12 



On the 13th March, 1816, he writes from the River Qu'- 

 Appelle the following letter to one of the partners, showing 

 the intentions for the spring : — 



My Dear Sir, — I received your generous and kind letter 

 last fall, by the last canoe. I should certainly be an ungrate- 

 ful being, should I not return you my sincerest thanks. Al- 

 though a very bad hand at writing letters, I trust to your 

 generosity. I am yet safe and sound, thank God, for I believe 

 it is more than Colin Robertson or any of his suit dare to 

 offer the least insult to any of the Bois-Brules, although 

 Robertson made use of some expressions which I hope he 

 shall swallow in the spring. He shall see that it is neither 

 fifteen, thirty, nor fifty of his best horsemen, that can make 

 the Bois-Brules bow to him. Our people of Fort des Prairies 

 and English River are all to be here in the spring ; it is hoped 

 we shall come ofi" with flying colours, and never to see any of 

 them again in the colonizing way in Red River, in fact, the 

 traders shall pack off with themselves, also for having dis- 

 obeyed our orders last spring, according to our arrangements. 

 We are all to remain at the Forks to pass the summer, for fear 

 they should play us the same trick as last summer, of coming- 

 back ; but they shall receive a warm reception. I am loth to 

 enter into any particulars as I am well assured that you will 

 receive more satisfactory information (than I have had) 

 from your other correspondents ; therefore, I shall not pretend 

 to give you any ; at the same time begging you will excuse 

 my short letter, I shall conclude wishing you health and 

 happiness. • 



I shall ever remain, 



Your most obedient, humble servant, 



Cuthbert Grant. 

 " J. D. Cameron, Esq." 



"After the settlers returned in 1815, Colin Robertson had 

 organized the colony on his own authority, there having been 

 no opportunity of communicating with Lord Selkirk; and dur- 

 ing the same year a new governor there came, Robert Semple, 

 seemingly of Pennsylvanian origin, who had gone in early life 



