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HARMON'S JOURNAL. 



er, and others to traffic with the Natives, in dif- 

 ferent parts of the Indian country. They consist- 

 ed at first, as I am informed, of two or three hun- 

 dred men, together with a few women and child- 

 ren. Those, who went to establish themselves on 

 the Red River, at a short distance from its en- 

 trance into the great Winnipick Lake, began, soon 

 after their arrival, to behave in a hostile manner 

 toward the people of the North West Company, 

 who have establishments in that quarter. Of 

 some of our forts, they actually took possession, 

 and carried away the property which they found 

 in them ; and, in some instances, they set fire to 

 the forts, and reduced them to ashes. They also 

 took Duncan Cameron Esq. a partner of the 

 North West Company, and another gentleman, 

 who is a clerk, whom they carried, in the spring, 

 to Hudson's Bay, with the intention, as they stat- 

 ed, of taking them to England. — In the course of 

 the winter, as the Express of the North West 

 Company was passing that way, destined to the 

 Soult St. Maries, they took possession of that also, 

 perused the letters and other papers which had 

 been sealed up, and finally carried them to York 

 Factory, at Hudson's Bay. 



All this unmerited treatment, at length so 

 provoked the people of the North West Compa- 

 ny, that they proceeded to retake their own forts. 



