144 GEOEGB BKYCB ON THE 



affairs. In lS2o, Major Long, in his interesting work edited by Professor Keating, speaks 

 of encamping near ■' Fort Gerry (mj, which is at the juncture of the two streams,"' and 

 further, " the beautiful confluence of the Assiniboiue and Red Rivers washed the base of 

 the bluffs on which the fort stands." 



That this fort was a very considerable establishment is known to us from the 

 statement of an old resident of "Winnipeg, who saw the old fort first in 1840. It 

 was two hundred feet or upwards on each side. The master's house (or what had 

 been irsed as such) was opposite the gate, and his office window looked out on the 

 square enclosed. Along the square on each side were the necessary buildings, store, 

 men's houses, carpenter and blacksmith's shops, storehouses, etc., for a large fur trade. 

 Shortly after this, the river encroaching, the south-western bastion was undermined. One 

 day an eye-witness saw that the dragon on the top of the wind vane was pointing at an 

 angle of 60° rather than 90° ; but the weight of the heavy log bastion enabled it to right 

 itself, and it was not carried away. About 1852, the fort was pulled down. "While this 

 was going on, the occupants of the new fort were startled by a loud explosion. They 

 supposed it to l)e a falling wall. It proved, however, to have been caused by three nat- 

 ives crossing the Assiniboiue in a canoe. As was the custom, one was carrying powder 

 in his handkerchief ; he had set it in the bottom of the canoe ; then sitting down near it, 

 he thoughtlessly began to strike his flint to light his pipe. A stray spark ignited the 

 powder. One of the men was blown on the shore; the other two, thrown into the water, 

 were rescued with difficulty ; while the canoe, torn to shreds, floated down the stream. 

 Thus passed away the original Fort Garry, having had a much quieter history than the 

 other "Winnipeg forts. 



Recent Fort Garry. — Recovering from the losses of M^ar, the company began to thrive. 

 The visit of Sir John Halkett, a relative of the Earl of Selkirk, and an executor, resulted 

 in a rectification of abuses complained of by the settlers, and the vicious system of credit 

 previously followed, was given up. This was in 1823. An increase of the population by 

 a number of Swiss immigrants took place in 1821 ; but they emigrated again in 182*7. In 

 18-30, the Hudson's Bay Company began to feel the necessity for better accommodation, 

 and for something more worthy of the name of a fort, for they were virtually the govern- 

 ment of the country. In 1831 they built, at what they considered the head of river navi- 

 gation, just below the St. Andrew's Rapids, a large and expensive establishment, since 

 known as Low^er Fort Garry. It is nineteen miles from Upper Fort Gan-y. The object 

 would seem further to have been to place the centre of trade more in the midst of the 

 English-speaking people, since the turbulent French half-breeds were settled near the 

 Forks of the river. It was intended then to make it the seat of government. 



This policy was soon changed ; and Governor Christie in 1835 began the large fort, 

 till recently one of the land marks of AVinnipeg, at the south end of Main Street. It con- 

 tained not only the master's house, and a large number of extensive mercantile premises, 

 but on the north side of it was also the residence of the Governor of the colony. There 

 were also, within the enclosure, the court-house and jail. A substantial stone wall sur- 

 rounded it when the writer first (1811) knew it. It was flanked by four bastions of 

 .solid masonry. This fort has seen many stirring scenes since 18;15 : the wild fury of the 

 half-breeds at the Sayer trial (1849) ; the entertainment of numerous distinguished 



