two of the three were, at the very moment, -avowed London agents of that association. These had become proprietors -of Hudson's Bay stock only eight and forty hours before the general -meeting. They were not indeed possessed of it long enough to entitle -them to vote at the meeting; but their names now being entered in the -Company's books, though the ink was scarcely dry with which they were -inserted, they felt themselves competent to formally raise their -voices in condemnation of those measures which the committee of -directors unanimously, and the general court by a great majority, had -approved of. - -Their design in acquiring the Company's stock was obvious. However -circuitous the stratagem might be, it was clear that they had thus -become proprietors of one commercial company for the purpose of -advancing the fortunes of another, and a rival concern.[92] The -stratagem did not altogether fail, for Lord Selkirk's agents were yet -to encounter much friction in distant quarters supposed to be -friendly, and required to be obedient to the orders of the Company. - -When the vote was taken, it was found that for the question there -appeared holders of stock valued at L29,937; against it, L14,823. The -Earl, himself, voted "for"--L4,087; the principal opponent of the -scheme being one William Thwaytes, whose interest was represented at -L9,233. - -At this meeting a memorial was read violently opposing the scheme, -signed by Thwaytes and four or five others. According to them, the -main objections were:--(_a_) Impolitic; (_b_) Consideration -inadequate; (_c_) Grant asked for very large proportion of Company's -holding, viz.: 70,000 square miles, or about 45,000,000 acres; (_d_) -Should be a public sale, if any, not a private contract with a member -of the Company; (_e_) No penalty for failure to find settlers; (_f_) -Colonization unfavourable to the fur-trade; private traffic would be -carried on with the United States of America. - -The Earl proposed to find a number of effective men as servants to the -Hudson's Bay Company in return for a grant of land, viz., two hundred -men for ten years, from 1812, who would every year be ready to embark -between May 1st and July 1st at an appointed place in Scotland. - -The Company were to pay wages to each man not exceeding L20. Should -the Earl fail, he agreed to forfeit L10 per man short of two hundred. -As to proposed grants of land to settlers, two hundred acres were to -be given to labourers or artificers; one thousand acres to a master of -a trading-house. The Company were, of course, to have full rights of -access to all the surrendered districts. - -[Sidenote: Earl Selkirk's proposal accepted.] - -The customs duties, exports and imports, payable by settlers were not -to exceed five per cent, at Port Nelson, unless it happened that a -higher duty was levied at Quebec. The duties so to be levied were to -be applied to the expense of Government police, communication between -Lake Winnipeg and Port Nelson, etc., and not to be taken as profits -for the Company. The show of hands was in favour of the proposal; but -a protest was handed in to the Governor by Thwaytes and others. In -spite of this, on the 13th of June, the deed was signed, sealed and -delivered by the secretary on behalf of the Company. - -The lands were defined by deed as situate between 52 deg. 30' north -latitude and 102 deg. 30' west longitude, a map being affixed to the -deed. - -In reading this protest, one who was ignorant of the true state of -affairs would have been led to believe that the partners concerned had -no object so dear to them as the welfare and prosperity of the -Hudson's Bay Company. These gentlemen appeared to be animated by the -most thorough devotion and zeal, as they stood together declaiming in -loud, earnest tones against the errors into which their beloved -Company was falling, and pouring out their sympathy to the emigrant -settlers who might be lured to their destruction by establishing -themselves on the lands so granted "out of reach," to employ their own -phrase, "of all those aids and comforts which are derived from civil -society;" and so it did truly appear to many then as it has done -since. But let us examine those signatures, and lo, the wolf obtrudes -himself basking in the skin of a lamb! - -The grant was thus confirmed. The opposition had found itself -powerless, and Selkirk was put into possession of a territory only -5,115 square miles less than the entire area of the United Kingdom of -Great Britain and Ireland.[93] - -The grant secured, Selkirk at once despatched agents to Ireland and -throughout the highlands of Scotland, to engage servants, some for the -Company's service, others for general labourers in the colony. These -last were known as "his lordship's servants," and were engaged for a -term of years, at the expiration of which they became entitled to one -hundred acres of land, free of cost. They were placed under the charge -of Miles McDonnell, who received a joint appointment from Selkirk and -the Company, as first Governor of the new colony. - -[Sidenote: Selkirk's immigrants arrive.] - -The first section of the immigrant party arrived at York Factory late -in the autumn of 1811.[94] This post was then in charge of William -Auld, who, as we have seen, occupied the position of Superintendent of -the Northern Department of Rupert's Land. After a short residence at -the fort, where they were treated in a somewhat tyrannical and -high-handed fashion by the Governor, who had scant sympathy for the -new _regime_, the party were sent forward to Seal Creek, fifty miles -up Nelson River. Governor McDonnell and one Hillier, in the character -of justice of the peace, accompanied them thither, and preparations -were at once made for the erection of a suitable shelter. - - [Illustration: STORNAWAY. - (_The Hebrides._)] - -McDonnell experienced a great deal of trouble during the winter with -the men under his charge, for a mutinous spirit broke out, and he was -put to his wits' end to enforce discipline. He put it all down to the -Glasgow servants. "These Glasgow rascals," he declared to Auld, the -Governor of York Factory, "have caused us both much trouble and -uneasiness. A more stubborn, litigious and cross-grained lot were -never put under any person's care. I cannot think that any liberality -of rum or rations could have availed to stop their dissatisfaction. -Army and navy discipline is the only thing fit to manage such fierce -spirits." - -But the Irish of the party were hardly more tractable. On New Year's -night, 1812, a violent and unprovoked attack was made by some of the -Irish on a party of Orkneymen, who were celebrating the occasion. -Three of the latter were so severely beaten that for a month the -surgeon could not report their lives entirely out of danger. Four of -the Irishmen concerned in this assault were sent back home. "Worthless -blackguards," records the Governor; "the lash may make them -serviceable to the Government in the army or navy, but they will never -do for us." - -On the subject of the Orkney servants of the Company all critics were -not agreed. Governor McDonnell's opinion, for instance, was not -flattering:-- - -"There cannot," he reported, "be much improvement made in the country -while the Orkneymen form the majority of labourers; they are lazy, -spiritless, and ill-disposed--wedded to old habits, strongly -prejudiced against any change, however beneficial. It was with the -utmost reluctance they could be prevailed on to drink the spruce juice -to save themselves from the scurvy; they think nothing of the scurvy, -as they are then idle, and their wages run on.... It is not uncommon -for an Orkneyman to consume six pounds or eight pounds of meat in a -day, and some have ate as much in a single meal. This gluttonous -appetite, they say, is occasioned by the cold. I entirely discredit -the assertion, as I think it rather to be natural to themselves. All -the labour I have seen these men do would scarcely pay for the -victuals they consume. With twenty-five men belonging to it, the -factory was last winter distressed for firewood, and the people sent -to tent in the woods."[95] - -[Sidenote: Opposition by the Nor'-Westers.] - -Meanwhile, leaving the shivering immigrants, distrustful of their -officers and doubtful of what the future had in store for them, to -encamp at Seal Creek, let us turn to the state of affairs amongst the -parties concerned elsewhere, particularly amongst the Nor'-Westers. -Simon McGillivray, who was agent in London for that Company, watched -all Selkirk's acts with the utmost distrust, and kept the partners -continually informed of the turn affairs were taking. He assured them -that Selkirk's philanthropy was all a cloak, designed to cover up a -scheme for the total extinction of the Hudson's Bay Company's rivals. -The colony was to be planted to ruin their trade. It was an endeavour -to check the physical superiority of the Nor'-Westers and by means of -this settlement secure to the Hudson's Bay Company and to himself, not -only the extensive and sole trade of the country within their own -territories, but a "safe and convenient stepping-stone for -monopolizing all the fur-trade of the Far West." - -The partners in Montreal were stirred to action. Regarding Lord -Selkirk's motives in this light, they warmly disputed the validity of -the Hudson's Bay Company's Charter and of the grants of land made to -him. It was decided to bring all the forces of opposition they -possessed to bear on this "invasion of their hunting grounds." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[88] Canadian Archives. - -[89] It has been noted that several partners of the North-West concern -were upon the grand jury which found the bill of indictment, and out -of four judges who sat upon the bench, two were nearly related to -individuals of that association. - -[90] Already, in April, 1802, Lord Selkirk had addressed a letter and -memorial to Lord Pelham, the Home Secretary, detailing the -practicability of promoting emigration to Rupert's Land. "To a colony -in these territories," he concluded, "the channel of trade must be the -river of Port Nelson." - -[91] In the course of a letter reporting on the disputes between the -Hudson's Bay Company and the North-Westers, Commissioner Coltman -attributed the disasters in the territories to the Company having held -in abeyance its right to jurisdiction and that this neglect was the -reason for passing the act of 1803. This letter is in the Canadian -Archives, _v._ Report 1892. - -[92] "I have," writes Sir Alexander Mackenzie from London, 13th April, -1812, "finally settled with that Lord (Selkirk). After having prepared -a bill to carry him before the Lord Chancellor, it was proposed to my -solicitor by the solicitor of his Lordship that one-third of the stock -that was purchased on joint account before I went to America, -amounting to L47,000, and the balance of cash in his Lordship's hands, -belonging to me, should be given up to me; of this I accepted, though -I might have obliged his Lordship to make over to me one-third of the -whole purchase made by him in this stock, which at one time I was -determined to do, having been encouraged thereto by the house of -Suffolk Lane and countenanced by that of Mark Lane. But these houses -thought it prudent to desist from any further purchases." - -Mackenzie says that by a verbal understanding with Mr. McGillivray, -his purchase of the Hudson's Bay stock belonged to the North-West -Company, and that, if Mr. McGillivray himself had been there, a sum of -L30,000 might have been invested in that stock, "all of which Lord -Selkirk purchased, and if he persists in his present scheme, it will -be the dearest he yet made. - -"He will put the North-West Company to a greater expense than you seem -to apprehend, and had the Company sacrificed L20,000 which might have -secured a preponderance in the stock of Hudson's Bay Co., it would -have been money well spent." - -[93] The district thus granted was called Assiniboia, a name -undoubtedly derived from the Assiniboine tribe and river, yet alleged -by some at the time to be taken from two Gaelic words "osni" and -"boia"--the house of Ossian. - -[94] "None of the young men," says McDonnell, "made any progress in -learning the Gaelic or Irish language on the voyage. I had some drills -of the people with arms, but the weather was generally boisterous, and -there were few days when a person could stand steady on deck. There -never was a more awkward squad--not a man, or even officer, of the -party knew how to put a gun to his eye or had ever fired a shot." - -[95] Governor McDonnell's observations are not always to be relied -upon. For instance, he says in one report, "I am surprised the Company -never directed a survey to be made of the coast on each side of -Hudson's Straits. From the appearance of the country there must be -many harbours and inlets for vessels to go in case of an accident from -ice, want of water, etc. We were often, ourselves, much in doubt for -the accomplishment of our voyage, and had we been under the necessity -of putting back, must have suffered for want of water. Two of the -ships, without any additional expense, might execute this survey on -the voyage out, with only the detention of a few days, one taking the -north and the other the south shore." Such a survey had been made as -early as 1728. Mention has already been made of Captain Coats, who, in -1739, prepared a chart of the Straits and Bay. To some of the older -captains in the service, the Straits were as well-known as the harbour -of Stromness. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -1812-1815. - - The Bois-Brules -- Simon McGillivray's Letter -- Frightening - the Settlers -- A second Brigade -- Governor McDonnell's - Manifesto -- Defection of Northmen to the Company -- - Robertson's Expedition to Athabasca -- Affairs at Red River -- - Cameron and McDonell in uniform -- Cuthbert Grant -- Miles - McDonnell arrested -- Fort William -- News brought to the - Northmen -- Their confiscated account-books -- War of 1812 - concluded. - - -[Sidenote: The Bois-Brules.] - -There had lately been witnessed the rapid growth of a new -class--sprung from the loins of Red man and European. Alert, rugged, -turbulent, they evinced at the same time a passionate love of the life -and manners of the wilderness, and a fierce intractability which could -hardly fail to cause occasional uneasiness in the minds of their -masters. To this class had been given the name of Metis, or -Bois-Brules. They were principally the descendants of the French -voyageurs of the North-West concern, who had allied themselves with -Indian women and settled down on the shore of some lake or stream in -the interior. Amongst these half-breeds hunters and trappers came, and -at a later period a number of Englishmen and Scotchmen, hardly less -strongly linked to a wild, hardy life than themselves. These also took -Indian wives, and they and their children spoke of themselves as -neither English, Scotch, or Indian, but as belonging to the "New -Nation." - -From 1812 to 1821 the North-West concern absorbed all the labours and -exacted the loyalty of the increasing class of Bois-Brules. The -Hudson's Bay Company was exclusively an English company, and their -Scotch and English servants had left few traces of an alliance with -the aborigines. As the posts in the interior began to multiply, and -the men were thus cut off from the larger society which obtained at -York, Cumberland and Moose factories, and were thrown more upon their -own resources, a laxer discipline prevailed, and the example of their -neighbours was followed. A time was to come when the "Orkney -half-breeds" equalled in point of numbers those of the French -Bois-Brules. - - [Illustration: A BOIS-BRULE.] - -There were yet few half-breeds of English extraction. The Bois-Brules -were passionately attached to the North-West company, who were quick -to recognize their value as agents amongst the Indians. The idea of -nationality, so far from being frowned upon, was encouraged amongst -them. So much for the instruments which the Company proposed to employ -in Montreal. - -It was only natural that amongst this rude race there should arise a -leader, a half-breed to whose superior ability and natural advantages -was added an education in Montreal, the seat of the co-partnery. -Cuthbert Grant, which was the name this individual bore, was known far -and wide amongst the hunters and trappers of Rupert's Land, and -everywhere commanded homage and respect. He had risen to be one of the -most enterprising and valued agents of the Nor'-Westers, and was -constantly admitted to their councils. - -On the 22nd of May, 1811, at which period the matter was in embryo in -London, Simon McGillivray had frankly declared to Miles McDonnell, -agent to Lord Selkirk, that he was "determined to give all the -opposition in his power, whatever might be the consequences," because, -in his opinion, "such a settlement struck at the root of the -North-West company, which it was intended to ruin."[96] - -By way of argument, this gentleman took it upon himself to inform the -Hudson's Bay Company that the proposed settlement was foredoomed to -destruction, inasmuch as it "must at all times lie at the mercy of the -Indians," who would not be bound by treaties, and that "one North-West -Company's interpreter would be able at any time to set the Indians -against the settlers and destroy them." - -[Sidenote: Defections from the North-West Company.] - -Selkirk was now informed that there were several clerks who had been -many years in the service of the Northmen, and who were disaffected in -that service. They grumbled at not having been sooner promoted to the -proprietary--that the claims of the old and faithful were too often -passed over for those of younger men of little experience, because -they were related to the partners. The Earl was not slow to avail -himself of this advantage. It became a matter of importance to -persuade as many as possible of these dissatisfied spirits to join his -scheme, by the offer of large salaries, and several accepted his offer -with alacrity. Amongst the most enterprising was one Colin Robertson, -a trader who had often ventured his life amongst the tribes and -half-breeds, to forward the interests of his establishment. He -possessed a perfect knowledge of the interior and of the fur-trade, -and to him Lord Selkirk entrusted the chief management of the latter -for the Company. Robertson was well convinced of the superiority of -the Canadian voyageurs over the Orkneymen, in the management of -canoes, for example, and he proceeded to engage a number of them in -Montreal at a much higher wage than they had received hitherto. - -To Robertson's counsels must be ascribed much of the invigoration -which now began to mark the policy of the Company. His letters to the -Company were full of a common-sense and a fighting spirit. "Let us -carry the trade to Athabasca," he said; and he proceeded to -demonstrate how all rivalry could be annihilated. The strength and -weakness of his rivals were familiar to him, and he was well aware how -much depended on the Indians themselves. They could and would deal -with whom they chose; Robertson determined they should deal -henceforth, not with the North-West, but with the Hudson's Bay -Company. - -The Northmen had been for years continually pressing to the West. They -were doing a thriving trade on the Columbia River, in Oregon, where -they had a lucrative post; they had a post to the south of that in -California, and to the north as far as New Archangel. In the second -decade of the century the North-West Association had over three -hundred Canadians in its employ on the Pacific slope, sending three or -four ships annually to London by way of Cape Horn. In 1810 they had a -competitor in the post of Astoria, founded by John Jacob Astor, a -fur-monopolist of New York. Astor had made overtures to the North-West -partners, which had been declined; whereupon he induced about twenty -Canadians to leave them and enter his service. He despatched two -expeditions, one overland and the other by sea, around Cape Horn. But -the founder of Astoria had not foreseen that the breaking out of war -between Great Britain and America would upset all his plans. Fort -Astoria, in the fortunes of war, changed hands and became Fort George; -and although the post was, by the Treaty of Ghent, restored, the -Canadians and Scotchmen had returned to their old employers and -interests. In a few years the Hudson's Bay Company was to control the -chief part of the fur-trade of the Pacific Coast. - - [Illustration: FORT GEORGE. - (_Astoria--as it was in 1813._)] - -None of the Company's servants had yet penetrated as far west as -Athabasca. Yet it was the great northern department of Rupert's -Land--a country which, if not flowing with milk and honey, swarmed -with moose and beaver. To Athabasca, therefore, Robertson went. - -[Sidenote: The Company in Athabasca.] - -This first expedition was highly successful. Never had the natives -received such high prices for their furs. Seduced from their -allegiance to the Northmen, and dimly recalling the tales of their -sires, regarding whilom journeys to the posts of the Great Company, -they rallied in scores and hundreds round its standard. The news -spread far and wide. Other tribes heard and marvelled. They, too, had -listened to stories of the white traders, who far away, past rivers -and plain and mountain, sat still in their forts and waited for the -Red man to bring them furs. Now the Mountain was coming to Mahomet. -Many of them resolved to keep their furs until the traders from the -Bay came amongst them, too; and, gnashing their teeth, the Northmen -were compelled to give them still higher prices, if they would obtain -the goods of the savages, and secure their wavering loyalty. - - [Illustration: ARRIVAL OF THE UPLAND INDIANS.] - -Other measures became incumbent upon them to perform. They were -obliged to send double the quantity of merchandise into the interior, -and they were also to supply extra provisions to their own men, and to -raise their wages; while several clerks were elected partners. Cost -what it might, the Northmen were determined to fight to the end. - -It has been shewn in preceding pages how the step of removing from -Grand Portage had been anticipated as far back as 1785, when Edward -Umfreville was sent to reconnoitre a site for a new fort on British -territory. None appeared more suited to the purposes of the -Nor'-Westers than this; the river was deep and of easy access, and -offered a safe harbour for shipping. On the other hand, it was -situated in low, swampy soil; but by dint of great labour and -perseverance they succeeded in draining the marshes and in converting -to solidity the loose and yielding soil, accomplishing on a small -scale much of what Czar Peter was obliged to do on a large scale with -the foundation of Petersburg. - -[Sidenote: Fort William.] - -When all was finished, Fort William as it was called,[97] presented an -engaging exterior. It possessed the appearance of a fort, having a -palisade fifteen feet high, while the number of dwellings it enclosed, -gave it, from a distance, the appearance of a charming village. In the -centre of the spacious enclosure rose a large wooden building, -constructed with considerable pretensions to elegance, a long piazza -or portico, at an elevation of five feet from the ground and -surmounted by a balcony, fronting the building its entire length. The -great hall or saloon was situated in the middle of this building. At -each extremity of this apartment were two rooms, designed for the use -of the two principal agents, and the steward and his staff, the last -named official being a highly important personage. The kitchen and -servants' rooms were in the basement. On either side of the main -edifice was another of similar but less lofty extent, each divided by -a corridor running through its length and containing a dozen cosy -bedrooms. One was destined for the wintering partners, the other for -the clerks. On the east of the square stood another building similar -to the ones named, and applied to the same purpose; also a warehouse, -where the furs were inspected and packed for shipment. In the rear of -these were the lodging house of the guides, another fur warehouse, -and lastly, a powder magazine, a substantial structure of stone with a -metal roof. A great bastion, at an angle of the fort, commanded a view -of Lake Superior. There were other buildings to the westward, stores, -a gaol, workshops of the carpenter, cooper, blacksmith and tinsmith, -with spacious yards for the shelter, repair and construction of -canoes. Near the gate of the fort, which faced the south, were the -quarters of the physician and the chief clerks, and over the gates was -a guard-house. The river being of considerable depth at the entrance, -the Company had a wharf built extending the whole length of the fort, -for the discharge of the vessels it maintained on the lake, and for -the transport of its furs from Fort William to Sault Ste. Marie or -merchandise and provisions from the latter place to Fort William. The -land behind the fort and on both sides was cleared and under -cultivation. - - [Illustration: ON THE WAY TO FORT WILLIAM.] - -[Sidenote: The immigrants at Red River.] - -At the beginning of spring the "first brigade" of immigrants resumed -its journey to the Red River Valley, arriving at what is now known as -Point Douglas, late in August, 1812. Hardly had they reached this spot -than they were immediately thrown into the greatest fright and -disorder. A band of armed men, painted, disfigured and apparelled -like savages, confronted this little band of colonists and bade them -halt. They were told briefly that they were unwelcome visitors in that -region, and must depart. The colonists might have been urged to make a -stand, but to the terrors of hostile Indian and half-breed was added -that of prospective starvation, for none would sell them provisions -thereabouts. The painted warriors, who were North-West company Metis -in disguise, urged them to proceed to Pembina, where they would be -unharmed, and offered to conduct them there. They acquiesced, and the -pilgrimage, seventy miles farther on, was resumed. At Pembina they -passed the winter in tents, according to the Indian fashion, -subsisting on the products of the chase, in common with the natives. - -When spring came it was decided to again venture to plant the colony -on the banks of the Red River. Means were found to mollify their -opponents, and log-houses were built, and patches of prairie sown with -corn. A small quantity of seed wheat, obtained at Fort Alexander, -yielded them handsome returns at harvest time and the lot of the -settlers seemed brighter; but nevertheless they decided to repair to -Pembina for the winter, and saving their corn, live by hunting until -the spring. - -While affairs were thus proceeding with the colonists, Lord Selkirk, -in 1813, paid a visit to Ireland, where he secured a large number of -people as servants for the fur-trade and the colony, in addition to -those engaged in the Highlands.[98] - -Selkirk infused new life into the Company, and a number of plans for -its prosperity emanated from his brain. For a long time the Company -had had much at heart the erection of a new factory in place of York -Factory, but they had not thitherto had sufficient strength of hands -to accomplish this. Selkirk wrote to McDonnell that if the settlers -were employed in that object for the winter, the Company stood ready -to pay their wages. "Perhaps," he added, "it would be more advisable -to do this than to make an abortive attempt to reach the interior.... -I believe that I mentioned that I am anxious to have the soundings of -Nelson River taken, from Seal Island down to the open sea. I beg that -while you are at York, you will try to induce some of the officers of -the ships to go and make the survey. I will pay a handsome premium to -the individual who accomplishes it." - - [Illustration: THE COMPANY'S SHIPS IN 1812. - (_From the picture in Hudson's Bay House._)] - -[Sidenote: Irish colonists brought out.] - -On June 28, the Company's ships, the _Prince of Wales_ and the -_Eddystone_, sailed out of the little harbour of Stromness. They were -accompanied by two other vessels, one a brig bound for the Moravian -missions on the Labrador coast, and the other his Majesty's sloop of -war _Brazen_, as armed convoy. The voyage was by no means as -monotonous as such voyages usually were. On board the _Prince of -Wales_, typhoid fever of a virulent character broke out, causing a -panic and a number of deaths, marine funerals being a daily -occurrence. As for the _Eddystone_, an insurrection occurred; during -which the sailors and passengers between decks sought to obtain -possession of the ship and dispose of her, together with cargo and -effects to France or Spain, or to the ships or colonies of those -hostile countries. The captain was, however informed of the plan, and -immediately placed armed men to guard the hatches, loaded the quarter -gun with grape shot and coolly awaited the advent on deck of the -conspirators. These appeared in due course, but were quick to perceive -themselves completely non-plussed and retired below in confusion. - -On the 12th of August the little fleet found an anchorage in Churchill -River, in close proximity to the new fort Prince of Wales. Here the -immigrants were landed, and after a short rest were sent forward, some -on foot and others by boat, to a place known as Colony Creek. Here -they built log cabins, and in their weak, unacclimatized state, drew -together to pass the winter in those hyperborean regions. In order to -receive the scant rations dealt out to them by the Company at the -fort, they were obliged to perform a journey of thirty miles on -snowshoes each week. But the trials and hardships of the poor -wanderers, amongst which was the deprivation of the locks of their -guns "in order that they should not kill the Company's partridges," -came to an end in April, when their gun-locks were restored and they -took up their journey to York Factory, slaying innumerable game as -they went. Here they met from the Chief Factor, Cook, a hospitable -reception, and continuing their journeyings after a short halt, -reached Fort Douglas in the early autumn. Governor McDonnell welcomed -the members of this second brigade and proceeded to allot to each head -of a family one hundred acres of land and an Indian pony. A few days -later they were called together, and after each had been regaled with -a glass of spirits, he was furnished with a musket, bayonet and -ammunition. They were told they must offer an armed resistance to -their tormentors and aggressors should they again appear, and -admonished that the strong could dictate to the weak. Notwithstanding, -the colonists could not but marvel at the plentiful lack of -preparation for the agricultural pursuits which they had intended to -follow in this remote region. There were no farm implements, nor was -there metal of which these could be fashioned, unless it was the -formidable battery of field-guns, or the plentiful supply of muskets -and bayonets. At Fort Douglas, under the circumstances, the colonists -could remain but a short time; it was necessary for them to resort, -as their forerunners had done, to Pembina, so as to be within -convenient distance of the buffalo. - - [Illustration: FORT DOUGLAS, RED RIVER. - (_From a drawing by Lord Selkirk._)] - -In the spring of 1814, the colonists, after a winter rendered -miserable by the jealousy and unfriendliness of the Indians and -half-breeds, returned to Red River in a state of great destitution, -resolved never to return again to Pembina, no matter what their -circumstances. - -But a step had been taken during that winter by Governor McDonnell -which was to reverberate throughout the English-speaking world. -Incensed at the boycotting of the colonists and stirred to action by -their condition, he issued from Fort Daer, which was the Company's -post erected at Pembina, the following proclamation: - - Whereas, the Right Honourable Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, is - anxious to provide for the families at present forming - settlements on his lands at Red River and those on the way to - it, passing the winter at York and Churchill Forts in Hudson's - Bay, as also those who are expected to arrive next autumn, - rendering it a necessary and indispensable part of my duty to - provide for their support. In the yet uncultivated state of the - country, the ordinary resources derived from the buffalo and - other wild animals hunted within the territory, are not deemed - more than adequate for the requisite supply. - -[Sidenote: Governor McDonnell's proclamation.] - - Whereas, it is hereby ordered that no person trading furs or - provisions within the territory for the Honourable the Hudson's - Bay Company, or the North-West Company, or any individual or - unconnected traders or persons whatever, shall take any - provisions, either of flesh, fish, grain or vegetables, - procured or raised within the said territory, by water or land - carriage, for one twelvemonth from the date hereof, save and - except what may be judged necessary for the trading parties at - this present time within the territory, to carry them to their - respective destinations; and who may, on due application to me, - obtain a license for the same. - - The provisions procured and raised as above shall be taken for - the use of the colony; and that no loss shall accrue to the - parties concerned, they will be paid for by British bills at - the customary rates. And be it hereby further made known that - whosoever shall be detected in attempting to convey out, or - shall aid or assist in carrying out, or attempting to carry - out, any provisions prohibited as above, either by water or - land, shall be taken into custody and prosecuted as the laws in - such cases direct; and the provisions so taken, as well as any - goods and chattels, of what nature soever, which may be taken - along with them, and also the craft, carriages and cattle - instrumental in conveying away the same to any part out to any - settlement on Red River, shall be forfeited. - - Given under my hand at Fort Daer (Pembina), the 8th day of - January, 1814. - - (Signed) MILES McDONNELL, _Governor_. - (By order of the Governor). - - (Signed) JOHN SPENCER, _Secretary_. - -A copy of this proclamation was despatched in all haste to Fort -William, where the partners met in the spring. It excited the greatest -indignation and bitterness. It was now determined to seduce and -inveigle away as many of the colonists as could be induced to join the -North-West standard, and after they should have thus diminished their -means of defence, to exhort the Indians of Lac Rouge, Fond du Lac and -other places, to rise and destroy the settlement. It was likewise -their avowed intention to seize the Governor and carry him to Montreal -as a prisoner, by way of degrading the authority under which the -colony was established, in the eyes of the natives of that country. - -[Sidenote: Hostilities planned by the North-West concern.] - -Among the partners of the North-West concern who received their -instructions from this general annual meeting at Fort William, were -Duncan Cameron and Alexander McDonell, and these were the persons -selected by the partnership to superintend and execute the plans -entered into against the Red River colony. On the 5th of August the -last named person wrote to a fellow-partner at Montreal from one of -the portages lying between Lake Superior and the place of his winter -destination in the interior, to which he was then proceeding: "You see -myself, and our mutual friend, Mr. Cameron, so far on our way to -commence open hostilities against the enemy in Red River. Much is -expected from us, and if we believe some--perhaps too much. One thing -is certain, that we will do our best to defend what we consider our -rights in the interior. Something serious will undoubtedly take place. -Nothing but the complete downfall of the colony will satisfy some, by -fair or foul means--a most desirable object if it can be -accomplished. So here is at them, with all my heart and energy." - -McDonell and his co-partner accordingly proceeded towards their -destination, and arrived about the end of August at a trading post -(called by them Fort Gibraltar) belonging to the North-West concern, -situated at the Forks, within half a mile of the Red River settlement. -Cameron remained here during the winter, while his partner, McDonell, -proceeded farther into the interior, returning in the month of May -with a party of Cree Indians from a considerable distance, for a -purpose which is now obvious. - -Cameron, to whom his associates appear to have confided the task of -opposing, upon the spot, the further progress of colonization, was -well qualified to perform such a service. He began by ingratiating -himself amongst several of the heads of families in the settlement, -and being able to converse with many of them in their native Gaelic -tongue, by degrees he gained their confidence and good opinions. He -frequently invited them to his house, and, in short, took every means -to secure their favour. They saw no reason to suspect his intentions; -and thus the influence which he gradually acquired over many of their -members, during the autumn and winter, was artfully exerted to make -them discontented alike with their situation, their officers, and -their prospects. He alarmed them with constant reports which he stated -he had received from the interior, that the Indians from a distance -were coming in the spring to attack them; and that unless they placed -themselves under the protection of the North-West Company, and -accepted his offers to take them to Canada, they would never be able -to escape from the country or avoid the dangers surrounding them. - -[Sidenote: The North-West company causes discontent among the -settlers.] - -Prior to the departure of Cameron and McDonell from Fort William for -Red River, they had adopted the expedient of providing themselves with -British military uniforms. A military coat with a pair of epaulets, -the cast-off uniform of a major, which had previously adorned the -person of a factor named McLeod, now added to Cameron's dignity. He -pretended to bear the King's commission, as did also his companion; -and these two worthies occasionally rode around the country in -uniform, attended by a numerous suite of clerks and half-breeds, and -other servants of the North-West company on horseback. Such imposture -and assumed airs of authority would have evoked merely contempt or -laughter, but under the circumstances had great weight with the -ignorant settlers, who could not but help believing that Cameron and -his followers were sanctioned by Government in their position and -behaviour. The North-West agents now proceeded to put their plans into -execution. The immigrants were alternately bribed, cajoled and -threatened into abandoning their settlement on the Red River. To each -Cameron engaged to give a free passage to Canada (generally to -Montreal), a twelvemonth's supply of provisions _gratis_ for -themselves and families, while various sums, varying from L15 to L100, -were paid or promised to deserters. A pretext being found, Spencer, -the sheriff of the colony and a really valuable officer, was taken -prisoner under a warrant from a North-West partner, and after a -protracted detention sent overland to Montreal. - -During the interval between the autumn of 1814 and the spring of 1815, -a number of the settlers were seduced and instigated to disloyalty -against their benefactors and the Company. A large band of the -Bois-Brules were, during this period, maintained and paraded in arms -under Cameron, who, now that the preparatory measures had reached this -stage, believed the time ripe for more decisive measures. - -Of the ruling spirit amongst the half-breed hordes, mention has -already been made. Cuthbert Grant now appeared on the scene and with -him some of his choicest dare-devil crew. The return of the settlers -to the colony had filled the minds of the Bois-Brules with rage. The -contempt of the wild hunters of the plains for the peaceful tillers of -the soil was great. They scorned them for their manual labour; they -reproachfully termed them "the workers in gardens," and the phrase, -"pork-eaters," formerly applied to the voyageurs east of Fort William, -was now used derisively to the Scotch settlers. All now looked -forward to a grand gathering in the spring at "The Forks," to -administer a final blow to the infant colony. - -The disaffected settlers were therefore, during the temporary absence -of a number of those who still continued faithful to their contracts -and their duty, incited to rob and pillage a fort belonging to the -settlement, and of the cannon set out by the British Government for -its defence. Armed sentinels were placed at different doors to prevent -opposition, while a part of the Bois-Brules and servants of the -Nor'-Westers, under the command of Cameron, were stationed in arms -within the distance of a few hundred feet for the purpose of giving -support to the plunderers in case their force should be insufficient. -Nine pieces of artillery were thus taken from the settlement and -delivered to the North-West party in waiting, who received them with -shouts of triumph and conveyed them to their headquarters, Fort -Gibraltar. To celebrate this exploit Cameron gave a ball and -entertainment to the parties engaged, on the following evening. - -[Sidenote: Attack on the settlement.] - -A camp was now established at a place called Frog Plain, about four -miles below the settlement, by the servants and partisans of the -North-Westers, under the command of McDonell. In June, 1815, after the -colony had been thereby deprived of the means of defence, and was in -great measure surrounded by its enemies, the whole force of Cameron's -post, consisting of half-breeds, servants and North-West clerks, -sallied forth to make a combined attack on the settlement. A sharp -fire of musketry was kept up for some time on the Governor's house and -adjacent buildings. In this attack only four persons belonging to the -settlement were wounded, but one died soon after. Several days passed, -the men encamped at Frog Plain received orders to march to the -settlement, where they erected a battery against the building called -the Government House, on which they planted a portion of the cannon -previously taken. After a series of attacks and skirmishes, Governor -McDonnell was obliged to surrender himself as a prisoner, and under a -warrant from a partner in the North-West company, sent to Montreal, -charged with an undue arrogance of authority to the detriment of the -fur-trade. - -But the North-Westers were not yet satisfied. The principal person of -the settlement (and one who also held the appointment, from the -Hudson's Bay Company, of Governor of the district) was, it is true, in -custody; but having got possession of him, peremptory orders were -issued to Cameron directing the remaining settlers to leave the Red -River. The most wanton acts of aggression followed on the part of -Alexander McDonell, who, after Cameron's departure with his prisoner, -succeeded to the command at the Forks. The colonists were frequently -fired on; the farm-house was broken open and pillaged; a number of -farm labourers were arrested; horses were stolen and cattle driven -away. On the 22nd of June, another attack with fire-arms was made upon -the Governor's house, but the fire was not returned by the dispirited -settlers, who now resolved to migrate. - -[Sidenote: Forced departure of the colonists.] - -An episode occurring on the very eve of their departure showed clearly -upon whose side the Indians of the interior were disposed to range -themselves. Two Saulteaux chiefs, with about forty warriors of that -nation, arrived at the settlement. Learning the condition of affairs -they went over to the North-Westers' fort, and endeavoured to prevail -upon McDonell to cease his persecution and allow the colonists to -remain. Naturally, their request was refused, although the Indian -numbers prevented the North-West official from laughing in their -faces. To McLeod, the Hudson's Bay factor at Fort Douglas, the Indians -expressed their regret; but considering the armament at the disposal -of their foes, could offer them merely the protection of an escort -down the river to Lake Winnipeg. The offer was thankfully accepted, -and under their Indian escort, the officers and remaining settlers, -amounting to about sixty, quitted the settlement, leaving McLeod and -three clerks behind. Having in this manner quitted their homes, they -proceeded in canoes to the mouth of the Red River, crossed Lake -Winnipeg and took up a new abode at a trading-post on Jack River -belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. - - [Illustration: THE FUR LOFT AT A HUDSON'S BAY POST.] - -The day following their departure, a party of North-West company -clerks, servants and half-breeds gathered at the spot, and setting -fire to the houses, the mill and the other buildings, burned them to -the ground. - -Great joy filled the breasts of the North-Westers assembled at Fort -William when these brave tidings were conveyed to their ear. These -tidings were accompanied by convincing proofs of the great victory -gained over the enemy, in the persons of one hundred and thirty-four -settlers, including men, women and children. They arrived about the -end of July and found many of the partners gathered to receive them. -The conduct of Cameron and McDonell met with the most enthusiastic -approval. They were again appointed to command at the same stations in -the interior, which they had charge of the previous season, with a -view to oppose any further attempt to restore the scattered colony on -Red River. - -[Sidenote: Treachery rewarded.] - -While, however, these marks of approbation were lavished upon the -heroes of this work of destruction, the subordinate agents were by no -means so liberally rewarded as they had reason to expect. They even -complained of being defrauded of their promised hire. Many of the -deserters from the colony, however, and those of the settlers whose -treachery had proved most useful to the Montreal Company, were well -rewarded for their services. One of the most interesting features of -this business well deserves to be rescued from oblivion. It is the -account-book captured in the following year by Lord Selkirk, together -with other papers and effects of the North-West Company at Fort -William, and despatched for safe-keeping to Hudson's Bay House, in -London. It shows that credits were given to forty-eight of these -persons for various articles which they had plundered from the -settlement and delivered to Cameron at Fort Gibraltar. These consisted -principally of implements of husbandry, working tools, horses, -muskets, guns, pistols, etc., etc. Thus in one of the pages appears a -credit "for five new guns, L10; for a new common pistol, 15s.; one old -gun, 15s.," etc., etc. At the bottom of these accounts were generally -added the amounts they were to receive, and did receive, as rewards -for their services against the settlement. Several thus obtained -larger sums than, in all probability, they had ever been possessed of -at any one period in the course of their lives. To many of their -accounts were also subjoined, in the handwriting of Cameron and -McDonell, brief abstracts of the services which these deserters had, -respectively, performed in promoting the destruction of the -settlement. - -As an illustration of this, honourable mention is made of one of them -(in the handwriting of Cameron) in this style: "This man joined our -people in February, was a great partisan and very useful to us ever -since, and deserves something from the North-West company, say five or -six pounds." Of another, "This man was also a great partisan of ours, -and made himself very useful to us; he lost his three years' earnings -with the Hudson's Bay Company for joining us, and he deserves, at -least, about L20." Of another (inscribed by Alexander McDonell): "He -was very desperate in our cause this spring and deserves three or four -pounds." There are other entries, as follows: "An active, smart -fellow. Left the Hudson's Bay Company in April last--a true partisan, -steady and brave. Took a most active part in the campaign this spring, -and deserves from L15 to L20. He has lost about L20 by leaving the -Hudson's Bay Company a month before the expiration of his contract." - -"This man left the Hudson's Bay Company in the month of April, owing -to which he lost three years' wages. His behaviour towards us has been -that of a true partisan--a steady, brave and resolute man; and was -something of a leading character among his countrymen, and deserves at -least about L20." - -[Sidenote: Leaves from the account book.] - -But the truest of all these "partisans" appears to have been one -George Campbell. This hitherto obscure personage was accordingly -conspicuously honoured, as well as rewarded, by the North-West -company. He was seated at table in their common hall at Fort William, -next to the partners, and above the clerks of the company. Enviable -distinction! But it was but as the shadow of a more tangible and, -doubtless, to its recipient, a more valued reward. By the direction of -the partnership he received a recompense of L100, paid to him by one -of the company's clerks. In the account-book above mentioned appears -Cameron's testimony to the merits of this hero. "This (George -Campbell) is a very decent man, and a great partisan, who often -exposed his life for the North-West company. He has been of very -essential service in the transactions of Red River, and deserves at -least L100, Halifax; and every other service that can be rendered him -by the North-West company. Rather than that his merit and services -should go unrewarded, I would give him L100 myself, although I have -already been a good deal out of pocket by my campaign to Red River." - -One would fain linger in the common-hall, at Fort William, the -barbaric splendour and even opulence of whose creature comforts have -been painted for us by another and more gifted hand. - -How deep the potations, how turbulent the revelry when the flushed -cohorts from Red River returned and took their places at the board, -conscious of a victory gained over their hated rivals, the -Merchants-Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay, and those miserable -colonists despatched by their Governor to begin the peopling of the -West! Moreover, tidings now came to swell their joy that the war -between Great Britain and America was ended, and so further relieved -their dread of disaster. But decisive as their triumph seemed, it was -short-lived. Even in the midst of this vulgar wassail the despised -settlers had returned, and affairs at Red River were shaping for a -tragedy. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[96] The precise spot was well chosen by Selkirk, had his object been -only the confusion and discomfiture of the North-Westers. It was the -great depot of the latter for the preparation of pemmican. Were the -region to become colonized it would slowly but surely cut off the -buffalo, from which pemmican was made, and eventually force the -North-Westers to import from Canada, at ruinous expense, the chief -part of the provisions requisite for their trading expeditions. - -[97] In honour of William McGillivray, principal partner of the -concern. - -[98] "It will never do," wrote Governor McDonnell to his chief, "to -take the colonists from among the Company's servants. The Orkneymen -are so averse to labour that they prefer the Company's service to -agriculture, and all being engaged in the name of the Company they -object to serve in the colony, thinking it a separate concern." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -1816-1817. - - A New Brigade of Immigrants -- Robert Semple -- Cuthbert - Grant's Letter -- The De Meuron Regiment -- Assembling of the - Bois-Brules -- Tragedy at Seven Oaks -- Selkirk at Fort William - -- McGillivray Arrested -- Arrest of the Northmen -- Selkirk - proceeds to Red River. - - -A new brigade of emigrants had sailed from Stromness. Gloomy and -portentous was the prospect which greeted them on their arrival. They -beheld their comrades and fellow-countrymen of the previous brigade, -who had returned from their exile at Jack River, still gazing in -wretchedness upon the embers of their late dwellings, seeking to -rescue what produce remained in the earth for their winter's -subsistence. - -The ship which had brought out these immigrants had also carried an -able officer of the Company, Robert Semple, a man of parts and -culture, who had been appointed to the chief control of all the -factories in Rupert's Land. - -[Sidenote: Influence of the Nor'-Westers over the half-breeds.] - -The hostile feuds and lawless proceedings of the fur-trading -"partisans" had convulsed the whole Indian country throughout its -boundaries. The arrival of more immigrants only served to add fresh -fuel to the flame. It cannot be denied that between the two rival -companies the North-Westers possessed one dangerous advantage, viz., -the authority and influence they had over the half-breeds, their own -servants, and over many of the more dissolute Indians. "They had so -trained and influenced these," says, with great truth, one sober -trader writing of those times, "both in the school of mischief, rapine -and bloodshed, that no outrage which the unscrupulous ministers of a -lawless despotism could inflict was too extravagant to dread.[99] -Posts were pillaged, robberies committed, and valuable lives -sacrificed without remorse." - -Instead of settling down quietly and cultivating the soil on their -arrival, all the immigrants were quickly dispersed in search of a -precarious subsistence at Pembina and elsewhere, as had been the case -with the first unhappy brigade. They separated, to weather the storms -of winter as best they might, hunting and fishing amongst the savages, -and enduring every species of privation and suffering which fate could -inflict upon them. As soon, however, as the snows of winter were -melted, all re-assembled at the colony, and fell to with a will to the -task of tilling the ground, and sowing what, alas, the fowls of the -air were to reap. - -[Sidenote: Lord Selkirk arrives in Canada.] - -For a moment let us turn to Lord Selkirk. On the arrival of this -nobleman at New York on his way to Canada to support in person the -exertions of his colonists, he received intelligence of their -dispersion, and the capture of his lieutenant and agent. He -immediately proceeded to Montreal where he was apprised of the danger -with which the new arrivals were threatened as well as the distress -which had overtaken those settlers who had been brought into Canada. -The North-West Company had no further use for their services, the -expense of bringing them down having already proved sufficiently -burdensome. The alluring promises made on the banks of the Red River, -of lands, high wages, practical encouragement, were forgotten on the -shores of the St. Lawrence. Selkirk was determined upon a rigid -enquiry; and steps were taken by his agents in Upper and Lower Canada -to that end. While he was thus engaged, information arrived of the -re-establishment of the colony, both brigades of immigrants having -made a junction at Red River, on the departure of Cameron and -McDonell. Lord Selkirk, having despatched a messenger[100] into the -interior to advise the settlers of his speedy arrival amongst them, -now renewed his endeavour to obtain from the Governor of Canada, Sir -Gordon Drummond, some small military protection for the settlers. But -his application was refused. One, if not the principal, of the reasons -being that Drummond had no desire to lower his popularity by exerting -his influence against the partners of the North-West Company. The -attempt proving fruitless, a new resource offered itself, and this -Selkirk was not loath to seize. - -As a result of the termination of hostilities with America, the hired -European regiments of De Meuron, Watteville and the Glengarry -Fencibles in Canada were reduced. The privates, as well as their -officers, were entitled on their discharge to grants of lands in -Canada, and in the event of their accepting them, the members of the -two first-mentioned regiments were not to be sent back to Europe. A -proposition was put to them and agreed to with alacrity. - -[Sidenote: Regiment of De Meuron.] - -The regiments to which these men belonged were part of the body of -German mercenaries raised during the Napoleonic wars. Col. De Meuron, -one of the most illustrious officers, bequeathed his name to the whole -body. Though Germans for the most part, Swiss and Piedmontese were -also numbered amongst them. While the great Corsican was languishing -at Elba, the De Meurons were equally inactive at Malta, but in the war -which had broken out between England and the American States there was -plenty of work for their swords. They were shipped to Canada, and in -1816, hostilities having ceased, they were again out of employment. - -Lord Selkirk perceived in them an instrument ready to his hand. He -sent for their officers, four in number, Captains d'Orsonnens and -Matthey, and Lieutenants Fauche and Graffenreith, and informed them he -had work in hand. They listened and agreed to his terms on behalf of -their men. They hastened in boats up the St. Lawrence, and at Kingston -encountered twenty other foreign soldiers belonging to the De -Watteville regiment, and also victims of peace. These were engaged on -the same terms. - -Eighty soldiers and four officers of De Meuron's regiment, twenty of -Watteville's, and several of the Glengarry Fencibles, with one of -their officers, instead of remaining in Canada, preferred going to the -Red River settlement on the terms proposed by Lord Selkirk. They were -to receive pay at a certain rate per month for navigating the canoes -up to Red River, were to have lands assigned to them at the -settlement, and if they did not elect to remain were to be conveyed at -his lordship's expense to Europe by way of Hudson's Bay. Whatever we -may now think of the motive prompting the employment of these men, it -must be conceded that it was effected with propriety and ingenuous -formality. The men being discharged could no longer be held soldiers. -They retained their clothing, as was usual in such cases, and Lord -Selkirk furnished them with arms, as he had done to his other -settlers. Had there existed a disposition to criticise this latter -measure, ample justification was to be found in the instructions of -the Board of Ordnance, in 1813, to issue some field pieces and a -considerable number of muskets and ammunition for the use of the Red -River colony. - -With this body of men Selkirk proceeded into the interior. - -[Sidenote: Fort Gibraltar captured.] - -While he was on the march, the colony on Red River was apprehending -alarming consequences. Cameron and McDonell, the two North-West -partners, had arrived the previous autumn and been astonished at the -temerity of the settlers at returning to the forbidden spot, and -measures had at once been taken to molest and discourage them. -Thereupon the Hudson's Bay factor, Colin Robertson, who, in Governor -McDonnell's absence, had placed himself at their head, planned an -attack upon Fort Gibraltar, which he seized by surprise in the month -of October. He thus recovered two of the field pieces and thirty stand -of arms, which had been abstracted from the settlement in the previous -year. In this capture no blood was shed, and although Cameron was -taken prisoner he was released upon a promise to behave peaceably in -future and was even reinstated in possession of his fort. But this -posture of affairs was not long to endure. - -At the beginning of March, Governor Semple went west to inspect the -forts on the Assiniboine, Lake Manitoba, and Swan Lake, leaving -Robertson in command. On the 16th, suspecting a plot on the part of -Cameron and his North-Westers, Robertson intercepted some letters, -which transformed suspicion into conviction. He therefore attacked the -North-West post, took Cameron prisoner, and removed all the arms, -trading goods, furs, books and papers, to Fort Douglas.[101] He -furthermore informed his enemy that being situated at the confluence -of the two rivers, the Red and the Assiniboine, Fort Gibraltar was the -key to the position, and could be in no other hands but those of the -lords of the soil. Following up this move, Robertson attacked the -North-West post on the Pembina River, captured Bostonnais Pangman, who -was in charge, with two clerks and six voyageurs, who were afterwards -incarcerated in Fort Douglas. Pursuing his advantage an attempt was -made to carry Fort Qu'Appelle. But McDonell, who was in command there, -displayed considerable force, and caused the Hudson's Bay people to -retire. - -About this period five flat-bottomed boats belonging to the Company, -laden with pemmican and from thirty to forty packs of furs, under -charge of James Sutherland, were _en route_ to Fort Douglas. McDonell -was advised of the circumstance and seized the whole, while retaining -two of the factors, Bird and Pambrun, as prisoners. A canoe was given -Sutherland and the others, together with a scanty supply of pemmican, -and they were allowed to continue their journey to the fort. On -receiving intelligence of this proceeding, as well as of the plots -being hatched by the half-breeds and their allies in the West, -Robertson concluded that Cameron would be best out of the way; the -prisoner was accordingly sent off under guard to York Factory, from -whence he reached England seventeen months later. Here he was released -without a trial, and soon afterwards returned to Canada, where he -spent the remainder of his years. - -The enemy were no sooner out of Fort Gibraltar than Robertson had the -walls pulled down. All the useful material was rafted down the river -to Fort Douglas, where it was employed in new erections within that -post. - -[Sidenote: Plan to exterminate the Red River Settlement.] - -McDonell now exerted himself to the utmost to assemble the half-breeds -from every quarter, for the purpose of a final extermination of the -colony at Red River. Many of these were collected from a very distant -part of the country; some from Cumberland House and also from the -Upper Saskatchewan, at least seven hundred miles from the settlement. -Reports had reached the colonists, of whom there were, all told, -about two hundred, that the Bois-Brules were assembling in all parts -of the north for the purpose of driving them away. Each day increased -the prevalence of these rumours. The hunters, and the free Canadians -who had supplied them with provisions, were terrified at the prospect -of the punishment they might receive at the hands of the violent -North-Westers. - -About the close of May the North-Wester, Alexander McDonell, embarked -in his boats with the furs and bags of provisions which he had seized, -as above related, from the Hudson's Bay people. He was attended by a -body of the half-breeds on horseback, who followed him along the banks -of the river. - -When the party arrived near the chief Hudson's Bay Company's post, -Brandon House, Cuthbert Grant was sent ahead with twenty-five men, who -seized the post and pillaged it, not only of all the English goods, -together with the furs and provisions belonging to the Company, but -also of the private property of their servants, which was distributed -amongst the servants and half-breeds. The latter were now eager for -the accomplishment of their great desire. Accordingly, on the 18th of -June, Cuthbert Grant, Lacerte, Frazer, Hoole and McKay were sent off -from Portage la Prairie, with about seventy men, to attack the colony -at Red River. McDonell himself, foreseeing the issue, prudently -remained behind.[102] - -The tidings he anticipated would arrive were not long delayed. On the -20th of June a messenger, covered with sweat, returned from Cuthbert -Grant, to report that his party had killed Governor Semple, with five -of his officers and sixteen of his people. At this welcome news of the -consummation of their fondest hopes, McDonell and the other officers -shouted with joy. No time was lost in spreading the story. The -unhappy Pambrun, from his confinement, could distinctly hear the cries -of the French and half-breeds, which they caught up again and again in -a paroxysm of triumph. - -"Sacre nom de Dieu! Bonne Nouvelles! Vingt-deux Anglaise de tues!" - - [Illustration: SCENE OF THE RED RIVER TRAGEDY.] - -[Sidenote: The affair at Seven Oaks.] - -The story of this tragedy of the plains, to which for a time was -cynically applied the term, "battle," has been often and variously -narrated; but the facts seem clear enough. Semple the Governor, was -on the point of returning to York Factory on the concerns of the -Company, when the rumours of immediate hostility, which have been -described, checked his departure. Measures of precaution were adopted -and a watch regularly kept to guard against surprise. On the 17th of -June, two Cree Indians who had escaped from the party of North-Westers -under McDonell, came to the Governor at Fort Douglas, adjoining the -settlement, with the intelligence that he would certainly be attacked -in two days by the Bois-Brules, under Cuthbert Grant, who were -determined to take the fort, and that if any resistance were made, -neither man, woman or child would escape. - -Peguis, chief of the Swampy Indians, who came periodically to the -district about the mouth of the Red River, also waited on Governor -Semple for the purpose of offering the services of his tribe, about -seventy in number, to assist in the colonists protection. - -A conflict seemed inevitable. On the afternoon of the 19th a man in -the watch-house called out that the half-breeds were coming. Governor -Semple and his officers surveyed the neighbouring plains through their -telescopes and made out the approach of some men on horseback. These -were not, however, headed in the direction of the fort, but of the -settlement. - - [Illustration: THE SHOOTING OF GOVERNOR SEMPLE. - (_See page 413._)] - -[Sidenote: Killing of Governor Semple.] - -Semple's words were: "We must go out and meet these people; let twenty -men follow me." They proceeded by the frequented path leading to the -settlement. As they went along they met many of the colonists, who -were running towards them, crying: "The half-breeds! The half-breeds!" -An advance was made of about one mile, when some persons on horseback -were discerned in ambush, close at hand, and the Governor, somewhat -uneasy at the signs of their numbers, had just decided to send for a -field-piece, when a fearful clamour pierced the air, and he saw it was -too late. The half-breeds galloped forward, their faces painted in the -most hideous manner, and all dressed in the Indian fashion[103] and -surrounded the Hudson's Bay people in the form of a half-moon. As they -advanced the latter party retreated, and a North-West employee named -Boucher rode up very close to Governor Semple and asked what he wanted -there? To this enquiry, which was delivered in a very authoritative -and insolent tone, Semple replied by demanding of Boucher what he and -his party wanted? Boucher said: "We want our fort," and the Governor's -answer was: "Well, go to your fort." In a loud tone came the other's -rejoinder: "You damned rascal, you have destroyed our fort." Semple, -though a man of extremely mild manners and cultivated mind, flushed -with indignation at such an address, and incautiously laid hand upon -the bridle of Boucher's horse, according to some; of his gun, -according to others. A few high words passed. Two shots rang out in -quick succession, by the first of which Holt fell, and by the second -Semple was wounded.[104] In a few minutes the field was covered with -bleeding forms; almost all Semple's men were either killed or wounded. -Save in a single instance no quarter was given; the injured were -summarily despatched, and on the bodies of the dead were practised all -the revolting horrors which characterize the inhuman heart of the -savage.[105] - - [Illustration: VICINITY OF FORT DOUGLAS.] - -In all twenty-one persons were killed, the remaining eight escaping to -the woods. Besides Governor Semple, Lieutenant Holt, Captain Rogers, -Dr. James White and Dr. Wilkinson, the Governor's private secretary -were amongst the dead. - -Immediately every human being at Fort Douglas was plunged into -confusion and dismay. The survivors, hastily returning, told their -fell tale, and men, women and children crowded together seeking -protection within its walls. Bourke, and a few of his companions, had -succeeded in regaining the fort with the cannon he had taken out. All -waited for the expected attack of the North-Westers. An anxious night -ensued, but no attack, and it was afterwards learnt that the -Bois-Brules had a wholesome dread of the cannon in the hands of the -settlers. - -Pritchard, who had been taken prisoner to the camp ground of the main -body of the half-breeds, now begged Cuthbert Grant, the leader, to be -allowed to go to Fort Douglas. After securing his consent, he met with -a refusal on the part of the others, until he gave a promise to bear a -message of eviction to the colonists and return. Grant accompanied the -prisoner on parole as far as Seven Oaks, where the ground was still -strewn with the corpses of the slain. - -[Sidenote: The Nor'-Westers demand evacuation.] - -On reaching Fort Douglas, Pritchard informed the unhappy settlers that -they must depart, which if they did immediately, a safe escort would -be provided them, and they would be permitted to take all their -personal effects. They were told that two other groups of -North-Westers were daily expected to arrive in the locality, one -hailing from the Saskatchewan, and the other party from Lake Superior. -It would, therefore, be necessary to send some of the Bois-Brules with -them, to explain the situation. - -At first the colonists refused to listen to these terms. Sheriff -McDonnell, who was now in charge of the settlement, resolved to hold -the fort as long as the men were disposed to guard it. But they were -not long of this courageous temper. After fully considering the -situation, the settlers concluded to depart, and after several -conferences between the sheriff and Cuthbert Grant, a capitulation was -arranged. - -An inventory of all the property was taken, and the whole delivered up -to the half-breed leader, for the use of the North-West company, each -sheet of the inventory being signed as follows:-- - -"Received on account of the North-West Company by me, Cuthbert Grant, -Clerk for the N.-West Co." - -[Sidenote: Arrest of colonists.] - -In two days the colonists, in all nearly two hundred, were ready to -embark for Hudson's Bay. Albeit they had not been long on the voyage -down the river before they were met by Norman McLeod, one of the -leading partners of the North-West company, accompanied by a large -party in canoes. At sight of the settlers the North-Westers set up an -Indian war-whoop, and when they drew sufficiently near, McLeod, who -posed as a magistrate, is said to have enquired, "Whether that rascal -and scoundrel Robertson was in the boats." The colloquy was followed -by a seizure of the accounts and papers of the settlers, including -some of Governor Semple's letters. Of these they kept what they deemed -proper, the rest being returned. McLeod took his magistracy very -seriously, and seems to have regarded the whole party as his -prisoners. He expressed neither horror nor regret at the murder of -Semple and his companions, but ordered Sheriff McDonnell, Pritchard, -Bourke, Corcoran, Heden and McKay to be arrested and put under a -strong guard. McDonnell was liberated on bail, but the others were -treated for nearly a week with the greatest indignity. Nevertheless, -the North-Westers felt themselves in a sorry plight, which, they -flattered themselves, a brazen behaviour might alleviate. - -The five men thus made prisoners were, after various delays and after -two of them had been put in irons, conveyed to Fort William. They had -not long been inmates of quarters at this great post, when McLeod and -his party arrived there. With him came a number of the Bois-Brules, -Semple's murderers, bearing a portion of the plunder which had been -reserved for the North-West company. Their arrival was the signal for -rejoicing. The air was filled with impromptu songs and ballads -commemorative of the happy event, which swept away the colony on the -Red River. The "complete downfall" desired by the North-West partner -seemed to have been consummated. - -At that time Fort William was the great emporium of the North-West -company. An extensive assortment of merchandise was brought thither -every year from Montreal by large canoes or the Company's vessels on -the lakes, these returning with the furs to Canada and from thence -shipped to England. - -It is difficult to imagine, as one visits the spot to-day, that it was -once the abode of industry, of gaiety, of opulence and even of -splendour. It boasted a fashionable season, which continued from May -to late in August, and during this period the fur aristocracy, the -_bourgeoisie_ and the _canaille_, met and mingled in a picturesque -carnival of mirth, feasting and exultation. - -It was the meeting-place between the Montreal partners and voyageurs, -and those who coursed the boundless expanse of the distant west. To -the wintering clerks and partners, after their hardships and fasts in -the interior, Fort William seemed a foretaste of Paradise, and a -hundred journals of a hundred traders tell again the tale of a dream -of distant Fort William, which, in the midst of cold, hunger and -desolation, cheered the wanderer's heart and lightened his burdens. -For the voyageurs it was all in all. To reach Fort William, enjoy the -carnival, and betwixt drink and riotous living dissipate the -hard-earned wages of years was to them often the happiness of earth -and heaven combined. - -[Sidenote: Fort William described.] - -It was in the great dining-hall that there centred the chief glory of -Fort William. Of noble proportions was it, and capable of entertaining -two hundred persons, and here fully two hundred sat when the news from -Red River reached them. Let us attempt to describe the scene. There on -a glittering pedestal looked down on the joyous company a marble bust -of Simon McTavish; while ever and anon the eye of some struggling -clerk or ambitious partner would be attracted by a row of paintings, -depicting to the life the magnates of the North, and rest with ecstasy -upon those gleaming eyes and rubicund cheeks, cheerful prophesies of -his own roseate future. Not all were portraits of opulent -Northmen--other heroes lent the glory of their visages to this -spacious hall--the King in his majesty, the Prince Regent, and Admiral -the Lord Nelson. A gigantic painting of the memorable battle of the -Nile also adorned the walls. At the upper end hung a huge map of the -Indian country, drawn by David Thompson, he who had written at the -crisis of his career, "To-day I left the services of the Hudson's Bay -Company to join the North-West, and may God help me." On this -extraordinary production were inscribed in characters bold enough to -be seen by the humblest _engage_ at the farthest end of the great -hall, the whole number of the Company's trading posts from Hudson's -Bay to the Pacific Ocean, from Sault Ste. Marie to Athabasca and the -Great Slave Lake. Many a time and oft while the feast was at its -height and the wine bottles of the partners were being broached and -the rum puncheons tapped, was a glance cast at some spot on that map -which marked months of suffering, the death place of a comrade, the -love of an Indian maiden, a thrilling adventure, a cruel massacre, -painful solitude, great rejoicing or a bitter disappointment. - -But if the scene within was noisy and animated, that without beggared -description. Hundreds of voyageurs, soldiers, Indians, and half-breeds -were encamped together in the open, holding high revel. They hailed -from all over the globe, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, -Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, America, the African -Gold Coast, the Sandwich Islands, Bengal, Canada, with Creoles, -various tribes of Indians, and a mixed progeny of Bois-Brules or -half-breeds! "Here," cries one trader, "were congregated on the shores -of the inland sea, within the walls of Fort William, Episcopalians, -Presbyterians, Methodists, Sun-worshippers, men from all parts of the -world whose creeds were 'wide as poles asunder,' united in one common -object, and bowing down before the same idol." Women, soldiers, -voyageurs, and Indians, in ever moving medley, danced, sang, drank, -and gamboled about the fort on the night when the news came of the -tragedy of the Red River. - -Meanwhile it will be remembered that the Earl of Selkirk was on his -way, with his party of about eighty soldiers, to the scene of this -rude rejoicing. When Sault Ste. Marie was reached, the first -intelligence of the massacre and destruction of the colony was -received, together with the news that some of the settlers and a large -part of the property had been transported to Fort William. - -Filled with indignation, and determined to demand an explanation of -the bloody deed, the Earl pressed on with all haste to the rendezvous -of the North-West company, who, all unconscious of his approach, had -made no plan either to defend themselves or to arrest his progress. - -[Sidenote: Selkirk arrives at Fort William.] - -Upon his arrival in the vicinity many favourable to the Company came -out to meet him and relate the present state of affairs. As a -magistrate for the country, he secured a number of affidavits, -disclosing such circumstances of conspiracy and participation on the -part of the North-Westers as determined him, as it was his duty, to -issue warrants for their arrest. These were accordingly issued, first -for the apprehension of William McGillivray, the principal partner, -and next for that of all the other partners. - -A great many of the North-West partners were at this time assembled at -Fort William, and amongst them was William McGillivray, their -principal agent in Canada. Lord Selkirk immediately despatched a -message to that gentleman, desiring to know by what authority and for -what reason Pritchard, Pambrun, Nolin and others from Red River were -detained as prisoners in their hands. McGillivray's response was to -grant permission to most of these prisoners to join Selkirk, to whom -he denied that they were detained, except as witnesses. The parties -thus freed came over, asserting that they had all suffered for some -time a rigorous confinement. The intelligence they conveyed was of -such a nature as to induce the Earl to issue warrants for the arrest -of most of the North-West partners then at Fort William. - -[Sidenote: Arrest of the North-West partners.] - -The first to be arrested was McGillivray, who submitted with the best -possible grace to the warrant. Two other partners who came over with -him, to offer themselves on bail (which was refused), were also taken -in custody. Instructions were now given to constables to again set out -in the boats, accompanied by some of the soldiers, to apprehend the -other delinquents. On their landing, four or five of the Northmen were -standing close to the gate of the fort, surrounded by a considerable -body of French-Canadians, Indians and half-breeds in the North-West -company's employment. The warrants were in the usual form served upon -two of the partners; but when the constable was proceeding to arrest a -third, he declared that there should be no further submission to any -warrant until McGillivray was liberated. At the same instant an -attempt was made to shut the gate and prevent the constables from -entering. The fort people had succeeded in shutting one half of the -gate, and had almost closed the other by force, when the chief -constable called out for help from the soldiers. These to the number -of about thirty forthwith rushed to the spot, and forced their way -into the stronghold of the Northmen. - -The notes of a bugle now rang out across the river. The Earl -understood the signal, and a fresh force of about thirty other -veterans hurried quickly over the stream to join their comrades. Awed -by the apparition of so many arms and uniforms, the North-Westers -abandoned further resistance, and thus bloodshed was happily averted. -The partner who had refused obedience to the warrant was seized and -taken forcibly to the boats, the others submitting peaceably to -arrest. - -At the time this episode was in progress, there were about two hundred -French-Canadians and half-breeds, and sixty or seventy Iroquois -Indians in and about the fort. - -A warrant having been issued to search for and secure the North-West -papers, seals were in due course put upon these and guards placed for -their security. The arrested men were transported to the Earl's camp; -but upon their pledging their word of honour that no further attempt -should be made to obstruct the execution of the law, and that all -hostile measures should be renounced, they were permitted that same -night to return to their apartments at Fort William. - -Notwithstanding this, it was discovered next morning that the seals -had been broken in several places, and that many letters and papers -had been burnt in the kitchen in the course of the night. More than -this, a canoe loaded with arms and ammunition had been launched and -several barrels of gunpowder had been secretly conveyed from the fort. -These were afterwards traced to a place of concealment amongst some -brushwood close at hand. About fifty or sixty stand of Indian guns, to -all appearance freshly loaded and primed, were found hidden under some -hay in a barn adjoining the fort. - -Owing to these discoveries, and suspecting treachery on the part of -the Canadians and Indians, the greater part of the latter were ordered -to evacuate the premises and pitch their tents on the opposite side of -the river. Having seen this carried out, and having secured all the -canoes of the enemy, Selkirk and his party came over and pitched their -tents in front of the fort and mounted guard. Soon after, the -North-West prisoners were sent off under escort to York, and finally -reached Montreal in a state of mind not difficult to conceive. - -Fort William had been captured by Lord Selkirk. He himself, writing in -1817, observes, that "in the execution of his duty as a Magistrate," -he had become possessed of "a fort which had served, the last of any -in the British dominions, as an asylum for banditti and murderers, and -the receptacle for their plunder. A fort which nothing less than the -express and special license of his Majesty could authorize subjects to -hold. A fort which had served as the capital and seat of Government to -the traitorously assumed sovereignty of the North-West. A fort whose -possession could have enabled the North-West company to have kept back -all evidence of their crimes." - -"Heretofore," exclaims the Earl, "those who in the execution of the -laws obtained possession of such strongholds as served for the retreat -of banditti or murderers, were considered to have rendered a national -service, and were rewarded with public gratitude and thanks." - -It can hardly be supposed that either the Canadians or the North-West -partners were animated by any such sentiments. - -"That canting rascal and hypocritical villain, Lord Selkirk, has got -possession of our post at Fort William," was the phrase employed by -one of the aggrieved partners. "Well, we will have him out of that -fort," he pursued amiably, "as the Hudson's Bay knaves shall be -cleared, bag and baggage, out of the North-West. And this in short -order, mark my words." - -[Sidenote: Selkirk winters at Fort William.] - -But his lordship was by no means of so accommodating a temper, nor was -there anything to accelerate his abandonment of the post. Finding it -too late to continue his journey on to Red River, he despatched a -party of his men in advance, and himself resolved to pass the winter -as pleasantly and profitably as circumstances would permit at Fort -William. - -McGillivray and his companions, upon reaching Montreal, were greeted -by an assembled host of their friends. Public opinion there was in -their favour, whatever it might be in other quarters. On all sides one -heard diatribes pronounced against Selkirk and the Hudson's Bay -Company, and little sympathy for the victims of the massacre. The -North-Westers were instantly admitted to bail, and warrants were sworn -out for the Earl's arrest. A constable was sent to Fort William to -execute them, but on his arrival found himself made prisoner, and his -authority treated with contempt. In a few days he was released and -ordered to return to those who had sent him on his unprofitable -mission. - -Lord Selkirk was by no means idle at Fort William. He sent out parties -to capture other North-West posts, and in this way the forts of Fond -du Lac, Michipicoten and Lac la Pluie fell into his hands. When the -month of May arrived he was ready to take up his journey to the West. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[99] There is preserved a letter from the leader of the Bois-Brules, -written to one of the partners. It bears date of 13th of March, 1816, -and runs as follows:-- - - My Dear Sir: I received your generous and kind letter of last - fall by the last canoe. I should certainly be an ungrateful - being should I not return you my sincerest thanks. Although a - very bad hand at writing letters I trust to your generosity. I - am yet safe and sound, thank God! For I believe it is more than - Colin Robertson, or any of his suit dare to offer the least - insult to any of the Bois-Brules, although Robertson made use - of some expressions which I hope he shall swallow in the - spring; he shall see that it is neither fifteen, thirty nor - fifty of your best horsemen can make the Bois-Brules bow to - him. Our people of Fort des Prairies and English River are all - to be here in the spring. It is hoped we shall come off with - flying colours, and never to see any of them again in the - colonizing way in Red River; in fact the traders shall pack off - with themselves, also, for having disobeyed our orders last - spring, according to our arrangements. We are all to remain at - the Forks to pass the summer, for fear they should play us the - same trick as last summer, of coming back; but they shall - receive a warm reception. I am loath to enter into any - particulars, as I am well assured that you will receive more - satisfactory information (than I have had) from your other - correspondents; therefore I shall not pretend to give you any, - at the same time begging you will excuse my short letter, I - shall conclude, wishing you health and happiness. - - I shall ever remain, - Your most obedient humble servant, - CUTHBERT GRANT. - - J. D. CAMERON, ESQ. - -[100] This messenger, Lagimoniere by name, was waylaid and robbed by -the North-Westers. He had previously made a hazardous winter journey -of upwards of 2,000 miles for the purpose of bringing to Montreal -intelligence of the re-establishment of the Red River Colony. He was -now attacked near Fond du Lac by some native hunters employed by the -North-West Company, who beat him in a shocking manner, besides -plundering him of his despatches, his canoe and all his effects. The -order to intercept him was issued on the 2nd of June by Norman McLeod -from Fort William; and the Indians who performed the service were -credited in the books of the partnership with the sum of $100. Several -of Lord Selkirk's letters were afterwards discovered at Fort William. - -[101] Semple is said, on the authority of an eye-witness, Donald -Murray, yet living in 1891 (when a monument was erected to commemorate -the Red River tragedy), to have disapproved of Robertson's management -during his absence. This veteran was fond of relating that when -Robertson started for York Factory in a boat, taking Duncan Cameron a -prisoner, he insultingly hoisted a pemmican sack instead of the -British flag. - -[102] The route taken by the Bois-Brules was along the edge of the -swamps, about two miles out on the prairie from Fort Douglas, and from -that point gradually drawing nearer to the main highway, which is now -the northern continuation of Winnipeg's Main street, until it effected -a junction at a spot known as Seven Oaks. The name was derived from -the circumstance of seven good sized oak trees growing there, about -one hundred yards south of a small rivulet, now known as Inkster's -Creek. - -[103] Their being painted and disguised, forms a very material fact, -because it shows a premeditation to commit hostilities. It was not the -custom of the Indians or Bois-Brules to paint themselves, except on -warlike occasions. Seeing this party of horsemen were proceeding -towards the settlement, Semple directed about twenty men to follow him -in the direction they had taken to ascertain what was their object. -These took arms with them, but no ammunition. That Semple and his -party went out with no hostile intention is evident from there being -but twenty who went, whereas a much greater number who could have gone -and were desirous of going, were left behind. - -[104] After the tragedy many of the settlers are said to have been of -the opinion that the first shot was fired by Lieut. Holt, whose gun -went off by accident, thus precipitating the conflict. - -[105] While the affair was sufficiently horrible, there was yet room -for exaggeration in the tales of the survivors. "On my arrival at the -fort," declared Pritchard, "what a scene of distress presented itself! -The widows, children and relations of the slain, in the horrors of -despair, were lamenting the dead and trembling for the safety of the -survivors." It is to be noted that only one actual settler was killed, -and I cannot discover that the others had any white women-folk amongst -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -1817-1821. - - The English Government Intervenes -- Selkirk at Red River -- - Makes a Treaty with the Indians -- Hostilities at Peace River - -- Governor Williams makes Arrests -- Franklin at York Factory - -- The Duke of Richmond Interferes -- Trial of Semple's - Murderers -- Death of Selkirk -- Amalgamation. - - -Tidings of the brutal massacre of the 19th of June, and the subsequent -acts of robbery and bloodshed in the wilderness, reached London in due -course, awakening the Imperial authorities to the necessity of at once -terminating a strife which had now become chronic. In February, 1817, -therefore, while Lord Selkirk was still at Fort William, the -Governor-General of Canada received a despatch from the Home -Government, which contained the following passage:-- - - You will also require, under similar penalties, a restitution - of all forts, buildings and trading stations, with the property - which they contain, which may have been seized, or taken - possession of by either party, to the party who originally - established or constructed the same, and who were in possession - of them previous to the recent disputes between the two - companies. You will also require the removal of any blockade or - impediment by which any party may have attempted to prevent the - free passage of traders, or other of his Majesty's subjects, or - the natives of the country, with their merchandise, furs, - provisions or other effects throughout the lakes, rivers, - roads, and every other usual route or communication heretofore - used for the purpose of the fur-trade in the interior of North - America, and the full and free permission of all persons to - pursue their usual and accustomed trade without hindrance or - molestation. The mutual restoration of all property captured - during these disputes, and the freedom of trade and intercourse - with the Indians, until the trials now pending can be brought - to a judicial decision, and the great question at issue, with - respect to the rights of the companies, shall be definitely - settled. - -[Sidenote: Fort William restored to the Nor'-Westers.] - -The Governor-General appointed Colonel Coltman and Major Fletcher, two -military personages of high character, to act as commissioners, in -order to carry out the Imperial Government's intentions. Coltman and -Fletcher left Montreal in the same month that Selkirk evacuated Fort -William. No sooner had Lord Selkirk and his party left this great -trading post than the Sheriff of Upper Canada arrived, and by virtue -of a writ of restitution took possession and restored it to its -original owners. The commissioners, confronted by this fact, continued -their journey on to Red River, arriving at Fort Douglas while Lord -Selkirk was still in that locality. They proceeded to execute their -commission, and to endeavour to restore the region to law and order. -The merchandise, provisions and furs were in the course of the summer -apportioned to their respective proprietors; the channels of -communication were opened, and in time the commissioners were enabled -to return to Canada, flattering themselves with the hope that the -orders of the Prince Regent would be everywhere obeyed. The -commissioners made a most circumstantial report of their mission, of -which both parties complained that neither had received justice, which -(as Senator Masson truly observes) was a very good reason for -supposing that the report was just and impartial. - -Unhappily, this hope of theirs was not destined to be fulfilled. Fort -Gibraltar had been destroyed, but the North-Westers at once set about -erecting buildings for carrying on their trade. Selkirk meanwhile -devoted himself to the affairs of his colony, making provision for the -soldiers of the De Meuron and Watteville regiments according to the -contract mutually entered into. He allotted each man a plot of land -either in the vicinity of Fort Douglas, or on the other side of the -river, close at hand; and the officers were stationed amongst them. -This was done so that in case of any necessity arising, a signal from -headquarters would enable the whole body to join their commanders in -the fort at short notice. Everything was effected which, in his -opinion, could conduce to the well-being of the colony. Selkirk now -turned his attention to the Indians, whom he called together within -the walls of the fort, and after bestowing amongst them presents, -concluded the following treaty with them:-- - -[Sidenote: Treaty with Red River Indians.] - - This Indenture, made on the 18th day of July, in the - fifty-seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King - George the Third, and in the year of our Lord, 1817, between - the undersigned Chiefs and Warriors of the Chippeway or - Saulteaux Nation, and of the Killistins or Cree Nation, on the - one part, and the Right Honourable Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, on - the other part. Witnesseth, that for and in consideration of - the annual present or quit rent hereinafter mentioned, the said - Chiefs have given, granted and confirmed, and do by these - presents give, grant and confirm unto our Sovereign Lord, the - King, all that tract of land adjacent to Red River and - Assiniboine River, beginning at the mouth of the Red River, and - extending along the same as far as the great Forks at the mouth - of the Red Lake River, and along Assiniboine River as far as - Musk-Rat River, otherwise called Riviere des Champignons, and - extending to the distance of six miles from Fort Douglas on - every side, and likewise from Fort Daer (Pembina), and also - from the Great Forks, and in other parts extending in the - breadth to the distance of two English statute miles back from - the banks of the said rivers, on each side, together with all - the appurtenances whatsoever of the said tract of land, to have - and to hold forever the said tract of land and appurtenances, - to the use of the said Earl of Selkirk, and of the settlers - being established thereon, with the consent and permission of - our Sovereign Lord, the King, or of the said Earl of Selkirk. - Provided always, that these presents are under the express - condition that the Earl, his heirs and successors, or their - agents, shall annually pay to the Chiefs and Warriors of the - Chippeway or Saulteaux Nation the present, or quit rent, - consisting of one hundred pounds weight of good merchantable - tobacco, to be delivered on or before the tenth day of October, - at the Forks of the Assiniboine River; and to the Chiefs and - Warriors of the Kinstineaux or Cree Nation, a like present, or - quit rent, of one hundred pounds of tobacco, to be delivered to - them on or before the said tenth day of October, at Portage de - la Prairie, on the banks of Assiniboine River. Provided always - that the traders hitherto established upon any part of the - above-mentioned tract of land shall not be molested in the - possession of the lands which they have already cultivated and - improved, till his Majesty's pleasure shall be known. - - In witness whereof the Chiefs aforesaid have set their marks at - the Forks of Red River on the day aforesaid. - - Signed, SELKIRK. - - Signed in presence of Thomas Thomas, James Bird, F. Matthey, - Captain; P. D. Orsonnens, Captain; Miles McDonell, J. Bate, - Chr. De Lovimier, Louis Nolin, Interpreter; and the following - Chiefs, each of whom made his mark, being a rude outline of - some animal. - - Moche W. Keocab (Le Sonent); Ouckidoat (Premier alias Grande - Oreilles); Mechudewikonaie (La Robe Noire); Kayajickebinoa - (L'Homme Noir); Pegawis. - -As a matter of fact, the Saulteaux Indians, who were given precedence -in the above treaty, had no real claim to the lands on the Red River, -which were possessed by the Crees alone. This latter tribe afterwards -took great offence at this circumstance and made various threats to -recede from their covenant and claim their lands from the settlers. -These threats, however, were not carried out. Selkirk having in this -manner arranged all to his satisfaction, bade farewell to Red River, -and accompanied by a guide and a few friends, directed his course -southward across the frontier into American territory. He made his way -to New York and there embarked for England. - -It has been remarked that his Majesty's commissioners flattered -themselves that in the formal and peaceful manner described, law and -order was to be introduced into the North-West. - -It is true that the proclamation of the Prince Regent and the creation -of the commission of inquiry had quieted much of the turbulence, and -that all who came in contact with the recognized officers were ready -to submit to their authority; but it was by no means so in the more -remotely situated departments. - -[Sidenote: Attack on Fort Vermilion.] - -Governor Robertson, Semple's lieutenant, had delegated his authority -to Clarke, another ex-employee of the North-West Company. This trader -now sought upon Lord Selkirk's authority to penetrate, with an -effective force, and a quantity of merchandise, into the very heart of -the territory occupied by the North-Westers. One of Clarke's first -acts on arriving at Peace River was to attack Fort Vermilion, with the -design of acquiring a supply of provisions; but here he met with so -vigorous a resistance that he was constrained to beat a retreat -without having succeeded in his project. On the other hand, two -partners, Black and McGillivray, on the pretence that Robertson had -incited the savages to massacre some of their number, and that their -men would refuse to serve if an example were not made, took him -prisoner to Fort Athabasca, and there confined him during an entire -winter. There were numerous examples of the abuse of force and the -utter abandonment to lawlessness during this and the following year. - -[Sidenote: Arrest of Nor'-Westers.] - -Upon most of those Northmen named in the warrants issued at the -instance of the Earl of Selkirk, it had been impossible to serve -papers owing to their absence in the distant fur country. Williams, -Semple's successor as Governor of the colony of Assiniboia, was -consumed with a desire to effect the arrest of all those persons -himself. It is possible that he also wished to avenge the -incarceration of Robertson. Taking with him a number of De Meuron -soldiers and two pieces of cannon, Governor Williams departed to lie -in ambush for the North-Westers at a portage called Grand Rapids, -which spot it was necessary for the enemy to pass in order to enter -Lake Winnipeg. Beyond question, the North-Westers had no suspicion of -what was in store for them, inasmuch as the party did not arrive in a -large body, but in small detachments, and successively, often at an -interval of several days. As fast as they arrived, however, Governor -Williams and his soldiers were on the watch. It was new work to the -veterans, but they entered into it with a zest and spirit. The -North-Westers were seized and disarmed, being subjected to -considerable violence. Some were permitted to continue their route; -others were dispatched to York Factory, on the Bay. Here they were, -during many weeks, detained as prisoners and treated with scant -courtesy, up to the arrival of a certain British naval officer. This -was Lieut. Franklin, who was then about to undertake his celebrated -land voyage to the Arctic Sea. Franklin had in his possession several -letters of introduction to partners in the North-West Company. Under -these circumstances the consideration, not to say compassion, which he -evinced for the Hudson's Bay Company's prisoners was much in their -favour. McTavish and Shaw, two of the North-West partners, were -granted permission to return to England as passengers on the ship -which had brought Franklin, but the others were not so fortunate. -Duncan Campbell was sent to Canada, _via_ Moose Factory and -Michipicoten, and there placed at liberty. As to Benjamin Frobisher, -there was no accusation or warrant of arrest against him, but it was -felt that he should not escape punishment for his long hostility to -the Company, as well as for the violent and crafty resistance which he -had offered in the first instance to his arrest. Frobisher is -described as being a man of great strength and herculean stature. On -numerous occasions he had had the good or ill-fortune to come in -contact with the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, and there were -many to testify that he had on such occasions not emerged with the -loss either of prestige or property. His whole ambition now, whilst -suffering from a severe wound in the head, was to escape from his -captors. The nearest North-West post was distant about five hundred -miles as the crow flies, but this circumstance had little restraining -power upon his project. Two of his French-Canadian companions, -Turcotte and Lepine, endeavoured to dissuade him, but without success; -and at length they consented to participate in the escape should it be -possible to elude the vigilance of their captors. They succeeded in -doing this on the 30th September; launched themselves in an old canoe, -into which they had stored some pounds of pemmican saved from their -rations, and so commenced their painful journey. - -[Sidenote: Flight of prisoners from York Factory.] - -For two whole months these three fugitives from York Factory travelled -through the wilderness. They suffered from cold and hunger, even -devouring the buffalo skins that the Indians had left suspended in the -trees as an indication of their route. At last the doughty Frobisher -arrived at such a state of weakness that he was fain to lie down -without further power of exertion. The trio were then not more than -two days' journey from Lac L'Orignal, near Lake Bourbon, where the -North-Westers had a post. Frobisher begged his companions, whose -greater power of endurance and devotion to their superior had led to -their carrying him on their shoulders, to leave him and seek -assistance. This they did, after having deposited their burden at the -side of a fire, and grilled a morsel of buffalo skin for his -nourishment. Four days later they reached the fort, and a search party -did not arrive on the spot until the 27th of November. Their eyes -were greeted by the corpse of Frobisher, partly burnt, and extended at -full length on the ground. Within his scanty clothing was found a -journal, which he had kept ever since his arrest at Grand Rapids, and -in which he had recorded his daily sufferings.[106] - -After considerable delay the news of Frobisher's escape and subsequent -death was spread throughout the West. A courier arrived at Fort -William in hot haste with the news of the affair at Grand Rapids. The -utmost indignation prevailed. Many of the partners, fearing a descent -of the Hudson's Bay soldiery, left in disorder for Montreal. The -agents of the Company instantly addressed themselves to the Duke of -Richmond, then Governor of Canada, representing to him that if the -civil authorities did not interfere to compel respect for the orders -of the Prince Regent, the fortunes of the North-West co-partnery would -suffer a great and irreparable blow. - -[Sidenote: Envoys of the Government enjoin peace.] - -The Duke was then at Little York. He lost no time in dispatching one -of the officers of his suite, Major MacLeod, with a budget of -dispatches for delivery at the chief forts of the North-West. In these -he enjoined obedience to the laws. MacLeod was accompanied, at the -last moment, by Sir Charles Saxton. The envoys of the Governor reached -Fort William and pressed on to the Grand Rapids, where they learned -that Williams had raised the blockade of the river, and had left for -the Bay with his soldiers and prisoners. It was too late in the autumn -to follow them, so there was nothing left but to arrange to have their -dispatches forwarded to the parties in the interior, and to return -immediately to Little York. The alarm of the partners in Canada was -matched by that of their agents in London. They addressed themselves -to the Imperial Government, soliciting his Majesty's interference in -order to put an end to the outrages and lawlessness, as they expressed -it, of Lord Selkirk and the Hudson's Bay Company. They recalled that -they had often demanded that the rights of the Company should be -submitted to law, and warned the authorities that when their rivals -mocked the orders of the Prince Regent, it would be impossible for -themselves to confide their persons and their property to the -protection of an authority with a seat so remote and exacting, so -reluctant an obedience. - -"What is to become of us," they demanded, "if we are to have no -protection for our servants in these wild regions of the North?" - -"You have no right in these regions," was, in effect, the retort of -the Company. "They are vested in us by Royal charter, and the sooner -you apprehend this truth the better." - -Whereupon the partners declared that if the Hudson's Bay Company or -Lord Selkirk continued to exercise illegal powers, which had for their -end the destruction of the commerce of their rivals, it was inevitable -that more bloodshed should follow. Such protestations had the desired -effect. The Government entered into correspondence with the directors -of the Company and ordered that they should exert themselves to the -utmost to prevent a repetition of lawlessness, else the consequences -must be on their own head. - -[Sidenote: Trial of Semple's murderers.] - -The trials which took place at Little York and at Montreal had been -very costly to both parties. Those relating to the Semple massacre -were not tried until 1818.[107] Application had been made to the -Governor-in-Chief of Canada in the previous March (1817) to have them -removed to Upper Canada, and this naturally caused delay, the -Governor judging it expedient to consult the Home Government in the -matter. A favourable reply was received on the 24th of October, and -warrants under the Great Seal were issued to try the cases at York. -The North-Westers were finally brought before the court, and -indictments found against them for participating in the affairs of the -11th of June, and the 28th of June, 1815; for larceny at Qu'Appelle -River on the 12th of May, and the Semple massacre on the 19th of June, -1816. It surprised nobody in Canada that the jury in each case brought -in a verdict of not guilty, however it may have astonished the British -public. - -McGillivray, who had been waiting two years for trial, and now finding -the further indictments abandoned, caused Lord Selkirk, Miles -McDonnell, and eighteen others, to be indicted for the part they took -in the capture of Fort William. The Earl had also several civil suits -entered against him, one of which was by William Smith, the constable -whom he ejected from Fort William, "taking hold of him and pushing him -out of doors, and afterwards keeping him in close custody in the fort, -under a military guard." The constable got a verdict of L500 damages -against the Earl. Daniel McKenzie also entered suit against Lord -Selkirk, and received a verdict of L1,500. - -[Sidenote: Prosperity at Red River.] - -Whilst these various proceedings were in progress, the Red River -colony was struggling against adversity. In the winter of 1817 they -were forced to resort again to Pembina, owing to a scarcity of food. -The next year, when a considerable area of land had been planted, and -followed by a favourable summer, the July sky suddenly darkened, and a -cloud of grasshoppers descended upon the earth. Every green thing -perished before them. In greater despair and wretchedness than ever, -the colonists again migrated across the border. The same disaster -occurred in the ensuing year, and if it had not been for the bounty -and care of the Company, many would have perished. It was not until -1822 that the Red River colony, now recruited by French, Irish, -German and Swiss, as well as Scotch settlers, began to take on a -flourishing condition; but the news of this prosperity was not -destined to reach the ears and gladden the heart of its founder. -Selkirk had reached England disheartened, and with a well-founded -grievance against the Canadian authorities, who, he declares, and with -justice, had not accorded him the encouragement to which he had a -right; and against the Canadian tribunals, from whom it had been -impossible to obtain justice. - -The health of the Earl, shattered by the anxieties and episodes which -have been recorded, rendered it necessary that he should seek repose -in the south of France. But his ailment was mortal. He breathed his -last at Pau, in the month of April, 1820, surrounded by his wife and -children, leaving behind him many friends, and numerous admirers of -his intellectual qualities and his courage. The Great North-West of -to-day is his monument. - -The death of its principal Adventurer strengthened, on the part of the -Company, the sentiment for peace; and by removing the chief obstacle -hastened an amalgamation of interests of the rival traders. None then -could nor can now but perceive, if they examine the situation broadly, -that the complete annihilation of the North-West Association was a -mere matter of time. None recognized this more than their agents in -London, who had repeatedly made overtures to Lord Selkirk for -amalgamation, but which were by him rejected as often as made. - -To Edward Ellice, a leading partner, an enterprising merchant, and a -rising parliamentarian, belongs the chief credit of bringing about -this union. This young man was the son of Alexander Ellice, a wealthy -London merchant, and himself directly interested in the Canadian -fur-trade. In 1803, when a lad of but fourteen, young Ellice had gone -out to Canada, and animated by a love of adventure, had entered into -the life of a trader, under the auspices of his father's friends. -Ellice was quick to grasp the tendency of affairs. The terrible -struggle of recent years made by the Northmen had told severely upon -them.[108] - - [Illustration: SIR GEORGE SIMPSON.] - -The partners met at Fort William, in July, 1820, and a stormy session -served to reflect their vexed plight. Dissensions exhibited -themselves; the minority, at least, felt that in their London -agents--Ellice and the McGillivrays--coming to terms with the Hudson's -Bay Company, lay their only hope of salvation. - -[Sidenote: Union of the two Companies.] - -Without, however, consulting the powers at Fort William, these agents -in London were acting on their own account. Conferences with the -Chartered Adventurers took place daily. By the time the partnership -between the Northmen themselves expired, in 1821, the negotiations had -attained the form of an agreement. Delegates had been sent from Fort -William to confer with their English representatives as to the future -of the interests of the North-West Company. Ellice received them -cordially in his office in Mark Lane and showed them an instrument -which he called the Deed Poll. This document bore the names of the -Governor, Berens, and the Committee of the Honourable Hudson's Bay -Company, on the one part, and the McGillivrays and Ellice, on the -other. The astonished delegates gazed upon the signed and sealed -instrument, and recognized that the North-West Company had ceased to -exist. "Amalgamation," cried one of them, "this is not amalgamation, -but submersion. We are drowned men." - -A coalition and partnership had been agreed upon for twenty-one years, -on the basis that each should furnish an equal capital for conducting -the trade. This Deed Poll, which bore date of March 26, 1821, provided -that the expenses of the establishment should be paid out of the -trade, and that no expense of colonization or any commerce not -directly relating to the fur-trade, was to fall upon the Company. - -The profits were to be divided into one hundred equal parts, of which -forty were to be shared between the chief factors and chief traders, -according to profit and loss. If a loss should occur in one year on -these forty shares it was to be made good out of the profits of the -year ensuing. A general inventory and account was to be made out -annually on the 1st of June. If profits were not paid to any parties -within fourteen days of that date, interest was to be allowed then at -the rate of five per cent. - -When the Deed Poll was signed, it was stipulated that twenty-five -chief factors and twenty-eight chief traders should be appointed, to -be named in alternate succession from the Hudson's Bay and the -North-West Company's servants. Both were placed on an equal footing, -the forty shares out of the hundred being again subdivided into -eighty-five shares, in order that each of the twenty-five chief -factors should receive two (or 2/85ths), and each of the chief traders -one of such shares. The remaining seven shares, to complete the -eighty-five, were set apart for old servants, to be paid them during a -term of seven years. - -[Sidenote: Plan of union.] - -The chief factors were to superintend the business of the Company at -their respective stations, while the chief traders under them were to -conduct the commerce with the Indians. The third class was the clerks, -who were promoted to factorships and traderships, according to good -conduct and seniority, but whose clerical salaries ranged from L20 to -L100 per annum. The chief factors and traders, who wintered in the -interior, were granted, in addition to their share of profits, certain -personal necessaries free of cost. They were not, however, permitted -to carry on any private trade on their own account with the Indians. -Strict accounts were required of them annually. The councils at the -various posts were empowered to mulct, admonish or suspend any of the -Company's servants. Each year three chief factors and two chief -traders were granted twelve months leave of absence. A chief factor or -chief trader, after wintering three years in the service might retire, -and hold his full share of profits for one year after so retiring, -with half the share for the four succeeding years. If he wintered for -five years, he was granted half profits for six years on retiring. -Retirements of chief factors and chief traders were made annually by -rotation, three of the former, or two of the former and two of the -latter. The heirs of a chief factor or chief trader who died after -wintering five years received all the benefit to which the deceased or -himself would have been entitled had he lived, or in proportion -otherwise. Everything was thus regulated, provision was effected for -everything. The Northmen, rough, enterprising, adventurous, as many of -them were, found themselves part of a huge machine, operated with -sleepless vigilance of a governor and committee in London. As for the -profits, they were to be estimated after the entire expenses, both in -London and the fur country, were deducted. They were then to be -divided into fifths, of which three-fifths went to the proprietary and -two-fifths to the chief factors, chief traders and clerks, who were to -be thenceforward known as the "fur-trade" or the "wintering partners." - -No wonder that many of the Northmen were constrained to cry out, in -the language of one of their number[109]: "Alas, the North-West is now -beginning to be ruled with an iron rod!" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[106] Benjamin Frobisher was a native of York, England. - -[107] At the trials at York in October, 1818, Sherwood, the North-West -Company's counsel, continually demanded to know why Semple was called -governor. "Why," he exclaimed, with ludicrous energy, "why should this -gentleman be continually dignified by the appellation of governor? The -indictment charged that Robert Semple was killed and murdered; it said -nothing about his being a governor. If he was a governor, then he was -also an emperor. Yes, gentlemen," shrieked the counsel, working -himself up to fever heat, "I repeat, an emperor--a bashaw in that land -of milk and honey, where nothing, not even a blade of corn, will -ripen. Who made him governor? Did the King? Did the Prince Regent? No; -this pretended authority was an illegal assumption of power, -arrogating to itself prerogatives such as are not exercised even by -the King of England. I demand that Robert Semple be called Robert -Semple--but as he was not a governor let us not be ----" - -"Come, come," cried Chief Justice Powell, "do let this trial go on! It -is no matter whether he was or was not a governor, or what he was -called, or called himself, he is not to be murdered, though he was not -a governor." - -[108] "Ses postes," says Senator Masson, "avient ete pilles et -devastes; ses exportatiors considerablement sedintes." On the other -hand, he adds, these losses were partly compensated for by the high -prices secured in England for their furs. - -[109] Wentzel. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -1821-1847. - - The Deed Poll -- A Governor-in-Chief Chosen -- A Chaplain - Appointed -- New License from George IV. -- Trade on the - Pacific Coast -- The Red River Country Claimed by the States -- - The Company in California -- The Oregon Question -- - Anglo-Russian Treaty of 1825 -- The _Dryad_ Affair -- - Lieutenant Franklin's two Expeditions -- Red River Territory - Yielded to Company -- Enterprise on the Pacific. - - -By the terms of the Deed Poll, the immediate control of the Company's -affairs in its territory passed from the hands of a committee sitting -in London, to a personage known as Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land -and his council. His commission extended over all the Company's lands -and possessions, with an unlimited tenure of office. The council was -to be composed of chief factors, and occasionally a few chief traders, -who were to meet at some convenient centre for the purposes of -consultation, this particular feature being a survival of the -rendezvous of Fort William. The chartered territories and circuit of -commercial relations were divided into vast sections, known as the -Northern, Southern, Montreal and Western Departments. The Northern -extended between Hudson's Bay and the Rocky Mountains, the Southern, -between James' Bay and Canada, including a part of the eastern shore -of Hudson's Bay. - -[Sidenote: Governor Simpson.] - -Such a Governor-in-Chief should be a person of energy, shrewdness and -ability. Mr. Ellice had been struck by the qualities and special -aptitude for this important post of a young Scotchman, named George -Simpson. This young man was an illegitimate son of the maternal uncle -of Thomas Simpson, the Arctic explorer. While clerk in a London -counting-house, George Simpson had attracted the attention of Andrew -Colville, Lord Selkirk's brother-in-law, who sent him to Rupert's Land -in the service of the Company. The responsibility was a tremendous -one, but Simpson did not flinch from accepting it; and the end showed -the wisdom of the appointment. For nearly forty years this man stood -at the head of the fur-trade: a potentate in the midst of the -wilderness, the virtual ruler of almost one-half of a continent. -Governor Simpson was a man of small stature, but he had "the -self-possession of an emperor."[110] Accompanied by his voyageurs and -clerks, he journeyed along the old Ottawa and lake route, through the -Grand Portage, or by Fort William and Lake of the Woods, accomplishing -this feat at least once a year throughout the entire period of his -rule. At the outset of his career he perceived that the management of -Red River colony was an extremely difficult task--harder perhaps than -the management of the fur-trade. But he attacked both with energy, -resolved to serve his employers, and to create, at all hazards, -harmony and prosperity in the territories. - -Part of the time he spent at Red River, part in Oregon, in Athabasca, -and at Hudson's Bay. He crossed the Rocky Mountains at three different -latitudes, and journeyed extensively over the vast territory of which -he was truly the "commercial sovereign." - -The appointment of the Rev. Mr. West as principal chaplain to the -Company led to very great improvements in the moral and religious life -at the forts. Many of the traders and servants of the Company were -soon afterwards induced to marry the women with whom they had lived, a -material step towards the amelioration of the condition of the Indian -and half-breed females. - -[Sidenote: Company obtains a new license.] - -The next step on the part of the Honourable Adventurers was to further -safeguard their interests, and supplement their charter by a license -from the new king, George IV. This license was for the exclusive -privilege of trading with the Indians in such parts of North America -as were not part of the territories heretofore granted to the -Hudson's Bay Company. This Royal license, dated the 5th of December, -1821, at Carlton House, was expressly issued to prevent the admission -of individual or associated bodies into the British North American -fur-trade, inasmuch as the competition therein had been found for -years to be productive of enormous loss and inconvenience to the -Hudson's Bay Company and to trade at large, and also of much injury to -the natives and half-breeds. - - [Illustration: THE BOARD ROOM, HUDSON'S BAY HOUSE, LONDON.] - -To anticipate events, it may here be remarked that this license -expired in 1842, but prior to its expiration an extension was granted -at the close of the first year of the reign of her present -Majesty,[111] for a further term of twenty-one years. By virtue of -these licenses the Company was granted exclusive trade in the Indian -territories west of the Rocky Mountains. It must be borne in mind, and -will be pointed out in a subsequent chapter, that it was of the utmost -moment for Great Britain to obtain a standing in Oregon and on the -Columbia River,[112] and the licenses were framed to this great and -desirable end. - -Although, as has been shown, the North-West partners had made great -efforts and borne great sacrifices, to maintain the trade on the -Pacific, they were contending against great odds. The Russian -establishments at Norfolk Sound, and at other places on the coast, -even so far south as California, came to share in a virtual monopoly -with the Americans, who, after the Treaty of Ghent, began to send -ships from Boston to New York. The amalgamation of 1821 came about, -and the Hudson's Bay Company, invigorated by the infusion of new -blood, believed it their duty to seek to regain the trade. They -therefore set to work to re-establish British influence on the -Pacific. - -It was no easy task. The Russians had gained a firm foothold, and the -Americans paused at no form of competition, nor any method by which -they might secure their ends. The natives had already become debauched -and now their debauchery spread from tribe to tribe, rendering -dealings with them difficult and formidable. Serious losses, both of -lives and property, were sustained through their savage attacks on the -Company's agents and trading posts. But the work was in the hands of -strong, able, and temperate men, who knew what the situation required -of them and did not shrink from meeting it fully and fearlessly. By -tact and vigorous measures the natives were restrained; at great -expenditure of money and patience, order was restored; and in ten -years time the Company occupied the whole country between the Rocky -Mountains and the Pacific. It maintained six permanent establishments -on the coasts, sixteen in the interior, and several movable posts and -migratory brigades. By 1835 it had a fleet of six armed vessels, one -of them propelled by steam, on the Pacific. Fort Vancouver, its -principal _entrepot_ on the Columbia River, was surrounded by large -pasture and grain farms, maintaining large herds of horses and cattle, -and was a profitable and growing establishment. - -It was a long time since the Company had cut any considerable figure -in international politics, but with the extraordinary growth of the -American States and the increase of the fur traffic of the Russians, -contemporary European publicists came again to speak of the prospect -of trouble over the Company's rights and boundaries. - -[Sidenote: Claim of the United States to Red River.] - -Before this time there had arisen a cry, sedulously seconded by the -Company's enemies, that the Red River region belonged to the United -States. Nothing can be clearer than that it was never for a moment -contemplated either by the British or American Government, that any of -the Hudson's Bay lands, or any of the waters running into Hudson's -Bay, would be included in the lines assigned as the boundaries between -the possessions of Great Britain and those of the States. It is -sufficiently demonstrated by the treaty concluded with America in 1794 -that such an idea never existed in the minds of the negotiators. By -the third article of that treaty, which permits the most perfect -freedom of communication and intercourse between the subjects of both -nations throughout their respective dominions, an exception is made of -the country within the limits of the Hudson's Bay Company, to be -ascertained, of course, in conformity to their charter from which the -Americans are expressly excluded. The terms of the treaty concluded in -1783 with the United States show the express intentions of both -nations to have been that the northern boundary of the United States -should not, in any part, extend farther north than the River St. -Lawrence, or the lakes and streams which feed or fall into it. - -The unhappy feature of the matter was that a great part of the second -article of the treaty of 1783 was drawn up in complete ignorance of -the geography of the country. It is so full of contradictions that it -became impossible afterwards to lay down a line which should follow -that article literally. In this dilemma the only fair method of -solving the difficulty was to return to the principles which governed -the framing of the article. - - [Illustration: RED RIVER CART.] - -[Sidenote: The Treaty of 1783.] - -At the close of the Revolution the chief aim of the American -negotiators, as is evinced throughout their correspondence, was to -obtain a recognition of the right of their country to the western -territory as far as the St. Lawrence on the north, and the Mississippi -on the west. When the British Government acceded to this proposition -it was regarded by the Americans as an important concession, and their -plenipotentiaries proceeded upon that concession as the principle on -which their boundary towards Canada, after it had struck the St. -Lawrence, was to be defined. They brought the line from Nova Scotia to -the St. Lawrence, and then followed up the main stream of the river to -what they believed to be its principal source, and what was supposed -to approach the nearest to the source of the Mississippi. In fanciful -conformity to this intention, the second article of the treaty of -1783, after having carried the line to Lake Superior, stipulates that -it shall be continued onwards through the middle of certain water -communications to the north-west point of the Lake of the Woods, and -thence due west to the Mississippi. The fact, however, is that the -waters of the Lake of the Woods feed streams which fall into Hudson's -Bay, but have no communication with any waters which fall into Lake -Superior. It is also a fact that a line drawn due west from the Lake -of the Woods would never reach the Mississippi, which lies far to the -south of such a line. - -But there was a reason for such egregious blundering. The country had -never been surveyed by men of science. Its physical features had been -derived from the vague and inaccurate accounts of ignorant traders and -bushrangers, which had formed the basis for the current maps. These -laid down a large river running from the Lake of the Woods and falling -into Lake Superior. If there had been such a river in existence, there -can be no doubt, from the body of waters contained in the Lake of the -Woods, that it would have been a much larger stream than any of the -feeders of Lake Superior. It was therefore most natural that the -negotiators should suppose the Lake of the Woods to be the main source -of the St. Lawrence. At the same time this must have appeared to them -the point at which the waters of the St. Lawrence approached the -nearest to the source of the Mississippi, because in the maps of the -bushrangers the Mississippi is laid down as rising four or five -degrees of latitude farther north than it does in fact, and as coming -within a short distance of the Lake of the Woods on the west. - -As the negotiators in Paris in 1783 reposed the greatest confidence in -these crude productions of the cartographer, is it surprising that the -second article of the treaty should be full of inconsistencies? On any -other supposition the intention of the negotiators would be fatuous -and incomprehensible. - -[Sidenote: Examination of American claims.] - -This brings us to the whole point involved in the American contention, -which deprived Great Britain and the Company of a vast territory to -which the United States possessed no shadow of right. Where the limits -of a country have never been ascertained the conquest of the -contiguous and encroaching territory may be justly considered as -establishing the bounds originally claimed by the victorious nation; -and this was the case with regard to Canada and the territory of the -Company. But where between two powers there have been no defined -limits, and no conquests have determined the claims of either, the -pretensions of both might be fairly adjusted by laying down as a rule -that "the priority of right should be considered as vested in each, to -the respective countries, which each have either principally or -exclusively frequented." - -The Spaniards west of the Mississippi never extended their -establishments nearly so far north as latitude 42, while the Hudson's -Bay limits were long frequented by the English. On what ground, -therefore, could the Americans, the successors merely to the rights -derived from the Spaniards, claim all the country of the Sioux, the -Mandans and many other tribes on the upper branches of the Missouri? - -Nevertheless the States, after their purchase of Louisiana, continued -to put in claims for a more northerly and westerly boundary, with what -ultimate result we shall see. It is only pertinent to remark here, -that nothing could be more absurd than the idea that Spain ever -contemplated the cession of any territory on the Pacific Ocean, under -the name of Louisiana. - -The interior river waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin had -attracted the attention of the Company even before the American -trappers had reached them, and traders remained there in unmolested -possession long after the Russians had left the country. The feeble -frontier guard could do nothing but protest, and ultimately when the -trappers had nearly exhausted the outlying districts and desired to -penetrate into the centre of the State, the American Government -admitted them under an agreement with the Hudson's Bay Company, -whereby a tax of fifty cents was to be paid for each beaver skin. - -A year before the amalgamation the north-west coast for the first time -engaged the attention of the American Government,[113] and what came -to be known as the Oregon Question had its birth. The States possessed -no title to the country, but a strong party believed that they had a -right to found by occupation a legitimate title to a large portion of -the territory in question. The matter was brought up at several -sessions of Congress, and the utmost was done by such legislators as -Floyd and Benton to flog it into an active issue. It was claimed that -"the United States, through Spain, France and her own establishments, -had the undisputed sovereignty of the coast from latitude 60 deg. down -to 36 deg." A bill was introduced for the occupation of the Columbia, -grants of lands to settlers, and regulation of Indian affairs. But the -Government was by no means so sure of the wisdom of such a proceeding; -the bill was repeatedly shelved. The restoration of Fort George -(Astoria) by the British was one of the strong arguments used. - -In the meanwhile Russia had declared that the north Pacific coast down -to latitude 51 deg. belonged to her exclusively. All foreign vessels -were prohibited from approaching within a hundred Italian miles of any -part of the coast. America protested, and between 1821 and 1824 -negotiations were carried on between the two powers. - -[Sidenote: Russian claims.] - -Russia flatly asserted that the boundary question was one between -herself and Great Britain, with which the Americans had no legitimate -concern; and offered proofs that the treaty with Spain gave the United -States a right only to territory south of 42 deg. A conclusion was, -however, reached in the Treaty of 1824, by which the boundary was -fixed at 54 deg. 40', beyond which neither nation was to found any -establishment, or to resort, without permission; while for a period of -ten years both nations were to have free access for trade and fishery -to each other's territory. - -In the following year was concluded a treaty between Russia and Great -Britain,[114] by which the former again relinquished her claim not -only to the region below latitude 54 deg. 40', but to the vast interior -occupied by the Company up to the Frozen Ocean. No objection to this -was urged by America, although some of her statesmen sought to take a -hand in the matter, and proposed a joint conference. Great Britain's -reply to this proposition was to decline to recognize the right of the -United States to any interest in the territory in question. The recent -promulgation of the Monroe doctrine had given offence not only to her, -but to Russia as well, and both were prepared to combat American -pretensions. - -Although his Majesty's ministers had refused to treat for a joint -convention, yet in 1824 negotiations were begun in London, between -Great Britain and America, for the ownership of the northern Pacific -coast. The British commissioners showed clearly that the Americans had -no valid claim to the territory occupied by the Company. - - [Illustration: FUR TRAIN FROM THE FAR NORTH.] - -[Sidenote: Temporary arrangement between England and the States.] - -The mere entrance of a private individual, such as Captain Gray, into -a river could not give the States a claim up and down the coast to -regions which had been previously explored by officially despatched -British expeditions like that of Cook. It was emphatically denied that -the restoration of Fort Astoria, under the Treaty of Ghent, had any -bearing on the title. Nevertheless, Great Britain was willing to -accept as a boundary the forty-ninth parallel from the mountains to -the Columbia (then known as McGillivray River), and down that river to -the sea. But the Americans were obdurate; a deadlock ensued and the -convention of 1818 remained in force. The Company repeatedly urged the -Government not to abandon one inch of territory rightfully under the -Crown, to the United States. Nevertheless, a settlement of the Oregon -Question was highly desirable. If in spite of the treaty of 1818 the -States should attempt to occupy the territory, war would be -inevitable. If on the other hand the treaty should expire without any -attempt at American occupation, Great Britain would be, by the law of -nations, the party rightfully in possession. A new conference was held -in London, in 1827; but it was impossible to agree on a boundary, and -the only thing possible was a compromise to the effect that the treaty -of joint occupation should be indefinitely renewed subject to -abrogation at any time by either party on twelve months' notice. Thus -the _statu quo_ was maintained, and the Hudson's Bay Company remained -in actual possession of the profits of the fur-trade for many years to -come. - -In 1828 Governor Simpson believed it advisable to make a general -survey of the western posts, with the object of impressing peace and -good-will upon the natives, and also to acquire a further knowledge of -the needs and abilities of the Company's officers and servants in that -quarter. This journey of the Governor, undertaken in considerable -state, was from York Factory to the Pacific. He was accompanied by a -chief factor, Archibald Macdonald, and a surgeon named Hamlyn. -Fourteen commissioned gentlemen, as the chief factors and chief -traders were called, and as many clerks, accompanied the party to the -canoes, and amidst great cheering and a salute of seven guns, bade -them God-speed. Simpson entered Peace River on the 15th of August, and -reached Fort Vermilion in due course, three hundred and twenty miles -from the mouth, which was then in charge of Paul Fraser. From here he -proceeded to Fort St. James, the capital of Western Caledonia, and the -chief depot for all the region north of the Fraser Forks to the -Russian boundary, including the Babine country. Forts Alexandria, -Kamloops and Vancouver were visited in due order, and in the following -year Simpson returned east by way of the Columbia. - -In an attempt to enter the Columbia River in 1829, the Company's ship -from London, _William and Ann_, was wrecked on Land Island. Several of -the crew escaped and landed on Clatsop Point, where they were -immediately murdered by the natives, in order that the plunder of the -vessel might be accomplished without interruption. News of the -disaster was carried to Fort Vancouver, where the officer in charge, -McLaughlin, sent messengers demanding a restoration of the stolen -cargo. In response to this request, an old broom was despatched to the -fort, with the intelligence that this was all the restitution the -Clatsops contemplated. The schooner _Colbore_ was therefore sent on a -punitive expedition. Several of the tribe were wounded and a chief -shot, after which the Clatsops entered into a better frame of mind, -and expressed contrition for their behaviour. - -Under the Anglo-Russian Treaty of 1825, the Company possessed the free -navigation of streams which, having their rise in British territory, -crossed Russian territory in their course to the sea. The Company were -not long in availing themselves of this privilege. Posts were -successively erected, as far as the Stickeen River; but seven years -afterwards there was yet no permanent post on that stream. It was, -therefore, decided to establish one, and a brig, the _Dryad_, was -accordingly fitted out and despatched from Fort Vancouver. But in that -year, 1833, the Russian Government had received the petition of its -subjects to rescind the proviso in the treaty favourable to the -British. The Company's enterprise in thus encroaching on Russian -territory had alarmed Wrangel, who was then in charge of the Russian -establishment[115] at Sitka, and he wrote to his superiors urging them -to memorialize the Emperor. He alleged that the Hudson's Bay Company -had violated its agreement to refrain from selling fire-arms or -spirituous liquors to the natives--an allegation which was not founded -on fact. - -[Sidenote: The _Dryad_ appears.] - -Believing that the situation called for instant action, Wrangel did -not wait to learn what course his Government would take in the matter, -but at once despatched two armed vessels to the entrance of Stickeen -River. A fort was hastily built on the site of an Indian village, guns -were mounted, and the Company's expedition awaited. All unconscious -the _Dryad_ force approached. Suddenly a puff of smoke and a loud -report arrested them, and several shots came from two vessels hitherto -concealed in the offing. While the astonished captain and crew put the -brig about, with a design to anchor out of range, a boat reached them -from the shore, bearing an officer in Russian uniform. He protested in -the name of the Emperor and the Governor of the Russian-American -possessions, against the entrance of a British vessel into a river -appertaining to those powers. The Company's agent attempted to argue -the matter, but his representations went unheeded. The Russian was -obdurate; they were all threatened with peril to their lives, and -their vessel, if the _Dryad_ did not immediately weigh anchor. There -was consequently nothing to do but to return. - -The Company was indignant at this outrage. The forts it had already -built, together with the cost of fitting out the _Dryad_ and other -vessels, besides a vast quantity of provisions and perishable -merchandise sent into that country, had amounted to L20,000 sterling. -The Emperor had granted the petition of the Russian Company; and both -the British and the American Governments received notification that -the clause in the treaty would terminate at twelve months' notice. But -the _Dryad_ affair took place before this decision was made public. -The British Government very properly demanded immediate satisfaction, -and for a time public interest was keenly aroused. The Russian -Government merely consented to disavow the act of its officer; and -issued instructions prohibiting further hindrance to the trading -limits previously agreed upon. - -The matter did not, however, receive settlement until 1839, in which -year a convention was held in London to arrange the points long in -dispute between the two companies. The matter was settled with -despatch. The Hudson's Bay Company's claim for compensation was waived -in return for a lease from the Russian Company of all their territory -on the mainland lying between Cape Spencer and latitude 54 deg. 40'. For -this lease the Company agreed to pay an annual rental of two thousand -land-otter skins, and also to supply the Russians with provisions at -moderate rates. - -In the last chapter, the expedition in 1819-20 of Lieutenant -(afterwards Sir John) Franklin, was alluded to. - -Franklin and his party reached Fort Chippewyan on the 26th March, -after having travelled on foot eight hundred and fifty-six miles, with -the weather so intensely cold that the mercury continually froze in -the bulb. In July, 1820, they journeyed five hundred miles more to -Fort Enterprise, where the party wintered, Back returning to Fort -Chippewyan to procure supplies for the next season's operations. He -was eagerly awaited, and when he arrived, in March, 1821, he had a -tale of great hardship to relate. He had travelled over one thousand -one hundred miles, sometimes going two or three days without food, -with no covering at night but a blanket and deerskins to protect him -from the fearful rigours of fifty-seven degrees below zero. In June -the party started out from the Coppermine to reach the sea, which they -did in eighteen days. Their subsequent sufferings were of the most -dreadful description. When the survivors returned to York Factory, -they had travelled five thousand five hundred and fifty miles by land -and water; but their object was still unaccomplished.[116] - -In 1825, Franklin entered upon a second journey to the shores of the -Polar Sea, again accompanied by Lieutenant Back and Peter Dease, one -of the Company's chief traders. - -"The Governor and Committee took," says Franklin, "a most lively -interest in the objects of the expedition, promised their utmost -support to it, and forthwith sent injunctions to their officers in the -fur countries to provide the necessary depots of provisions at the -places which I pointed out, and to give every other aid in their -power." - -Franklin descended the Mackenzie and traced the coast line through -thirty-seven degrees of longitude from the mouth of the Coppermine -River, where his former survey began, to near the one hundred and -fiftieth meridian, and coming within one hundred and sixty miles of -the most easterly point reached by Captain Beechy, who was exploring -from Bering's Strait. - - [Illustration: SIR GEORGE BACK, R.N.] - -In 1832 the protracted absence of Captain (afterwards Sir John) Ross, -who had sailed three years before for the Polar regions, became cause -for anxiety. It was decided to send an expedition, commanded by -Captain Back, in search of this explorer, and the Government granted -L2,000 towards the expense, "it being understood that the Hudson's Bay -Company will furnish the supplies and canoes free of charge, and that -the remainder of the expense, which is estimated at L3,000, will be -contributed by Captain Ross's friends." The expedition sailed, but -after it had been absent one year, news reached them[117] that Ross -had returned safe and sound in England; and Captain Back was ordered -to attempt a completion of the coast line of the north-eastern -extremity of North America. The Company, through Sir George Simpson, -nominated four officers, in its service, to be placed under Back's -command. - -In 1834 there was witnessed a confirmation of the Deed Poll of 1821, -with a more definite prescription of the duties and emoluments of the -Company's servants. - -It was not until the year 1835 that Lord Selkirk's heirs determined to -give up their control of the Red River colony, and to surrender the -territories granted in 1811. The expenses incurred by the Earl in his -expeditions, and in his costly law suits, were estimated at a large -amount, and this the Company agreed to assume. - -In 1839 a powerful blow was dealt at the prosperity of the Company by -the successful substitution of silk for beaver fur in the manufacture -of hats. The price of beaver almost instantly fell, and continued to -fall thenceforward for many years, inflicting great loss upon the -Company which was fortunately atoned for in other directions. - -In this same year the Company, at the suggestion of Chief Factor -McLaughlin, demanded and obtained of the Russian Fur Company a ten -years' lease for trading purposes of a strip of land ten leagues wide, -extending north from latitude 50 deg. 40', and lying between British -territory and the ocean, paying therefor two thousand east side land -otter, worth thirty-two shillings and sixpence each. Statesmen in -England marvelled at this arrangement, wondering why the Company -sought these ten leagues of Russian seaboard. But traffic with the -natives was only one of the objects of the Company, for they also -contemplated making a customer of the Russians for European goods, as -well as for those products of the soil which the inclemency of the -more northern regions prevented their rivals from raising. - -Acting upon this arrangement, a party was organized at Montreal in -1839 to take possession of the leased territory. They set out from -York Factory in July, and travelled from thence by way of Edmonton, -Jasper House and Walla Walla to Fort Vancouver. In the following year -they proceeded to the Redoubt St. Dionysius, or as it was thereafter -called, Fort Stickine, the Russian post at the mouth of the Stickine -River, which was to be the British headquarters in the leased -territory. In charge of the fort they found a Russian officer with -fifty men, guarded by a brig of thirty-two guns. The officer was -informed by the Company's pioneers that they would remain with -eighteen men, at which the Russians expressed astonishment. They -informed young McLaughlin and W. G. Rae, who had been appointed to the -new post, that the savages were troublesome, that the chief had many -slaves skilled in assassination and accustomed to obey his murderous -orders. To which the Company's men replied, "Other forts we rule with -twenty men, and we will hold Stickine." - - [Illustration: THOMAS SIMPSON.] - -To this period belong the adventures and the tragic end of Thomas -Simpson, the Arctic explorer. As a youth, Simpson had shown great -scholastic promise, and seemed destined for medicine, when fortune -tempted him to try the service of the Company. His cousin, George -Simpson, was then Governor of the Company's territories, and repeated -offers of a position decided the brilliant student to embark in the -fur-trade. He began work as secretary to Governor Simpson, with whom -he travelled from post to post for some time, until he settled down as -accountant at Fort Garry. But soon the Company had a duty for him to -perform. In order to strengthen their hand when applying for a renewal -of their general trading license, the Honourable Adventurers decided -to spend some money in exploring the Arctic coast. Young Simpson was -requested to undertake this arduous task. Exploration from the -Atlantic showed a defined coast line to within seven degrees of the -Great Fish River, and it was to devolve upon Simpson to explore the -intervening gap. The important duty was laid upon him of completing -the discovery of the northern coast of North America, and in -accomplishing this it was thought that the long-looked for North-West -passage would be brought to light. Simpson set out from Fort Garry in -the winter of 1836-37 and travelled on foot the whole distance to -Lake Athabasca, a matter of one thousand two hundred miles, where he -encountered Dease, the chief factor, who was nominally at the head of -the expedition. In the spring the party descended the Mackenzie in -open boats, coasting along to the westward until they attained the -farthest point attained by Franklin. From here a successful journey -was made to within a short distance of Point Barrow, when their -progress was arrested by the ice. After wintering at Great Bear Lake, -in the spring of 1838 the expedition again started for the coast, -crossing the Coppermine River and descending that stream to its mouth. -But to their great disappointment they found the coast ice-bound. In -the following spring they were more fortunate, finding the sea -comparatively open, and as before, Simpson struck off along the coast -on foot. The expedition returned by way of the Coppermine and Great -Bear Lake to the Mackenzie River, and here Simpson wrote a narrative -of the expedition while waiting for the freezing up of that stream. He -departed from Fort Simpson on the 2nd December, and reached Fort Garry -on 1st of February, covering a distance of one thousand nine hundred -and ten miles in sixty-one days, many of which were spent in enforced -delays at the Company's forts on the way. Simpson was greatly -disappointed to find on his arrival at Red River no letters from the -Company in London, inasmuch as he had offered to make another -expedition to complete the seven degrees still remaining of unexplored -coast. The Company had accepted his offer, and wrote to that effect, -but the letter arrived too late. The same mail also contained the news -that the Royal Geographical Society, in view of the success which had -attended his first expedition, had awarded him its gold medal; while -the British Government had bestowed on him a pension of L100 sterling -per annum. Simpson's later discoveries far excelled those he had made -in 1837, and no doubt the honours accorded him would have been very -great; but in 1840, while travelling, about three days' journey from -Fort Garry, in what is now Dakota, a tragedy took place, the details -of which are still wrapt in mystery. It appears that the party of -which Simpson was a member were arranging their camp for the night. -Their horses were grazing hard by. All were armed with guns and -pistols, for the Sioux were on the warpath. One of the party was -helping to pitch the tent when he heard the report of a gun. On -turning around he beheld Simpson in the act of shooting, first, John -Bird and then Antoine Legros, the former of whom fell dead, while the -latter had time to give his son a last embrace. According to this -witness, Simpson then spoke for the first time, demanding if he knew -of any plot to rob him of his papers. This was the last seen alive of -the Arctic explorer; next morning his dead body was found lying beside -the others he had slain. There is little doubt that he was the victim -of a fit of insanity, superinduced by the fear that one of his -fellow-travellers might report the results of the expedition to the -Company in England before him. His death removed an able and -distinguished explorer, who rendered good service to the Company. - -In 1842 Lord Ashburton arrived in the United States, equipped with -instructions and powers for the settlement of certain questions long -pending between Britain and America. It was expected that the Oregon -boundary matter would be one of these, but this was not the case.[118] - -Meanwhile the utmost excitement prevailed in Oregon, the settlers of -both nationalities claiming possession. Political meetings were held -on the part of the British, at which old Hudson's Bay Company servants -and ignorant voyageurs were nominated for office, the latter men, -"whose ideas of government," says McKay, "were little above those of a -grisly bear." - -Travelling along the middle Columbia at this time was by no means -devoid of danger, owing to the animosity of the natives towards the -Americans. Their faith in the Company remained unshaken; but they were -subject to fits of suspicion and ill-temper, which were occasionally -fraught with considerable inconvenience for the Hudson's Bay servants. -In 1844, when J. W. McKay first came to Fort Vancouver, he found that -many of the Indians along the route were not to be trusted. Early in -1846 McKay was dispatched to California to ascertain what arrangements -might be made for securing certain supplies nearer than England, in -case the Company's farming establishment on the Columbia should be -surrendered to the United States. - -In 1846 Joseph McKay was given the general supervision of the Pacific -establishments, in succession to James Douglas. Taking passage -northward in the _Beaver_ in October, according to the custom of the -general agent, he visited the several stations and made such changes -and left such instructions as he deemed advisable. The Russians he -found "affable and polite, but tricky." In August, 1847, he mentions -meeting a chief of the Stickine Indians, whom he had reason to believe -perfectly trustworthy. "He told me that he had been approached by a -Russian officer with presents of beads and tobacco, and that he was -told that if he would get up a war with the English in that vicinity -and compel them to withdraw, he should receive assistance in the shape -of arms and ammunition; and in case of success he would receive a -medal from the Russian Emperor, a splendid uniform, and anything else -he might desire, while his people should always be paid the highest -prices for their peltries." - -In the East as in the West, at Red River, at Edmonton, and on the -Pacific, the old policy of procuring provisions and the necessaries of -life from England had been abandoned. The Company now raised horses, -horned cattle, sheep, and other farm stock. It owned large farms in -different parts of the country, grist mills, saw mills, tanneries, -fisheries, etc. From its posts on the Pacific it exported flour, -grain, beef, pork, and butter, to the Russian settlements; lumber and -fish to the Sandwich Islands; hides and wool to England. It opened the -coal mines at Nanaimo, after an unremunerative expenditure of L25,000 -in seeking coal at Fort Rupert. - -[Sidenote: Agricultural and mercantile enterprise.] - -On the Pacific Coast, as many of the Company's men who could be spared -from the business of the fort, as well as such natives as had a -leaning towards civilization, were employed in clearing lands and -establishing farms. It was not difficult to convince these Indians -that they were pursuing the best policy, and they set to with a will -to help the white men and half-breeds, "becoming good bullock-drivers -and better ploughmen than the Canadians or Ranakes," to whom, -nevertheless, they gave freely of their women as wives, a circumstance -which tended to promote good behaviour amongst the medley throng of -Company's servants. Such natives were treated with all fairness, and -paid wages as high as the other labourers, usually from L17 to L25 per -annum. - -The Company became banker for the thousands who thrived by hunting, -trading, tilling or mining, within its domains. It issued notes, and -so valid were they that it has been said "the Hudson's Bay Company's -note was taken everywhere over the northern continent when the 'shin -plasters' of banks in the United States and Canada were refused."[119] - - [Illustration: HUDSON'S BAY CO., TRADE TOKENS.] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[110] In March, 1821, Wentzel, one of the North-West partners, wrote: -"The Hudson's Bay Company have apparently relaxed in the extravagance -of their measures; last autumn they came in the [Athabasca] Department -with fifteen canoes only, containing each about fifteen pieces. Mr. -Simpson, a gentleman from England last spring, superintends their -business. His being a strange, and reputedly gentlemanly, man, will -not create much alarm, nor do I presume him formidable as an Indian -trader." - -[111] May 30th, 1838. - -[112] "Such is the spirit and avidity exhibited by the Council," wrote -one of the Company's factors, in 1823, "that it is believed these -discoveries will be extended as far as the Russian settlements on the -Pacific Ocean." - -[113] On motion of Mr. Congressman Floyd, a committee was appointed in -December, 1820, "to enquire into the situation of the settlements upon -the Pacific Ocean, and the expediency of occupying the Columbia -River." - -[114] See Appendix for copy of this Treaty. - -[115] The Russian Company was incorporated under the patronage of the -Crown with a capital of two hundred and sixty thousand pounds -sterling. It had a large commerce with Northern China which did not -deal with Canton; and it was in the northern part of the empire that -the consumption of furs was greatest. Canton was merely the _entrepot_ -where furs were received for distribution throughout China. - -[116] From Joseph Berens, Esq., the Governor of the Hudson's Bay -Company and the gentlemen of the Committee, I received all kinds of -assistance and information, communicated in the most friendly manner -previous to my leaving England; and I had the gratification of -perusing the orders to their agents and servants in North America, -containing the fullest directions to promote by every means the -progress of the expedition.--_Sir John Franklin._ - -[117] "The extraordinary expedition with which this despatch was -transmitted by the Hudson's Bay Company," says Back, "is worthy of -being recorded." - -[118] Indeed it cannot be doubted that Great Britain was wholly -influenced by the position of the Company. It has been said that she -did not anticipate any permanent possession of the country. "The -British have certainly no other immediate object," wrote Mr. Gallatin, -the American commissioner, to Henry Clay, "than that of protecting the -Company in its fur-trade." - -[119] Sir Edward Walkin tells how, when he was for a short time, in -1865 and 1866, shareholders' auditor of the Company, he cancelled many -of these notes which had become defaced, mainly owing to the fingering -of Indians and others, who had left behind on the thick yellow paper, -coatings of pemmican. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -1846-1863. - - The Oregon Treaty -- Boundary Question Settled -- Company - Proposes Undertaking Colonization of North America -- Enmity - and Jealousy Aroused -- Attitude of Earl Grey -- Lord Elgin's - Opinion of the Company -- Amended Proposal for Colonization - Submitted -- Opposition of Mr. Gladstone -- Grant of Vancouver - Island Secured, but Allowed to Expire in 1859 -- Dr. Rae's - Expedition -- The Franklin Expedition and its Fate -- Discovery - of the North-West Passage -- Imperial Parliament Appoints - Select Committee -- Toronto Board of Trade Petitions - Legislative Council -- Trouble with Indians -- Question of - Buying Out the Company -- British Government Refuses Help -- - "Pacific Scheme" Promoters Meet Company in Official Interview - -- International Financial Association Buys Company's Rights -- - Edward Ellice, the "Old Bear." - - -On the 15th of June, 1846, the famous "Oregon Treaty" was concluded -between Great Britain and America. - -[Sidenote: The Oregon Boundary Question.] - -By the second article of that instrument it is declared that: "From -the point at which the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude shall be -found to intersect the great northern branch of the Columbia River, -the navigation of the said branch of the river to the point where the -said branch meets the main stream of the said river shall be free and -open to the Hudson's Bay Company, and to all British subjects trading -with the same, and thence down the said main stream to the ocean, with -free access into and through the said river or rivers, it being -understood that all the usual portages along the line thus described -shall, in like manner, be free and open. In navigating the said river -or rivers, British subjects, with their goods and produce, shall be -treated on the same footing as citizens of the United States; it -being, however, always understood that nothing in this article shall -be construed as preventing, or intending to prevent, the Government of -the United States from making any regulations respecting the -navigation of the said river or rivers not inconsistent with the -present treaty." - - [Illustration: HUDSON'S BAY CO.'S EMPLOYEES ON THEIR ANNUAL EXPEDITION. - (_From "Picturesque Canada," by permission._)] - -According to Article III, "In the future appropriation of the -territory south of the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, as -provided in the first article of this treaty, the possessary rights of -the Hudson's Bay Company, and of all British subjects who may be -already in the occupation of land or other property lawfully acquired -within the said territory, shall be respected." - -The Oregon boundary question was thus settled. Immigrants were pouring -into Oregon from all parts of America, and California was already -receiving numerous gold miners. It was therefore natural that -Vancouver Island and British Columbia should receive attention. The -climate was known to be almost perfect, and a motion to encourage -colonization in those territories was made in the British Parliament. -But the Company was quite alive to the situation. A letter was -addressed to Earl Grey, the Colonial Secretary, dwelling on the -efforts the Adventurers had made in the British interest, and urging -that Vancouver Island be granted to them. - -The negotiations continued until March, 1847, when Sir J. H. Pelly, -the Governor of the Company, again wrote to Earl Grey, informing him -that the Company would "undertake the government and colonization of -all the territories belonging to the Crown in North America, and -receive a grant accordingly." Such a proposition staggered Her -Majesty's Ministers, who were for the most part ignorant of the work -the Company had already accomplished, of the position it occupied, or -of the growth of its establishment on the Pacific. Already it governed -and was now busy colonizing the territory, doing both in a manner -superior to that adopted by the Americans in their adjacent -territories. Such a proposition, too, awakened all the jealousy and -enmity against the Company which had been latent for so long. - -[Sidenote: Enmity and jealousy aroused.] - -One of the most determined and virulent in his attacks on the Company -at this time was one A. K. Isbister, who addressed a long -communication to Earl Grey, besides other letters to public men in -England. In answer to Mr. Isbister, Earl Grey forwarded the substance -of a report which had been made by Major Griffiths, late in command -of Her Majesty's troops at Fort Garry, to whom had been communicated -the petition of certain residents of Red River settlement. - -To all the petitions, memorials, and complaints of interested parties -and self-seekers against the Company, Earl Grey had but one answer. He -said he had gone to the bottom of the matter, and he believed the -Company was honest and capable. If he had had any doubt about it, this -doubt must have been removed by a remarkable despatch of Lord Elgin, -Governor-General of Canada, under date of 6th June, 1848. "I am bound -to state," he wrote, "that the result of the enquiries which I have -hitherto made is highly favourable to the Company, and that it has -left on my mind the impression that the authority which it exercises -over the vast and inhospitable region subject to its jurisdiction, is, -on the whole, very advantageous to the Indians.... More especially it -would appear to be a settled principle of their policy to -discountenance the use of ardent spirits. It is indeed possible that -the progress of the Indians toward civilization may not correspond -with the expectations of some of those who are interested in their -welfare. But disappointments of this nature are experienced, I fear, -in other quarters as well as in the territories of the Hudson's Bay -Company; and persons to whom the trading privileges of the Company are -obnoxious may be tempted to ascribe to its rule the existence of evils -which are altogether beyond its power to remedy. There is too much -reason to fear that if the trade were thrown open and the Indians left -to the mercy of the adventurers who might chance to engage in it, -their condition would be greatly deteriorated."[120] - -Such was the opinion of the Earl of Elgin on the Hudson's Bay Company, -and it was the opinion of all who really understood the Company's -aims, its history and its position. "Persons to whom the trading -privileges of the Company are obnoxious." It was thus that the Earl -laid his finger upon the cause of the whole onslaught. Jealousy of the -Company's rights was at the bottom of the whole matter. - -[Sidenote: Opposition of Mr. Gladstone.] - -The Vancouver Island negotiations were suspended for a year, and then -the Company, seeing the opposition it had evoked, put forward a less -extensive proposal, by which it offered to continue the general -management of the whole territory north of the forty-ninth degree, and -for colonizing purposes to except Vancouver Island alone. It agreed to -colonize the island without any pecuniary advantage accruing to -itself, and promised that all moneys received for lands and minerals -should be applied to purposes connected with the improvement of the -country. The proposition seemed a reasonable one; but in a certain -rising statesman, who had inherited his opposition to the Company from -his father, and who had many followers, the Honourable Adventurers had -a powerful enemy. His name was Mr. W. E. Gladstone, and his enmity to -the measure caused the Government to halt. - -The Company was not without strong friends, as well as enemies. It -drew up a deed of charter, and boldly relied on the Earl of Lincoln -(afterwards Duke of Newcastle) to procure favour for it in the House -of Commons. On the 17th July the Earl opened the subject, and drew -from Mr. Gladstone a speech which occupies many columns of Hansard's -Debates. With mighty energy he hurled argument, invective, appeal and -remonstrance at the heads of his fellow-members. It was even suggested -that he was actuated by personal malice. Every statement, every -slander that could wither or blacken the fair fame of a corporation -which had deserved well of its country, was employed on this occasion, -and his conclusion was that the Company was incompetent to carry out -its promises. Mr. Howard, who followed, believed that it would be -"most unwise to confer the extensive powers proposed on a fur-trading -Company." Yet he did not deny that as California had recently been -ceded to America, it was a matter of the highest importance that a -flourishing British Colony should be established on the Pacific Coast -as an offset to that power. Lord John Russell undertook to enlighten -the House as to the achievements of the Company, apart from -fur-trading. He said that it already held exclusive privileges, which -did not expire until 1859; that the western lands were controlled by a -Crown grant, dated 13th May, 1838, confirming the possession by the -Company for twenty-one years from that date; that these privileges -"could not be taken away from it without breach of principle and that -if colonization were delayed until the expiration of this term -squatters from America might step in and possess themselves of the -Island." - -[Sidenote: The grant of Vancouver Island.] - -It was voted to refer the matter to the Privy Council Committee for -Trade and Plantations; and on the 4th September this body reported in -favour of granting Vancouver Island to the Hudson's Bay Company. The -grant was duly signed, sealed and delivered on the 13th January, 1849. - -The Company, in the midst of its triumph, was not satisfied. It had -aroused enmities which it was powerless to allay. It had been lured, -by too zealous friends, into making promise of a policy which it -foresaw could not be followed without ruinous cost. It also foresaw -that the rush to the Pacific, consequent upon the gold-fever of 1849, -would bring about new interests not its own and, in brief, that the -colony would pass from its hands, and that all its outlay and labour -would have been expended without profits. What it anticipated came -about sooner than it expected. Opposition had been collecting from -without, and had been engendered from within. Some of the -Adventurers announced that when, in 1859, the grant would expire, they -would object to its renewal. The Company's enemies asserted that it -had not exerted itself to bring about the desired colonization of -Vancouver Island. The settlers forwarded a memorial asking to be -relieved from the Company's control. At the same time, the Governor it -had appointed, Mr. Douglas (afterwards Sir James Douglas), was -popular, and when the grant was allowed to expire and Vancouver Island -became a Crown colony in 1859, he was retained in the same office. -Soon afterwards, a Government was organized, with Mr. Douglas at its -head, on the mainland of British Columbia. - - [Illustration: SIR GEORGE SIMPSON RECEIVING A DEPUTATION OF INDIANS.] - -Meanwhile, in the eastern as well as the western extremity of the -Company's domains, agitation and malcontent was being fomented. -Certain residents of Red River settlement had forwarded petitions to -Earl Grey. Lieutenant-Colonel Crofton, in command of Her Majesty's -troops at Fort Garry, was asked to send in a report of the state of -affairs at Red River. At a little later period his successor, Major -Griffiths, was requested to do the same. Neither had any connection -with the Company, and both might therefore be regarded as unbiassed as -well as fully informed. Both exonerated the Company from most of the -charges brought against them, and as to the remainder, which were -preferred on untrustworthy evidence, they professed ignorance. They -rendered full credit to the Company "for the manner in which it has of -late years exercised its powers." - -In the year of the Oregon treaty the Company caused some valuable -exploration to be made of its northern coasts. Dr. Rae and his party -reached Chesterfield Inlet 13th July, 1846, passed Repulse Bay safely, -and conveyed their boats thence into Committee Bay, at the bottom of -Boothia Gulf. The Company's expedition wintered at Repulse Bay, and -again entering Committee Bay, in April, 1847, by the following month -had completed a survey, with the exception of Fury and Hecla Straits, -of the entire northern coast of the North American continent. - -[Sidenote: Fate of the Franklin Expedition.] - -In the previous year, 1845, Sir John Franklin, who had, since his last -travels in Rupert's Land, been Governor of Tasmania, was offered the -command of another expedition in search of the north-west passage by -the British Government. He embarked in the _Erebus_ and _Terror_, and -his ships were last seen on the 26th of July in Baffin's Bay by a -whaler. - -Several years passed without tidings of the expedition. In 1850 traces -of the missing ships were discovered by Ommaney and Penny, and it was -thus ascertained that the first winter had been spent behind Beechy -Island. No further news came until the spring of 1854, when an -expedition of the Hudson's Bay Company, under Dr. Rae, from Republic -Bay, received information from the Esquimaux that four years before -about forty white men had been seen dragging a boat over the ice near -the north shore of King William's Island. Somewhat later in the same -season of 1850, declared the natives, the bodies of the entire party -were found at a point a short distance to the north-west of the Great -Fish River. To prove their assertion the Esquimaux produced various -articles which were known to have belonged to the ill-fated explorer -and his party. The Government having previously offered a reward of -L10,000 "to any party, or parties who, in the judgment of the Board of -Admiralty, shall, by virtue of his or her efforts, first succeed in -ascertaining" the fate of the missing expedition, Dr. Rae laid claim -to and obtained this reward. Another expedition under Anderson and -Stewart went in two canoes, in 1855, down the Great Fish River, and -further verified the truth by securing more European articles and -clothing from the Esquimaux. It now became clear that a party from the -_Erebus_ and _Terror_ had sought to reach, by the Fish River route, -the nearest Company's post to the south, and had been arrested by the -ice in the channel near that river's mouth. In 1857 Lady Franklin, -whose efforts to set at rest the fate of her husband had been most -heroic, sent out the yacht _Fox_, commanded by Captain (afterwards Sir -Leopold) McClintock, who had already taken part in three expeditions -despatched in search of Franklin. In the following year more relics -were obtained, closely followed by the discovery of many skeletons. In -a cairn at Point Victory Lieutenant Hobson unearthed the celebrated -record kept by two of the explorers, which briefly told the history of -the expedition for three years, or up to April 25, 1848. It appeared -that Sir John Franklin had perished on the 11th of June, 1847. It is -believed that one of the vessels must have been crushed in the ice and -the other stranded on the shore of King William's Island, where it lay -for years, a mine of wonderful implements and playthings for the -Esquimaux. - - [Illustration: OPENING OF CAIRN ON POINT VICTORY WHICH CONTAINED THE - RECORD OF THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION.] - - [Illustration: DISCOVERY OF RELICS OF FRANKLIN EXPEDITION.] - -Franklin was virtually the discoverer of the long-sought north-west -passage, inasmuch as he had all but traversed the entire distance -between Baffin's Bay and Bering's Strait. - -[Sidenote: The North-West Passage discovered at last.] - -Yet it should be observed that in 1853 Commander McClure, who was in -charge of an Arctic expedition from the Pacific, was rescued near -Melville Island by Sir Edward Belcher, who came from the side of the -Atlantic, and both he and his ship's company returned to Europe _via_ -Baffin's Bay. Thus the secret of the north-west passage was disclosed -at last. It was now known that a continuous passage by water existed -between Baffin's Bay and Bering's Strait, and that was the last of the -voyages undertaken for the purpose through Rupert's Land. - -For ten years past the profits of the Company had already increased. -In 1846, there were in its employ five hundred and thirteen articled -men and thirty-five officers. It controlled a net-work of trading -routes between its posts situated between the Atlantic and the Pacific -oceans. In 1856 it had one hundred and fifty-two establishments under -Governor Simpson's control, with sixteen chief factors and twenty-nine -chief traders, assisted by five surgeons, eighty-seven clerks, -sixty-seven postmasters, five hundred voyageurs and one thousand two -hundred permanent servants, in addition to sailors on sea-going ships -and other employees, numbering altogether above three thousand men. - -[Sidenote: Imperial Parliament appoints Select Committee.] - -At the beginning of 1857 the opponents of the Company were on the _qui -vive_. They had at last succeeded in procuring a Select Committee of -the Imperial House of Commons for the purpose of considering "the -state of those British possessions in North America which are under -the administration of the Hudson's Bay Company, or over which it -possesses a license to trade." The committee was composed of the -following persons: The Right Honourable Henry Labouchere (afterwards -Lord Taunton), Sir John Pakingham, Lord John Russell, Mr. Gladstone, -the Right Honourable Edward Ellice, Lord Stanley, Viscount Sandon, and -Messrs. Lowe, Adderley, Roebuck, Grogan, Kinnaird, Blackburn, Charles -Fitzwilliam, Gordon, Gurney, Bell and Percy Herbert. Evidence was -taken from the 20th of February to the 9th of March, which comprised -the first session of the committee. It sat again in May, and the -examination of the numerous witnesses ended on the 23rd of June. -Public interest was aroused, and the Company and its doings again -became a standing topic at London dinner-tables. The Honourable -Adventurers were again on their trial--would they come out of the -ordeal as triumphantly as on the occasion of the previous great -investigation a full century and a decade before? The list of -witnesses comprised some of the best known names of the day. There -were: Sir John Richardson, Rear Admiral Sir George Back, Dr. Rae, -Chief Justice Draper of Canada, Sir George Simpson, Hon. John Ross, -Lieut.-Colonel Lefroy, Lieut.-Colonel Caldwell, Bishop Anderson, Hon. -Charles Fitzwilliam, Dr. King and Right Hon. Edward Ellice. At the -second session Messrs. Gordon, Bell and Adderley retired, and Viscount -Goderich, and Messrs. Matheson and Christy took their places. The -first witness examined was the Honourable John Ross, then President of -the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada. "It is complained," said he, "that -the Hudson's Bay Company occupy that territory and prevent the -extension of settlement and civilization in that part of the -continent. I do not think they ought to be permitted to do that; but I -think it would be a very great calamity if their control and power -were entirely to cease. My reason for forming that opinion is this: -during all the time that I have been able to observe their -proceedings, there has been peace within the whole territory. The -operations of the Company seem to have been carried on, at all events, -in such a way as to prevent the Indian tribes within their borders -from molesting the Canadian frontier; while, on the other hand, those -who have turned their attention to that quarter of the world must have -seen that, from Oregon to Florida, for these last thirty years or -more, there has been a constant Indian war going on between the -natives of American territory, on the one side, and the Indian tribes -on the other. Now, I very much fear that if the occupation of the -Hudson's Bay Company were to cease, our fate in Canada might be just -what it is with Americans in the border settlements of their -territory." - -Lord Elgin had showed the weak spot of the opposition. Mr. Ross -indicated it more precisely. "I believe," said he, "there are certain -gentlemen at Toronto very anxious to get up a second North-West -company, and I daresay it would result in something like the same -difficulties which the last North-West company created. I should be -sorry to see them succeed. I think it would do a great deal of harm, -creating further difficulties in Canada, which I do not desire to see -created." - -At the close of the evidence, Mr. Gladstone proposed resolutions -unfavourable to the Company, which were negatived by the casting vote -of the chairman, Lord Taunton, the numbers being seven to seven. The -committee agreed to their report on the 31st July. It recommended that -the Red River and Saskatchewan districts might be "ceded to Canada on -equitable principles," the details being left to Her Majesty's -Government. The termination of the Company's rule over Vancouver -Island was advised; and this advice was not distasteful to the -Company. The committee strongly urged, in the interests of law and -order, and of the Indian population as well as for the preservation of -the fur-trade, that the Company "should continue to enjoy the -privileges of exclusive trade which they now possess." - -[Sidenote: Toronto merchants petition Legislative Council.] - -As an illustration of the spirit prevalent in many quarters in Canada -towards the Company, the petition which on the 28th of April, 1857, -reached the Legislative Council of Canada, may be cited. It emanated -from the Board of Trade of the City of Toronto. After reciting in -anything but a respectful manner the history and status of the -Company, it declared that the Company acted under a "pretended" right, -that it "assumed the power to enact tariffs, collect custom dues, and -levy taxes against British subjects, and has enforced unjust and -arbitrary laws in defiance of every principle of right and justice." -The petitioners besought the attention of the Government "to that -region of country designated as the chartered territory, over which -the said Company exercises a sovereignty over the soil as well as a -monopoly in the trade, and which said Company claims as a right that -insures to it _in perpetuo_, in contradistinction to that portion of -the country over which it claims an exclusive right of trade, but for -a limited period only." The "gentlemen from Toronto" admitted that -this latter claim was founded upon a legal right, but submitted that a -renewal of "such license of exclusive trade was injurious to the -interests of the country so monopolized, and in contravention of the -rights of the inhabitants of Canada." - -In this year the claims of the Company in connection with the Treaty -of 1846 were finally arranged by a special treaty concluded through -the Hon. W. H. Seward for America, and Lord Lyons, the British -Ambassador. The Puget's Sound Agricultural Company, which was an -offshoot and subordinate concern of the Hudson's Bay Company, for the -purposes of wheat, wool, hides and tallow production, was also named -as one of the interested parties. - -"Whereas," so ran the new treaty, "it is desirable that all questions -between the United States authorities on the one hand, and the -Hudson's Bay and Puget's Sound Agricultural Companies on the other, -with respect to the possessary rights and claims of these companies, -and of any other British subjects in Oregon and Washington Territory, -should be settled by the transfer of those rights and claims to the -Government of the United States for an adequate money consideration: -It is hereby agreed that the United States of America and Her -Britannic Majesty shall, within twelve months after the exchange of -the ratification of the present treaty, appoint each a commissioner -for the purpose of examining and deciding upon all claims arising out -of the provisions of the above-quoted articles of the Treaty of June -15, 1846."[121] - -[Sidenote: Unwholesome temper amongst the Indians.] - -The commercial rivalry existing between the Russian-American Company -and the Hudson's Bay Company, which held a trading lease of part of -the sea-bound territory, naturally tended to engender and keep alive -an unwholesome temper amongst the Indians. They were frequently -troublesome, and occasionally murderous. In May, 1862, between two -hundred and fifty and three hundred of the natives on the west side of -Chatham Strait, twenty-five miles north of Cross Sound, seized on the -quarter-deck the captain and chief trader of the Company's steamer -_Labouchere_, of seven hundred tons and taking possession of the -vessel, drove the crew forward. But the crew had a large gun trained -aft, and parleying took place. The Indians had not known that this was -a Company ship. It was agreed that both parties should discharge their -rifles, and peace was proclaimed, the Indians finally leaving the -vessel. Before their departure, however, they covered the deck with -fine sea-otter and other skins as a present to the captain and -traders, and as a token of peace. - -In September, 1860, after an illness of but five days' duration, died -Sir George Simpson, the Governor-in-Chief in Rupert's Land, amidst -universal regrets. He had been often, indeed persistently, attacked by -the Company's enemies during his tenure of his office; indeed almost -up to the day of his death he was charged with being autocratic and -tyrannical, but none could deny him great ability and exceptional -fitness for his post. - -He had taken a powerful interest in northern discoveries, and -superintended the fitting out of several Arctic expeditions. For his -services in this direction he had been knighted in 1841, and soon -afterwards had set out on a journey round the world, of which he -published an interesting relation. In his late years he resided at -Lachine, where he entertained the Prince of Wales, on his visit in -1860. - -His successor was Mr. A. E. Dallas, who having made a considerable -fortune in China, had for some time served the Company on the Pacific -coast. Thanks to his prudence, the landing in 1859 of General Harney -and a detachment of American troops on the island St. Juan, between -Vancouver's Island and the mainland, had been controlled and -check-mated by the proposal of joint occupation until negotiations -should settle the question of right. He was returning home to England, -intending to retire, when he was persuaded to accept the Governorship -of Rupert's Land. - -[Sidenote: Proposals to buy out the Company.] - -At the head of a scheme for a transcontinental road and telegraph -system was Mr. (afterwards Sir) Edward Watkin, well known as the -promoter of the Grand Trunk Railway. For this scheme an Imperial -subsidy was sought. The dissensions which ensued between the various -parties interested proved not unfruitful, for they led up to the -great question of buying out the Company. - -At the beginning, however, the Duke of Newcastle, then Colonial -Secretary, had amiably undertaken to sound the Company as to their -willingness to allow a road and telegraphs through their -territory.[122] - -In response to this demand the aged Governor answered, almost in -terror, to the Duke of Newcastle, "What, sequester our very tap-root! -Take away the fertile lands where the buffaloes feed! Let in all kinds -of people to squat and settle, and frighten away the fur-bearing -animals they don't hunt and kill! Impossible! Destruction--extinction -of our time-honoured industry. If these gentlemen are so patriotic, -why don't they buy us out?" To this outburst the Duke quietly replied: -"What is your price?" Governor Berens answered: "Well, about a million -and a half." - -[Sidenote: Discussions as to the price.] - -On hearing this, Mr. Watkin was anxious that the British Government -should figure among the purchasing parties. Purchase seemed the only -way out of the difficulty. The Governor and Company seemed to have -made up their minds for a sale or else to withstand the project which -Mr. Watkin and the rest had so dearly at heart. An endeavour was made -to convince the Duke that at the price named there could be no risk of -loss, because the fur-trade could be separated from the land and -rights, and after the purchase a new joint-stock company could be -organized to take over the trading-posts, the fleet of ships, the -stock of goods, and the other assets, rights and privileges affecting -trade. Such a company, it was figured, would pay a rental (redeemable -over a term of years if necessary) of three or three and one-half per -cent, on L800,000, leaving only L700,000 as the value of a territory -bigger than Russia in Europe. Such a company would have to raise -additional capital of its own to modernise its business, to improve -the means of intercourse between its posts, and to cheapen and -expedite the transport to and fro of its merchandise. It was pointed -out that a land company could be organized in England, Canada and -America which, on a similar principle of redemption rental, might take -over the lands, leaving a reserve of probably a fourth of the whole as -the unpaid-for property of the Government, at the price of L700,000. -"Were these proposals to succeed, then," said Mr. Watkin, "all the -country would have to do was to lend L1,000,000 on such security as -could be offered, ample in each case," in his opinion. But a condition -was to be imposed if these plans were to be adopted. The Hudson's Bay -territory must be erected into a Crown colony like British Columbia, -and governed on the responsibility of the Empire. As to the cost of -government, there were three suggestions put forward. One was that it -might be recouped by a moderate system of duties in and out of the -territory, to be agreed upon between Canada and British Columbia on -the one hand, and the United States on the other. The second was to -sell a portion of the territory to America for five million dollars, -which sum Mr. Watkin knew could be obtained. The third scheme was to -open up portions of the fertile belt to colonization from the United -States. When considering the second plan, the Duke said he would not -sell; he would exchange; and studying the map, "we put our fingers -upon the Aroostook Wedge, in the State of Maine; upon a piece of -territory at the head of Lake Superior, and upon islands between -British Columbia and Vancouver's Island, which might be the equivalent -of rectification of boundary on many portions of the westward along -the 49th parallel of latitude." - -As for a name for the new proposed Crown colony, Dr. Mackay had -suggested to Mr. Watkin, "Hysperia," and this name was mentioned to -the Duke. Its similarity to "hysteria" probably caused it to be -dismissed. - -[Sidenote: Opposition of the Colonial Office.] - -The decision of the Duke of Newcastle on the whole proposition was -that were he a Minister of Russia he would agree to purchase the land -from the Hudson's Bay Company. "It is," said he, "the right thing to -do for many, for all reasons; but ministers here must subordinate -their views to the Cabinet." Nevertheless, he went so far as to -believe that it was right. But the Colonial Office were in positive -opposition to the scheme. - -It was now clear that the promoters of the Pacific transcontinental -railway could hope for no direct pecuniary aid from the British -Government. They must act for themselves. - -After some correspondence, it was arranged that the promoters of the -"Pacific scheme," as it was called, should meet the Governor and -Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company in an official interview. The -date was the 1st of December, 1862. - -"The room," writes Sir Edward Watkin in his Memoirs, "was the Court -room, dark and dirty. A faded green cloth, old chairs, almost black, -and a fine portrait of Prince Rupert. We met the Governor, Berens, -Eden Colville and Lyell only. On our part there were Mr. G. G. Glyn -(the late Lord Wolverton), Captain Glyn (the late Admiral Henry Glyn), -and Messrs. Newmarch, Benson, Blake and myself. Mr. Berens, an old man -and obstinate, bearing a name to be found in the earliest lists of -Hudson's Bay shareholders, was somewhat insulting in his manner. We -took it patiently. He seemed to be astounded at our assurance. 'What! -interfere with his fertile belt, tap-root,' etc." - -[Sidenote: The "Pacific Scheme" discussed.] - -But the Governor showed himself more reasonable; a calmer discussion -ensued, and the promoters were informed that the Company would be -ready to make a grant of land for the actual site of a road and -telegraph through their territory. Nothing more would be vouchsafed, -unless, as they had informed the Duke of Newcastle, they were paid for -all their rights and property. - - [Illustration: FORT PRINCE OF WALES. - (_Drawn from an old print._)] - -"The offer," observes Sir Edward, "of a mere site of a road and ground -for telegraph poles was no use. So, just as we were leaving, I said, -'We are quite ready to consider your offer to sell; and to expedite -matters, will you allow us to see your accounts, charters, etc.' They -promised to consult their Court." - -The result of this promise was that the promoters were put into -communication with "old Mr. Roberts, aged eighty-five, their -accountant, and with their solicitor, Mr. Maynard." Many interviews -took place at Hudson's Bay House between these parties. On the 17th of -March, 1863, Mr. Watkin met the Governor, Mr. Ellice, junior (son of -Edward Ellice, who had been nick-named the "Old Bear"), Mr. Matheson -and Mr. Maynard, at Hudson's Bay House. A number of account books were -produced. - -"Next day I had a long private interview with Mr. Maynard, but could -not see the balance-sheet The same day, I saw the Duke with Messrs. -Glyn and Benson." On the following day, the chief promoter spent the -forenoon with Mr. Roberts, the accountant, and his son and assistant, -at Hudson's Bay House. - -"Mr. Roberts told him many odd things," he says; "one was, that the -Company had had a freehold farm on the site of the present City of San -Francisco of one thousand acres, and had sold it just before the gold -discoveries for L1,000, because two factors quarrelled over it. I -learnt a great deal of the inside of the affair, and got some glimpses -of the competing North-West Company, amalgamated by Mr. Edward Ellice, -its chief mover, many years agone, with the Hudson's Bay Company. -Pointing to some boxes in his private room one day, Mr. Maynard said, -'There are years of Chancery in those boxes, if anyone else had them.' -And he more than once quoted a phrase of the Old Bear, 'My fortune -came late in life.'" - -[Sidenote: The International Financial Association.] - -In spite of the Duke's indisposition, he expressed the greatest -interest in the progress of the negotiations. Yet the prospect of -Government aid was now remote. Two ways were open to raise the money -for a purchase of the Company's rights--to secure the names and -support of fifteen persons, millionaires, for L100,000 each; the other -to hand the proposed purchase over to the newly-organized -International Finance Association, who were eager to find some -important enterprise to put before the public. The first method seemed -to recommend itself to the promoters; and the friends of the project -could easily have underwritten the necessary amount. But the Company -now announced that it would give no credit. "We must take up the -shares as presented and pay for them over the counter." There was, -therefore, no alternative. Mr. Richard Potter, acting for the -capitalists, completed the negotiations. The shares were taken over -and paid for by the International Financial Association, who issued -new stock to the public to an amount which covered a large provision -of new capital for the extension of business by the Company, and at -great profit to themselves. As regards the new Hudson's Bay -shareholders, their two hundred and one shares were subsequently -reduced by returns of capital to one hundred and thirty-one, and -having attained a value of thirty-seven, during the "land boom" period -twenty years later stood at two hundred and forty-one. - -A Hudson's Bay Company prospectus was issued. It was understood that -the International Financial Association were merely agents, that the -shares would not remain in their hands, but would pass to the -proprietors, who would, of course, only enjoy the rights such shares -carried. They would, in fact, be a continuation of the Company, only -their efforts would be directed to the promotion of the settlement of -the country; the development of the postal and transit communications -being one of the objects to which they were pledged. A new council had -been formed, and amongst its members was Mr. Eden Colville, one of the -old committee, whom the Duke praised publicly in the highest terms, as -a "man of business and good sense." - -There was one man in London who was astonished at what had taken -place. Edward Ellice still lived, but his commanding figure was bent -by the weight of years. As we have seen, it was he who, in 1821, -played the principal part in the amalgamation of the rival companies. -He had grown to be proud of the Company, proud of its history, of its -traditions, of its service; and he seemed to detect in this transfer, -its fall. A few months before his death, in 1863, he met one of the -negotiators at Burlington House. He confronted him for some moments -without speaking, in a state of abstraction. Then he passed on, like a -man "endeavouring to recollect a long history of difficulty, and to -realize how strangely it had all ended." - -Ellice had said, before the Parliamentary Committee of 1857, in reply -to a question put by a member as to what probability there was of a -settlement being made, "within what you consider to be the southern -territories of the Hudson's Bay Company?" "None; in the lifetime of -the youngest man now alive!" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[120] Lord Elgin went on to say: "At the same time I think it is to be -regretted that a jurisdiction so extensive and peculiar, exercised by -British subjects at such a distance and so far beyond the control of -public opinion, should be so entirely removed from the surveillance of -Her Majesty's Government. The evil arising from this state of things -is forcibly illustrated in the present instance by the difficulty -which I experience in obtaining materials for a full and satisfactory -report on the charges which your Lordship referred to me. It were very -desirable, if abuses do exist, that Government possessed the means of -probing them to the bottom; and on the other hand it seems to be hard -on the Company, if the imputations cast upon it be unfounded, that -Government, which undertakes the investigation, should not have the -power of acquitting it on testimony more unexceptionable than any -which is at present procurable. It has been stated to me that your -Lordship has it in contemplation to establish a military officer at -some point within the territories of the Company, and that the Company -is disposed to afford every facility for carrying out this -arrangement. I trust that this report may prove to be well founded." - -[121] The treaty having provided for a joint commission, Mr. A. S. -Johnston and the Hon. (afterwards Sir) John Rose were appointed to act -for America and Great Britain, respectively. These commissioners, on -the 10th of September, 1869, issued an award from Washington, -directing the payment of $450,000 by the United States to the Hudson's -Bay Company, and $200,000 to the Puget's Sound Company. There was, as -usual, considerable delay in making this payment. On the 11th of July, -1870, $325,000 was appropriated by Congress for this purpose, and a -like sum by another appropriation in the following year. - -[122] "I am glad to tell you that since I received your letter of -Saturday last, the Hudson's Bay Company has replied to my -communication; and has promised to _grant_ land to a Company formed -under such auspices as those with whom I placed them in communication. -The question now is, what _breadth_ of land they will give, for of -course they propose to include the whole length of the line through -their territory. A copy of the reply shall be sent to Mr. Baring, and -I hope you and he will be able to bring this concession to some -practical issue. - -"I was quite aware of the willingness of the Company to _sell_ their -_whole_ rights for some such sum as L1,500,000. I ascertained the fact -two months ago and alluded to it in the House of Lords in my reply to -a motion by Lord Donoughmore. I cannot, however, view the proposal in -so favourable a light as you do. There would be no immediate or -_direct_ return to show for this large outlay, for of course the trade -monopoly must cease, and the sale of the land would for some time -bring in little or nothing--certainly not enough to pay for the -government of the country. - -"I do not think Canada _can_, or if she can, ought to take any large -share in such a payment. Some of her politicians would no doubt -support the proposal with views of their own--but it would be a -serious, and for some time unrenumerative addition to their very -embarassing debt. I certainly should not like to _sell_ any portion of -the territory to the United States--_exchange_ (if the territory were -once acquired) would be a different thing--but that would not help -towards the liquidation of the purchase money."--_Letter of the Duke -of Newcastle, 14th August, 1862._ - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -1863-1871. - - Indignation of the Wintering Partners -- Distrust and - Misgivings Arise -- Proposals of Governor Dallas for the - Compensation of the Wintering Partners in Exchange for their - Abrogation of Deed Poll -- Threatened Deadlock -- Position of - those in Authority Rendered Untenable -- Failure of Duke of - Newcastle's Proposals for Surrender of Territorial Rights -- - The Russo-American Alaskan Treaty -- The Hon. W. McDougall's - Resolutions -- Deputation Goes to England -- Sir Stafford - Northcote becomes Governor -- Opinion of Lord Granville as to - the Position of Affairs -- Lack of Military System Company's - Weakness -- Cession now Inevitable -- Terms Suggested by Lord - Granville Accepted -- First Riel Rebellion -- Wolseley at Fort - Garry. - - -All this had taken place in London. The sale had been negotiated -between financiers. Not a word of what was impending had crossed the -Atlantic to the hunting-grounds of the North-West--to the body of men -who were, as much as the Governor, the Committee and the sleeping -partners, members of the Great Company. Yet their voice had never been -heard, nor their consent to the transaction obtained. By the Deed Poll -it was provided that the profits of the fur-trade (less interest on -capital employed) were to be divided into one hundred parts, sixty -parts going to the stockholders and forty to the "wintering partners." -What would the "wintering partners" say to this brilliant "game of -chess" which had been played with the stockholders for interests which -were jointly theirs? - -[Sidenote: Indignation of the Wintering Partners.] - -No sooner had the papers been signed, and the million and a half -sterling paid over, than misgivings seem to have seized the minds of -those directly interested. Yet, on their behalf, it was urged that the -Company's posts and hunting grounds still remained. That the factors -and traders would be as well off under the new _regime_ as the -old--that the mere change of one body of shareholders for another -could affect them nothing--that, in fact, they would really benefit by -having men of newer ideas and a more progressive spirit. - -The news, once in the newspapers, travelled fast, and in a few weeks -at the less distant posts, and in a few months at the more remote -ones, the rumour ran that the Company had sold out--that the London -partners had betrayed the real workers in the wilderness. - - [Illustration: FORT GARRY.] - -A large number of the Company's chief factors and traders had, it -appeared, addressed a memorial to the Company in London, when first -the rumour of a sale had reached them. They declared that they had -been informed that no transfer was probable, but if it took place it -would not be without previous consultation. They now learned for the -first time from the newspapers that these arrangements had been made. -An influential member of the new Company predicted that a general -resignation of the officers from Labrador to Sitka would ensue, -followed by a confederation amongst themselves, in order to carry on -the fur-trade in competition with the Company. They had, they said, -"the skill, the will, and the capital to do it." - -It was said that the appearance of Mr. Lampson's name as Deputy -Governor of the new Company had heightened the first feeling of -distrust, for this gentleman and his commercial connections had long -been the Company's great rivals in the fur marts, carrying on a -vigorous competition at all accessible points.[123] - -[Sidenote: Governor Dallas's Suggestions.] - -Governor Dallas, almost immediately upon his arrival in Montreal, -caused a circular to be issued, addressed to all the factors, -completely refuting all these charges and innuendoes. Many conferences -took place between Dallas and Watkin as to the working of the Company -in the fur territories on the new basis. Dallas kept the Governor and -Committee in London fully advised of the state of affairs, accompanied -by proposals as to the compensation to be allowed the aggrieved -wintering partners. An interesting object, which it was desired to -accomplish at this time, was an exchange of boundary between the -Company and the United States, so as to permit Superior City being -brought into British territory by means of a fair payment and exchange -of land. The negotiations looking to this end, although at one time -promising, proved a failure. - -It was believed that the first measure necessary towards the -re-organization of the Hudson's Bay service would be the abolition or -modification of the Deed Poll, under which the trade was then -conducted. The wintering partners (chief factors and chief traders) -had certain vested rights, and these could not be interfered with -without compensation.[124] - -One mode suggested by Governor Dallas of removing the difficulty was -to ascertain the value of a retired interest, and bestow a money -compensation to each officer on his entering into an agreement to -consent to the abrogation of the Deed Poll. As regarded the shares -held in retirement, some of the interests had nearly run out and none -of the parties had any voice in the business. The value of a -(one-eighty-fifth) share was ascertained to be (on the average of the -previous thirteen "outfits") about L408, at which rate a chief -factor's retired interest would amount to L3,264, and a chief trader's -to L1,632. Adding the customary year's furlough on retiring, a -factor's retired allowance would be L4,080, and a trader's L2,040. On -such a scale of commutation it would cost the Company L114,500 to buy -out its officers. - -As a set-off to this outlay Governor Dallas suggested a substantial -reduction in salaries. Under the then existing organization the pay of -officers in the service was L2,000 to the Governor-in-Chief, L16,000 -amongst sixteen chief factors, L14,000 to thirty-five chief traders, -and L10,000 to the clerks, a total officers' pay-roll of L38,000. He -proposed to cut this down as follows: - - Governor-in-Chief L2,000 - Lieutenant-Governor 1,250 - Four Councillors at L800 3,200 - Twenty-five chief traders at L300 7,500 - One hundred clerks at various salaries 10,000 - ------ - L23,950 - -But Sir Edmund and his colleagues thought otherwise. The wintering -partners were not yet to reap any profit from the sale of the -Company's assets. The Deed Poll remained in full force until 1871, -when they were paid L107,055 out of the money received from Canada for -Rupert's Land and the North-West. - -[Sidenote: Threatened Deadlock in Red River Settlement.] - -In 1863 the Company's government had almost come to a deadlock in the -Red River settlement. Two cases had just occurred of prisoners having -been forcibly rescued from gaol; and they, with about thirty to fifty -others implicated in the riots, continued at large, fostering -discontent. The only paper published, the notorious _Nor'-Wester_, was -in the hands of the Company's bitterest enemies.[125] The position of -those in authority was so disagreeable that it was with great -difficulty that Governor Dallas persuaded the magistrates to continue -their duties. Governor McTavish, who was in charge of Assiniboine, -resigned, and others were prepared to follow his example, including -the Governor-in-Chief himself. Fortunately the open malcontents were -few in number and the volunteer force was sufficient to protect the -gaol and support law and order, were it not for the unwise zeal of the -Company's partisans who were ready to engage in a free fight with the -agitators. This, beyond question, would have led to a repetition of -the Semple tragedy of 1816. It may be noted that the Company's -unpopularity in the Red River country, according to Governor Dallas, -"arose entirely from the system, not from the faults of its -administrators." - -The agitation against the Company still continued, but slowly. It -seemed difficult for the parties interested in the abolition of the -Company's rights to agree upon a single scheme which would be -permanently satisfactory, and not too costly. Sir Edmund Head -expressed himself in favour of a complete sale of rights and ownership -to the Imperial authorities. But this scheme was, as has been seen, -beset with almost insuperable difficulties. In November, 1863, Sir -Edmund suggested that an equal division be made of the territory fit -for settlement between the Company and the Crown, with inclusion of -specified tracts in the share of the former; secondly, that the -Company construct the road and telegraph; thirdly, that the Crown -purchase such of the Company's premises as should be required for -military use, and to pay the Company a net third of all future revenue -from gold and silver. - -In his Speech from the Throne, on the 19th February, 1864, Lord Monk, -the Governor-General of Canada, alluded to the matter, which was -beginning to engross the public mind. - -"The condition," said he, "of the vast region lying on the north-west -of the settled portions of the Province is daily becoming a question -of great interest. I have considered it advisable to open a -correspondence with the Imperial Government, with a view to arrive at -a precise definition of the geographical boundaries of Canada in that -direction. Such a definition of boundary is a desirable preliminary to -further proceedings with respect to the vast tracts of land in that -quarter belonging to Canada, but not yet brought under the action of -our political and municipal system." - -It was hoped by many that the Company could be induced to sell out its -rights to the Imperial Government, and out of the territory to carve -out a new Crown Colony. - -In the course of the ensuing debate on the address, the Honourable -William McDougall, Minister of Crown Lands, who was officially -concerned in the matter, stated that "the Government of Canada had -reached a conclusion upon the advisability of determining whether the -Red River territory belonged to Canada or to some other country." The -consequence was that a correspondence had been opened with the -Imperial Government upon the subject. Mr. McDougall thereupon -announced his individual view of the case as being that "Canada was -entitled to claim as a portion of its soil all that part of the -North-West territory that could be proved to have been in possession -of the French at the time of the cession of Canada to the British." - -It was not at all likely that the Duke of Newcastle would share such a -view, or that he would entirely acquiesce with the suggestion of Sir -Edmund Head on behalf of the Company. Under date of the 11th of March, -and 5th of April, 1864, he formulated the appended proposals:-- - - 1. The Company to surrender to the Crown its territorial - rights. - - 2. To receive one shilling for every acre sold by the Crown but - limited to L150,000 in all, and to fifty years in duration, - whether or not the receipts attained that amount. - - 3. To receive one-fourth of any gold revenue, but limited to - L100,000 in all, and to fifty years in duration. - - 4. To have one square mile of adjacent land for every lineal - mile constructed of road and telegraph to British Columbia. - -[Sidenote: The surrender of Territorial Rights.] - -These proposals were carefully considered by Sir Edmund Head and his -colleagues, and it was decided at a meeting on the 13th of April to -accept them, subject to certain alterations. It was urged that the -amount of payments within fifty years should either not be limited or -else placed at the sum of L1,000,000 sterling, instead of a quarter of -that sum. The Company also suggested that a grant be made to it of -five thousand acres of wild land for every fifty thousand acres sold -by the Crown. - -In the meantime the Duke of Newcastle had been succeeded in the -Colonial Secretaryship by Mr. Cardwell, who on the 6th of June wrote -to say that he could not entertain the amendments of the Company. For -several months nothing was done, but in December the Honourable -Adventurers again met and again showed their desire for an amicable -and reasonable arrangement. They offered to accept L1,000,000 for the -territory which they then defined, and which was substantially in -extent the whole region granted them in the Charter of Charles II. In -1865 the Hon. George Brown went to England to come to terms over the -proposed transfer, but without success. - -[Sidenote: America purchases Alaska.] - -The charter of the Russian Company was about to expire. It had -underlet to the Hudson's Bay Company all its franchise on the mainland -between 54 deg. 40' and Mount St Elias; and now it was proposed that an -American Company, holding direct from the Russian Government, should -be substituted, and it seemed to the Americans a good opportunity to -organize a fur-trading company to trade between the States and the -Russian possessions in America. But before the matter could mature, -the American and Russian Governments interposed with a treaty, by -which Alaska was ceded to the States for $7,200,000 in gold. Few -treaties have ever been carried out in so simple a manner. Russia was -glad to be rid of her possessions in North America. The sum of -$7,000,000 was originally agreed upon; but when it was understood that -a fur company and an ice company enjoyed monopolies under the existing -government, it was decided to extinguish these for the additional sum. - -On 1st July, 1867, the Confederation of the scattered British -Provinces of North America was made an accomplished fact, amidst -general rejoicings. On the 4th of December, Mr. McDougall, who was now -Minister of Public Works for the new Dominion of Canada, brought in, -at the first session of Parliament, a series of resolutions directly -relating to the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the Great -North-West:-- - - 1. That it would promote the prosperity of the Canadian people - and conduce to the advantage of the whole Empire if the - Dominion of Canada, constituted under the provisions of the - British North America Act, 1867, were extended westward to the - shores of the Pacific Ocean. - - 2. That the colonization of the lands of the Saskatchewan, - Assiniboine, and Red River Settlements, the development of the - mineral wealth which abounds in the regions of the North-West, - and the extension of commercial intercourse through the British - possessions in America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, are - alike dependent upon the establishment of a stable government - for maintenance of law and order in the North-West Territories. - - 3. That the welfare of the sparse and widely-scattered - population of British subjects of European origin, already - inhabiting these remote and unorganized territories, would be - materially enhanced by the formation therein of political - institutions bearing analogy, as far as circumstances will - admit, to those which exist in the several Provinces of this - Dominion. - - 4. That the 146th section of the British North America Act, - 1867, provides for the admission of Rupert's Land and the - North-West Territory, or either of them, into union with Canada - upon terms and conditions to be expressed in Addresses from the - Houses of Parliament of the Dominion to Her Majesty, and which - shall be approved of by the Queen in Council. - - 5. That it is accordingly expedient to address Her Majesty, - that she would be graciously pleased, by and with the advice of - Her Most Honourable Privy Council, to unite Rupert's Land and - the North-West Territory with the Dominion of Canada, and to - grant to the Parliament of Canada authority to legislate for - their future welfare and good government. - - 6. That in the event of the Imperial Government agreeing to - transfer to Canada the jurisdiction and control over this - region, it would be expedient to provide that the legal rights - of any corporation, company, or individual within the same will - be respected; and that in case of difference of opinion as to - the extent, nature, or value of these rights, the same shall be - submitted to judicial decision, to be determined by mutual - agreement between the Government of Canada and the parties - interested. Such agreement to have no effect or validity until - first sanctioned by the Parliament of Canada. - - 7. That upon the transference of the territories in question to - the Canadian Government, the claims of the Indian tribes to - compensation for lands required for purposes of settlement - would be considered, and settled in conformity with the - equitable principles which have uniformly governed the Crown in - its dealings with the aborigines. - -[Sidenote: Deputation goes to England.] - -In the following year a delegation to arrange the terms for the -acquisition by Canada of Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory -arrived in England. It consisted of Sir George Etienne Cartier and Mr. -William McDougall. On presenting themselves at the Colonial Office -they were invited by the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, then -Secretary of State for the Colonies, to visit him at Stowe "for the -purpose of discussing freely and fully the numerous and difficult -questions involved in the transfer of these great territories to -Canada." To the Duke's country-seat the delegates accordingly went. -Here, one of the first things the Duke communicated to them was that -the Company being lords-proprietors were to be treated as such, and -not as parties having a defective title and fit subjects for that -"spoliation" previously deplored by Cartier.[126] There can be no -manner of doubt that, taking this view, the Company's demands were -most reasonable. But the Canadian delegates were not content to take -this view. There had been so much irresponsible hue-and-cry about the -weakness of the Company's title, that they doubtless felt themselves -privileged to hold out for better terms. While negotiations were thus -pending in London, the Duke of Buckingham quitted office with his -colleagues, and was succeeded by Earl Granville. Almost at the same -time the Earl of Kimberley, the Company's Governor, resigned, and was -replaced by Sir Stafford Northcote. In January, 1869, the new Colonial -Secretary transmitted to the delegates the reply of the Company, -declining their counter-proposals, and inviting them to communicate to -him any observations they might desire to offer further on the -situation. - -"We felt reluctant," to quote the language of the delegates, "as -representatives of Canada, to engage in a controversy with the Company -concerning matters of fact, as well as questions of law and policy, -while the negotiation with it was being carried on by the Imperial -Government in its own name and of its own authority." - -[Sidenote: Canada exerts pressure on the Company.] - -Nevertheless, these scruples were soon overcome. They accepted Lord -Granville's invitation, and on the 8th February stated at length their -views upon the various points raised by the Governor of the Company, -which views clearly demonstrated that the Dominion was by no means -prepared to deal with the Honourable Adventurers in a spirit of -generosity or even of equity. Lord Granville now came forward with -plans of his own, but these were not agreeable to Sir George Cartier -and Mr. McDougall. While the negotiations were in progress the Company -lodged an indignant complaint against the Canadian Government for -undertaking the construction of a road between the Lake of the Woods -and the Red River settlement without first having procured its -consent. Stormy meetings of the Honourable Adventurers were held; it -seemed impossible to resist the pressure which was being brought to -bear. Had the old governor and committee been in existence it is -possible this pressure would have been longer withstood. The delegates -returned to Canada, but they had succeeded in no slight measure in -impressing upon the Imperial Government their peculiar views. On the -9th of March, Lord Granville employed the following language to the -Governor of the Company: - -"At present the very foundations of the Company's title are not -undisputed. The boundaries of its territory are open to questions of -which it is impossible to ignore the importance. Its legal rights, -whatever these may be, are liable to be invaded without law by a mass -of Canadian and American settlers, whose occupation of the country on -any terms it will be little able to resist; while it can hardly be -alleged that the terms of the charter, or its internal constitution, -are such as to qualify it under all these disadvantages for -maintaining order and performing the internal and external duties of -government." - -[Sidenote: Lack of Military system Company's weakness.] - -There was the Company's weakness. No sovereign in Europe had a clearer -right to his or her dominions, perhaps no rule was wiser or more -beneficent, but the one powerful, indispensable adjunct to sovereign -authority it lacked--a military system.[127] With a standing army the -Company's rights would have been secure--but it was a king without -soldiers. It required ten thousand drilled men to defend its -frontiers--it was too late in the day to organize such a force, it -could only submit gracefully to its envious and powerful neighbours. -Cession was perhaps inevitable; the terms which Lord Granville now -proposed it decided to accept. - - 1. The Hudson's Bay Company to surrender to Her Majesty all the - rights of government, property, etc., in Rupert's Land, which - are specified in 31 and 32 Victoria, clause 105, section 4; and - also all similar rights in any other part of British North - America, not comprised in Rupert's Land, Canada, or British - Columbia. - - 2. Canada is to pay to the Company L300,000 when Rupert's Land - is transferred to the Dominion of Canada. - - 3. The Company may, within twelve months of the surrender, - select a block of land adjoining each of its stations, within - the limits specified in Article 1. - - 4. The size of the blocks is not to exceed ---- acres in the - Red River country, nor 3,000 acres beyond that territory, and - the aggregate extent of the blocks is not to exceed 50,000 - acres. - - 5. So far as the configuration of the country admits, the - blocks are to be in the shape of parallelograms, of which the - length is not more than double the breadth. - - 6. The Hudson's Bay Company may, for fifty years after the - surrender, claim in any township or district within the Fertile - Belt, in which land is set out for settlement, grants of land - not exceeding one-twentieth of the land so set out. The blocks - so granted to be determined by lot, and the Hudson's Bay - Company to pay a ratable share of the survey expenses, not - exceeding ---- an acre. - - 7. For the purpose of the present agreement, the Fertile Belt - is to be bounded as follows: On the south by the United States - Boundary; on the west by the Rocky Mountains; on the north by - the northern branch of the Saskatchewan; on the east by Lake - Winnipeg, the Lake of the Woods, and the waters connecting - them. - - 8. All titles to land up to the 8th of March, 1869, conferred - by the Company, are to be confirmed. - - 9. The Company to be at liberty to carry on its trade without - hindrance, in its corporate capacity, and no exceptional tax is - to be placed on the Company's land, trade or servants, nor an - import duty on goods introduced by them previous to the - surrender. - - 10. Canada is to take over the materials of the Electric - Telegraph at cost price, such price including transport, but - not including interest for money, and subject to a deduction - for ascertained deteriorations. - - 11. The Company's claim to land under agreement of Messrs. - Vankoughnet and Hopkins to be withdrawn. - - 12. The details of this arrangement, including the filling up - of the blanks in Articles 4 and 6, to be settled at once by - mutual agreement. - -[Sidenote: Cession to Canadian Government.] - -On such terms did the Canadian Government acquire this vast territory -of two million three hundred thousand square miles. In that portion -designated the Fertile Belt, comprising three hundred million acres, -there were agricultural lands believed to be capable of yielding -support to twenty-five million people. - -Filled with high hopes as to the future of the country they had thus -acquired, the Canadian Government was confronted by the necessity of -providing it with a suitable form of government to replace that of the -Company. Little did the public men who had interested themselves in -the negotiations ponder on the difficulties of the task. Apparently -they undertook it with a light heart. During the session of 1869 an -Act was passed at Ottawa providing a provisional form of government in -the territory, and in October of the same year the Hon. William -McDougall received the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor. But before -he set out on his duties surveying parties had been busy in the Red -River settlement, laying out townships and instituting an extended -series of surveys. - -[Sidenote: Forlorn case of the Metis.] - -In order to be in the place of his government when by the Queen's -Proclamation it should become a portion of the Dominion of Canada, -McDougall, in the month of November, found himself at the frontier of -his Province. But the transfer was not to be consummated without -bloodshed. A portion of the little community of Red River raised its -voice in vehement protest against the arrangements made between the -Government of Canada and the Company. These malcontents, chiefly -French half-breeds, headed by Louis Riel, expelled the Governor -appointed by the Dominion and planned a resistance to all authority -emanating from the same source. They assembled in large numbers, and, -after fortifying portions of the road between Pembina and Fort Garry, -had taken possession of the latter post. Upon consideration of the -case of these wild and ignorant Metis, it is difficult to withhold -from them sympathy. Settled government, forms of law, state duty, -exactions of citizenship, the sacrifices and burdens of urban -civilization--of these he knew but dimly, and held them in a vague -horror. He knew that men lived and ground out their lives in cities -afar off, and that by means of their wealth they possessed power; that -they had cast envious eyes on the hunting-grounds of the Indian and -his half-brother the Metis; that they sought to wrest him from his -lands and mark it off into town lots, people his beloved prairies and -exterminate his race. They must mean him ill or they would not work in -such a silent, stealthy fashion to dispossess him and drive him -farther west into unfamiliar fastnesses. There were fifteen thousand -souls in the country bordering on Red River, and the majority -objected, not without reason, that such an arrangement as had just -been carried out should be done without their consent or having been -consulted. Was it wonderful that the half-breed, resenting this march -of civilization which would trample him and his possessions to atoms, -should arise, seize his rude weapons, and prepare for war? - -It is true the insurrection of 1869-70 could have been averted. It -would have been easy, through an agent of tact and eloquence, to have -dispelled the illusions which had taken possession of the Metis, and -to have restored confidence as to the policy of Canada. But was it the -Hudson's Bay Company's duty to enlighten the aggrieved inhabitants? -The Company who had been bullied and badgered and threatened with -confiscation unless it agreed to a renunciation of its rights? Was it -the fault of the Company that several thousand wild Metis children of -the wilderness, passionately attached to the old order of things, -were in their hearts loyal to the Company, which fed and clothed and -administered law to them?[128] - -The insurgents, growing bolder, had taken possession of Fort Garry, -where a council of half-breeds was held and the inhabitants called -upon to send delegates to a national convention. The English colonists -accepted the invitation, but were soon made aware that Riel and his -supporters were resolved on more desperate measures than they could -themselves countenance. The authority of the Company had been -observed; but it was now disregarded; the books and records of the -Council of Assiniboia were seized, and on the 1st December a "Bill of -Rights" was passed by the "Provisional Government." This act of open -rebellion caused the secession of the English; insurgency was now -rampant and many of the inhabitants found themselves incarcerated in -gaol. Then followed the illegal infliction of capital punishment upon -Thomas Scott, a young Orangeman, and the despatch of Colonel (now -Lord) Wolseley to the seat of trouble. Leaving Toronto on the 25th of -May, 1870, Wolseley and his force, after a long and arduous journey, -arrived at Fort Garry on the 24th of August. But the rebellion was -already over, and the chief instigator and his companions had fled. - -For many years the Company's officers in charge of the various -districts in Rupert's Land had annually met in Council for the -regulation and discussion of affairs of the fur-trade in general. -Regarding themselves as true partners of the Company, they naturally -looked to share with the shareholders in the sum agreed to be paid by -Canada for its territory. - -[Sidenote: Turbulent meetings at Hudson's Bay House.] - -In July, just one month before the entrance of the future hero of -Tel-el-Kebir and the British troops into Fort Garry, a last meeting of -the council of officers of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company was -held at the post known as Norway House. It was presided over by Fort -Garry's Governor, Mr. Donald Alexander Smith,[129] a servant since -boyhood of the Company. At this meeting it was decided to represent -the claims of the officers to the partners in England. To this end Mr. -Smith was unanimously appointed their representative, he undertaking -the task of presenting their claims. The London shareholders were by -no means immediately acquiescent. But although Sir Stafford Northcote -presided over some turbulent meetings in Fenchurch Street, the claims -of the "wintering partners" were ultimately recognized in the only -manner possible. Out of the L300,000 paid by the Dominion, the sum of -L107,000 was divided amongst the officers for the relinquishment of -their claims. - -The Governor of the Company, in his report to the shareholders in -November, stated that "since the holding of the General Court on the -28th June, the Committee have been engaged in proceeding with the -re-organization of the fur-trade, and have entered into an agreement -with the Chief Factors and Chief Traders for revoking the Deed Poll of -1834, and settling claims arising under it upon the terms sanctioned -by the proprietors at the last General Court. They have also prepared -the draft of a new Deed Poll adopted to the altered circumstances of -the trade." - -A new era had thus begun in the history of the Honourable Company of -Merchants-Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[123] "To my mind the worst feature in the new Company is that of -allowing a foreigner (American) to hold office. He owes allegiance to -the United States, and his position gives him knowledge which no -American should possess. 'Blood is thicker than water,' says the -proverb: 'No man can serve two masters.' As to the idea that being in -the fur-trade his experience and influence will benefit the new -Company, will any furrier believe that? If the Company will sell all -the furs, I would never rest satisfied while an American was in the -management.'"--William McNaughten, the Company's agent at New York. - -[124] The eighty-five shares belonging to the wintering partners, in -1863, were held as follows: - - 15 chief factors 30 shares - 37 chief traders 37 " - 10 retired chief factors 13 " - 10 retired chief traders 5 " - -- - 85 shares. - - -[125] "Its continued attacks upon the Company," wrote Governor Dallas, -"find a greedy ear with the public at large, both in the settlement -and in Canada." - -[126] "With regard to the Hudson's Bay matter," wrote Cartier to -Watkin, under date of 15th of February, 1868, "not the least doubt -that the speech of 'John A.,' was very uncalled for and injudicious. He -had no business to make such a speech, and I told him so at the -time--that he ought not to have made it. However, you must not attach -too much importance to that speech. I myself, and several of my -colleagues, and John A. himself, have no intention to commit any -spoliation; and for myself in particular, I can say to you that I will -never consent to be a party to a measure or anything intended to be an -act of spoliation of the Hudson's Bay's rights and privileges." - -[127] "The present state of government in the Red River settlement is -attributable alike to the habitual attempt encouraged, perhaps very -naturally, in England and in Canada, to discredit the tradition and -question the title of the Hudson's Bay Company, and to the false -economy which has stripped the Governor of a military force, with -which, in the last resort, to support the decisions of the legal -tribunals. No other organized government of white men in the world, -since William Penn, has endeavoured to rule any population, still less -a promiscuous people composed of whites, half-breeds, Indians and -borderers, without a soldiery of some sort, and the inevitable result -of the experiment has, in this case, been an unpunished case of -prison-breaking, not sympathized in, it is true, by the majority of -the settlers, but still tending to bring law and government into -contempt, and greatly to discourage the governing body held -responsible for keeping order in the territory."--_Governor Dallas._ - -[128] "It is an undoubted fact," remarks General Sir William Butler, -"that warning had been given to the Dominion Government of the state -of feeling amongst the half-breeds, and the phrase, 'they are only -eaters of pemmican,' so cutting to the Metis, was thus first -originated by a distinguished Canadian politician." - -[129] The distinguished philanthropist, the present Lord Strathcona -and Mount Royal, High Commissioner for Canada in London and Governor -of the Hudson's Bay Company. - - [Illustration: THE TRADING ROOM AT A HUDSON'S BAY POST.] - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -1821-1871. - - The Company still King in the North-West -- Its Forts Described - -- Fort Garry -- Fort Vancouver -- Franklin -- Walla Walla -- - Yukon -- Kamloops -- Samuel Black -- Mountain House -- Fort - Pitt -- Policy of the Great Company. - - -The Company, in yielding the sovereignty of the Great North-West to -Canada, was still a king, though crown and sceptre had been taken from -it. Its commercial ascendancy was no whit injured; it is still one of -the greatest corporations and the greatest fur company in the world. -But new interests have arisen; its pristine pride, splendour and -dignity, would now be out of place. The old lion has been shorn of its -mane, and his roar is now no longer heard in the Great North-West. It -no longer crouches in the path of progress determined to sell dearly -the smallest sacrifice of its ancient rights and privileges; it is -ready to co-operate with the settler and explorer, and all its whilom -enemies. - -[Sidenote: Canada's debt to the Company.] - -Yet, since 1871, its history has not been without many stirring -passages. Its long record of steady work, enterprise, and endurance, -has never been greater. Its commanding influence with the Indians, and -with a large number of the colonists, has enabled it to assist the -authorities in many ways and often in forwarding the public interests, -suppressing disorder and securing the good-will of the Red men who -inhabit Canada. The Great Dominion owes much to the Great Company. - -The posts of the Company reach from the stern coasts of Labrador to -the frontiers of Alaska, and throughout this enormous region it yet -controls the traffic with the aborigines. To-day there are one hundred -and twenty-six posts at which this active trade is conducted, besides -those numerous wintering stations or outposts, which migrate according -to circumstances and mercantile conditions. - - [Illustration: YORK FACTORY. ARRIVAL OF HUDSON'S BAY CO.'S SHIP. - (_By permission, from "Picturesque Canada."_)] - -[Sidenote: Latter-day forts of the Company.] - -The forts of the Company in Rupert's Land and on the Pacific, with few -exceptions, all resembled each other. When permanent, they were -surrounded by palisades about one hundred yards square. The pickets -were of poles and logs ten or fifteen inches in diameter, sunk into -the ground and rising fifteen or twenty feet above it. Split slabs -were sometimes used instead of round poles; and at two diagonally -opposite corners, raised above the tops of the pickets, two wooden -bastions were placed so as to command a view of the country. From two -to six guns were mounted in each of these bastions--four six or -twelve-pounders, each with its aperture like the port-hole of a ship. -The ground floor beneath served as a magazine. Within the pickets were -erected houses, according to necessity, store and dwelling being most -conspicuous. - - [Illustration: FORT PELLY.] - -The older forts have already been described. When Fort Garry was -constructed it became the Company's chief post and headquarters. High -stone walls, having round towers pierced for cannon at the corners, -enclosed a square wherein were substantial wooden buildings, -including the storehouses, dwellings, the Governor's residence and the -gaol. Some distance below Fort Garry, on Red River, was Stone Fort, -which comprised about four acres, with numerous buildings. - -The chief establishment of the Saskatchewan district was Fort -Edmonton. It was of sexagonal form, with pickets, battlemented -gateways and bastions. Here were the usual buildings, including the -carpenter's shop, blacksmith's forge and windmill. At Fort Edmonton -were made and repaired, boats, carts, sleighs, harness and other -articles and appliances for the annual voyage to York Factory, and for -traffic between posts. There was also here a large and successful -farm, where wheat, barley and vegetables were raised in abundance. - -How different was Fort Franklin, a rough, pine-log hut on the shore of -Great Bear Lake, containing a single apartment eighteen by twenty -feet! It was roofed with sticks and moss, and the interstices between -the logs were filled with mud. - -[Sidenote: Fort Vancouver.] - -In 1825 was built Fort Vancouver, the metropolitan establishment of -the Company on the Pacific. It stood on the north side of the Columbia -River, six miles above the eastern mouth of the Willamette. At first -located at the highest point of some sloping land, about a mile from -the river, this site was found disadvantageous to transport and -communication, and the fort was moved a few years later to within a -quarter of a mile of the Columbia. The plan presented the familiar -parallelogram, but much larger than usual, of about seven hundred and -fifty feet in length and five hundred in breadth. The interior was -divided into two courts, with about forty buildings, all of wood, -except the powder magazine, which was of stone. In the centre, facing -the main entrance, stood the Governor's residence, with the -dining-room, smoking-room, and public sitting-room or bachelors' hall, -the latter serving also for a museum of Indian relics and other -curiosities. Single men, clerks and others, made the bachelors' hall -their place of resort, but artisans and servants were not admitted. -The residence was the only two-storey house in the fort, and before -its door were mounted two old eighteen-pounders. Two swivel guns -stood before the quarters of the chief factor. A prominent position -was occupied by the Roman Catholic chapel, to which the majority of -the fort's inmates resorted, the dining-hall serving for the smaller -number of Church of England worshippers. The other buildings were -dwellings for officers and men, school and warehouses, retail stores -and artisan shops. The interior of the dwellings exhibited, as a rule, -an unpainted pine-board panel, with bunks for bedsteads, and a few -other simple pieces of furniture. - - [Illustration: FORT SIMPSON.] - -Another post on the Pacific, of different character and greater -strength, was Fort Walla Walla. It stood on the site of Fort Nez -Perce, which was established when the Indians attacked Ogden's party -of fur-traders here in 1818. The assault was repelled; but it was -found necessary as a safeguard to rear this retreat. Fort Walla Walla -was built of adobe and had a military establishment. - -A strong fort was Fort Rupert, on the north-east coast of Vancouver -Island. For a stockade, huge pine trees were sunk into the ground and -fastened together on the inside with beams. Round the interior ran a -gallery, and at two opposite corners were flanking bastions mounting -four nine-pounders. Within were the usual shops and buildings, while -smaller stockades protected the garden and out-houses. - -Fort Yukon was the most remote post of the Company. It was beyond the -line of Russian America, and consequently invited comparison with the -smaller and meaner Russian establishments. Its commodious dwellings -for officers and men had smooth floors, open fire-places, glazed -windows, and plastered walls. Its gun room, fur press, ice and meat -wells were the delight and astonishment of visitors, white and red. - - [Illustration: YORK FACTORY.] - -After the treaty of 1846, by which the United States obtained -possession of Oregon territory, the headquarters of the Company on the -Pacific Coast were transferred from Fort Vancouver to Fort Victoria. -This post was enclosed one hundred yards square by cedar pickets -twenty feet high. At the north-east and south-west corners were -octagonal bastions mounted with six six-pounders. It had been founded -three years earlier as a trading post and depot for whalers, and -possessed more than three hundred acres under cultivation, besides a -large dairy farm, from which the Russian colonies in Alaska received -supplies. - -Old Fort Kamloops was first called Fort Thompson, having been begun by -David Thompson, astronomer of the North-West Company, on his overland -journey from Montreal to Astoria, by way of Yellowhead Pass, in 1810. -It was the capital of the Thompson River district, and one of the -oldest in all the Oregon region. After Thompson, hither came Alexander -Ross, who, in 1812, conducted operations there on behalf of Astor's -Pacific Fur Company. After the coalition in 1821, the veteran -fur-trader, John McLeod, was in charge of the Thompson River district. -Then came Ermatinger, who presided at Kamloops in 1828, when Governor -Simpson visited the fort and harangued the neighbouring Indians, -beseeching them to be "honest, temperate and frugal; to love their -friends, the fur-traders, and above all to bring in their heaps of -peltries, and receive therefor the goods of the Company." - -[Sidenote: Legend of Kamloops.] - -The post was not without thrilling legends and abundance of romance. -It was here that the Company's officer in command, Samuel Black, in -1840, challenged his brother Scot, and guest, David Douglas, the -wandering botanist, to fight a duel, because the latter bluntly, one -night, over his rum and dried salmon, had stigmatized the Honourable -Adventurers as "not possessing a soul above a beaver skin." Black -repelled in fury such an assertion; but Douglas refused to fight. He -took his departure, only to meet his death shortly afterwards by -falling into a pit at Hawaii, while homeward bound. - -If this was the fate of the calumniator of the Company, that of its -defender was not less tragic; for soon after his display of loyalty, -while residing at Fort Kamloops, he was assassinated by the nephew of -a friendly neighbouring chief, named Wanquille, "for having charmed -his uncle's life away." Black's successor, John Tod, built a new fort -on the opposite side of the river, which differed but little from the -later fortresses of the Company. There were seven houses, including -stores, dwellings and shops, enclosed in palisades fifteen feet in -height, with gates on two sides and bastions at two opposite angles. - -Early in 1848 a small post was erected by the Company on the Fraser -River, near a village of the Lachincos, adjacent to the rapids -ascended by Alexander Anderson the previous year. The fort was called -Yale, in honour of Chief Factor Yale, who was at that time in charge -of Fort Langley. It was the only post on that wild stream, the Fraser, -between Langley and Alexandria, a distance of some three hundred -miles. Two causes led to its erection: the Waiilatpu massacre in 1847, -and the conclusion of the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which placed the -boundary line several degrees north of the Lower Columbia. - - [Illustration: FATHER LACOMBE.] - -[Sidenote: Mountain House.] - -Perhaps one of the most remarkable of the Company's posts was Mountain -House. "Every precaution known to the traders," writes a visitor of -thirty years ago, "has been put in force to prevent the possibility of -a surprise during 'a trade.' Bars and bolts, and places to fire down -at the Indians who are trading, abound in every direction; so dreaded -is the name borne by the Blackfeet, that it is thus their trading-post -has been constructed." Eighty years ago, the Company had a post far -south of the Bow River, in the very heart of the Blackfeet country; -but, despite all precautions, it was frequently plundered and finally -burnt down by the Blackfeet, and no attempt was since made to -construct another fort in their country. - -The hilly country around Fort Pitt was frequently the scene of Indian -ambush and attack, and on more than one occasion the post itself has -been captured by the Blackfeet. The surroundings are a favourite -camping-ground of the Crees; and it was found difficult to persuade -the Blackfeet that the factors and traders there are not the active -friends and allies of their enemies. In fact, they regarded both Fort -Pitt and Fort Carlton as places belonging to another company from that -which ruled at Mountain House and Edmonton. "If it was the same -company," they were wont to say, "how could they give our enemies, the -Crees, guns and powder; for do they not give us guns and powder, too?" - -The strength of the Company throughout the vast region where their -rule was paramount, was rather a moral strength than a physical one. -Its roots lay deep in the heart of the savage, who in time came to -regard the great corporation as the embodiment of all that was good, -and great, and true, and powerful. He knew that under its sway justice -was secured to him; that if innocent he would be unharmed, that if -guilty he would inevitably pay the penalty of his transgression. The -prairie was wide, the forests were trackless, but in all those -thousands of miles there came to be no haven for the horse-thief, the -incendiary or the murderer, where he would be free, in his beleaguered -fastness, to elude or defy Nemesis. The Company made it its business -to find and punish the real offender; they did not avenge themselves -on his friends or tribe. But punishment was certain--blood was paid -for in blood, and there was no trial. Often did an intrepid factor, -trader or clerk, enter a hostile camp, himself destitute of followers, -walk up to the trembling malefactor, raise his gun or pistol, take -aim, fire, and seeing his man fall, stalk away again to the nearest -fort. - -"This certainty of punishment," it was said, "acted upon the savage -mind with all the power of a superstition. Felons trembled before the -white man's justice, as in the presence of the Almighty." - -That sense of injustice which rankled in the bosoms of the other -Indians of the Continent, causing them to continually break out and -give battle to their tormentors and oppressors--a warfare which, in -1870, had cost the United States more than five hundred million of -dollars, could not exist. The Red men, as Red men, could have no -well-founded grievance against the Company, which treated white and -red with equity. - -[Sidenote: The Great Company's Policy.] - -"I have no hesitation in attributing the great success attendant for -so many years upon the Indian policy of the Hudson's Bay Company," -wrote an American Commissioner, Lieutenant Scott, in 1867, "to the -following facts:-- - -"The savages are treated justly--receiving protection in life and -property from the laws which they are forced to obey. - -"There is no Indian Bureau with attendant complications. - -"There is no pretended recognition of the Indian's title in fee-simple -to the lands on which he roams for fish or game. - -"Intoxicating liquors were not introduced amongst these people so long -as the Hudson's Bay Company preserved the monopoly of trade. - -"Prompt punishment follows the perpetration of crime, and from time to -time the presence of a gunboat serves to remind the savages along the -coast of the power of their masters. Not more than two years ago the -Fort Rupert Indians were severely punished for refusing to deliver up -certain animals demanded by the civil magistrate. Their village was -bombarded and completely destroyed by Her Britannic Majesty's gunboat -_Clio_." - -What was the direct consequence of such a policy? That among distant -and powerful tribes trading posts were built and maintained, well -stocked with goods tempting to savage cupidity, yet peacefully -conducted by one or two white men. There was not a regular soldier in -all this territory (except the marines on shipboard and at Esquimault) -and yet white men could hunt through the length and breadth of the -land in almost absolute security. - - [Illustration: GATEWAY TO FORT GARRY. - (_Drawn by Edmund Morris, from a Photo taken in 1877._)] - -Search all Europe and Asia, and you will find no parallel to the -present sway of the Company, for it feeds and clothes, amuses and -instructs, as well as rules nine-tenths of its subjects, from the -Esquimaux tribes of Ungava to the Loucheaux at Fort Simpson, -thousands of miles away--all look to it as to a father. - -The communication with the outside world is slight, yet the thread -that binds is encrusted with hoar frost, reaching far away to that -little island in the North Sea which we call Britain. If these strong -men, immured for years in the icy wildernesses are moved by the news -which reaches them twice in the year, through a thousand miles and -more of snow, it is British news. Kitchener's victory at Khartoum sent -a patriotic thrill through thousands of bosoms six months after it -became known to the Englishman who is content to live at home. - - - - -THE HUDSON'S BAY POSTS. - - -In their Report of 28th June, 1872, the Governor and Committee report -the details of the varied posts from Ocean to Ocean of the Hudson's -Bay Company, as follows:-- - - _Statement of Land belonging to the HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY, - exclusive of their claim to one-twentieth of the Land set out - for settlement in the "Fertile Belt."_ - - ========================+====+==========================+======= - | | | Acres - DISTRICT. | | POST. | of - | | | Land - ------------------------+----+--------------------------+------- - Lake Huron | 1 | La Cloche | 6,400 - Temiscaminque | 2 | Kakababeagino | 10 - Superior | 3 | Long Lake | 10 - United States | 4 | Georgetown | 1,133 - | | | - Manitoba, or } | 5 | Fort Garry | 500 - Red River Settlement } | 6 | Lower Fort | 500 - | 7 | White Horse Plains | 500 - Manitoba Lake | 8 | Oak Point | 50 - Portage la Prairie | 9 | | 1,000 - | | | - Lac la Pluie | 10 | Fort Alexander | 500 - | 11 | Fort Frances | 500 - | 12 | Eagles Nest | 20 - | 13 | Big Island | 20 - | 14 | Lac du Bennet | 20 - | 15 | Rat Portage | 50 - | 16 | Shoal Lake | 20 - | 17 | Lake of the Woods | 50 - | 18 | White Fish Lake | 20 - | 19 | English River | 20 - | 20 | Hungry Hall | 20 - | 21 | Trout Lake | 20 - | 22 | Clear Water Lake | 20 - | 23 | Sandy Point | 20 - | | | - Swan River | 24 | Fort Pelly | 3,000 - | 25 | Fort Ellice | 3,000 - | 26 | Qu'Appelle Lakes | 2,500 - | 27 | Touchwood Hills | 500 - | 28 | Shoal River | 50 - | 29 | Manitoban | 50 - | 30 | Fairford | 100 - | | | - CUMBERLAND | 31 | Cumberland House | 100 - | 32 | Fort la Corne | 3,000 - | 33 | Pelican Lake | 50 - | 34 | Moose Woods | 1,000 - | 35 | The Pas | 25 - | 36 | Moose Lake | 50 - | 37 | Grand Rapid Portage | 100 - | | |50 Acres - | | |at each - | | |end of - | | |Portage - SASKATCHEWAN | 38 | Edmonton House | 3,000 - | 39 | Rocky Mountain House | 500 - | 40 | Fort Victoria | 3,000 - | 41 | St. Paul | 3,000 - | 42 | Fort Pitt | 3,000 - | 43 | Battle River | 3,000 - | 44 | Carlton House | 3,000 - | 45 | Fort Albert | 3,000 - | 46 | Whitefish Lake | 500 - | 47 | Lac la Biche | 1,000 - | 48 | Fort Assiniboine | 50 - | 49 | Lesser Slave Lake | 500 - | 50 | Lac St. Anne | 500 - | 51 | Lac la Nun | 500 - | 52 | St. Albert | 1,000 - | 53 | Pigeon Lake | 100 - | 54 | Old White Mud Fort | 50 - | | | - ENGLISH RIVER | 55 | Isle a la Crosse | 50 - | 56 | Rapid River | 5 - | 57 | Portage la Loche | 20 - | 58 | Green Lake | 100 - | 59 | Cold Lake | 10 - | 60 | Deers Lake | 5 - | | | - YORK | 61 | York Factory | 100 - | 62 | Churchill | 10 - | 63 | Severn | 10 - | 64 | Trout Lake | 10 - | 65 | Oxford | 100 - | 66 | Jackson's Bay | 10 - | 67 | God's Lake | 10 - | 68 | Island Lake | 10 - | | | - NORWAY HOUSE | 69 | Norway House | 100 - | 70 | Berens River | 25 - | 71 | Grand Rapid | 10 - | 72 | Nelson's River | 10 - | | | - ALBANY | 73 | Albany Factory | 100 - | 74 | Martin's Falls | 10 - | 75 | Osnaburg | 25 - | 76 | Lac Seul | 500 - | | | - EAST MAIN | 77 | Little Whale River | 50 - | 78 | Great Whale River | 50 - | 79 | Fort George | 25 - | | | - MOOSE | 80 | Moose Factory | 100 - | 81 | Hannah Bay | 10 - | 82 | Abitibi | 10 - | 83 | New Brunswick | 25 - | | | - RUPERT'S RIVER | 84 | Rupert's House | 50 - | 85 | Mistassing | 10 - | 86 | Temiskamay | 10 - | 87 | Woswonaby | 10 - | 88 | Meehiskun | 10 - | 89 | Pike Lake | 10 - | 90 | Nitchequon | 10 - | 91 | Kamapiscan | 10 - | | | - KINOGUMISSEE | 92 | Matawagauinque | 50 - | 93 | Kuckatoosh | 10 - | | | - LABRADOR | 94 | Fort Nascopie | 75 - | 95 | Outposts do | 25 - | 96 | Fort Chimo (Ungava) | 100 - | 97 | South River, Outposts | 30 - | 98 | George's River | 50 - | 99 | Whale River | 50 - |100 | North's River | 25 - |101 | False River | 25 - | | | - ATHABASCA |102 | Fort Chippewyan | 10 - |103 | Fort Vermilion | 500 - |104 | Fort Dunvegan | 50 - |105 | Fort St. John's | 20 - |106 | Forks of Athabasca River | 10 - |107 | Battle River | 5 - |108 | Fond du Lac | 5 - |109 | Salt River | 5 - | | | - MCKENZIE RIVER |110 | Fort Simpson | 100 - |111 | Fort Liard | 300 - |112 | Fort Nelson | 200 - |113 | The Rapids | 100 - |114 | Hay River | 20 - |115 | Fort Resolution | 20 - |116 | Fort Rae | 10 - |117 | Fond du Lac | 10 - |118 | Fort Norman | 10 - |119 | Fort Good Hope | 10 - |120 | Peel's River | 10 - |121 | Lapierre's House | 10 - |122 | Fort Halkett | 100 - ------------------------+----+--------------------------+------ - - -WESTERN DEPARTMENT. - - ===============+========================================+====== - | | Acres - DISTRICT. | POST. | of - | | Land - ---------------+----+-----------------------------------+------ - VANCOUVER'S | 123| Victoria, including Town Lots, | - ISLAND | | about | 70 - | 124| Esquimault (Puget's Sound | - | | Company's Land) | 2,300 - | 125| Uplands Farm | 1,125 - | 126| North Dairy Farm | 460 - | | | - BRITISH | 127| Fort Alexander | 100 - COLUMBIA | 128| Fort George | 100 - | 129| Fraser's Lake | 100 - | 130| Stuart's Lake | 100 - | 131| McLeod's Lake | 100 - | 132| Connolly's Lake | 100 - | 133| Babine | 100 - | 134| Chilcotin | 100 - | | Five other places | 100 - | 135| Fort Dallas | 50 - | 136| Fort Berens | 50 - | 137| Fort Shepherd | 100 - | 138| Fort Simpson | 100 - | 139| Salmon River | 50 - | 140| Langley and Langley Farm | 2,220 - | 141| Yale, sundry small blocks | - | 142| Hope | 5 - | 143| Kamloops | 1,976 - | 144| Similkameen | 1,140 - | | Barkerville } | Town - | | Quesnel } | Lots. - ---------------+----+-----------------------------------+------- - - - - -APPENDIX. - - - - -THE CHARTER INCORPORATING THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. - - -_Granted by His Majesty King Charles the Second, in the 22nd Year of -his Reign, A.D. 1670._ - - CHARLES THE SECOND, by the grace of God, King of England, - Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. - - To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: - -Whereas our dear entirely beloved Cousin, Prince Rupert, Count -Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland, &c.; -Christopher Duke of Albemarle, William Earl of Craven, Henry Lord -Arlington, Anthony Lord Ashley, Sir John Robinson, and Sir Robert -Vyner, Knights and Baronets; Sir Peter Colleton, Baronet; Sir Edward -Hungerford, Knight of the Bath; Sir Paul Neele, Knight; Sir John -Griffith and Sir Philip Carteret, Knights; James Hayes, John Kirk, -Francis Millington, William Prettyman, John Fenn, Esquires; and John -Portman, Citizen and Goldsmith of London; have, at their own great -cost, and charges, undertaken an expedition for Hudson's Bay in the -north-west part of America, for the discovery of a new passage into -the South Sea, and for the finding some trade for furs, minerals, and -other considerable commodities, and by such their undertaking have -already made such discoveries as to encourage them to proceed further -in pursuance of their said design, by means whereof there may probably -arise very great advantages to us and our kingdom. - -And whereas the said undertakers, for their further encouragement in -the said design, have humbly besought us to incorporate them, and -grant unto them and their successors the sole trade and commerce of -all those seas, straits, bays, rivers, lakes, creeks and sounds, in -whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the -straits commonly called the Hudson's Straits, together with all the -lands, countries and territories upon the coasts and confines of the -seas, straits, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid, which -are not now actually possessed by any of our subjects, or by the -subjects of any other Christian Prince or State. - -Now know ye, that we, being desirous to promote all endeavours tending -to the public good of our people, and to encourage the said -undertaking, have, of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere -motion, given, granted, ratified and confirmed, and by these presents, -for us, our heirs and successors, do give, grant, ratify and confirm, -unto our said Cousin, Prince Rupert, Christopher Duke of Albemarle, -William Earl of Craven, Henry Lord Arlington, Anthony Lord Ashley, -Sir John Robinson, Sir Robert Vyner, Sir Peter Colleton, Sir Edward -Hungerford, Sir Paul Neele, Sir John Griffith and Sir Philip Carteret, -James Hayes, John Kirk, Francis Millington, William Prettyman, John -Fenn and John Portman, that they, and such others as shall be admitted -into the said society as is hereafter expressed, shall be one body -corporate and politic, in deed and in name, by the name of "The -Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's -Bay," and them by the name of "The Governor and Company of Adventurers -of England trading into Hudson's Bay," one body corporate and politic, -in deed and in name, really and fully forever, for us, our heirs and -successors, we do make, ordain, constitute, establish, confirm and -declare by these presents, and that by the same name of Governor and -Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, they -shall have perpetual succession, and that they and their successors, -by the name of The Governor and Company of Adventures trading into -Hudson's Bay, be, and at all times hereafter shall be personable and -capable in law to have, purchase, receive, possess, enjoy and retain -lands, rents, privileges, liberties, jurisdictions, franchises and -hereditaments, of what kind, nature or quality so ever they be, to -them and their successors; and also to give, grant, demise, alien, -assign and dispose lands, tenements, and hereditaments, and to do and -execute all and singular other things by the same name that to them -shall or may appertain to do; and that they and their successors, by -the name of The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading -into Hudson's Bay, may plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, -defend and be defended, in whatsoever courts and places, before -whatsoever judges and justices and other persons and officers, in all -and singular actions, pleas, suits, quarrels, causes and demands -whatsoever, of whatsoever kind, nature or sort, in such manner and -form as any other our liege people of this our realm of England, being -persons able and capable in law, may or can have, purchase, receive, -possess, enjoy, retain, give, grant, demise, alien, assign, dispose, -plead, defend and be defended, do, permit and execute: and that the -said Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into -Hudson's Bay, and their successors, may have a common seal to serve -for all the causes and businesses of them and their successors, and -that it shall and may be lawful to the said Governor and Company, and -their successors, the same seal, from time to time, at their will and -pleasure, to break, change, and to make anew or alter, as to them -shall seem expedient. - -And further we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and -successors, we do ordain that there shall be from henceforth one of -the same company to be elected and appointed in such form as hereafter -in these presents is expressed, which shall be called the Governor of -the said Company; and that the said Governor and Company shall or may -select seven of their number, and in such form as hereafter in these -presents is expressed, which shall be called the Committee of the -said Company, which Committee of seven, or any three of them, together -with the Governor or Deputy Governor of the said Company for the time -being shall have the direction of the voyages of and for the said -Company, and the provision of the shipping and merchandises thereunto -belonging, and also the sale of all merchandises, goods and other -things returned, in all or any the voyages or ships of or for the said -Company, and the managing and handling of all other business, affairs -and things belonging to the said Company: And we will, ordain and -grant by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, unto the -said Governor and Company, and their successors, that they, the said -Governor and Company, and their successors, shall from henceforth for -ever be ruled, ordered and governed according to such manner and form -as is hereafter in these presents expressed, and not otherwise; and -that they shall have, hold, retain and enjoy the grants, liberties, -privileges, jurisdictions and immunities only hereafter in these -presents granted and expressed, and no other: And for the better -execution of our will and grant in this behalf we have assigned, -nominated, constituted and made, and by these presents, for us, our -heirs and successors, we do assign, constitute and make our said -Cousin Prince Rupert, to be the first and present Governor of the said -Company, and to continue in the said office from the date of these -presents until the 10th November then next following, if he, the said -Prince Rupert, shall so long live, and so until a new Governor be -chosen by the said Company in form hereafter expressed: And also we -have assigned, nominated and appointed, and by these presents, for us, -our heirs and successors, we do assign, nominate and constitute the -said Sir John Robinson, Sir John Vyner, Sir Peter Colleton, James -Hayes, John Kirk, Francis Millington and John Portman to be the seven -first and present Committee of the said Company, from the date of -these presents until the said 10th day of November then also next -following, and so on until new Committees shall be chosen in form -hereafter expressed: And further we will and grant by these presents, -for us, our heirs and successors, unto the said Governor and Company, -and their successors, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the -said Governor and Company for the time being, or the greater part of -them present at any public assembly, commonly called the Court -General, to be holden for the said Company, the Governor of the said -Company being always one, from time to time elect, nominate and -appoint one of the said Company to be Deputy to the said Governor, -which Deputy shall take a corporal oath, before the Governor and three -or more of the Committee of the said Company for the time being, well, -truly and faithfully to execute his said office of Deputy to the -Governor of the said Company, and after his oath so taken, shall and -may from time to time, in the absence of the said Governor, exercise -and execute the office of Governor of the said Company, in such sort -as the said Governor ought to do: And further we will and grant by -these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, unto the said -Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's -Bay, and their successors, that they, or the greater part of them, -whereof the Governor for the time being or his Deputy to be one, from -time to time, and at all times hereafter, shall and may have authority -and power, yearly and every year, between the first and last day of -November, to assemble and meet together in some convenient place, to -be appointed from time to time by the Governor, or in his absence by -the Deputy of the said Governor for the time being, and that they -being so assembled, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said -Governor or Deputy of the said Governor, and the said Company for the -time being, or the greater part of them which then shall happen to be -present, whereof the Governor of the said Company or his Deputy for -the time being to be one, to elect and nominate one of the said -Company, which shall be Governor of the said Company for one whole -year then next following, which person being so elected and nominated -to be Governor of the said Company, as is aforesaid, before he be -admitted to the execution of the said office, shall take a corporal -oath before the last Governor, being his predecessor, or his Deputy, -and any three or more of the Committee of the said Company for the -time being, that he shall from time to time well and truly execute the -office of Governor of the said Company in all things concerning the -same; and that immediately after the said oath so taken he shall and -may execute and use the said office of Governor of the said Company -for one whole year from thence next following: And in like sort we -will and grant that as well every one of the above-named to be of the -said Company of fellowship, as all others hereafter to be admitted or -free of the said Company, shall take a corporal oath before the -Governor of the said Company or his Deputy for the time being to such -effect as by the said Governor and Company or the greater part of them -in any public Court to be held for the said Company, shall be in -reasonable and legal manner set down and devised, before they shall be -allowed or admitted to trade or traffic as a freeman of the said -Company: And further we will and grant by these presents, for us, our -heirs and successors, unto the said Governor and Company, and their -successors, that the said Governor or Deputy Governor, and the rest of -the said Company, and their successors for the time being, or the -greater part of them, whereof the Governor or Deputy-Governor from -time to time to be one, shall and may from time to time, and at all -times hereafter, have power and authority, yearly and every year, -between the first and last day of November, to assemble and meet -together in some convenient place, from time to time to be appointed -by the said Governor of the said Company, or in his absence by his -Deputy; and that they being so assembled, it shall and may be lawful -to and for the said Governor or his Deputy, and the Company for the -time being, or the greater part of them which then shall happen to be -present, whereof the Governor of the said Company or his Deputy for -the time being to be one, to elect and nominate seven of the said -Company, which shall be a Committee of the said Company for one whole -year from thence next ensuing, which persons being so elected and -nominated to be a Committee of the said Company as aforesaid, before -they be admitted to the execution of their office, shall take a -corporal oath before the Governor or his Deputy, and any three or more -of the said Committee of the said Company, being their last -predecessors, that they and every of them shall well and faithfully -perform their said office of Committees in all things concerning the -same, and that immediately after the said oath so taken, they shall -and may execute and use their said office of Committees of the said -Company for one whole year from thence next following: And moreover, -our will and pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and -successors, we do grant under the said Governor and Company, and their -successors, that when and as often as it shall happen, the Governor or -Deputy Governor of the said Company for the time being, at any time -within one year after that he shall be nominated, elected and sworn to -the office of the Governor of the said Company as is aforesaid, to die -or to be removed from the said office, which Governor or Deputy -Governor not demeaning himself well in his said office WE WILL to be -removable at the pleasure of the rest of the said Company, or the -greater part of them which shall be present at their public assemblies -commonly called their General Courts, holden for the said Company, -that then and so often it shall and may be lawful to and for the -residue of the said Company for the time being, or the greater part of -them, within a convenient time after the death or removing of any such -Governor or Deputy Governor, to assemble themselves in such convenient -place as they shall think fit, for the election of the Governor or the -Deputy Governor of the said Company; and that the said Company, or the -greater part of them, being then and there present, shall and may, -then and there, before their departure from the said place, elect and -nominate one other of the said Company to be Governor or Deputy -Governor for the said Company in the place and stead of him that so -died or was removed; which person being so elected and nominated to -the office of Governor or Deputy Governor of the said Company, shall -have and exercise the said office for and during the residue of the -next year, taking first a corporal oath, as is aforesaid, for the due -execution thereof; and this to be done from time to time so often as -the case shall so require: And also our will and pleasure is, and by -these presents for us, our heirs and successors, WE DO GRANT unto the -said Governor and Company, that when and as often as it shall happen -any person or persons of the Committee of the said Company for the -time being, at any time within one year next after they or any of them -shall be nominated, elected and sworn to the office of Committee of -the said Company as is aforesaid, to die or to be removed from the -said office, which Committees not demeaning themselves well in their -said office, we will to be removable at the pleasure of the said -Governor and Company or the greater part of them, whereof the Governor -of the said Company for the time being or his Deputy to be one, that -then and so often, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said -Governor, and the rest of the Company for the time being, or the -greater part of them, whereof the Governor for the time being or his -Deputy to be one, within convenient time after the death or removing -of any of the said Committee, to assemble themselves in such -convenient place as is or shall be usual and accustomed for the -election of the Governor of the said Company, or where else the -Governor of the said Company for the time being or his Deputy shall -appoint: And that the said Governor and Company, or the greater part -of them, whereof the Governor for the time being or his Deputy to be -one, being then and there present, shall and may, then and there, -before their departure from the said place, elect and nominate one or -more of the said Company to be the Committee of the said Company in -the place and stead of him or them that so died, or were or was so -removed, which person or persons so nominated and elected to the -office of Committee of the said Company, shall have and exercise the -said office for and during the residue of the said year, taking first -a corporal oath, as is aforesaid, for the due execution thereof, and -this to be done from time to time, so often as the case shall require: - - And to the end the said Governor and Company of Adventurers of - England trading into Hudson's Bay may be encouraged to - undertake and effectually to prosecute the said design, of our - more especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have - given, granted and confirmed, and by these presents, for us, - our heirs and successors, DO give, grant and confirm, unto the - said Governor and Company, and their successors, the sole trade - and commerce of all these seas, straits, bays, rivers, lakes, - creeks and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall be, that - lie within the entrance of the straits, commonly called - Hudson's Straits, together with all the lands and territories - upon the countries, coasts, and confines of the seas, bays, - lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid, that are not - already actually possessed by or granted to any of our - subjects, or possessed by the subjects of any other Christian - Prince or State, with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, - sturgeons and all other royal fishes, in the seas, bays, inlets - and rivers within the premises, and the fish therein taken, - together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts within the - limits aforesaid, and all mines royal, as well discovered as - not discovered, of gold, silver, gems and precious stones, to - be found or discovered within the territories, limits and - places aforesaid, and that the said land be from henceforth - reckoned and reputed as one of our plantations or colonies in - America, called "Rupert's Land." - -And further we do, by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, -make, create, and constitute the said Governor and Company for the -time being, and their successors, the true and absolute lords and -proprietors of the same territory, limits and places, and of all -other the premises, saving always the faith, allegiance and sovereign -dominion due to us, our heirs and successors, for the same to have, -hold, possess and enjoy the said territory, limits and places, and all -and singular other the premises hereby granted as aforesaid, with -their and every of their rights, members, jurisdictions, prerogatives, -royalties and appurtenances whatsoever, to them the said Governor and -Company, and their successors for ever, to be holden of us, our heirs -and successors, as of our manor at East Greenwich, in our County of -Kent, in free and common soccage, and not in capite or by Knight's -service, yielding and paying yearly to us, our heirs and successors, -for the same, two elks and two black beavers, whensoever and as often -as we, our heirs and successors, shall happen to enter into the said -countries, territories and regions hereby granted. - -And further, our will and pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, -our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and -Company, and their successors, that it shall and may be lawful to and -for the said Governor and Company, and their successors, from time to -time, to assemble themselves, for or about any the matters, causes, -affairs, or business of the said trade, in any place or places for the -same convenient, within our dominions or elsewhere, and there to hold -Court for the said Company and the affairs thereof; and that also, it -shall and may be lawful to and for them, and the greater part of them, -being so assembled, and that shall then and there be present, in any -such place or places, whereof the Governor or his Deputy for the time -being to be one, to make, ordain and constitute such and so many -reasonable laws, constitutions, orders and ordinances as to them, or -the greater part of them, being then and there present, shall seem -necessary and convenient for the good government of the said Company, -and of all governors of colonies, forts and plantations, factors, -masters, mariners and other officers employed or to be employed in any -of the territories and lands aforesaid, and in any of their voyages, -and for the better advancement and continuance of the said trade or -traffic and plantations, and the same laws, constitutions, orders and -ordinances so made, to put in use and execute accordingly, and at -their pleasure to revoke and alter the same or any of them, as the -occasion shall require: And that the said Governor and Company, so -often as they shall make, ordain or establish any such laws, -constitutions, orders and ordinances, in such form as aforesaid shall -and may lawfully impose, ordain, limit and provide such pains, -penalties and punishments upon all offenders, contrary to such laws, -constitutions, orders and ordinances, or any of them, as to the said -Governor and Company for the time being, or the greater part of them, -then and there being present, the said Governor or his Deputy being -always one, shall seem necessary, requisite or convenient for the -observation of the same laws, constitutions, orders and ordinances; -and the same fines and amerciaments shall and may, by their officers -and servants from time to time to be appointed for that purpose, levy, -take and have, to the use of the said Governor and Company, and their -successors, without the impediment of us, our heirs or successors, or -any of the officers or ministers of us, our heirs, or successors, and -without any account therefore to us, our heirs or successors, to be -made: All and singular which laws, constitutions, orders, and -ordinances, so as aforesaid to be made, we will to be duly observed -and kept under the pains and penalties therein to be contained; so -always as the said laws, constitutions, orders and ordinances, fines -and amerciaments, be reasonable and not contrary or repugnant, but as -near as may be agreeable to the laws, statutes or customs of this our -realm. - -And furthermore, of our ample and abundant grace, certain knowledge -and mere-motion, we have granted, and by these presents, for us, our -heirs and successors, do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and -their successors, that they and their successors, and their factors, -servants and agents, for them and on their behalf, and not otherwise, -shall forever hereafter have, use and enjoy, not only the whole, -entire, and only trade and traffic, and the whole, entire, and only -liberty, use and privilege of trading and trafficking to and from the -territory, limits and places aforesaid, but also the whole and entire -trade and traffic to and from all havens, bays, creeks, rivers, lakes -and seas, into which they shall find entrance or passage by water or -land out of the territories, limits and places aforesaid; and to and -with all the natives and people inhabiting, or which shall inhabit -within the territories, limits and places aforesaid; and to and with -all other nations inhabiting any the coasts adjacent to the said -territories, limits and places which are not already possessed as -aforesaid, or whereof the sole liberty or privilege of trade and -traffic is not granted to any other of our subjects. - -And we, of our further Royal favour, and of our more especial grace, -certain knowledge and mere motion, have granted, and by these -presents, for us, our heirs and successors, do grant to the said -Governor and Company, and to their successors, that neither the said -territories, limits and places hereby granted as aforesaid, nor any -part thereof, nor the islands, havens, ports, cities, towns, or places -thereof or therein contained, shall be visited, frequented or haunted -by any of the subjects of us, our heirs or successors, contrary to the -true meaning of these presents, and by virtue of our prerogative -royal, which we will not have in that behalf argued or brought into -question: We straightly charge, command and prohibit for us, our heirs -and successors, all the subjects of us, our heirs and successors, of -what degree or quality soever they be, that none of them, directly or -indirectly do visit, haunt, frequent, or trade, traffic, or adventure, -by way of merchandise, into or from any of the said territories, -limits, or places hereby granted, or any or either of them, other than -the said Governor and Company, and such particular persons as now be -or hereafter shall be of that Company, their agents, factors and -assigns, unless it be by the license and agreement of the said -Governor and Company in writing first had and obtained, under their -common seal, to be granted upon pain that every such person or persons -that shall trade or traffic into or from any of the countries, -territories or limits aforesaid, other than the said Governor and -Company, and their successors, shall incur our indignation, and the -forfeiture and the loss of the goods, merchandises and other things -whatsoever, which so shall be brought into this realm of England, or -any of the dominions of the same, contrary to our said prohibition, or -the purport or true meaning of these presents, or which the said -Governor and Company shall find, take and seize in other places out of -our dominion, where the said Company, their agents, factors or -ministers shall trade, traffic or inhabit by the virtue of these our -letters patent, as also the ship and ships, with the furniture -thereof, wherein such goods, merchandises and other things shall be -brought and found; and one-half of all the said forfeitures to be to -us, our heirs and successors, and the other half thereof we do, by -these presents, clearly and wholly, for us, our heirs and successors, -give and grant unto the said Governor and Company, and their -successors: And further, all and every the said offenders, for their -said contempt, to suffer such other punishment as to us, our heirs and -successors, for so high a contempt, shall seem meet and convenient, -and not be in any wise delivered until they and every of them shall -become bound unto the said Governor for the time being in the sum of -one thousand pounds at the least, at no time then after to trade or -traffic into any of the said places, seas, straits, bays, ports, -havens or territories aforesaid, contrary to our express commandment -in that behalf set down and published: And further, of our more -especial grace, we have condescended and granted, and by these -presents, for us, our heirs and successors, do grant unto the said -Governor and Company, and their successors, that we our heirs and -successors, will not grant liberty, license or power to any person, or -persons whatsoever, contrary to the tenor of these our letters patent, -to trade, traffic or inhabit, unto or upon any of the territories, -limits or places afore specified, contrary to the true meaning of -these presents, without the consent of the said Governor and Company, -or the most part of them: And, of our more abundant grace and favour -of the said Governor and Company, we do hereby declare our will and -pleasure to be, that if it shall so happen that any of the persons -free or to be free of the said Company of Adventurers of England -trading into Hudson's Bay, who shall, before the going forth of any -ship or ships appointed for a voyage or otherwise, promise or agree, -by writing under his or their hands, to adventure any sum or sums of -money towards the furnishing any provision, or maintenance of any -voyage or voyages, set forth or to be set forth, or intended or meant -to be set forth, by the said Governor and Company, or the most part of -them present at any public assembly, commonly called their General -Court, shall not, within the space of twenty days next after warning -given to him or them by the said Governor or Company, or their known -officer or minister, bring in and deliver to the Treasurer or -Treasurers appointed for the Company, such sums of money as shall have -been expressed and set down in writing by the said person or persons, -subscribed with the name of the said Adventurer or Adventurers, that -then and at all times after it shall and may be lawful to and for the -said Governor and Company, or the more part of them present, whereof -the said Governor or his Deputy to be one, at any of their General -Courts or general assemblies, to remove and disfranchise him or them, -and every such person and persons at their wills and pleasures, and he -or they so removed and disfranchised, not to be permitted to trade -into the countries, territories, and limits aforesaid, or any part -thereof, nor to have any adventure or stock going or remaining with or -amongst the said Company, without the special license of the said -Governor and Company, or the more part of them present at any General -Court, first had and obtained in that behalf, any thing before in -these presents to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. -And our will and pleasure is, and hereby we do also ordain, that it -shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, or -the greater part of them, whereof the Governor for the time being or -his Deputy to be one, to admit into and to be of the said Company all -such servants or factors, of or for the said Company, and all such -others as to them or the most part of them present, at any Court held -for the said Company, the Governor or his Deputy being one, shall be -thought fit and agreeable with the orders and ordinances made and to -be made for the government of the said Company: And further, our will -and pleasure is, and by these presents for us, our heirs and -successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to -their successors, that it shall and may be lawful in all elections and -by-laws to be made by the General Court of the Adventurers of the said -Company, that every person shall have a number of votes according to -his stock, that is to say, for every hundred pounds by him subscribed -or brought into the present stock, one vote, and that any of those -that have subscribed less than one hundred pounds, may join their -respective sums to make up one hundred pounds, and have one vote -jointly for the same, and not otherwise: And further, of our especial -grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we do, for us, our heirs -and successors, grant to and with the said Governor and Company of -Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, that all lands, -islands, territories, plantations, forts, fortifications, factories or -colonies, where the said Company's factories and trade are or shall -be, within any of the ports or places afore limited, shall be -immediately and from henceforth under the power and command of the -said Governor and Company, their successors and assigns; saving the -faith and allegiance due to be performed to us, our heirs and -successors, as aforesaid; and that the said Governor and Company shall -have liberty, full power and authority to appoint and establish -Governors and all other officers to govern them, and that the Governor -and his Council of the several and respective places where the said -Company shall have plantations, forts, factories, colonies or places -of trade within any of the countries, lands, or territories hereby -granted, may have power to judge all persons belonging to the said -Governor and Company, or that shall live under them, in all causes, -whether civil or criminal, according to the laws of the kingdom, and -to execute justice accordingly; and in case any crime or misdemeanor -shall be committed in any of the said Company's plantations, forts, -factories, or places of trade within the limits aforesaid, where -judicature cannot be executed for want of a Governor and Council -there, then in such case it shall and may be lawful for the chief -factor of that place and his Council to transmit the party, together -with the offence, to such other plantations, factory or fort where -there shall be a Governor and Council, where justice may be executed, -or into this Kingdom of England, as shall be thought most convenient, -there to receive such punishment as the nature of his offence shall -deserve: And moreover, our will and pleasure is, and by these -presents, for us, our heirs and successors, we do give and grant unto -the said Governor and Company, and their successors, free liberty and -license, in case they conceive it necessary, to send either ships of -war, men or ammunition into any of their plantations, forts, -factories, or places of trade aforesaid, for the security and defence -of the same, and to choose commanders and officers over them, and to -give them power and authority, by commission under their common seal, -or otherwise, to continue to make peace or war with any prince or -people whatsoever, that are not Christians, in any place where the -said Company shall have any plantations, forts or factories, or -adjacent thereto, and shall be most for the advantage and benefit of -the said Governor and Company and of their trade; and also to right -and recompense themselves upon the goods, estates, or people of those -parts, by whom the said Governor and Company shall sustain any injury, -loss or damage, or upon any other people whatsoever, that shall in any -way, contrary to the intent of these presents, interrupt, wrong or -injure them in their trade, within the said places, territories and -limits granted by this Charter: And that it shall and may be lawful to -and for the said Governor and Company, and their successors from time -to time, and at all times from henceforth, to erect and build such -castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons, colonies or plantations, -towns or villages, in any parts or places within the limits and bounds -granted before in these presents unto the said Governor and Company, -as they in their discretion shall think fit and requisite, and for the -supply of such as shall be needful and convenient to keep and be in -the same, to send out of this kingdom to the said castles, forts, -fortifications, garrisons, colonies, plantations, towns or villages, -all kinds of clothing, provisions or victuals, ammunition and -implements necessary for such purpose, paying the duties and customs -for the same, as also to transport and carry over such number of men -being willing thereunto, or not prohibited, as they shall think fit, -and also to govern them in such legal and reasonable manner as the -said Governor and Company shall think best, and to inflict punishment -for misdemeanors, or impose such fines upon them for breach of their -orders as in these presents are formally expressed: And further, our -will and pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and -successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to -their successors, full power and lawful authority to seize upon the -persons of all such English, or any other our subjects, which shall -sail into Hudson's Bay, or inhabit in any of the countries, islands or -territories hereby granted to the said Governor and Company, without -their leave and license, and in that behalf first had and obtained, or -that shall contemn and disobey their orders, and send them to England; -and that all and every person and persons, being our subjects, any -ways employed by the said Governor and Company, within any the parts, -places and limits aforesaid, shall be liable unto and suffer such -punishment for any offences by them committed in the parts aforesaid, -as the President and Council for the said Governor and Company there -shall think fit, and the merit of the offence shall require, as -aforesaid; and in case any person or persons being convicted and -sentenced by the President and Council of the said Governor and -Company, in the countries, lands or limits aforesaid, their factors or -agents there, for any offence by them done, shall appeal from the -same, that then and in such case it shall and may be lawful to and for -the said President and Council, factors or agents, to seize upon him -or them, and to carry him or them home prisoners into England, to the -said Governor and Company, there to receive such condign punishment as -his case shall require, and the law of this nation allow of; and for -the better discovery of abuses and injuries to be done unto the said -Governor and Company, or their successors, by any servant by them to -be employed in the said voyages and plantations, it shall and may be -lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, and their respective -President, Chief Agent or Governor in the parts aforesaid, to examine -upon oath all factors, masters, pursers, supercargoes, commanders of -castles, forts, fortifications, plantations or colonies, or other -persons, touching or concerning any matter or thing in which by law or -usage an oath may be administered, so as the said oath, and the matter -therein contained be not repugnant, but agreeable to the laws of this -realm: And we do hereby straightly charge and command all and singular -our Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Justices, Mayors, Sheriffs, Constables, -Bailiffs, and all and singular other our officers, ministers, liegemen -and subjects whatsoever to be aiding, favouring, helping and assisting -to the said Governor and Company, and to their successors, and their -deputies, officers, factors, servants, assigns and ministers, and -every of them, in executing and enjoying the premises, as well on land -as on sea, from time to time, when any of you shall thereunto be -required; any statute, act, ordinance, proviso, proclamation or -restraint heretofore had, made, set forth, ordained or provided, or -any other matter, cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary in anywise -notwithstanding. - -In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent. - -Witness ourselves at Winchester, the second day of May, in the -two-and-twentieth year of our reign. - - By Writ of the Privy Seal. - - PIGOTT. - - - - -THE ALASKA BOUNDARY LINE. - - -It has been said that but for the Hudson's Bay Company British -Columbia would not have been preserved to the British Crown. On the -Imperial frontier to the far north and west the Company early -established its posts, and vigorously sought to maintain them against, -first, Russian, and afterwards American, aggression. - - [Illustration: SKETCH MAP OF SOUTH-EAST ALASKA - (_showing points in controversy_). - (_By permission of Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., publishers of the - "Atlantic Monthly."_)] - -The American purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 included a strip -of the coast (_lisiere de cote_) extending from north latitude 54 deg. -40' to the region of Mt. St. Elias. It was generally understood that -this strip was separated from the British possessions by a mountain -range (then believed to exist) parallel to the coast, as in event of -this range being too remote, by a line parallel to the windings -(sinuosities) of the coast, nowhere greater than ten marine leagues -from the same. - -There is nothing to lead one to suppose that the strip of coast was -designed to be continuous from the parallel of 54 deg. 40' north -latitude. The recent great development of the North-West has shown the -singular value of this strip, which the American authorities, ignoring -the exact possessions of the Anglo-Russian treaty of 1825, has assume -to be their territory. Recent American writers have been quick to -perceive the weakness of their case, and one of these, writing in the -_Atlantic Monthly_, uses this language: - -"Arbitration is compromise.... Once before a board of arbitration, the -English Government has only to set up and vigorously urge all its -claims, and more that can easily be invented, and _it is all but -absolutely certain_ that although _by tradition and equity_ we should -decline _to yield a foot of what we purchased_ in good faith from -Russia, and which has become doubly valuable to us by settlement and -exploration, our lisiere will be promptly broken into fragments, and -with much show of impartiality divided between the two contracting -parties." The italics are mine. Tradition and (the American idea of) -equity are hardly equal to the language of a treaty negotiated so -recently as 1825.[130] - -CONVENTION WITH RUSSIA. - -His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and -Ireland, and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, being -desirous of drawing still closer the ties of good understanding and -friendship which unite them, by means of an agreement which may -settle, upon the basis of reciprocal convenience, different points -connected with the commerce, navigation, and fisheries of their -subjects on the Pacific Ocean, as well as the limits of their -respective possessions on the north-west coast of America, have named -plenipotentiaries to conclude a convention for this purpose, that is -to say--His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain -and Ireland, the Right Hon. Stratford Canning, a member of his said -Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council, etc.; and his Majesty the Emperor -of all the Russias, the Sieur Charles Robert Count de Nesselrode, his -Imperial Majesty's Privy Councillor, a member of the Council of the -Empire, Secretary of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs, -etc., and the Sieur Pierre de Poletica, his Imperial Majesty's -Councillor of State, etc.; who, after having communicated to each -other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have -agreed upon and signed the following articles:-- - -Art. I.--It is agreed that the respective subjects of the high -contracting parties shall not be troubled or molested, in any part of -the ocean commonly called the Pacific Ocean, either in navigating the -same, in fishing therein, or in landing at such parts of the coast as -shall not have been already occupied, in order to trade with the -natives, under the restrictions and conditions specified in the -following articles. - -II.--In order to prevent the right of navigating and fishing, -exercised upon the ocean by the subjects of the high contracting -parties, from becoming the pretext for an illicit commerce, it is -agreed that the subjects of his Britannic Majesty shall not land at -any place where there may be a Russian establishment, without the -permission of the governor or commandant; and, on the other hand, that -Russian subjects shall not land, without permission, at any British -establishment on the north-west coast. - -III.--The line of demarcation between the possessions of the high -contracting parties, upon the coast of the continent, and the islands -of America to the north-west, shall be drawn in the manner -following:--Commencing from the southernmost point of the island -called Prince of Wales's Island, which point lies in the parallel of -54 degrees, 40 minutes, north latitude, and between the 131st and -133rd degree of west longitude (meridian of Greenwich), the said line -shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland Channel, -as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 56th degree -of north latitude; from this last-mentioned point the line of -demarcation shall follow the summits of the mountains situated -parallel to the coast, as far as the point of intersection of the -141st degree of west longitude (of the same meridian); and, finally, -from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the -141st degree in its prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean, shall -form the limit between the Russian and British possessions on the -Continent of America to the north-west. - -IV.--With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the -preceding article, it is understood:-- - -1st: That the island called Prince of Wales's Island shall belong -wholly to Russia. - -2nd: That wherever the summit of the mountains which extend in a -direction parallel to the coast, from the 56th degree of north -latitude to the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west -longitude, shall prove to be at the distance of more than ten marine -leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions and -the line of coast which is to belong to Russia, as above-mentioned, -shall be formed by a line parallel to the windings of the coast, and -which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom. - -V.--It is moreover agreed, that no establishment shall be formed by -either of the two parties within the limits assigned by the two -preceding articles to the possessions of the other; consequently, -British subjects shall not form any establishment either upon the -coast, or upon the border of the continent comprised within the limits -of the Russian possessions as designated in the two preceding -articles; and, in like manner, no establishment shall be formed by -Russian subjects beyond the said limits. - -VI.--It is understood that the subjects of his Britannic Majesty, from -whatever quarter they may arrive, whether from the ocean or from the -interior of the continent, shall forever enjoy the right of navigating -freely, and without any hindrance whatever, all the rivers and streams -which in their course towards the Pacific Ocean may cross the line of -demarcation upon the line of coast described in Article III of the -present convention. - -VII.--It is also understood, that for the space of ten years from the -signature of the present convention, the vessels of the two powers, or -those belonging to their respective subjects, shall mutually be at -liberty to frequent without any hindrance whatever, all the inland -seas, the gulfs, havens, and creeks on the coast mentioned in Article -III for the purpose of fishing and of trading with the natives. - -VIII.--The Port of Sitka, or Novo Archangelsk, shall be open to the -commerce and vessels of British subjects for the space of ten years -from the date of the exchange of the ratification of the present -convention. In the event of an extension of this term of ten years -being granted to any other power, the like extension shall be granted -also to Great Britain. - -IX.--The above-mentioned liberty of commerce shall not apply to the -trade of spirituous liquors, in fire-arms or other arms, gunpowder or -other warlike stores; the high contracting parties reciprocally -engaging not to permit the above-mentioned articles to be sold or -delivered in any manner whatever, to the natives of the country. - -X.--Every British or Russian vessel navigating the Pacific Ocean, -which may be compelled by storms or by accident to take shelter in the -ports of the respective parties, shall be at liberty to refit therein, -to provide itself with all necessary stores, and to put to sea again, -without paying any other than port and lighthouse dues, which shall be -the same as those paid by national vessels. In case, however, the -master of such vessel should be under the necessity of disposing of a -part of his merchandise in order to defray his expenses, he shall -conform himself to the regulations and tariffs of the place where he -may have landed. - -XI.--In every case of complaint on account of an infraction of the -articles of the present convention, the civil and military authorities -of the high contracting parties, without previously acting or taking -any forcible measure, shall make an exact and circumstantial report of -the matter to their respective courts, who engage to settle the same -in a friendly manner, and according to the principles of justice. - -XII.--The present convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications -shall be exchanged at London, within the space of six weeks, or sooner -if possible. - -In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the -same and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. - -Done at St. Petersburg, the 16th (28th) day of February, in the year -of our Lord, 1825. - - Stratford Canning. - The Count de Nesselrode. - Pierre de Poletica. - - -FOOTNOTE: - -[130] T. C. Mendenhall, in _Atlantic Monthly_ for April, 1896. - - - - -GOVERNORS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. - - - His Highness Prince Rupert 1670-1683 - - H.R.H. James, Duke of York (afterwards King James II.) 1683-1685 - - John, Lord Churchill (afterwards Duke of Marlborough) 1685-1691 - - Sir Stephen Evance, Kt. 1691-1696 - - The Rt. Hon. Sir William Trumbull 1696-1700 - - Sir Stephen Evance, Kt. 1700-1712 - - Sir Bibye Lake, Bart. 1712-1743 - - Benjamin Pitt 1743-1746 - - Thomas Knapp 1746-1750 - - Sir Atwell Lake, Bart. 1750-1760 - - Sir William Baker, Kt. 1760-1770 - - Bibye Lake 1770-1782 - - Samuel Wegg 1782-1799 - - Sir James Winter Lake, Bart. 1799-1807 - - William Mainwaring 1807-1812 - - Joseph Berens, Junior 1812-1822 - - Sir John Henry Pelly, Bart. 1822-1852 - - Andrew Colville 1852-1856 - - John Shepherd 1856-1858 - - Henry Hulse Berens 1858-1863 - - Rt. Hon. Sir Edmund Walker Head, Bart., K.C.B. 1863-1868 - - Rt. Hon. The Earl of Kimberley 1868-1869 - - Rt. Hon. Sir Stafford H. Northcote, Bart., M.P. (Earl of - Iddesleigh) 1869-1874 - - Rt. Hon. George Joachim Goschen, M.P. 1874-1880 - - Eden Colville 1880-1889 - - Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, G.C.M.G. 1889- - - - - -DEPUTY-GOVERNORS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. - - - Sir John Robinson, Kt. 1670-1675 - - Sir James Hayes, Kt. 1675-1685 - - The Hon. Sir Edward Dering, Kt. 1685-1691 - - Samuel Clarke 1691-1701 - - John Nicholson 1701-1710 - - Thomas Lake 1710-1711 - - Sir Bibye Lake, Bart. 1711-1712 - - Captain John Merry 1712-1729 - - Samuel Jones 1729-1735 - - Benjamin Pitt 1735-1743 - - Thomas Knapp 1743-1746 - - Sir Atwell Lake, Bart. 1746-1750 - - Sir William Baker, Kt. 1750-1760 - - Captain John Merry 1760-1765 - - Bibye Lake 1765-1770 - - Robert Merry 1770-1774 - - Samuel Wegg 1774-1782 - - Sir James Winter Lake, Bart. 1782-1799 - - Richard Hulse 1799-1805 - - Nicholas Caesar Corsellis 1805-1806 - - Wm. Mainwaring 1806-1807 - - Joseph Berens, Junior 1807-1812 - - John Henry Pelly 1812-1822 - - Nicholas Garry 1822-1835 - - Benjamin Harrison 1835-1839 - - Andrew Colville 1839-1852 - - John Shepherd 1852-1856 - - Henry Hulse Berens 1856-1858 - - Edward Ellice, M.P. 1858-1863 - - Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, Bart. 1863-1871 - - Eden Colville 1871-1880 - - Sir John Rose, Bart., G.C.M.G. 1880-1888 - - Sir Donald A. Smith, G.C.M.G. 1888-1889 - - The Earl of Lichfield 1889-1898 - - - - -INDEX. - - - Agricultural and mercantile enterprise, 457 - - Alaska Boundary Line, 527 - - Albanel, Father, journeys to the north, 69 - - Albany, Fort, 149 - - " " Attack on, 135 - - " " Capitulation of, 137 - - " " renamed St. Anne, 142 - - " " The English regain, 153 - - " " Attacked by the French, 193 - - _Albany_, 212 - - " Fate of the, 292 - - Albemarle, Duke of, 42 - - Allemand, Pierre, 98 - - America purchases Alaska, 488 - - Anglo-Russian Treaty of 1825, 448 - - Argenson, D', 58 - - Arlington, Lord, letter to, 34 - - Ashburton, Lord, 456 - - Assiniboines, The, 222 - - " Radisson and Groseilliers first meet the, 26 - - _Astarte_, 321 - - Astor, John Jacob, 386 - - Astoria--Fort George, 387, 445 - - Astronomers at Hudson's Bay, 294 - - Athabaska, Fort, 426 - - Avagour, Governor M. d', 28 - - - Back, Captain, 451 - - Bad Lake, The robbery at, 359 - - Baffin, expedition of, 47 - - Bailey, Charles, Governor of Rupert's Land, 70, 178 - - Balmerino, Lovat, and Kilmarnock, Lords, 260 - - Barillon, Sieur, 141 - - Barlow, Capt. George, commanding the _Albany_, 212 - - " Governor of Albany Fort, 193 - - Barre, M. de la, 110 - - " " receives letter from Lewis, 125 - - " " recalled, 129 - - Barrow, Sir John, 284 - - Beaver, Varieties of, 238 - - Beechy, Captain, 451 - - Bellicose instructions from the Company, 258 - - Berens, Thomas, 296 - - Bering, Capt. Vitus, commanding Russian expedition, 246 - - Bering's discoveries, 247 - - Bladen, Martin, 203 - - Bladen's description of the Commission, 205 - - Bois-Brules, The, 383 - - Bolingbroke's letter, 203 - - Bonrepas, Sieur, 141 - - Boundaries between French and English territory, 216 - - Bourbon, Fort, 96 - - Bourdon, Jean, 55 - - Boyle, Robert, letter to, 43 - - _Brazen_, 392 - - Bridgar, Arrival of, 92 - - " John, Governor of the new settlement at Port Nelson, 89 - - " taken prisoner by the French, 134 - - Bristol, defence of, 37 - - Brown, Honorable George, 487 - - Browne, Sir Richard, 39 - - Butterfield's, Mrs. Mary, letter, 209 - - Button, Sir Thomas, pursues Hudson's discoveries, 46 - - Button's Bay, 47 - - - _California_, 264 - - Callieres, M. de, memoir, 57 - - Canada, Conquest of, 279 - - " exerts pressure on the Company, 490 - - " Jurisdiction Act, 368 - - Canada's debt to the Company, 497 - - Cardwell, Mr., Colonial Secretary, 487 - - Carr, Robert, 33 - - Cartwright, George, 33 - - Catherine of Braganza, 63 - - Cession to Canadian Government, 493 - - Charles, Fort, 70 - - " Fort, Jesuit priest at, 77 - - " the First, 36 - - " the Second, 17 - - " the Second, death of, 129 - - Charlie's, Prince, stock confiscated, 261 - - Charlevoix, quotation from, 55 - - Charlton Island, winters at, 47 - - Charter, The Royal, 515 - - Chechouan River, discovers the, 76 - - Chesnaye, M. de la, 84 - - Chouart surrenders to Radisson, 120 - - _Churchill_, 248 - - " caught in the ice, 138 - - " captured by the French, 139 - - Churchill, Lord, succeeds King James as Governor of the - Company, 139 - - Clandestine trade, 283, 297 - - Coats, Captain, 283 - - " " Death by his own hand of, 284 - - _Colbore_, 447 - - Cole, Captain, 72 - - Colbert, M., 52, 228 - - Colonial neutrality, Negotiations for, 140 - - Coltman, Colonel, 423 - - Company's losses by French, 146 - - Comportier, Gauthier de, 128 - - Convention with Russia, 528 - - Cook, Captain, 340 - - Corrigal Case, The famous, 369 - - Council of Trade, 173 - - Couture, M., 28 - - Craven, Lord, 43 - - Crees, The, 220 - - Croix, Sieur de la, 125 - - Cumberland House built, 314 - - - Dablon, Father, 56 - - Dallas, A. E., succeeds Simpson as Governor, 473 - - " Governor, issues a circular, 483 - - Davis, Captain John, 45 - - Duluth's letter to M. de la Barre, 125 - - Denonville's letter to Seignely, 149 - - Denonville, Marquis de, succeeds M. de la Barre as Governor, 129 - - " plans the capture of Fort Nelson, 150 - - Deputation goes to England, 489 - - _Dering_, 159 - - Diggs, Sir Dudley, 46 - - _Discovery_, 212 - - Dobbs, Arthur, 248 - - " and the North-West Passage, 263 - - " petition rejected by Parliament, 268 - - Dobbs' _Galley_, 264 - - Douglas, Fort, attacked, 399 - - " Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, 399 - - " T. M., Governor of Vancouver Island, 465 - - Drummond, Sir Gordon, Governor of Canada, 406 - - _Dryad_, 448 - - Duchesneau, Intendant, 86 - - " protests against English encroachment, 86 - - Duffell, 177 - - Duluth in the West, 125 - - " builds a fort on Lake Nepigon, 127 - - Duque, commander of _Profound_, 159 - - Duquet, Sieur, King's attorney for Quebec, 58 - - - East India Company, 18 - - " " transfer of Province of Bombay, 63 - - _Eddystone_, 392 - - Elgin, Lord, Governor-General of Canada, 462 - - Ellice, Edward, 432, 479 - - _Engageante_, 321 - - England at war with France, 361 - - English, departure of, 110 - - _Erebus_, 466 - - Esquimaux, first sight of the, 45 - - " The, 223 - - Expedition to explore the North-West Passage, 212 - - - Fishery and Fur Company, The, 352 - - Fitzgerald, James, 296 - - Fletcher, Major, 423 - - Fort, construction of the first, 47 - - Forts, Building of stone, 280 - - Fox, Captain Luke, 47 - - France, Joseph la, 239 - - " War with, 257 - - Franklin, Expedition of, 449 - - " " Fate of the, 466 - - " Lieutenant, 427 - - French activity, 52 - - " fur trade, 21 - - " and English ships, meeting of, 159 - - French attack Fort Prince of Wales--1782, 320 - - " attack York Factory, 324 - - " declare war against England, 191 - - " encroachment on trade, 275 - - " prisoners taken by the _Churchill_, 138 - - " repulsed at Albany Fort, 193 - - " send fourteen ships, 150 - - " Surrender of the Company's ships to the, 143 - - " The, at Michilimackinac, 182 - - " The, capture a Company's ship, 130 - - Frobisher, Sir Martin, 45 - - " intercepts Company's Indians, 316 - - " escapes from York Factory, 428 - - _Furnace_, 249 - - Fur trade, 20 - - Furs, first sale of, 61 - - - General Court held, 62 - - George the Fourth, 437 - - Ghent, Treaty of, 445 - - Gibraltar, Fort, captured, 408 - - Gillam, Zachary (Capt. of _Nonsuch_), 33, 43 - - " Benjamin, 98 - - " " meets his father, 99 - - Gladstone, Opposition of Mr., 463 - - Godey, Captain, attache to Lord Preston, 112 - - Gorst, Thomas, secretary to Governor Bailey, 72 - - Government assistance, 366 - - Grant, Cuthbert, 385 - - Granville, Lord, 490 - - Green, Henry, 46 - - Grey, Earl, Letter to, 461 - - Grimington, Captain, 153 - - Groseilliers (Medard Chouart), 23 - - " Death of first wife, 24 - - " first marriage, 23 - - " first time in English capital, 34 - - " in Boston, 30 - - " second marriage, 24 - - - _Hampshire_, 159 - - " goes down with nearly all on board, 161 - - _Happy Return_ sails for Hudson's Bay, 117 - - _Hardi_ goes to the bottom with all on board, 156 - - Hawke, Sir Edward, 296 - - Hays' Island fort, 104 - - " " " burned, 108 - - Head, Sir Edmund, 485 - - Hearne returns to England, 307 - - " blamed for surrendering, 323 - - Hearne's expedition of discovery, 300 - - " second expedition, 302 - - " third expedition, 305 - - Henry's expedition, 290 - - Henry, Prince, 46 - - Herault, Mlle. Elizabeth, 24 - - Herbert, Sir Edward, Lord-keeper, 39 - - Hobart, Lord, 368 - - Holder, John, 40 - - Holmes, Captain, 41 - - Horner, Captain John, discharged, 297 - - Horth's, John, meetings at, 62, 80 - - _Hudson's Bay_, 159 - - " " surrendered to the French, 161 - - Hudson's Bay Company apply for Vancouver Island, 464 - - Hudson's Bay Company, arms of the, 67 - - Hudson's Bay Company, List of nations visiting, 81 - - Hudson's Bay Company in difficulties, 361 - - Hudson's Bay Company obtains a new license, 438 - - Hudson's Bay Company, Plan to re-organize, 210 - - Hudson's Bay Company seek Act of Parliament to confirm charter - conferred by Charles II., 147 - - Hudson's Bay Company's claims, 196 - - Hudson's Bay Company's claims after Treaty of Ryswick, 189 - - Hudson's Bay Posts, The, 509, 510, 511, 512. - - Hudson's Bay, The, Governor and Company of Merchants-Adventurers - charter from the King, 22, 51, 60 - - Hudson, Captain Henry, 46 - - " " " fate of, 46 - - Humes, Edward, captain of the _Merchant of Perpetuana_, 130 - - Hyde, Edward, afterwards Lord Chancellor Clarendon, 39 - - - Iberville, captures two Company's ships, 143 - - " demands surrender of the fort, 164 - - " given the rank of lieutenant in the French Royal - Navy, 150 - - " goes to France, 152 - - " sails for home in the _Envieux_, 152 - - " sails for Quebec in the _Hampshire_, 140 - - " Sieur d', accompanies de Troyes on his expedition, 131 - - " takes Fort Nelson, 156 - - " treacherous plan, 144 - - _Imploy_ to sail in the spring, 65 - - Iroquois--English allies, 29 - - Ivett, Robert, 46 - - Imperial Parliament appoints Select Committee, 469 - - Indian treachery, 185 - - " country, 218 - - Indians as hunters, 230 - - " Effect of intoxication on the, 229 - - " Intelligence of the, 225 - - " liking for liquor, 228 - - " Superstition of the, 226 - - International Financial Association, 478 - - Isbister, A. K., 461 - - " Joseph, 258 - - Isle a la Crosse, Lake of, 317 - - - James, Captain, 47 - - " King, applied to for protection, 139 - - Jesuits, Relations des, 21, 69 - - Joliet, Louis, 53 - - Jonquiere, Fort, 244 - - Jenyn's, Soame, letter to Pitt, 279 - - - Ka-chou-touay, 121 - - Kamloops, Legend of, 503 - - Kas-Kidi-dah, chief of the Nodwayes, 72 - - Kilistineaux, makes treaty with the, 48 - - Kirke, Sir John, 25 - - Kelsey, Henry, recommended for bravery, receives sum of forty - pounds, 156, 179 - - " voyage, 179 - - Knight, Governor, 191 - - " Death of, 293 - - " Letter from the Company to, 212 - - - L'Anglois, Jean, 58 - - Labau, Murder of, 355 - - Lack of military system Company's weakness, 491 - - Lacombe, Father, 504 - - La Couture, Sieur, 56 - - " " mythical voyage, 57 - - Lampson, Mr., 483 - - Law, John, 206, 208 - - Letters of marque to the Company's ships, 259 - - Lewis unwilling to oppose the English, 128 - - " proposes boundaries, 190 - - Lincoln, Earl of, 463 - - Louisburg, Fall of, 260 - - Lyddal, William, to supersede Bailey as Governor, 78 - - - Mackenzie, Alexander, 329 - - " reaches the Arctic, 336 - - " sets out for the Pacific, 338 - - " Sir Alexander & Co., 349 - - Mackenzie's expedition to the Arctic, 333 - - " Sir Alexander, letter, 366 - - Maissoneuve (voyage from Rochelle), 23 - - Matonabee, 304 - - Maverick, Samuel, 33 - - Menard, Rene, 27 - - Meuron, Colonel De, 407 - - " De, Regiment of, 407 - - Mezy is recalled, 52 - - Middleton, Captain Christopher, 248, 264 - - " explores for a north-west passage, 251 - - " has trouble with his men, 252 - - " Lord, 141 - - " returns without discovering the Passage, 253 - - Middleton's report, 220 - - Migichihilinons, 220 - - Milnes, Sir Robert, 368 - - _Merchant of Perpetuana_ captured by the French, 130 - - Monk, Lord, Governor-General of Canada, 486 - - Montreal merchants combine, 328 - - Moon, Captain, 142 - - Moor, Captain William, 264 - - Moose Factory, Capture of, 133 - - Moose River fort erected by the French, 73 - - " " first visit to, 75 - - " " Bailey at, 76 - - Mounslow, Captain, 192 - - Mountain House, 504 - - Mowat, Trial of, 371 - - _Musquash_, 248. - - - McClintock, Captain, 466 - - McDonnell, Miles, first Governor of the new colony, 379 - - " surrenders, 399 - - McDonnell's proclamation, 395 - - McDougall, Honorable William, Minister of Crown Lands, 486 - - McTavish, Simon, 249 - - " " Death of, 352 - - McTavish, Governor, resigns, 485 - - - Nadouichiouecs, Wintered with the, 26 - - Nekauba, Dablon reaches, 58 - - Nelson, Fort, Burning of, 151 - - " " Erection of, 93, 194 - - " " evacuated by the French, 202 - - " " surrendered to the French, 154 - - " " surrendered to the English, 157 - - " " surrendered to the French, 166 - - Nelson, Port, Fox landed at, 47 - - Nepisingues, 219 - - Nichols, Richard, 33 - - Nodwayes, 47, 71, 219 - - _Nonsuch_ anchors in Hudson's Bay, 45 - - " Set sail in the, 34 - - _Nonsuch_ weighs anchor, 44 - - " sails with cargo, 48 - - Norton, Governor, 250, 265 - - " Death of Governor, 312 - - New Amsterdam, into English hands, 20 - - New North-West Company, 349 - - New Severn Fort captured by the French, 143 - - North-West Association formed, 264 - - North-West Association, Expedition of the, 264 - - North-West Company, 328-330 - - North-West Company oppose Selkirk's scheme, 377 - - North-West Company partners arrested, 420, 427 - - North-West passage discovered, 468 - - North-Westers demand evacuation of Fort Douglas, 415 - - - Oldenburgh, Letter written by, the secretary of the Royal - Society, 43 - - Ontario Boundary Commission, 59 - - Oregon question, The, 445 - - Ottawas, Make treaty with the, 48 - - " treaty, 459 - - _Owner's Love_, 159 - - - Pacific Scheme, 477 - - _Palmier_, 158 - - Parliament and the North-West Passage, 263 - - Parliamentary enquiry, 269 - - _Pelican_, 158 - - Pelly, Sir J. H., 461 - - Perouse, Admiral, 321 - - " La, in the Pacific, 344 - - Peter the Great, 244 - - " " " Death of, 245 - - Petition to the Lords of Treasury, 361 - - Phipps' letter to the Company, 123 - - Phipps, William, new Governor, 118 - - Pishapocanoes, 75 - - _Poli_, 156 - - Policy, The Great Company's, 506 - - Pond, Peter, 317 - - Pontiac at Detroit, 288 - - Pontchartrain, 152 - - " letter to the Marquis de Vaudreuil, 201 - - Portman, John, 43, 60 - - Preston's, Lord, letter to Rupert, 42 - - Preston, Lord, informed of the return of Radisson and - Groseilliers, 112 - - Preston, Lord, induces Radisson to join the English, 116 - - Prickett, Habbakuk, 46 - - Prettyman, William, 60 - - _Profound_, 159 - - Pulteney, Daniel, 203 - - - Radisson and Groseilliers leave Quebec, 111 - - " arrives in London, 122 - - " arrives in Quebec, 85 - - " assisted by the Jesuits, 85 - - " captures Hays' Island fort, 104 - - " captures the _Susan_, 104 - - " " Fort Nelson, 105 - - " departs for Hudson's Bay, 117 - - " discovers young Gillam, 90 - - " first marriage of, 24 - - " in France, 83 - - " offers his services to the French Navy, 82 - - " overawes the Indians, 109 - - " Pierre, 23, 24, 65 - - " receives pension from the Company, 124 - - " sails from Hudson's Bay, 122 - - " takes John Bridgar, Governor of Fort Nelson, - prisoner, 106 - - Rae, Dr., Expedition of, 466 - - Red River claimed by United States, 440 - - Red River Settlement threatened Deadlock, 485 - - _Reformation_, 38 - - " loss of the, 39 - - Remin, Daniel de, Seigneur de Courcelles, 52 - - Resolution Isle sighted, 44 - - Reward offered for Radisson's capture, 123 - - Richmond, Duke of, Governor of Canada, 429 - - Riel, Louis, 494 - - Robertson, Colin, 386 - - " Governor, taken prisoner, 426 - - Robinson, John, Lord Bishop of London, 195 - - " Sir John, 43 - - Ross, Captain, 451 - - Rupert created Earl of Holdernesse and Duke of Cumberland, 37 - - " Fort, captured by the French, 134 - - " illness of, 43 - - " is sworn a member of the Privy Council, also the Tangier - Commission; is elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; is - appointed member of the Council of Trade; and also is a - member of the Royal African Company, 41 - - " second marriage of, 25 - - " sends for Groseilliers, 43 - - " sent to command the Guinny fleet, 41 - - " Prince, 20, 35 - - " Prince, granted charter by King, 50 - - " Prince, is paid a lump sum, 64 - - Rupert, Prince, death of, First Governor of Hudson's Bay - Company, 94 - - _Rupert, The Prince_, arrival of, 78 - - " " " sails from Gravesend, 51 - - " " " to sail in the spring, 64 - - " " " stuck in the ice, 96 - - " " " wreck of, 102 - - Rupert's River, 47 - - Russia looks toward the New World, 244 - - Russians on the west coast, 347 - - Russian-American Fur Company, 348 - - Russian claims, 445 - - Ryswick, Treaty of, 148, 168, 187 - - - _Salamandre_, 156 - - Sanford, Robert, 175 - - Sargeant, Governor, 95, 135, 137 - - Saxon, Sir Charles, 429 - - _Sceptre_, 321 - - Scroggs, John, Captain of the _Whalebone_, 213 - - _Shark_, 264 - - _Seahorse_ captured by the press-gang, 268 - - Seignely, Marquis de, 84 - - Selkirk arrives at Fort William, 419 - - " captures " 421 - - " winters at " 422 - - " Death of, 432 - - " Lord, arrives in Canada, 406 - - " The Earl of, 371 - - Selkirk's immigrants arrive, 380 - - " project, 375 - - " proposal accepted, 378 - - Semple, Death of, 413 - - " Robert, 404 - - Semple's murderers, Trial of, 431 - - _Shaftesbury_, arrival of the, 78 - - Sharpe, Mr., Company's solicitor, 269 - - Shepherd, Captain, of the _Shaftesbury_, 78 - - Ships besieged by peddlers, 65 - - Shrewsbury, Duke of, 201 - - " Death of Thomas, 455 - - " " Sir George, 473 - - " expedition to the northern coast, 453 - - " Thomas, 453 - - " George, Governor-in-Chief of the amalgamated - Companies, 437, 447 - - Smallpox epidemic, 319 - - Smith, Cape, 47 - - " Smith, Francis, 264 - - " Donald Alexander, Governor, 496 - - South Sea Company, 208, 209, 211 - - Spanish claims, 346 - - " Main, The, 38 - - Spence, Governor, 267 - - Stanion, John, 261 - - Stanton, Governor, at Moose Factory, 177 - - Stickeen River, 448 - - Strange, Lord, 271 - - Strathcona, Lord, 496 - - Strike of the Company's men, 296 - - Strong, William, engaged as secretary to Rupert, 40 - - _St. Anne_, 87 - - " destruction of the, 106 - - St. Peter, Fort, 241 - - St. Simon, Sieur de, 69 - - _St. Pierre_, 87 - - " arrives at mouth of St. Lawrence, 110 - - " destruction of the, 106 - - " re-built, 107 - - Superior, Lake, 23, 219 - - " " reaches shore of, 26 - - _Susan_ returned to the New England Merchants, 111 - - Sutherland, Lord, 141 - - - Tabiti Indians encountered, 75 - - Tadoussac, 86 - - Talon, Jean, Intendant, 22, 52, 69 - - " returns to France, 52 - - " writes Colbert, 53 - - Tast, Admiral, arrival of, 150 - - Thompson, David, 342 - - Three Rivers, 24 - - Territorial Rights, The surrender of, 487 - - _Terror_, 466 - - Tionnontates, or the Tobacco Nation, 26 - - Toronto merchants petition Legislative Council, 471 - - Treaty between Russia and Great Britain, 445 - - " of 1783, 442 - - " of neutrality, 140 - - " with Red River Indians, 425 - - Troyes, Chevalier de, 131 - - " Chevalier de, receives commission to drive the English - from Northern Bay, 131 - - " de, Expedition of, 132 - - Turbulent meetings at Hudson's Bay House, 496 - - Turner's exploration, 341 - - - Union of the two Companies, 433 - - Upland Indians, 65 - - Utrecht, Treaty of, 199 - - - Valiere, Sieur de, 56 - - Vancouver, Fort, 500 - - Vancouver Island granted to the Company, 464 - - Varennes, Death of, 243 - - " Peter Gauthier de, 150, 240, 241 - - " Sieur de, marries, 241 - - " sets out to explore the West, 241 - - " son reaches the Rockies, 243 - - Vaughan, Captain David, commanding the _Discovery_, 212 - - Vermilion, Fort, Attack on, 426 - - _Violent_, 158 - - - _Wales, Prince of_, 392 - - " Prince of, 61 - - " Prince of, Fort, built of stone, 281 - - " Prince of, Fort, surrenders to the French, 321 - - Walker, Jeremiah, 66 - - William, King, declares war against France, 146 - - " Fort, 389, 418 - - " Fort, restored to the North-Westers, 424 - - " of Orange landed at Plymouth, 145 - - " the Third's accession to the throne, 146 - - _William and Ann_ wrecked, 447 - - Winnipeg, Lake, Meeting at, 232 - - _Weesph_, 158 - - _Welcome_, 249 - - Western Company, The, 183 - - West, Rev. Mr., principal chaplain, 437 - - Weymouth, Viscount, 296 - - _Whalebone_, 213 - - Wolseley, Lord, Expedition of, 495 - - - York, Duke of, 20, 61 - - " " to succeed Rupert as Governor, 94 - - " " ascends the throne, 129 - - " Fort, Desperate condition of the French at, 194 - - " Factory, 232 - - " " surrenders to the French, 324 - - Yukon, Fort, 502 - - - - - * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - - Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have - been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - On page 55, arret perhaps should be arret. - On page 103, Englishmen perhaps should be Englishman. - On page 166, Fort Anne perhaps should be Fort St. Anne. - On page 222, Matonabbee perhaps should be Matonabee. - On page 242, peace--leaving should perhaps be peace-loving. - On page 279, Secretary Pitts should perhaps be Secretary Pitt. - On page 321, and in the Index, Admiral Perouse should perhaps - be La Perouse. - On page 411, Anglaise perhaps should be Anglais. - On page 474, unrenumerative should perhaps be unremunerative. - The book uses both Medard and Medard. - The book uses both Serigny and Serigny. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT COMPANY*** - - -******* This file should be named 42279.txt or 42279.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/2/2/7/42279 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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