[GARRY ] DIARY OF NICHOLAS GARRY 165 
and an Eagle. The Weather very fine, Wind North West. Bad 
Accounts from the Colonists. Mr. Todd writes “ during the short Time 
I was with them a poor Infant died in its Mothers Arms and one Man 
was drowned.” 
Thursday the 13th September. In the Night the poor Colonist 
died, a happy Release. At 12 o’clock Captain Davison came on shore 
and after Dinner at 3 I took leave of Governor Williams, Mr. Simpson, 
Mr. McDonell, Governor of the Red River Settlement, the Rev. Mr. 
West, Chaplain of the Hudson Bay Company, Mr. Snodie, Mr. Miles, 
Mr. Pambrun, Mr. Thirkness, Mr. Ermatinger, Mr. Poinsenant, Mr. 
Gale, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Brown, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Tapping. The last 
Gun fired from the Fort put an End to the President of Council and I 
found myself in the Boat with Captain Davison. At half-past six 
reached the “ Prince of Wales ” in Five Fathom Hole. I was not insen- 
sible to the kind, flattering manner in which the Gentlemen of York 
Fort took leave of me, nor shall I ever forget Governor Williams’ strong 
Expression of Feeling towards myself. It was gratifying as giving to 
my Mind the Certainty and Conviction that in my Arrangement of his 
Government I had in no Way hurt his Feelings and that he was satisfied 
with the Manner iin which he had received his Appointment. My 
Situation was a most delicate one. His firm, manly Conduct in oppos- 
ing the North West Company which, if he had not gone out, would. 
have had a Fort on the very point where York stands and would even- 
tually have driven the Hudson Bay out of the Field; the old Officers of 
the Company being a pusillanimous, heartless Set of Men and quite 
unfit for Opposition, though many of them are good Traders. 
I had the Conviction, from all my Observations, that [his Appoint- 
ment] would tend to the good of all and very particularly to his own 
Happiness and Comfort. Thus I had made up my Mind as to the 
Expediency of his going to the Southern Department. But I felt that 
he might think differently and that Feelings of Ambition or an Opinion 
that he would be humbled if he gave up the Northern Department 
might influence his Mind or Wishes. Thus I might have been in the 
painful situation of either wounding his Feelings or of giving up what 
I conceived would tend to the general Good. Mr. McGillivray having 
stated at Fort William that it was a Condition that Mr. Williams should 
go to the South I had intended, in order to give a proper and justifi- 
able Démenti to so unfounded an Assertion . . . to 
await his Departure before I consulted with Mr. Williams so that Mr. 
McGillivray might not have the Power of saying he had had an Influ- 
ence in the Appointment. But a few Days before his Departure he 
Sec. II., 1900. 11. 
