46 



Souris, the post of X Y, or New Northwest Company, which 

 broke off from the Northwest Company in 1796, but re-united 

 was it in 1804. 



BRANDON HOUSE. 



This, in its day, important post was founded by the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company in 1794. In the year 1883 the writer 

 visited the site of it, overlooking the Assiniboine, traced its 

 outline distinctly on the grassy bank, and measured the size of 

 the former enclosure and of the buildings which it had con- 

 tained. It is on the property of a settler, Mr. George Moir, 

 formerly of Beauharnois, Quebec (S. W. 19, T. 8, R. 16 W.), 

 is about three miles from the mouth of the Souris, and about 

 thirteen miles down the Assiniboine from the city of Brandon. 

 The outline of the stockade was followed, and found to be 

 155 feet on the north, and 121 feet on the east side, which 

 faced the river. The gate space — 10 feet wide — had beside it 

 the outline of a watch tower, and the inner space showed 

 remains of six houses, the largest being 61 feet by 16 feet. 

 The position was an excellent one, being on a sort of river 

 point, and flanked toward the east by a considerable ravine. 

 Brandon House was the point from which to Hudson Bay 

 and return could be made by the York boats in one season, 

 and was thence a considerable depot. It was during the year 

 1816 under the charge of a Hudson's Bay Company officer, 

 Peter Fidler, who had been in charge of Cumberland House 

 in 1806, was useful in bringing in the Selkirk colony, who 

 made the first survey of Red river lots, and whose library 

 formed the basis of the old Red river library, the predecessor 

 of our provincial library. Brandon House was seized by the 

 Nor'-westers in 1816, and would seem shortly after to have 

 been abandoned, for it is not mentioned as a fort in the union 

 of the rival fur companies in 1821. 



ASSINIBOINE HOUSE. 



The oldest of the three forts would seem to have been 

 Assiniboine House, or as it was often called " Stone Indian 

 River House." About two miles to the west of the mouth of 

 the Souris, on the north side of the Assiniboine, may still be 

 seen a gap in the woods, where are the ruins of this fort. It 

 was so early as 1797, a central trading depot from which 

 traders received stores, and went even as far south as the 

 Missouri. The astronomer, Thompson, started from this fort 

 on his journey to the Mandans in the year named. Assiniboine 

 House was at this time under a Nor'wester trader, named John 

 McDonell. In 1801 the trader Harmon, visited Assiniboine 



