Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-01-02
DOMESTIC.
From the Awora.
NORTH WEST COMPANY.

correspondent has furnished us with
,ba foNowng information Earl SelSirls
haS,;,,r n,,;-"l,ased of the HadsoH's Bay
' Iomgqny of vl,iS-i, he is alarge proprietor,
-, extensive tract on country within the
limits of their charter ha.-, been Tor Sc
veral years actively engaged III .,"hiihS
a colony I'm that remote region. In prose,
cutting this object, he has encountered
difficulties which to mind less resoiutc
and enterplising, would have been. insu-
, perable. When the location OF his set
element is considered, that alone presents
the most formidable obstruction. his
purchase lies in Rnpert's hih,t west OF
Lake Superior, and extends from the SD
to the 10th degree, n. latitude. 1t Is 81
fuated on the west side and southern ex-
fremity of Lake Winnipeg. has principal
settlement is at the forks OF the lied III
syer about 40 miles from its entrance into
Lake Winnipeg.
There are three routes toapproach this
settlement. either of which is extremely
difficult and laborious.
i. From York factory, at lludson's bay,
y I'D chain OF streams Astounding with
1 shoals aud distractions between that aud
} lake Winnipeg, and up Red river TO the
= forks. the distance is 725 niles--tIiree
hundred of which are through lake Wlnnl-
peg. =
}, Rake Superior, by tie way OF the grand
+ portage and the lake OF the Woods, TO
lake Winnipeg, and thence to Red River
GA miles.
the Mississippi, 100 miles. Thus from
the head Of navigable waters, tins place
could not be reached by less distance
A !. fro m
9habited only by Indians, IT was necessa-
wv to cenyey stores of provisions and all
accessories for year-this could not be
convened by land and the principal part
of the settlers with boats and canoes, at
ter incredible labor in conveying them o.
yer falls. shoals and portages, reached
theirdestination byway of lake Winnipeg,
and the disconnected waters between
that and Hudson's Bay, at which place
they landed from vessels which conveyed
them from Scotland.
In 1918, this settlement, notwiihstand-
ing the natural difficulties tobe overcome,
had become hourishng, although III about
The 5Oth degree oflatitude, the soil Is fer
tile and the crops are abundant.
His settlement soon attracted tile no.
tice of the North Western Fur Company,
between whom and the Hudsons BAY
Company 4 rtvalSnip hdi io'o eAi9tc"'
In this remote region, without Tue limits
of Canada. law and equity are disregard
ed and force alone decides the issue
Lerd Selkirk anticipating some distur-
bance, had provided sreratPieces cfca"non
and other means of defence for the pro-
lection of the settlement
In 1915 this settlement was attacked by
a horde of rutiians, disguised as Indians,
/, and the settlement and all the crops con
sumed. Who the perpetrators were, OF
this act, has not clearly appeared-butno
doubt exists i'll the minds OF the people
in that quarter, that il WAS done at the
instigation of the agents of the North
west company for some cf'th cannon cap
TIRED have since been found i'll one of the
!. stores belonging to that company.
The settlement was again commenced,
and Sel<irI exerted himself To get III an
additional number of emigrants, and had