The Great Company : $b being a history of the honourable company of merchants-adventurers trading into Hudson's BayWillson, Beckles
History
The Great Company : $b being a history of the honourable company of merchants-adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay
Willson, Beckles
Fur trade -- Canada; Hudson's Bay Company; Northwest, Canadian -- History
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)."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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