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 TRANSACTION NO 52 
 
 APRIL 14TH, 1896 
 
 The Historical and Scientific Society 
 
 of Manitob^uaw^ ». 
 
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 Sketch of the Life and Discoveries of 
 
 Robert Campbell 
 
 chief factor of the HON. HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY 
 
 BY 
 
 George Bryce, LLD. 
 
 A Life Member of the 5ocletv 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 WINNIPEG : 
 
 THE MANITOBA FREE PRESS COMPANY 
 
 1898 
 
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 ' 
 
 CHIEF FACTOR ROBERT CAMPBELL 
 
 Discoverer of the Upper Yukon 
 
[ 
 
 i 
 
 « 
 
 ■ 
 
 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND DISCOVERIES 
 OF ROBERT CAMPBELL 
 
 Chief I'actor of the Hon. Huil.son'.s Bay Company 
 
 Tlif Histoiicdl luid Sciciititic Society of MmiitoliH mot in 
 the City Hall, \Viiiiii|)t)<;, on the t^vcning' (jf April lltli, 1(S!)8. A 
 Irti't^e iuulicnct' liud iisstiiiiltliMl to liuar tho |»apers of the evening'. 
 Chief Factor William Clark, Presidtuit of the Society, occupied 
 tlie Chair. The Hrst paper of the evening was read by Rev. Dr. 
 Bryce, a life member of the Society, on tlie "Life and Di.scov- 
 erie.s of the late (Jhief Factor Robert C-anipbell. A large map, 
 pre[)ared by Bulman Bros., was used in following the interesting 
 account of the explorations of the distinguished discoverer on 
 Liard River, Dease Lake, the Upper Stikine, and the Upper 
 Yukon rivers. Dr. Bryce said as follows : 
 
 More than twenty-six years ago, the writer remembers as 
 one of the first men he met in Red River Chief Factor Robert 
 Camj)boll, the discoverer of the Upper Yukon River, which is 
 the goal of so numy gold seekers to-day. Robert Campbell was 
 a natural leader of men. His tall, commanding figure, sedate 
 bearing, and yet shrewd and adaptable manner, singled him out 
 as one of the remarkable class of men who in the service of the 
 Hudson's Bay Company governed an empire by tlieir personal 
 magnetism, and held many thousands of Indians in check by 
 their honesty, tact and tirnniess. 
 
 Robert Campbell, like so many of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
 pany's officers and men, was of Scottish origin, and was born, the 
 son of a considerable sheep farmer, in GUfnlyoii, Perthshire, Scot- 
 land, on the 21st of Februpry 1808. Having received a fair 
 education in his native glon, wi'i»2h, was further , carried on in 
 the City of Perth, he was led by Sii George* Si-npson, the 
 Governor of the Hudson's B!i7 Company, to comc'"v.o th-e 
 Red River in 1832 to superintefid' -jhe' sheef) ' farm being 
 started by the Company at St. James Parish, on the "Assiniboine 
 River, a few miles west of the City of Winnipeg of to-day. 
 
'I'lic llmlsuirs liiiy ( '()iii|tiiiiy »it this tiiiir hooiiis to have 
 l)('('ii ill earnest in en<le»iv()rin^ ti> promote! the <lev<'Io|niMM»t of 
 tin; Red Kiver an a raniiin^' ecMiiitiy. That they siK'cee(U>(l so 
 poorly is prohal>ly the reason that they Hl'tfrwanls set!h.<l down 
 to the erroneous hi-liet", ex|)resse(| so (h'eide'dly l»y Sir ( »eor;;e 
 Simpson in the investi<iat.ioii hy the Imperial I'nrh'anw'nt in 
 lsr>7, that aur'cnlture could not lie siieeesslully eairied on in the 
 country. 
 
 'I'hf period lie;;iru»inj;' with l.SJU) or lSi{l was one oi" <,n'eat 
 activity at lte<l River. Sir Oeorj^e Simpson threw himself with 
 yreat viM;or into projifcts for developiii(i^ the country. We can 
 «1() littler more than mention them. Iinhjcd, tlu^y nee(l little 
 niore than nu'ntion, for they ended in failure. 
 
 (1) 'i'lit' ihirtnlo Wool ('Ompany, a wild scliemo to manufac- 
 ture cloth from huH'alo's wool nnd to tan tl (; hides for leather. 
 An ahsolute loss of upwards of CH.OOO sterliii<,^ <ijave the 
 promoters serious cause for reflection. 
 
 (2) Sir (}eor;^e promised to take all the Company's supplies 
 from the colony; hut he was (lis!i|)pointe(l hy the carelessness 
 and discontent of the ])eo])Ie. 
 
 (li) An experimental farm was heeinion the Assinihoine near 
 tilt! farm since known as Lane's fHiin. After six years of ett'ort 
 the farm failed, havinn' cost the Company £!{,. ')()() sterling'. 
 
 (4) A farm for e-rowinr; lla.x and hemp. The Hax i^rew and 
 the hemp jjfi-ew, hut they rutted in the lieids ; while a costly 
 flax mill to manufacture the product fell into decay. 
 
 (o) Sheep from Kentucky. (Jovernor Simpson <l(!termined 
 to introduce the care of sheep as an industry suital)le to the 
 country. A joint stock company was formed. £1,200 was 
 raised, and the entgrgrist! was heg-un with high hopes. It was 
 
 to 
 
 of 
 
 im 
 
 Ayas af^sociated John P. Bmirkr, (jiiv of the Irish immigrants who 
 had C(jme with Lord Selkjrk'5 first party. Bourke was a man 
 of education, had served the (^om{)any well, and was well fitted 
 for the task assigned him. In 1833, Rae, Bourke and four 
 
otlicrs, oiic of whom was llolicrf (*um|»lH'||, crossed tlir itlains to 
 MisHouri to piii'clmsc sliofp for tin* ii»'w ('om|iiiiiy. nissutisticd 
 with the oxccssive chui'^ii's oF the Missoiifijuis, Kuc irisistcd on 
 j^oili;;- on to Kentucky, ')()<> miles t'liitheJ*. The sheej» were 
 l»on;,(ht at a i)ric'e of 81. Oil to S'j.OO a. head, and a piirty starte(| 
 with them for the lied Kiver. The Journey was most disastrous. 
 Koot sore and wearieij, many of tiie sheep dietl iiy the way. 
 1 I*ierc(>d hy the spear i^nvss (Slifxi. sparfra) \\\n\\y pui'i.shed ; the 
 the leaih'rs of the party (piarrelled ; the tloek became steadily 
 
 V 
 
 1 OUT SlMl'SON (M.-ickiii/ic Kivci i 
 
 U'ss; an<l of I47'> siiet^p hou^ht in Kentucky <>idy '2'>l iH'ached 
 
 lied lliver. 
 
 (()) Other unsuccessful schemes, such as the Tallow ( 'om- 
 ! pany, foll(jwe(l this, hut Campliell was sent awa\' to the far 
 ! we.st, and exchanged the peaceful role of shepherd for that of a 
 ' trader. 
 
 CAMPBELL AS A FUR TRADER. 
 
 Robei't Campbell had from the first the couH<lence of Sir 
 (jleorge Simpson, and now the (Jovernor despatched him to what 
 seems to have been the favoi'ite hunting grounds of the early 
 tradeis, the l\lackcnzi(! River lia.sin. In 1884 he was at Fort 
 
 ^$Jij,\'^r\'^^^ 
 
SiiupsoTi, and at once took his ])l}ico as a (lavin<^ and liardy 
 explorer of new gi-ound. It; 1884- lie volunteered to establish a 
 post at the head waters of a tributary of the Mackenzie and hia 
 offbi- was accepted. Leaving Fort Simpson, which is on an 
 island in the Mackenzie River, and near the junction of that 
 river with the Liard, he ascended the latter river, which was 
 also known as Mountain River, leached Fort Liard, nearly two 
 hundred miles from the junction, and passed on as much further to 
 Fort Halkett, which is built amon^ the mountains. Tn the winter 
 of 1837, the ardent explorer went on three or four hundred 
 miles, enduring great hardships, and in the spring of 1838 
 succeeded in doing what his predecessors had tried in vain to 
 accomplish, viz., established a Hudson'.s Bay Company's post on 
 Dease Lake at the .source of the wild mountain stream. In the 
 summer of that year the intrepid adventurer crossed to the 
 Pacific slope and reached the head waters of the Stikine River. 
 Indeed, he spent this and the following year in journeys of the 
 most daring kind, in ascending and descending the fierce 
 mountain streams of the Rocky Mountain divide. 
 
 TERRIBLE HARDSHIPS. 
 
 The winter of 18S8-9 was to the explorer one of the greatest 
 trial. The w^riter has heard the great explorer descant on the 
 adventures of that eventful year. A new post had been erected 
 by Campbell to advance the fur trade, and the energy of the 
 trader awakened the hatred of the Secatqueonays, a tribe who, 
 with their allies, numbered about six thousand souls. These 
 Indians lived at the mouth of the Stikine River, and they were 
 in the habit of going inland for one hundred and fifty miles to 
 trade at a great village mart, which was only sixty miles from 
 Campbell's new fort on Dease's Lake. At this time the trader 
 and his men nearly reached starvation. They were so re- 
 duced in supplies that they subsisted for some time on the 
 skin thongs of their moccasins and snowshoes, and on the 
 parchment windows of their huts boiled u\) to supply the one 
 meal a day which kept them alive. Early in the vear 1840 
 the explorer crossed to the western side of the mountains, and 
 
 -7 
 
descendinpj t'rom the head waters of the Stikine, explored this 
 river for a distance. Tlie Indians, hostile to him on account of 
 ' the energy which he displayed, took him and his party prisoners. 
 n The daring party, however, escaped, it has been reported, after 
 
 ^ having almost met death, and having to chop down a bridge, to 
 
 \ prevent the pursuing Indians from overtaking them. Camp- 
 bell's life was only saved by the bravery and devotion of 
 a female chief who ruled the Nilharnies, the owners of the 
 trading village which was the rendezvous. Campbell, in his 
 journal, speaks in the most glowing terms of the fine character 
 
 VIEW ON THK UPPER STIKINK 
 
 of this Amazon of the mountains, whose humanity proved his 
 shield in trying times. In the year following his escape, Trader 
 Cam)>bell was compelled to leave his station on Dease's Lake, and 
 his fort was burnt by the irreeoncileaVjle Indians. The explorer, 
 however, was greatly satisfied when some time after he received 
 from Sir George Simpson, in answer to his report, M'ord to the 
 effect that the Governor and Council had expressed their entire 
 satisfaction with his energetic action and shrewd mana<jement. 
 In Sir Geor<;e Simpson's Book, " A Journev Round the World " 
 (1847) full credit is given to Campbell for his courage and faith- 
 fulness. 
 
The favorable mt'ssa^^i! from thi; (Jovernor Itiit ury^ed on the 
 youthful explorer to new tieMs of discovery. In ^^oing to 
 Dease's Lake (^ainphell had taken tlie more southerly of the 
 mountain affluents makin<^' un the Upper Liard River. Under a 
 new order he started in 1S40 to exploi'e the northern bianch of 
 the Liard. For this ])urpose he left Fort Halkett, his mountain 
 rendezvous, in May, and journeyed nortliward, thinking that. 
 l)erha])s, though starting below 00 N, he might come upon the 
 river discovered by ]3ease an<l Simpson two years befoi-e, run- 
 ninii' into the Ai'ctic ocean about 70 N. and called by them the 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 UKASE'S I.AKK I'OST 
 
 Colville. Ascendino- the mountain iiorsfe throuijh which the 
 swift Liard flows Campbell came to a beautiful lake, to which, 
 in honor of Lady 8im]ison, he gave the name Lake Frances. 
 The lake was divided by a promontory called by him " Simpson's 
 Tower," and leaving the lake he ascended one of its ti-ibutaries, 
 clambc'-inu alonj; its rockv banks, which in turn came from a 
 small mountain reservoir called by him Finlayson's Lake, as its 
 affluent was also named. This lake at high water gives one pai t 
 of its waters to the Pacific and the other to the Arctic ocean. 
 Campbell, with the hardiest of his seven trusty companions, who 
 were some of them whites and others Indians, now made an 
 
9 
 
 inland joiirnoy of more than u day's niaich, and saw the liigh 
 cliff's (tf the splendid rivof, wluch were named the Pidly IJanks 
 in honor of the Goveiiior in London, Sir Henry Pelly. The 
 Hudson's Bay (V)iii])any would have called it (Viniphell River, 
 but the unassuming explorer refused the honor. On reaching 
 the sti-eam the party made a raft and drifted a few miles down, 
 far enouijh to see the juamiitude ot the i-iver. On theii- return 
 to Lake Francos they found that their companions had erected a 
 house at Simpson's Tower, and the explorer called this, in honor 
 
 INDIANS AT r,A M( )NTAIONI';'S POST, LIAKI) KIVKR 
 
 of his l)irthj)lace, " Glenlyon House." Returning with his full 
 party, Campbell reached Fort Halkett, having Ijcen absent foui' 
 months. 
 
 THE GREAT EXPEDITION. 
 
 The result of Campbell's successful discovery was an order 
 from Sir George Simpson to estjiblish a trading post at the 
 source of the Liard. This was accomplished, and a post erected 
 at Frances Lake in 1841. In the following year birch bark was 
 brought up the river from Fort Liard, and sent during the 
 
10 
 
 winter by dog sleighs to Pelly Banks. Here in 1843 an estab- 
 lishment was erected and arrangements made for descending the 
 river by means of the canoe built at Pelly Banks. We give 
 the story of the commencement of his great voyage on the river 
 in the words of the veteran explorer: 
 
 " Early in June, 1843, 1 left Frances L«'ke with some of the 
 men. Wo walked over the mountains to the Pelly Banks, and 
 shortly after started down stream in the canoe with the inter- 
 preter Hoole, two Frenf'h Canadians and three Indians. As we 
 advanced the river increased in size and the scenerv formed a 
 succession of picturesque landscapes. About twenty-five miles 
 from Pelly Banks we encountered a bad rapid — Hoole's — where 
 we were forced to disembark ev.erything. Elsewhere we had a 
 nice flowing current. Ranges of mountains flanked us (m both 
 sides ; on the right the mountains were generally covered with 
 wood ; the left range was more open, with patches of green 
 poplar running up its valleys and burnsides, reminding one of 
 the green brae-face of the Highland glens." 
 
 BAD INDIANS. 
 
 The beauty of the scenery and the joy of the explorers as 
 they floated down the enlarging Pelly cannot be described. But 
 their day-dream was rudely interrupted. They had reached the 
 juncture of the Pelly with the Lewis, as they called the new found 
 stream, and this was 400 or 500 miles from Pelly Banks. Here, 
 at the spot where afterwards Fort Selkirk was erected, was 
 encamped a band of " Wood Indians." This being the first band 
 of explorers down the Pelly, the Indians had never seen white 
 men before. The savages spoke loud, seemed wild and distant, 
 and although they smoked the pipe of peace yet were not to be 
 depended upon. It was the intention of Campbell to proceed 
 •further down the stream, but his hosts would not hear of it. 
 They depicted the dangers of the route, spoke of the Indians of 
 the lower river as being very treacherous, said they were 
 " numerous as the sand," and " would not only kill but eat the 
 white man." Campbell's men, alarmed by these tales, which were 
 only too true, would go no further ; and so throwing a sealed 
 
11 
 
 can into the river with word of his voyage, he turned his prow 
 up stream again. No sooner liad Campbell started Itack than 
 the Indians, showing greater hostility, stealthily followed the 
 party, and were very nearly falling upon the small band of 
 voyageurs. Two years afterwards the Indians informed Camp- 
 bell that they had intended to murder him and his crew. They 
 depicted very vividly how on one night when it was as clear as 
 day he had himself, while on guard, kept in his hand something 
 white. This had been a book, a religious work, of which he 
 was fond — " Hervey's Meditations," — some say it was the Bible. 
 This little book they had regarded as a charm, and it saved 
 his life. They told him that he had occasionally gone to the 
 river brink to drink, but that he drank from a horn cup. Had 
 he knelt down to drink they would certainly have killed him 
 and thrown him into the river. Campbell was in his religious 
 spirit in the habit of attributing his safety on this occasion to 
 the special care of his Heavenly Father. 
 
 DOWN THE PELLY. 
 
 The misadventure of the first voyage did not deter the 
 daring fur traders from seeking out the river again. The 
 winters were spent in trading between Frances Lake and Pelly 
 Banks, but in the summer, parties descended the river on hunting 
 expeditions, and brought back many a quarry of moose, deer 
 and bear, and supplies of the bighorns or mountain sheep, noted 
 for the delicacy of their flesh. The constant visits made to Pelly 
 banks led to much speculation as to whr.t the outlet of the Pelly 
 River was. Was it the Colville ? Or was it, as Campbell with 
 true prescience conjectured, the upper part of the Yukon ? It 
 was at length determined to place a foi't at the junction of the 
 Pelly and Lewis, the point reached on a former journey a few 
 vears before. 
 
 Having spent the winter before in building boats at Pelly 
 Banks, they sent their returns in early spring down to Fort 
 Simpson, and in July, 1848, started off with great expectation 
 to take possession of new territory. Reaching the junction of 
 the Pelly and Lewis they erected a fort, calling it Fort Selkirk. 
 
In this tlioro wa.s a niinarkaldo ('xanii)I(^ of tlio modestv of tlio 
 explorer. It was said that tlie head offiecr of the ('ompaiiy in 
 writiiif,^ to him called the fort ('aniphell's Fort, hut the sturdy 
 trader maintained that he knew no such fort, and insisted upon 
 calling- his post Fort Selkirk. For many yeai-s the fort, which 
 now lies in ruins, was known in the ret(ion as "('amphell's Fort." 
 
 IT IS THE YUKON! 
 
 While the ardent explorers, alon<i' the west of the moun- 
 tains, had been thus doini>' their work, another movement was 
 
 I'KKI.'S RIVHR I'OST (I'orl Mcl'lierson) 
 
 takiii*;' place down the Mackenzie river. 1'hat fine navinahh; 
 river was descended fi'om Fort Simpson, and its mouth reached 
 on the; Arctic ocean. One of the i-iveis Howiji^- into the delta 
 is the Peel. (join^- up this a short <listance, the traders had 
 come to a point where, by a portage of ninety miles, they were 
 able to reach the Porcupine river, and descendino- this the}' 
 came upon the grand river of Alaska, the Yukon. Thus reach- 
 ing the Junction of the Porcupine and Yukon in 1847, the 
 Hudson's Bay Company's trader, A. H. Murray, ei-ected Fort 
 Yukon, and entered upon the fur trade of the Company. This 
 advance movement of the Company had been encouraged by the 
 
loasinj^' soiik' t'u^ht yviivs Ixt'orc of the sti'ip from 54 40' on the 
 const up to Mount St. Klias l»y tlic llussians to tlic Hudson's 
 Bay Company. 
 
 In l(Sr)() Campboll olitained jx'rmi.ssion from Sic Oeoi-i^c 
 Simpson to descend tlic livcr from Fort Selkirk, conlident that 
 he would find it to he the Vidvon. Accomphshin^ a journey 
 from tlie liei^iit of hind of about 1,200 uiiK-s, Campbell proved 
 his surmise correct. From Fort ^'ukon he a.scended tlu^ Porcu- 
 pine in compMny with Murray, crossed on foot to the Peel river 
 and thence ascendini^' tlu; Mackenzie reached Fort Simpson. He 
 
 
 
 
 "^^^ ^^^^^1^^^ ->'^^V^^^^V^fl^^F 1 
 
 
 
 
 ^HHHHiHiiiiii 11 iilil 1 liliiiii"iiiiiHiillii»ii|jiiiflBliiyiiM 
 
 ^^'>. 
 
 
 KORT GOOD HOPK (Mackenzie Rivcv^ 
 
 refei's Vv'ith oreat <j;-lee to the surprise of liis friends seeing' him 
 retui-n to the fort u)) the i\racken/ie instead of down the Liard, 
 as he had been wont to come. The ditHculty of the Liard route 
 may be .seen from the fact that the regular Hucison's Bay Com- 
 route for transportintj the Pelly river furs was by w ay of the 
 Yukon, Porcupine and up the Mackenzie river. 
 
 (■amplx'U, on reachino- the junction of the Pelly and Lewis, 
 built his fort, and for a short time itpromi.sed to be an important 
 centre, but in 1S52 a thieving band of coast Indians, called the 
 Chilkats, made a raid upon Fort Selkirk, plundered and shortly 
 afterwards destroyed it, so that to this day ruins may be seen 
 
14 
 
 at the junction of the the rivers mentioned. After this destruc- 
 tion, Campbell made one of the most marvellous journeys on 
 r»'Cord, walking the whole distance h'om Fort Simpson to Fort 
 (Jarry on snowshoes, which is not less than 2,000 miles. He 
 then pushed on on foot to Red Wing, Miiniesota. 
 
 LATER LIFE 
 
 In 1853, Campbell visited England, and there, under his 
 direction, maps were prepared by Arrowsmith of the region 
 explored by him. To few men has been vouchsafed the privilege 
 of naming the important points in so large a region as Campbell 
 thus described. The rivers and more notable points were 
 named by him after his own acquaintances in the Company, or 
 from the places in his native valley in Perthshire. Such names 
 as McMillan, Lewis, White and Stewart, given to large tribu- 
 taries of the Yukon, are illustrations of this. Much indignation 
 was aroused a few years ago by a worthless subaltern in the 
 United States Army, Lieut. Schwatka, attempting, after going 
 over Campbell's ground, to rename the places fixed in Arrow- 
 smith's map years before by our explorer. 
 
 — s After returning from Scotland, Campbell was sent back to 
 the Athabasca (district, where he remained till 1863. During 
 the latter part of this time his lonely abode was made joyful by 
 the arrival of a brave Scottish lady, Miss Eleonora Sterling, who 
 came in company with her sister, but otherwise unattended, all 
 the way from Scotland to be his bride. The late Consul Taylor 
 used to describe with great animation this heroic journey of the 
 Scottish lassies whom he had seen, as they made their overland 
 journey from St. Paul to Fort Garry of upwards of 400 miles, 
 and then courageously pushed on to go 400 miles further north 
 to Norway House to be met by Campbell from his far off post 
 in Athabasca. Robert Campbell was most devoted to his wife, 
 and she gave him two sons and a daughter. The writer well 
 remembers him in 1871, when he had received a few weeks before 
 the news of the death of his wife, who had gone home to Edin- 
 burgh. The old fur trader seemed as if he were in a dream, 
 dwelling on the terrible loss he had sustained. 
 
16 
 
 After remaining his full term in Athabasca, Campbell re- 
 moved east on his appointment to the cliarfije (tf the Swan River 
 district. Here he was in charge till 1871, when he retired from the 
 service with the rank of Chief Factor. His children were educated 
 in Edinburgh, and he spent the time in coming and going from tlie 
 land of his biith to the western land where he had seen so many 
 adventures. In 1H80, he took up land in Riding Mountain, 
 Manitoba, erected buildings upon it, and to this home f^C'/e the 
 name Merchiston Ranch. It was his delight to come down once 
 or twice a year to Winnipeg, attend to necessary business and 
 spend a few weeks meeting old friends and recalling old times. 
 This was his life till May 9th, 1894, when he passed away after 
 a short illness at the ripe age of 86 years and a few months. 
 He was buried at Kildonan, a large company of old friends 
 following him to his tomb. 
 
 OUR ESTIMATE. 
 
 As we examine his life and recall his character, we are 
 impelled to give an estimate of our old friend, Robert Campbell : 
 
 (1) He was a man cast in an heroic mould. His bravery, 
 decision of character, honesty of purpose, and devotion to duty 
 stand out prominently during the period of nearly 40 years in 
 which he served the Hudson's Bay Company. 
 
 (2) His deeply religious nature maintained its fervor and 
 devotion during the long period of service among heathen 
 savages in the far west, and among scenes of competitive trade 
 and at times debauchery and even bloodshed. It was his 
 delight in earlier days to pay visits to Kildonan, and in his later 
 years to the Church of his fathers in Winnipeg. He was a 
 friend of all good men, and was a man of singular modesty. 
 
 (3) Though marrying somewhat late, he was exceedingly 
 domestic in his habits and was intensely devoted to his wife and 
 children. His success as a fur trader was recognized by his 
 company; he was always a favorite of Sir George Simpson ; and 
 he was singularly free of the arts by which subordinates seek to 
 ingratiate themselves with their superiors. 
 
 (4) His work as an explorer gave him his highest distinc- 
 
 '^CV^^'^ 
 
tion. To this his urdcnt Hi^hhmd luituri' <^<iv(' him a hiiis ; tlie 
 love of adventure whs strong in him ; he hm^hod nt (hiii;^erH 
 which would have dctcrnMl other men. lie had a <;i'eat faculty 
 of mana<iiit<; Indians; and was highly n-gardcMl hy them. Tlu* 
 <^lory of heing the diseovercr of the rj)|i(r Yukon, the river of 
 nolden sands, will ever he his. 
 
 (5) He was an ornament to the Hud.son's liay (*om])any'.s 
 service, which retained a hioh standard among' its officers. It 
 affords the writ«n* pleasure to testify, having had a large 
 ac(|uaintance with the officei's and men of the ('ompany, that 
 few, if any, hodies have ever retained a higher standard oi" honor, 
 honesty and resj>ectal>ility, among their men than the old ('om- 
 pany of 250 years standing, which ])reHerved peace among the 
 wandering trihes of Indians, ke|.'t the British thig flying from 
 Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean, and worthily earneil the 
 title of the Honoralde the Hud.son's Bay (■omi)any. 
 
 A VOTE OF THANKS 
 
 Mr. K. N. L. JMcDonald, who had been in the service of the 
 Hudson's Bay (^jmpany and had traded in the Liard and 
 Stikine river districts, and also on the Yukon, Porcupine 
 a!id McKenzie Rivers, moved a vote of thanks to Dr. Bryce for 
 his ahly prepared and interesting ])aper on the life and work of 
 the late Rohert Cpnipbell of the H. B. C'o.'s .seivice. This was 
 seconded 1»y the Rev. C-anon Coouibes, and unanimously carried. 
 Mr. McDonald spoke of the feelings of loyalty he experienced on 
 his passing the site of old Dc.rio Post on Dease Lake in 1887,a povst 
 estaltlished by Mr. Campbell inl888and abandoned so soon by him. 
 His admiration for one of the most intrepid explorers of the 
 North-We.st of this country, led him to empty his Winchester re- 
 peating rifle of her 15 charges as a tribute of honor and respect. 
 He further alluded to his having di.scovered some old papers 
 which Mr. Campbell had given to .some Indians in the winter of 
 LS38 and 1889. These Indians had evidently considered the.se 
 papers of some value,for they very carefully put them in the inside 
 of birch bark, neatly tied up with sinew, and left them in charge of 
 a Mr. Callbreath at Telegraph Creek. He was fortunate enough 
 
17 
 
 to Hccm-o tlu'Hc |)H))cr.s. Tlu' lii-st two wero sini|ily ivcciptsorsoinc 
 firicd meat and fish, hut thi- third out; \\i\s iiiii<|ii(' in its way 
 and MiiMut.stive. It read in this iimnncr : " This old scoiin hvl 
 wishfH inn to <^W(> him a ciM'titicatf* of charactci' lie has l.ccn 
 try inn' to starve ,i,„| miinh'r nir all winter.- lictlicrt ( 'aniphell." 
 These |)a|)ers were sent to Mr. (aniphell, and it wns aniusinH- to 
 find some time afterwards that, at a han(|net yiven to hini in 
 Montreal, it was reported tlint these papers were found hv Mr. 
 Cliief Factor .McKarlane on the Skeena h'iv'i. 
 
 Lieutenant Sehwatka, commisaioned li\- the l. S. (iovern- 
 
 AllANDoXlsl) I'OST iToiiii Kiver. I.i.in 
 
 mont, went over what is now known as the l)ye;i Pass, dcscendeil 
 
 the Lewis River to its junction with the I'elly iit Fort Selkii'k, 
 
 and thence on to the coast. Ho iu-iu)re(l the names of j)laces 
 
 jjjiven by Mr. (^imphell years liefore, and in Ids liook cooll\- 
 
 alluded to Mr. Camphe'l in these words: "A man nainrd 
 
 (^imiihell is said to have passed here some v^'Afs-aao." 
 
 Mr. ( 'aniphell in hiTs 'ti:«X(;l-^ jnul exijfoi'af'JMfis had not a 
 ... :»,.,<-. ,-.*■ <-i>.,.. .. .^,',.1-!..v. ...♦.t.:^*.....*."! ...,i.i.. 1.;,.. 4... i...\. 
 
<iuipH wi- linvf tt»-(|iiy Ity tln' ("uiindiiiM iiii'l ('. S. ( invcmuii'iitM, 
 
 Mr. ('iiiii|>Ik'11 wjis iiotoiily mi inticpi"! explorer ami iinie- 
 fiiti;iiil»lt' ti'HVcller, l.ul lie was ns well n imiii <.!' deep, stntiiy' 
 n'li<iioUM cMMvictious, mikI tn sliow liis sympatliy l'«»r the Imliaiis 
 nf tlie Vllknii Valley lie ill his will ^i'ave 81 ,000 t<. t he missiun 
 work out there, of wliieli my l.r..tlier. Ai-eh<li')ieoii MeDoimM, 
 hail charu'e lor iiiaiiv years. 
 
 Mr. Camphell estahlishe.l Koit Selkirk in IMS. This post 
 was i)illu"e(l liv the Chilkat iiuliaiis iii hSa^. ami W!i> hiinied 
 down in IS."»:I. Mr. Cainphell. in the aiitinnn of iN.Vi, eaine up 
 to Kort Simpson, at the mouth <>f the Liaid liver, and in the 
 winter of \>^n'2 and LSoM walked out on suowshoes to Koi-t (Jarry, 
 now W'innipe;^', as mentioned in th«' pajn-r. 
 
 NoTK- Dr. Brycf wishes to aoknovvlcdge his in(lehte<hiess to Mr. C. C. 
 Chipnmn, Couiiiiissiom-r of the Umlson's Hay Company at Winnipeg, tor 
 thf use of llu- views fi..iii which the ilhistratioiis of this paper are tna«le. 
 
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