1 out that being the case; that in the spring of the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fourteen, he was ordered by Peter Fidler (one of Miles M'Donell's officers) to take up arms, which arms were to be employed against the North-West Company; that upon his refusing to do any such thing, he was threatened by him (Mr. Peter Fidler) to be flogged, and to have his wages stopped; that Miles M'Donell had said, those who might be wounded or maimed in any manner, in a skirmish or action with the said NorthWest Company, would receive a pension; that all those who would take up arms against the said Company, would, as Miles M'Donell had said, receive three pounds, Halifax currency; that this Deponent not being inclined to take up arms, or to be a party in hostilities, or using force against the North-West Company, last spring left the service of the said Hudson's Bay Company; that before he left Miles M'Donell, he saw him cause one John Funning to be tied to a tree, and his, Miles M'Donell's servant, ordered to beat him with rods; that Miles M'Donell was present, and scolded his servant for not striking him hard enough; took the rod out of his servant's hand, and beat the said John Funning himself, most unmercifully; that in June One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fourteen, a party of Miles M'Donell's men were sent out, and brought back a quantity of provisions, pemican, which had been taken from the North-West Company; that when it was brought down to Miles M'Donell's Fort, this Deponent helped to carry it up into Miles M'Donell's stores; he this Deponent heard Miles M'Donell remark, it was a good beginning, and that in a little time he would drive the North-West Company out of the River; that in summer of the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fourteen, he was witness to Miles M'Donell bringing a party of armed men and a field-piece to the river side, in order to stop any canoe passing, that belonged to the North-West Company; that he saw two canoes stopt (the property of the North-West Company), the men taken prisoners, and a case of guns taken from said canoes, and deposited in the store, by Miles M'Donell's orders. (Signed) Sworn before me, at Montreal, (Signed) A. N. MACLEOD, WILLIAM WALLACE. No. XIII. Speech of the GRANDES OREILLES, a great Chief of the Chipeways, made in the Indian Hall, at the Forks of Red River, the 19th June, 1814; addressed to several of the Partners of the North-West Company. The Chief holding a String of Wampum in his hands, tied at both ends, proceeded thus: Traders, my Children, when I first heard of the troubles you were in at this place, my heart became sorry, and the tears ran down my cheeks. I found, however, there was no time to indulge in grief, no time to be lost. Our Traders, our Friends, the Protectors of our Children, were surrounded with dangers; I gave the call of war, and you see before you proofs that my voice was not exerted in vain; my young men have listened to it. I find that you as well as the Indians are surrounded with difficulties and dangers. We are placed as if all were encircled within the ring of beads which I hold in my hands. We have the Sioux to oppose from above, and now it appears that we have to contend with Landworkers from below. What are these Landworkers? What brought them here? Who gave them our lands? and how do they dare to prevent our Traders from purchasing whatever we have to give them, upon our own lands? But it would appear that these Strangers, these makers of gardens, look upon themselves as the real possessors of these lands, and presuming on this extraordinary right, would wish to prevent you from returning here, by depriving you of your stock of provisions traded on this River, in hopes thereby to drive you from the country, and make slaves of the Indians when deprived of their Friends and Protectors. As for them, we can never look on them as such. Last summer I was called upon by you to go with 'my young men to Fort William, in order to give assistance against the Americans; I listened to the call, and proceeded towards your great Lodge; but when we reached it, I found that our assistance was not required. I however left my war club in the Hall, in case I might again be called upon. I then could not have thought that I should ever have occasion for my club to serve against the Whites on these lands; and white people too, coming from the same lands with yourselves! and all of you, as well as the Indians, obeying the same Great Father. But we see that the Landworkers are unreasonable; that they are determined to impose upon us and upon you. We are therefore equally determined to break down whatever barriers they may set up against us, or against you. My young men are equally determined with myself: it is our wish, it is our interest, to preserve you amongst us at the risk of our lives; for if you leave us, who will have pity on our women and children? You say, however, that for the present, you have come to an understanding with these people, that you have carried your point with them. I am glad of it: I thank the Master of Life, that my string of beads will not be stained with the blood of Whites residing on these lands. I should always wish to see you at peace. I would love you all, was it possible; but my heart and my life is at the service of those who have charge of the bones of my Father* and my Brother; and if you cannot live in peace, and that these Landworkers will not allow you to trade with us as usual, they shall be destroyed, or driven out of the Assiniboine River. To conlude what I had to say; I already see a great change. When we were accustomed to encamp round the Forts of our Traders on this river, our Children used to be fed with pounded meat and with grease; but this spring, hunger and starvation forced us to leave the Fort much sooner than I intended; for my wish was to remain until the black clouds which appeared hanging over the Fort were dispelled. Some of you, my Children, thought perhaps then, that I wished to get out of the way. But no; I had no such intentions: seeing that you had not a mouthful of provisions, even for your young men, I was forced to go and seek some thing for my Children. It was not the sound of bad birds that drove me away; my readiness in appearing here to support your cause, ought to be a proof of my attachment to my Traders and to my Children. These are my words, and I have not two mouths. * The bones of Netam, the Great Chief, Father of the Speaker, are preserved on a scaffold at Fort William, and his Son's bones in the same manner at Lac la Pluie. There is always a flag placed over them by the Company, as a mark of distinction, and respect for the memory of the dead Chiefs. No. XIV. Resolutions of the Hudson's Bay Company. Hudson's Bay House, 19th May, 1815. Ar a General Court held this day, of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay, for the purpose of taking into consideration an Ordinance for the more effectual administration of Justice in the Company's Territories, pursuant to a notice of the same, advertised in the London Gazette on Saturday the 13th instant, the following Resolutions were submitted to the Proprietors, and passed in the affirmative, viz. First, That there shall be appointed a Governor-in-Chief and Council, who shall have paramount authority over the whole of the Company's Territories in Hudson's Bay! Secondly, That the Governor, with any two of his Council, shall be competent to form a Council for the administration of Justice, and the exercise of the power vested in them by Charter. Thirdly, That the Governor of Ossiniboia and the Governor of Moose, within their respective districts, and with any two of their respective Councils, shall have the same power; but their power shall be suspended while the Governor-in-Chief is actually present for judicial purposes. Fourthly, That a Sheriff shall be appointed for each of the districts of Ossiniboia and Moose, and one for the remainder of the Company's Territories, for the execution of all such process as shall be directed to them according to law. Fifthly, That in case of death or absence of any Councillor or Sheriff, the Governor-in-Chief shall appoint a person to do the duty of the office, till the pleasure of the Company be known. No. XV, John Siveright's Affidavit. Province of Lower Canada, District of Montreal. S JOHN SIVERIGHT, late of the Red River, in the Indian or North-West Country, in North America, Gentleman, maketh oath and saith, that he this Deponent, in and previous to the month of March last, was a Clerk in the service of the North-West Company, in the said Indian Territory; that on the seventeenth day of March last past, Duncan Cameron, a Partner in the said North-West Company, was residing in a Fort or Establishment belonging to the said North-West Company, called Fort Gibraltar, situated at the Forks of the Red River aforesaid; that the said Duncan Cameron had the charge of the said Fort, and of the persons in the service of the North-West Company residing in the said Fort; that between the hours of seven and eight o'clock in the evening of the said seventeenth day of March last past, the said Deponent, one Seraphim La Marre, a Clerk in the service of the North-West Company, and one Joseph l'Aurent, were in the apartment of the said Duncan Cameron in the said Fort, with the said Duncan Cameron; that they were surprized and alarmed by the entry of a party of men headed by one Colin Robertson, a person in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, or of the Earl of Selkirk; that the Deponent distinguished one Alexander McLean, John P. Bourke, Michel Hayden, Martin Jordan, and several other persons in the service of the said Hudson's Bay Company, or of the Earl of Selkirk; that the said Colin Robertson was the leader of the said party; that the said Colin Robertson had a drawn sword in his hand; that the said Alexander M'Lean and the said John P. Bourke, had drawn swords and pistols in their hands, and that the other men of the party were armed with guns and fixed bayonets, and pistols in their belts; that the said Colin Robertson, on coming in the said rooms, went up to the said Duncan Cameron and collared him, saying, "I am a man, and will no longer be imposed on," and laid hold of the said Duncan Cameron's sword, which was hanging up against the wall; and the other persons of the said party took the guns and pistols of the said Duncan |