Red River or St. Lawrence. In that
memorable departure, in which it is said
the other settlers were willing, like the
Egyptians of old, to give their choicest
possessions in order that they might be
rid of those removing, there were two
hundred and forty-three De Meurons,
Swiss and others who journeyed south-
ward.
“oLn TIME ROOMS."

Before giving an account of the native
elements of the population which sprang
out of the fur trade it may be well to re-
fer to certain movements growing out of
the coming of the old world immigrants.
It was not in 1881 for the first time that
a “boom” was seen on the Red River.
The Hudson's Bay Company has been
much blamed for not opening up the
country and encouraging enterprise. We
shall see this to have been an opinion un-
just to them. Immediately after the
union of the two fur companies in 1821 a
company to manufacture cloth from butfalo
wool was started. This, of course, was a
mad scheme. but there was a clamor that
work should befoundfor the hungry immi-
grants. The Company began operations
and every one was to have become rich.
$10,000 of money raised in shares was
deposited in the Hudson’s Bay Company
hands as the bankers of the “Buffalo
Wool Company”, machinery was obtain-
ed, and the people largely gave up agri-
culture to engage in killing buffalo and
collecting buffalo skins. Trade was to be
the philosophers stone. In 1822 the
bubble burst. It cost $12.50 to manu-
facture a. yard of buffalo wool cloth on
Red River.’ and the cloth only sold for
$1.10 a yard in London. The Hudson’s
Bay Company advanced $12,500 beyond
the amount deposited, and a few years
after was under the necessity of forgiving
the debt. The Hudson’s Bay Company
had thus its first lesson in encouraging
the settlers. The money distributed to
the settlers through the bankrupt com-
pany bought cattle for the settlers how-
ever, several hundred cattle having been
driven through from Illinois that year.
Lord Selkirk next undertook a Model
Farm for the benefit of the settlers.
Buildings, implements. and also a man-
sion, to cost $3,000, for the manager,
were provided. A few years of misman-
agement and extravagance brought this
experiment to an end also. and the noble
founder was $10,000 out of pocket. Such
was another scheme to encourage the
settlers. Driven to another experiment
by the discontent of the people, Governor
Simpson tried another Model Farm. At

l

a fine spot on the Assiniboine, farm dwel-
lings, barns, yards, and stables Were

_erecti-<l and fields enclosed, well bred
cattle were imported, also horses. The
farm was well stocked with implements.
lllisnianzigenient, however, again brought
its usual result, and after six years the
trial was given up. there having been a
a loss to the Company of $17,500.
Nothing daunted the Red River settlers
started the “ Assiniboine Wool Com-
pany,” but as it fell through upon the
first demand for payment on the stock, it
hurt nobody, and ended according to the
proverb with “much cry and little wool.”
Another enterprise was next begun by
Governor Simpson, “The Flax 8.: Hemp
Company,” but though the farmers grew
a plentiful quantity of these, the under-
taking failed and the crop rotted on the
fields. A more likely scheme for the en-
couragement of the settlers was now set
on foot by the Governor,viz.:a new sheep
speculation. Sheep were purchased in
Missouri, and after a journey of nearly
fifteen hundred miles, only two hundred
and fifty sheep out of the original four-
teen hundred survived the hardships of
the way. A tallow company is said to
have swallowed up from $3,000 to $5,000
for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and a
good deal of money was spent in opening
up a road to Hudson’s Bay. Thus was
enterprise after enterprise undertaken by
the company, largely for the good of the
settlers. If ever an honest effort was
made to boom an isolated and difficult
colony it was by the Hudson’s Bay Com-
pany here. I have not been slow else-
where to point out the part taken by the
company in the later years of the colony
to keep the country closed, but it is fair
to say that having spent so much fruit-
lessly for the colony, it was not strange
that the conclusion should have been
reached that the conditions were against
the colony.

OUTSTANDING HEN.

During these early days some names
deserve notice. Sir George Simpson, the
Governor, was a potentate in Rupert’s
Land. From 1821 to 1860 he kept his
position with a strong hand. He was
the soul of energy. He made. for some
forty times, the canoe journey from Mon-
treal to Red River, traveled in 1841 2
overland across America and through Si-
beria, and returned by way of Britain to
Canada, having begirt the earth. His
book was published five years after, but
the work of another hand than his own
is evident in its arrangement and prepa-
ration. Sir George scems to have been