[bryce] ethnological TYPES IN RUPERTS LAND 143 



THE ENGLISH HALF-BEEEDS. 



The fact that from the beginning of its existence in 1669, to the 

 present day, the Hudson^s Bay Company's vessel from the Thames' has 

 gone northward by the German Ocean and passed through Pentland 

 Frith accounts for the employment of Orkneymen in the service of the 

 company. Stromness was often the last port of call, and early in the 

 18th century, it is known that Orkneymen went to York and Churchill 

 Factories in considerable numbers. So early as 1775, Alexander Henry, 

 ST., found Orkneymen in the company's service at Fort Cumberland. 

 So largely did this element preponderate in the service, that in 1816 

 we find the Boisbrulés speaking of the people of the company as " Les 

 Orcanais." The Orkneymen largely intermarried with the Indian 

 women in different parts of Eupert's Land, and usually on leaving the 

 service settled near Fort G-arry. Hence the so-called English half- 

 breeds, were only known as such on account aï. their language, but lo- 

 cally were usually called " Scotch half-breeds." The English half- 

 breeds were: — 



Middle-sized or under. 



Steadier than the Metis, 



Somewhat slow in movement, 



Stolid, 



Fairly reliable. 



Sociable, 



Somewhat suspicious, 



Intelligent. 



The names occurring among this ppople of mixed blood, are Inkster, 

 Tait, Fobister, Setter, Harper, ]\Iowat, Omand, Flett, Linklater, Spence, 

 Moiikman, Isbister, ISTorquay, and so on. At the time of the transfer 

 of Rupert's Land to Canada, they numbered upwards of 5,000, settled 

 in the parishes of St. Johns, St. Paul, St. Andrews and St. Clements, 

 on the Ked Eiver, and in St, James, Headingly, and Portage La Prairie, 

 on the Assiniboine Eiver. 



OLD SETTLERS. 



The officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, a few traders, but espe- 

 cially the Selkirk Colonists of 1812-15, made up another element in the 

 settlers in Eupert's Land numbering at the time of the transfer some 

 2,000 souls. While many of the company's traders married half-breed 

 women, the Selkirk Scotch settlers remained for nearly two gene- 

 rations almost entirely separate from the native people. This was 

 partly on account of a strong sentiment on their part, but also because 



