IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) I// ^v-% t^ % ^k6 © 11.25 140 U 11.6 1^1 6" /. •^** ^^^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 H/eST MAIN STRIHr ! 716) •73-4 i03 ^ V r<\^ S> A% (maaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (maaning "END"), whichavar applias. Maps, platas. charts, ate, may ba ffilmad at diffffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axposura ara ffilmad baglnning in tha uppar lafft hand cornar. lafft to right and top to bottom, as many fframas as raquirad. Tha ffollowing diagrams illustrata tha mathod: L'axamplaira ffllmA ffut raproduit grica A la gAnAroaiti da: Library Divition Provincial Archivas of British Columbia Las imagas aulvantaa ont At« raproduitas avac la plua grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da I'axamplaira ffilm*. at mn confformit* avac las conditions du contrat da ffllmaga. Las axamplalraa originaux dont la couvartura 9n papiar ast imprimia sont ffilmto an comman9ant par la pramlar plat at an tarminant soit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration. soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont ffllmte un commandant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration at •n tarminant par )a darniAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un das symbolas suivants apparattra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microfficha, salon la cas: la symbols -^> signiffia "A SUIVRE". la symbols V signiffia "FIN". Las cartas, planchas. tablaaux. ate, pauvant Atra ffilmAs i das taux da reduction diffff«rants. Lorsqua Is document ast trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saui clich«. il ast ffilm« A partir da I'angia supAriaur gaucha. da gaucha k droita. at da haut 9n has. an pranant la nombra d'imagas nAcassaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 NiJp THE Canadian Magazine I VOL. Xni MAY, 1899 No. i EARLY DAYS AT YORK FACTORY. HY HECKLES WIM.SON. Note. — In the year ib82 tlie Honourable Conipiiny of Merrhants-Adventiirers trading into Hudson's Bay Jeeided to establish a sei'ond factory, lo be situated on ih-? western side of the Bay, in the vieinity of Fort Nelson. l"'or this purpose John Brid^ar was appointed resident Governor and despatched in the Prince h'tirerl, his arrival in those re rions taking place some days subsequent to that ol two French-C.'inadian fur-traders, form .y in tlie service of the Company, named Kadisson and Groseilliers. This pair had set their hearts on deleatin]^ the purpose of the English in effecliiiff a settlement in the locality ; and probably, if they had had to tie.'il with the Company's forces aUine, inijr Brid^ar, the Governor, nor Captain Ciillam knew of the presence of the interloper, who, by the laws of the period and the charter of the Company, could be tieated as a pirate, and her commander ami crew either shot or carried in chains to Enj^land. Kadisson iloes not reiojjnize the mon- opoly of the Eng'lish Company, which is less surprising; when one considers that it was he and his brother-in-law who pioneered all their early undertaking's. He lays claim to all the »-oimtry and tr.'ide for liis masti-r, Kin}' I^ouis XIV'. Not bein^j a matcli for the two parlies of En^flish toffether he resolves lo capture and disarm them s»'paralely. One intereslin^; point deserves to-be noted : the enerjjy and intrepiditv displayed by the Frenchmen, who seem Ihoroujfhly at home in the wililerness, iiiid the timidity and helplessiu'>s of the En^flish servants. Indeed, had it not been for the subsequent treachery of the two brothers-in-law, in retiu'injf lo the Company's service and yieldinjf up their establishment lo the En^^hsh, the Conipany would probiibly have found it impossible to maintain themselves in this quartt;r of the Hay. Fort Bourbon, which w.'is the hi^'h-sounding' title Grose'lliers anil Kadisson >'ave to their structure of lojfs, became, later, York Factory. The followiiij; ntirrative forms a chapter in the History of the Hudson's H;iy Conqjany which will shortly be published in two volumes. MORK than fifteen years had ehtpsed since Medard Chouart des Gro- seilliers had first fired Prince Rupert with hK project of founding- a ^tqaX. fur- traffic in the unknown and unexplored regions of the New World. The prince had lived to see that project succeed even beyond his most sanguine expecta- tions. Now, at his death, the Company owned four ships ; and after all the cost of its plant, its ships and its ex- penses had been paid, it was returning a profit of three hundred per cent, on its capital. The extent to which this profit might have been increased had a more energetic policy been adopted may be deduced from the circumstance that at the time of Rupert's death the Com- pany did not possess more than a single fort or trading post, it was well known that his Highness favoured greater activity, and one of his la^t acts had been to sign the commission of John Bridgar as Governor of the new settle- ment at Fort Nelson. It appeared as if the Adventurers had only waited for the advent of the new regime to pursue a more vigorous and enterprising plan of commerce. Under date of April 27th, 1683, I PROVINCIAL ARCh'IVES OF B. C. THE ( VIA'. / /)/. I .V .1/. I r.A/.ixi-: © find the following; instructions addres- sed to Henry Sarjjent, regarding trade with the interior: " You are to choose out from amongst our servants such as are best qualified with strength of body and the country hmguagc to travel and to penetrate into the country, and to draw down the Indians by fair and gentle means to trade with us." But the Company was to learn that the parsimony which then characterized its policy was not calculated to foster the success of its aims. The majority of the men it sent out from Hngland could not be classified under the head of adventurous spirits, ready to dare all for mere excitement and the prospect of gain. They were for the most part young men gifted with no more apti- tude for the work in the wilderness than a disinclination to pursue their callings at home. No small number were dissatisfied apprentices ; one William Evans had been a drawer at the Rainbow Inn ; Mr. Portman him- self had sent his scullion. Even at that early day the staffs employed on the plantations were re- cruited from amongst the very class least competent to exploit those regi- ons. The majority of the applicants for employment in the Company's ser- vice in the seventeenth century were not men of character and vigour, or even of robust physique, but rather hare-brained artisans of the mild, dare- devil type, whose parents and friends foresaw, if F.ondon or Bristol formed the sphere of their talents, a legal and violent rather than a natural termina- tion of their respective careers. Sargeanl's response to the foregoing injunction certainly served to enlighten his superiors. " I shall not be neg- lectful," he wrote, " as soon as I can find any man capable and willing to send up into the country with the In- dians, to endeavour to penetrate into what the country will and may produce, and to eflfect their utmost in bring- ing down the Indians to our factory ; but your Honours should give good encouragement to those who un- dertake such extraordinary service ; or else I fear that there will be but few that will embrace such employment." The rebuke was just ; but it seems to have given offence to some K^i the more pompous members of the Com- pany ; and Sargeant was desired not to cast any further reflection on his employers in his communications to them. Nevertheless, the Company was soon to learn the value of a less niggardly policy. At the new settlement on Nelson River events were happening, which were to decide, temporarily at least, the sovereignty of that part of the Bay. For ten days the two ex-criployees, Radisson and Groseilliers gave no further evidence to the English of their presence. But on the tenth day their curiosity and uneasiness regarding the conduct of the English Ciovernor, Bridgar, and the other servants of the Company, had reached such a pitch that it was decided without further consideration that Radisson should start off at once to reconnoitre their behaviour. The actual distance be- tween Fort Bourbon, on the Hays River, and the Company's factory on Nelson River was not .ihi^ve fifty miles; but owing to the dangerous character of the river, and the necessity for delay before an attempt could he made to cross it, Radisson and his party con- sumed fourteen days on the journey. On their arrival on the 3rd of Feb- ruary one oS. the first objects to attract their attention was the Prince Ritpcyf, stuck fast in the ice and mud about a mile from where the factory was being erected. .At the same time they met the Ciovernor, who was out on a hunting expedition with the chief male of the vessel. Satisfying, himself that no treachery was intended Radis- son accepted Bridgar's invitation to enter the iog-house which he had caused to be built for his own occu- pancy. Radisst)n introduced one of the Frenchmen who accompanied him as the captain of an imaginary ship, which he averred had arrived from France in his behalf. " Mr. B. believed it and anything else I chose to tell him," re- marks Radisson naively, " I aiming al- •j •1 © AVi A'A y DA J S A T ) 'ONK h A ( TOR ) ' •S •I ways to prevent hi.r. from havinj,^ any kiunvledj^c of the I'.n^lish interloper." While enj^a^td in the pleasinj^ diver- sion of drinking each other's healths, a number of musket shots were fired. The crew \^{ the vessel not taking any notice oi this, the bushranger con- cluded that those on board were not on their guard and mi^^ht readily be surprised. With this condition uppermost in his mind, the Frenchman quitted Bridj^ar, haviny^ first allayed any sus- picion which mij^ht have naturally arisen as to the intention of the party. The latter went boldly on board the ship, and no hindrance beinj; offered their leader had a colloquy with Cap- tain (iillam. This worthy, who while he received the visit civilly enough, yet found occasion to let Radisson know that he was far from entirely trusting him. When his visitor suggested that he was running a great risk in allowing the Prince Rupert to remain grounded, Gillam bluntly requested Radisson to mind his own business, adding- that he knew perfectly well what he was doing —a boast which, as the sequel showed, was certainly not well founded. Ra- disson was determined not to be put out of temper, and so, run risk of spoil- ing his plans. Winter, even in all its rigour, seems to have had no terro'S for our indomi- table bushranger. l*"or the next two months, as we shall relate, he continued to scour backwards and forwards through this country, inspiring his fol- lowers and urging them onward to the prosv'cution of a plan which was i^bvious to them all. Parting from Ciillam the elder, who had not the faintest suspi- cion that his son was in the locality, Radisson at once started to parley with Ciillam, the younger. When he had gained the island where he had left he was instantly made aware that the New luiglanders had been considerably less idle than the Company's servants ; having completed a very creditable fort and mounted it with six pieces of cannon. With Benjamin Gillam, our bushranger passed off the same subterfuge with which he had hoodwinked Zachary. He spoke Huently oi his newly arrived ship and her cargo and crew, and to cap his narrative proceeded to intro* duce her captain, who was none other than the old pilot, J'ierre .Allemand, who, from the description I have of his appearance, looked every inch the bold, fierce and uncompromising mariner. He had a great deal to tell Benjamin likewise of the Company's post near by, which he said contained forty soldiers. " Let them be forty devils," ex- claimed (iillam, junior, " we have built a good fort and are afraid of noth- ing." Whereupon Radisson gently remind- ed him that according to his agreement he was to have built no fort whatever. In reply to this Benjamin begged his visitor not tc> take umbrage at such a matter, as he never intended to dispute the rights of the l-rench in the region, and that the fort was merely intended as a defence against the Indians. •As the evening wore on, a maiuruvre suggested itself to Radisson. He re- solved to bring father and son together. No sooner had he formed this amiable resolve than he revealed to Fienjamin Ciillam the proximity ^yi the Prime Ru- pert and her commander, and described the means by which an encounter might be effected vvithout eliciting the suspicions cii Ciovernor Bridgar or any of the CompanNs servants. It con- sisted briefly in young Benjamin's dis- guising himself as a hrenchman and a bushranger. The scheme met with the young man's hearty approbation and the details were settled as Radisson had designed. On the following day the party set out through the snow. .Arriving at the point on land opposite to which the Company's ship lay, Radisson posted two of his best men in the woods on the path which led to the factory. He instructed them to allow the Ciovernor to pass should he come that way, but that if he returned from the ship unaccom- panied or prior to their own departure they were to seize and overpower him on the spot. With such precautions lf)dr.29 THE CAXAniAX M.WAXIXK us these Radisson toll liinisdf safe aiul went on board tlie Prime Huf^crf accompanied hv (lillani. He introduced his two companions into the captain's room wittKHit any notice on the part of Ciillam the older, and the mate and another man he had with him. Leaning across the table, upon which was deposited a bulky bv-)tlle of rum, Radisson whispered to the honest cap- tain that he had a secret ot the highest importance to communicate if he would but dismiss the others. Ciilhim readily sent away the mate, but would not dis- miss his second attendant until Kadis- son, a}^ain in a whisper, informed him that the bl-'ck-bearded man in the stranye head-jjear was his son. After communicatinj^ this intclliyonce the pair had their own way. The next few moments were devoted to embraces and to an interchanjje of news, for Captain (lillam and Henj.imin had not met for two years. The sire could not refrain from iinpartinjf to his son that he was runniiii^^ a j^real risk ; he de- clared it would be ruinous to him if it ij;ol to the (iovernoi's ears that there was any collusion between them. Radisson a^ain professed his friend- ship, but added that in his opinion neither of the parties had any right to be where they were, he havin>«f taken possession for the King of France. " This territory is all His Most Christian Majesty's," he said. "The fort we have built yonder we call I*'ort Bourbon, and none have any right here but such as own allegiance to Louis XIV." He observed that nothing would cause a rupture of the friendly relations now subsisting between French and English but that trade in peltries, trade which he had too great reason to fear they hoped to initiate with the Indians in the spring. Thereupon the elder Gillam coolly re- sponded that the ship he commanded, and the spot on which they were then assembled, belonged not to himself, but to the Hudson's Hay Company. " With regard to the trade, gentle- men," said he, "you have nothing to fear from me. Kven thouijh I don't carrv a solitarv beaver back to the Thames, I shall not trouble myself, being sure ot my wages." 'l"his interview was prolonged. The healths oi the Kings o{ France and Kngland, I'rince Rupert and M. Colbert (quite in ignorance of the deaths of I he two last named) were ilrunk with zeal and enthusiasm, in the miilst oi all this, that which Radisson had antici- pated, occurred. Ciovernor IJridgar, notified of Radisson's return, came to the ship in hot haste. Oi\ his joining the group he remarked meaningly that the fort the French had constructed must be nearer than he had been given to think, since its commandant coidd effect so speedy a return, lie evinced himself very uneasy in mind concerning the Frenchman's ii\tentions. Before their departure, young (.iillam came very near being betrayed. He was partially recognized by one of the traderswho accompanied the tiovernor. But the matter passedofV without serious consequences. None too soon did the party return to young (iillam's fort on the island, for a tremendous bliz/ard ensued, sweeping the wholecouiUry,and forcing Radisson to remain for some days with- in doors. As soon as the st<)rm had subsided, however, Radisson started off, declining (Iillam's ofTer of his second mate to accompany him back to the French settlement. " I managed to dissuade him," he writes, " having my reasons for wish- ing to conceal the road we should take. On leaving we went up from the fort to the upper part of tjie river, but in the evening we retraced our steps and next morning found ourselves in sight of the sea into which it was necessary to enter in order to pass the point and reach the river in which was our habitation. Hut everything was so covered with ice that there was no apparent way of pass- ing further. We found ourselves, in- deed, so entangled in the ice that we could neither retreat nor advance to- wards the shore to make a landing. It was necessary, however, that we should pass through the ice or perish. We remained in this condition for four hours without being able to advance or 1 EARLY DAVS AT VOh'K FACTO RY :) retire and in j^ieat danger of our lives. Our clothes were Iro/en on us and wc conid onI\ move with dilVieully, but at last we made so stronj; an attempt tliat we arrived at the shore, our canoe beinj^ all broken up. Kach of us took our bajij;a},'e and arms and marched in the direction of uur iiabitation, without finding anything to eat for three days except crows and birds of prey, which are the last to leave these countries." I'ort Bourbon was reached at length. Atter reporting- to his brother-in-law all lliat had passed, (iroseilliers was not long in counselling what was best to be done. In his opinion the first thing^ necessary was to secure possession ot young (iillam's ship. Tine pressed and the springwouid soon brupon them bringing withitthe Indians, lleargued that delay might prijve fatal, inasmuch as Bridgar might at any moment learn of the presence of the New luigland in- terlopers ; and in that event he would probably make an effort to capture their tort and add their forces to his own. If this were done, the success of the I'Vench in overpowering the l!nglish traders would be slight anil theii voy- age would have been undertaken for nothing. It wa.s therefore agreed that Ciroseil- liers shovild remain in charge oi the fort, while his kinsman slunikl im- mediately return to Nelson River. In a feu days tiicy parted <^\\cc more, Kadissitn setting out with a (rosh party and thoroughly resohed upon action. The first tliscovery he mai-le, on arriving at the scone of his propi^sed operations, was that the Company's ship, the Prime Riipvit, was friven fast in the ice, and must inevitably perish when the spring floods came, lie also speed- ily ascertained that the (iovernor. by no means relishing his presence in the vicinity, was already planning' measures to thwart, if not to capture, his ri\als, for he had sent out two sailors charged with the task of discovering the exact whereabouts \:ii the h'rench and the ex- tent of their strength .and equipment. These two spies Radisson promptly captured- -no difficult task indeed, for they had lost their way and were half- fro/en and almost famished. The an- ticipated fate of the Prince Rupert was not long delayed. The tidings shortly reached l\;'.dis>on that she was a total wreck, and with it came also the news of the loss of her captain, the mate and four sailors. A subsequent report, how- evei , declared that liillman had escaped with his life. Receiving this inlellig'ence, Radisson presented himself before the Governor to sec how he was .ifVccted by such a calamity. He found Hridgar drinking heavily, but resohed to ki-eji up appearancesand to withhold from the I'rench any knowl- edge \^i what had happened. He aflecled to btlie\e the ship safe, mere- ly observing that she had shifted her position a f<.w le.igues down the river. Radisson asserts that ;it this time the Company's factt^ry was short of pro- visions. It is impossible that this couKI have been the case. Theassertion was probably made to cover his own depredations on the stores of theC^Mii- pany. Parting' from the tiovenior. Radis- son presented himself before Ciillam the yinniger, to whom lie did not as yet chov^sc ti> sa\ anything concerning his father and the loss of his ship. L'nder varivuis pretences he induced (iillam to pay him a visit a' l-"ort Hourbon. The latter does not seem at thi> time to have been aware of the intention oi the l-'rench towartls him. Hut he was soon to be undeceived. "I remained quiet for a month," says Radisson, in the course of his extra- ordinary narrative, " treating young (iillam, my new guest, well and with all sorts of civilities, which he abused on several occasiv. ns. l'"or having appar- ently perceived that \\c had not the strength I told him, he took the liberty oi speaking oi me in threatening terms behind my back, treating me as a pirate and saving that, in spite oK me, he would trade in spring with the Indians. He had* even the hardihood to strike one of my men which I pretended not to notice ; but, having- the insolence later when we were dis- cussing the privileges of New England pRovif.ciAL A::ci:;vES of b. c. THE CANADIAX MAGAZIXE to speak against the respect due the best of kings, I treated him as a worthless i\\^\^ for speaking in that way and told him that, having had the honour to cat bread in his service, I would pray to (iod all my life for His Majesty. He left me; threatening that he would return to his fort and that when he was there I would not dare to speak to him as I had done. I could not expect to have a better opportunity to begin what I had re- solved to do. I told this young brute then that I had broug'ht him from his fort, that I would take him back myself when I pleased, not when he wished. He answered impertinently several times, which obliged me to threaten that I would put him in a place oi safety if he was not wiser. He asked me then if he was a prisoner. I said I would consider it and that I would secure my trade since he had threatened to interrupt it. I then withdrew to give him time to be in- formed by the Englishmen how his fathers loss was lost with the Com- pany's ship and the bi' ' '^•' -ation oi Mr. Hridgar. I left in tl mpany a Krenciiman who understi. . linglish unknown to them. When I had left young (iillam urged the Knglishman to tly and to go to his master and assure him that he would give him six barrels of powder and other supplies if he would undertake to deliver him out of my hands. The I'Inglishman made no answer, hut he did not inform me of the proposition that had been made him (I had learned that from the I'Venchman who had learned every- thing and thought it was time to act tor my security.) " in the evening Radisson said nothing of what he knew of the plot. He asked those in his train if the muskets were in their places which he had put around to act as guarantee against surprise. .At the word musket young Gillam, who did not know what was nit-ant, grew alarmed and, according to Radisson, wished to fly, believing that it was intended to kill him. But his flight was arrested by his captor who took occasion to free him from his apprehension. The next morning, however, the bushranger's plans were openly divulged. He told (iillain that he was about tt) take his fort and ship. " He answered haughtily that even if I had a hundred men 1 could not succeed and that his people would have killed more than forty before they could reach the palisades. This bold- ness did not astonish me, being very sure that I would succeed in my de- sign." Having secured Ciillam the younger, it was now necessary to secure the fort of which he was master. The intrepid Frenchman started for Hayes Island with nine men, and, gaining an entrance by strategy, he cast oft the mask of friendship and boldly demand- ed the keys o\' the fort and the whole stock o{ arms and powder. He added that in the event oi their refusal to yield he would raze the fort to the ground. No resistance seems to have been attempted, and Radisson took formal possession o'i the place in the name of the King of h'rancc. This ceremony being concluiled, he ordered Jenkins, the mate, to conduct him to the ship, and here formal possession was taken in the same tashion, without any forcible objection on the part of the crew. Some explanation of this ex- traordinary complaisance, if Radisson's story o'( the number of men he took with him be true, may be found in the commander's unpopularity, he having recently killed his supercargo in a L]uarrel. Nevertheless Benjamin Ciillam was not to be altogether without friends. A certain Scotchman, perchance the first o'i his race in those regions, which were afterwards to be forever associ- ated with Scottish zeal and labours, wishing to show his fidelity to his chief, escaped and eluding the eflforts of Radisson's fleetest bushrangers to catch him, arrived at Fort Nelson and told his tale. The Governor's astonish- ment may be imagined. He had hitherto no inkling of the presence of the New Fngland interlopers, and although his captain and fellow-servant was not equally ignoratit Gillam had I ALONG THE TK^MI. \ kept his counsel well. The (lovernor decided at once to head a parly ^^i relief, in which he was seconded hy (iillam pere, who was at the moment only just recoverinj^ from an illness caused by exposure durinj^ the shipwreck. The Susan was their first point of attack. Under the cover of nij^ht they made a determined efl'ort to recapture her for the Company — an attempt which mij^ht have succeeded had not Radisson, suspecting; tlie move, despatched his entire available force at the same time and completely overpowered the (iov- ernor's men. He thought at first sight that Bridgar himself was among his prisoners, but the (.lovernor was not to be caught in that fashion ; he had not himself boarded the ship. The Scotchman wlio accompanied him, however, was not so fortunate ; he fell into Radisson's hands and sufTored for his zeal. He was tied to a post and informed that his execution would take place without ceremony on the nK^rrow. 'i'he sentence was never carried out. Radisson, after exposing his prisoner to the cold all night in an uncomfort- able position, seems to have thought better of his tlireat, and after numer- ous vicissitudes the Scot at length re- gained his liberty. Reinforcements for the l<>ench now arrived from Ciroseilliers. Reliev- ing himself now strong enough to beard the lion in his lair, Radisson de- cided to lose no more time in rounding off his schemes. First, however, he saw fit to address a letter to the llov- ernor asking him if he "approved the action of the Company's people whom he held prisoners, who had broken two doors and the storeroom of his ship, in order to carry off the powder." Uridgar's reply was that he owed no explanation to a renegade employ»i of the Company. Radisson had not been sincere in his professions, and he had dealt basely and deceitfully with him in preserving silence on the subject of the interlopers. ".As 1 had proper in- structions," concluded Mridgar, in a more conciliatory strain, "on setting sail from London to seize all ships coming to this quarter, 1 would willing- ly have joined hands with you in cap- turing this vessel, if you wish me to regard you as sincere you will not keep this prize for your own use." The other's response was rapid and masterly. \W marched upon Fort N'elson with twelve men, and by the following nightfall was master of the Fnglish establishment. This feat near- ly drt)ve the unhappy Governor to de- spair, and he sought solace by apply- ing himself to the rum cask with even greater assiduity. In this frame of mind John Hrigdar, the first (lovernor of I'ort Nelson was carried off a prisoner to I'ort Hourbon. Til hf CoiitiiiKid. ( > 1.1 ") .\i.o\(; Tin-: iraii.. I ^ORI'^SIJn in the .eiletl to-morrow lies The land o'i Hope, secure from mortal c\es ; While in the new-made gr.ive of yesterday SvMiie ile.ir (.loliisiini reverentlv we lav. Ifntii/onl A'. Daniels.