156 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



often in religion — lived and worked harmoniously together, occupying 

 strips of land running back from the Red or Assiniboine River — about 

 two miles long. The junction of these two rivers, near which stood 

 Fort Garry, was the centre of "Old Assiniboia." The groups of 

 settlers usually of the same tongues were clustered into parishes. 

 North from Fort Garry chiefîy on both sides of the river were the 

 English speaking parishes of St. Johns, Kildonan, St. Paul, St. Andrews 

 and St. Clements. Southward from the centre of Assiniboia on Red 

 River were the French parishes of St. Boniface, St. Vital, St. Norbert, 

 Ste. Agathe and St. Jean Baptiste. On a small tributary of Red River 

 was Pointe des Chênes. On the Assiniboine River were the English 

 parishes of St. James, and Headingly, and further west the French 

 parishes of St. Charles, St. Francois Xavier, Baie St. Paul, and still 

 further west the English settlements of Poplar Point and Portage la 

 Prairie, although the last two Avere not spoken of as being in Assiniboia. 

 Near the junction of the two rivers stood Fort Garry, the nucleus of 

 the city of Winnipeg. Fort Garry was the centre of life and business 

 of the Colony. Here lived the Great Mogul of Assiniboia — The 

 Resident Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. 



n. 



The Bois-Brulés or Metis. 



The Traders of the Great Montreal Company, to obtain a con- 

 tinued service of voyageurs and trappers, encouraged their men to 

 marry the Crée women and continue on in the fur trade. Their chil- 

 dren became an active, impulsive and powerful clan. The daring 

 native youths grew up to use firearms as well as the paddle and canoe 

 in the lakes and rivers. Living as they did invariably in cabins on 

 the banks of the streams they also became mighty trappers and 

 hunters. From the southern American prairies they bought "bronchos" 

 — horses. The young Metis became most skilful riders, and were 

 remarkable for success in following the buffalo herds on the western 

 prairies. They became ardent supporters of the Montreal traders as 

 the Selkirk settlers were of the Hudson's Bay Company. 



On the banks of the Swan River, a tributary of Lake Manitoba, 

 and near by Qu'Appelle, was a paradise of the traders. Here young 

 Cuthbert Grant, the son of a sturdy Highlander of the same name, 

 and of a Metis woman — thus having Scottish, French and Crée blood, 

 — became the beau-ideal of the Swan River Parthian band. Around 

 the Nor'Wester council-fire it was planned to attack and sweep out 

 of existence the newly come Selkirk settlers — whom they called 

 "jardiniers" or clod-hoppers. To make the plot more easy to be carried 



