Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: Thomas Douglas, Fifth Earl of Selkirk. From the painting at St Mary's Isle] THE RED RIVER COLONY A Chronicle of the Beginnings of Manitoba BY LOUIS AUBREY WOOD TORONTO GLASGOW, BROOK & COMPANY 1915 _Copyright in all Countries subscribing to the Berne Convention_ TO MY FATHER {ix} CONTENTS Page I. ST MARY'S ISLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. SELKIRK, THE COLONIZER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 III. THE PURSE-STRINGS LOOSEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 IV. STORNOWAY--AND BEYOND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 V. WINTERING ON THE BAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 VI. RED RIVER AND PEMBINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 VII. THE BEGINNING OF STRIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 VIII. COLIN ROBERTSON, THE AVENGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 IX. SEVEN OAKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 X. LORD SELKIRK'S JOURNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 XI. FORT WILLIAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 XII. THE PIPE OF PEACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 {xi} ILLUSTRATIONS THOMAS DOUGLAS, FIFTH EARL OF SELKIRK . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ From the painting at St Mary's Isle. PLACE D'ARMES, MONTREAL, IN 1807 . . . . . . . . . . _Facing page_ 20 From a water-colour sketch after Dillon in M'Gill University Library. JOSEPH FROBISHER, A PARTNER IN THE NORTH-WEST COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 22 From an engraving in the John Ross Robertson Collection, Toronto Public Library. THE COUNTRY OF LORD SELKIRK'S SETTLERS . . . . . . . " " 48 Map by Bartholomew. HUNTING THE BUFFALO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 58 From a painting by George Catlin. PLAN OF THE RED RIVER COLONY . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 64 Drawn by Bartholomew. FORT WILLIAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 116 From an old print in the John Ross Robertson Collection, Toronto Public Library. SIMON M'TAVISH, FOUNDER OF THE NORTH-WEST COMPANY . " " 118 From a water-colour drawing in M'Gill University Library. WILLIAM M'GILLIVRAY, A PARTNER IN THE NORTH-WEST COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 122 From a photograph in M'Gill University Library. {1} CHAPTER I ST MARY'S ISLE