CHAPTER VIII 



RED RIVER SETTLEMENT 



RED River Settlement was, at this time, an extremely 

 isolated colony. It is situated in the fork between the 

 Red River and the river Assiniboine, and is on the verge 

 of the immense prairies of Northern America. It was, 

 even at this time, an exceedingly prosperous place, though 

 scantily peopled, and is now the centre of the world's 

 cornfields. It is now merged, I believe, in the political 

 division of Manitoba. In 1866 the population did not, 

 according to such information as I could glean, exceed 

 13,000 or 14,000 souls; and of these the bulk were 

 foreigners, Scandinavians, Germans, Russians and Yankees, 

 and half-breeds. The colony was founded by Lord 

 Selkirk hi 1811 or 1812; but there had been a fur- 

 trading post here from time immemorial. This seems 

 to have been a free-trading post ; and it was here that 

 the North- West Company, the rivals of the Hudson 

 people, had their firmest footing. Just outside Fort 

 Garry, the capital of the Settlement, the fight took place 

 in which Governor Semple lost his life ; and the subse- 

 quent troubles (in 1870) with the Canadian Government, 

 are remembered by most middle-aged people. 



At the time of my visit these troubles were already 

 brewing. It was known, or feared, that Canada would 

 certainly purchase, or otherwise become possessed of the 

 territory before many years had passed ; and I often 

 heard the threat uttered that there would be armed 

 resistance to any such acquirement. The foreign, and 

 especially the half-breed, element, fomented by certain 



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