16 

 small brass swivels there, which the year before had been 

 taken from the stores of the settlement. 



"On the morning of the l7th of June, being at Portage la 

 Prairie still, which is about sixty miles from the settlement, 

 the Bois-Brules mounted their horses and set off for it ; they 

 were armed with guns, pistols, lances, and bows and arrows. 

 Cuthbert Grant was with them, and a number of his race. I 

 remained behind, so did Mr. Alexander Macdonnell and others; 

 about thirty or forty men stayed to help guard the pemican. 

 The object of this expedition was to take Fort Douglas and 

 break up the settlement. If the settlers took to the fort for 

 protection, then the whole were to be starved out. The fort 

 was to be watched strictl}'^ at all times, and if any of them 

 went out to tish or to get water, they were to be shot if they 

 could not be taken prisoners. I certainly had, from all T 

 heard, very serious apprehensions for my friends. I do not 

 remember that Cuthbert Grant said anything particular on 

 the morning he went away." 



The flffaip of '* Se^en Oaks." 



The following account of the affair of " Seven Oaks " is 

 taken from " The Selkirk Settlement and Settlers " by Mr. C. 

 N. Bell, F. R. G. S., a member of the Society. 



"On Governor Semple's return to Fort Douglas from visit- 

 ing the inland posts of the Hudson's Bay Co., in June, 1816, 

 he again assumed direction of affairs, which had been tempor- 

 arily managed by Colin Robertson. That he did not al- 

 together approve of the management during his absence is 

 learned from the tesHmony of an eye-witness, yet living, in 

 the person of Donald Murray, who informs me that Robertson 

 was in great disfavor with the Settlement and Hudson's Bay 

 Co. officials, and when, on hearing of the probability of an 

 attack by the Northwesters, he started for York Factory in 

 a boat, taking Duncan Cameron, a prisoner, he insultingly 

 hoisted a pemican sack as an ensign instead of the British 



