140 GEOEGE BRYCE ON THE 



being used. While one party was delivering the missive, virtually keeping the acting 

 governor aud those with him prisoners, another party seized the colonists' storehouse, 

 broke it open and took all the artillery, consisting of eight field pieces — small swivel-guns 

 and a howitzer. 



When Governor Macdouell returned, he issued a warrant for the missing guns, 

 but on resistance being offered, allowed the matter for the time being to rest. 

 Those of the settlers who contemplated going to Canada, now deserted the colonists' 

 houses and went to Fort Gibraltar. In May, 1815, a Nor'-Wester force seized the cattle 

 of the colonists ; while, on June 11th, an attack from the wood adjoining was made on the 

 governor's house, lasting three quarters of an hour. The water communications through- 

 out the country were now open. The colonists were thoroughly alarmed. The Nor'- 

 Westers threatened loudly, and they were so manifestly masters for the time being of the 

 situation, that Governor Miles Macdonell, with the advice of the other officers, surrendered 

 himself, under a warrant that had been obtained from Canada against him for the pemican- 

 seizure at ,the Assiniboine House the year before, and was taken to Canada, along with 

 SheritF Spencer for the same matter. One hundred and thirty-four of the colonists, 

 induced by promises of free transport, and two hiindred acres of laud in Western Canada, 

 deserted the colony in June, along with Cameron, and arrived at Fort William on their 

 way down the lakes in the end of July. Those remaining of the settlers were now deso- 

 late indeed. The Bois-brûlés, who remained upon the spot, undertook to dispose of 

 them. The following. document was served upon them on June 25th, 1815 : " All sett- 

 lers to retire immediately from the Red River, and no trace of a settlement to remain." 

 This was signed by Cuthbert Grant, Bostonnais Pangman, William Shaw, aud Bonhomme 

 Montour. 



The settlers were accordingly compelled to retrace their road to Hudson Bay. On 

 June 2'7th some thirteen families, comprising from forty to sixty persons, pursued their 

 sad journey, piloted by friendly Indians, to the north end of Lake Winnipeg to the 

 Hudson's Bay Company fort of Jack Elver, since that time known as Norway House, from 

 the circumstance, it is said, that a number of Norwegians were brought out to that point 

 to endeavour to introduce the reindeer as a beast of transport in Rupert's Land. A Hud- 

 son's Bay Company servant, named McLeod, and two or three men alone were left. The 

 expulsion was now comj)lete, and accordingly the day after the departure of the loyal few, 

 the colony dwellings, with the possible exception of the Governor's house, were all burnt 

 to the ground. The settlers had been compelled to leave their growing crops behind them. 

 In July, they reached Jack River House, their future dark indeed ! Lord Selkirk was true 

 to his colonists in the hour of their danger. An officer, Colin Robertson, and twenty 

 clerks and servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, were sent to the relief of the settlers. 

 Arriving at Red River, Robertson found that the settlers had gone northward; he followed 

 after them, found them at the foot of the lake, and encouraged by him, they returned to the 

 blackened ruins of their establishment on August 19th, 1815. The crops left by the 

 colonists, though partially destroyed, were in part preserved by McLeod aud his compa- 

 nions. The courageous handful were rewarded for their perseverance by the arrival, in 

 the month of October, of another party of their friends from Great Britain, so that now their 

 numbers again rose to one hundred and fifty. The absence of a number of the Nor'-Westers 

 with the deserting colonists left Robertson in possession of the iield. The colonists began 



