FOURTH EXPLORATION, 1880 159 



and the severity of the winter, and periodical visits of the grass- 

 hoppers. These statements were brought in to do duty in aid of 

 the speaker who might oppose me. 



I will now make some remarks about the commencement of 

 the railway construction to bring the matter up to date. In 1867, 

 patriots established the Dominion of Canada and at once the cry 

 was raised for our rights in the West. A determined stand was 

 now made and most extraordinary stories were told in England 

 before the committee of the House of Commons showing that the 

 country was little better than an iceberg. This was done by men 

 who knew the country well but they wished to continue their ill- 

 gotten gains. In 1868, Bishop Tache published his sketch of the 

 Northwest and he, too, like the Hudson's Bay Company, looked 

 upon the country as scarcely suited for civilized men. Its rivers 

 were supposed to be unsuited for navigation, and its climate 

 hyperborean. One section, however, is spoken of as being suited 

 to a farming community, indeed, on page 63, when discussing the 

 probabilities as to who the future owners of the country would 

 be, he says: "For my own part, as there are extremely great 

 advantages in the way of colonizing the few points in this vast 

 territory capable of cultivation, I acknowledge frequently that 

 I would as soon (perhaps preferably) see the country remain as 

 it is as to see it changed, if the changes are to be such as it appears 

 to me they would inevitably be." 



It will be remembered that, in the early stages of the settle- 

 ment, French half-breeds lived entirely by hunting and had their 

 headquarters at Pembina. Our people commenced to survey the 

 very lands these claimed as their own, without making any ar- 

 rangements with the half-breeds. This was the cause of the 

 half-breed outbreak in the winter of 1 869. On the 1 1 th of October, 

 a survey party under Mr. Webb was stopped by a party of 

 French half-breeds under Louis Riel. They were very peaceable 

 and did nothing worse than to step on the chain. Mr. Webb 

 ceased work and retired. Mr. Webb, through Col. Dennis, ap- 

 plied to the Hudson's Bay Company, but they paid no attention to 

 the application. The murder of Scott followed later on and the ex- 

 pedition by Gen. Wolseley in 1870 brought the rebellion to a close. 



