Chap. HI. of the ENGLISH in A M ERICA. 
IJland fpread with Trees, and the Branches making, as it 
were, a green Tuft of the whole, is a Change capable of 
giving tlie greateft Pleafure, after the Fatigues of an in- 
tolerable Winter- Voyage. 
The Air, even at the Bottom of the Bay, though by 
the Latitude it is nearer the Sun than London^ being in 5 1 
Degrees, is exceffive cold for nine Months •, the other 
three Months very hot •, but on a North-weft Wind the 
Soil on the Eafi Main^ as well as the Weft, bears no 
manner of Grain : Some Fruits, Goolberries, Straw- 
berries, and Dewberries, grow about Prince Rupert's Ri- 
ver. The Commodities for Trade here are Guns, 
Powder, Shot, Cloth, Flatchets, Kettles, Tobacco, Cfc. 
which the Englijh exchange with tht Indians fox Eurs, 
Beavers, Martins, Foxes, Moofe, and other Skins, and 
Furs. The great Profits acquired by this Trade, and the 
Profpecft of ingroffing it, wholly engaged the new Com- 
pany to profecute their Meafures vigoroufly, and to 
do all that lay in their Power to fettle a good Correfpond- 
ence with the Natives, whom they found very tradable in 
that Point, and willing to do any thing they could exped 
from, them upon reafonable Terms ; for the Indians about 
Rupert's River., and other Places in the Bay, are more 
fimple than the Canadans^ who have had longer Com- 
merce with the Europeans : They are generally peaceable, 
and not given to quarrel, either amongft themfelves or 
others, except the Nodways, a wild, barbarous People on 
the Borders of Hudfon's Streights, who fometimes, in flight 
Parties, make Incurfions on the other Indians^ and having 
murdered eight or ten, return in triumph. 
The Indians of certain Diftrids, which are bounded by 
fuch and fuch Rivers, have each an Okimah, as they call 
him, or Captain, over them, who is an old Man, con- 
fidered only for his Prudence and Experience ; He has 
no Authority but what they think fit to give him upon 
certain Occafions ; he is the Speech-maker to the Englijh, 
as alfo in their own Councils, when they meet every Spring 
and Fall to fettle the Difpofition of their Quarters, for 
Hunting, Fowling, and Fifhing : Every Family have 
their Boundaries adjufted, which they feldom quit, except 
they have no Succefs there in their Hunting, and then they 
join in with fome Family who have fucceeded. Their 
Notions of Religion are but very flender •, they fay, there 
are two Monetoes, or Spirits, the one fends all the good 
Things, and the other all the bad. Their Worfhip con- 
fifts in Songs and Dances at their Feafts, in Honour of 
their Monetoes that have favoured them ■, but if they are 
flck or famiflied, they hang fome little Bauble which they 
let a Value upon, on the Top of a Pole near the Tent, 
to pacify the Spirit offended, as they conceive. 
But to return to our Fliftory : In the Year 1670 the 
Company fent over Charles Bailey, Efq; as their Governor, 
who v/ith Mr. Radifon fettled at Rupert's River, and an- 
other Faftory was eftablifhed at Fort N elf on. Some Years 
after, William Lydall, Efq ; was fent to fucceed Mr. Baily, 
and one Mr. Bridger was fent to Fort Nelfon. In 1683, 
Henry Serjeant, Efq; was made Governor at Rupert's Ri- 
ver, with Orders to be very careful of the French, 
who began now to fliew themfelves very jealous of the 
Trade carried on by the Company with the Na- 
tives ; and at the fame time they were not a little perplexed 
by fome bad Practices among their own Servants ; who 
confidering the Hardfhips they endured in that miferable 
cold Country, thought they might make bold with fome 
Part of the Profits which were entirely owing to their 
Labour and Negociations with the Natives ; for the Com- 
pany, by their Governors and Agents, made fuch Con- 
trails with the Captains, or Kings, of Rivers, or Territo- 
ries where they had Settlements for the Freedom of Trade 
there, exclufive of all others, that the Inddans could not 
pretend they had encroached upon them. Thefe Contrails 
were as firm as the Indians could make them by fuch 
Ceremonies as v/ere moft facred and obligatory among 
them. 
In the Year 1686 we find the Company in poiTeffion 
of five Settlements, viz. Albany River, Hayes IJland, Ru- 
pert's River, Fort Nelfon, and New Severn : Their Trade at 
each of them was very confiderable. From Albany River 
they had generally three thoiiland five hundred Beavers 
a Yeaiq and by Mr. Serjeant's great Cafe and Fidelity^ 
their Commerce increafed fo much, that the French began 
to be afraid all the upland Indians might be drawn down 
to the Bay. I'hey knew they could do any thing with 
King James II. who then reigned in England ; and there- 
fore they refolved to drive the Englijh out of all their 
Places in the Bottom of the Bay. Firft they took Hayes 
IJland, and then the Fort on Rupert's River. The French 
Company at Canada procured a Detachment of Soldiers 
to be fent, under the Chevalier fe Froyes, who came over 
Land from ^ebec, and in a Time of profound Peace 
committed thefe Aits of Hoftilities. It is worth obferving 
that the French have fo good an Opinion of their American 
Colonies, as to take not only all lawful, but even un- 
lawful, Means, to preferve and enlarge them, as con- 
temptible as they are in themfelves ; whereas the 
who, next the Spaniards, have the richeft Plantations in 
this Part of the World, have been as negligent of them 
as if they were not worth keeping. 
The 8th of July, the Chevalier de Froyes came before 
the Fort at Albany River, where the Governor, Mr. Ser^ 
jeant, then refided. Two Indians having informed him 
of their having furprifed the Forts at Hayes IJland and Ru- 
pert's River, and had brought with them the great Guns 
from thefe Places, the Governor did all that was in his 
Power to defend the Place, but was not able to keep it 
above a Week, as appears by the Articles of his Sur- 
render, dated the 1 6th, 1686, which Articles were 
but indifferently kept. In 1693, xh& Hudfon' s Bay Com- 
pany, being affifted by the Government, retook all the 
Forts and Faflories of which the French had deprived 
them in Time of Peace; but they were foon after driven 
out of them again by the French. 
In the Year 1696, the Company applied themfelves to 
Ydm^William, reprefenting their own Incapacity to maintain 
themfelves againft the French, and praying the Affiftance 
of the Crown for their Support : Upon which two Men 
of War were ordered to their Affiftance, under the Com- 
mand of Captain Allen, who coming into the River Hayes 
fent to fummon all the Forts to furrender ; and the French 
Governor, finding he could not defend them againft the 
Englifo, capitulated ; and on the 2d of Augujt, in the 
fame Year, furrendered Albany Fort upon certain Articles, 
the chief of which were. That all thofe in the Fort, as 
well French as Indians, and one Englijhman, the Governor’s 
Servant, fhould have their Lives and Liberties ; and. 
That no Harm or Violence fliould be done to their Per- 
fons, or any thing that belonged to them : That they 
fliould march out with their Arms, Drums beating, Co-^ 
lours flying. Match lighted at both Ends, Ball in Mouth, 
and carry with them the two Guns brought from France : 
That they fliould all embark with their Cloaths, and 
Goods, without being vifited or pillaged in any Thing ; 
and, if they met with any French Veffels, there fliould 
be a Truce between the Englifj and them ; and the faid 
French Veffels fliould be permitted to take aboard the 
Perfons that came out of the fame Fort, with all that 
belonged to them. Thefe Conditions were a little too ho- 
nourable to grant, tho* they were complied with.* Cap- 
tain Allen took the Governor, and fome of his Men, a- 
board his own Ship, the Bonadventure ; fome he put a- 
board the Seaford, and the reft aboard a Merchant-man, 
called the Horing. 
In his Return he fought the Mary Rofe Frigate, then 
a French Privateer of fifty Guns, and was killed in the 
Engagement ; which gave the Frenchman an Opportunity 
to tear away. As to the other two Forts, they followed 
the Fate of Albany, and Mr. Knight was reftored to the 
Government of Fort Neljon. Mr. Knight had ferved 
Mr. Serjeant while he was Governor of Fort Albany, and 
was acquainted with the Trade. In the Year 1697, the 
Hampjhire Frigate, and Owners Love Firefliip, two of the 
King’s Ships, were loft in this Bay, and all the Men 
drowned. Indeed the Ice rendered it fo dangerous that 
the Commerce feemed not to be v/orth the Rifque that was 
run for it. Whether thofe two Ships run againft thole 
frozen Mountains that float in the Sea, or foundered, is 
not known ; but ’tis certain they were loft, and that all 
the Men periflied ; which was the Caufe of fome Incon- 
venience. 
