Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-28
FROM THE sELKIRK SETTLEMENT
I CORRESPONDENTS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES.
VICINITY OF PEMBINA, LAKE WISNEpEc,
WEDNESDAY JUIy % 1876


WEDNESDAY, July %, 1852
According to promise, take up my pen to give YOU a
brief outline of facts which, they rather out of the
way may be Of more than ordinary interest your read
ers. suppose must have reached you prior to
the date Of this letter. relative to the rayages Of the
raordnary ireshet in the Red river of the North This
is the second great food since the founding of the colony
by the Earl of SELKRK in 1872 Twenty-six years ago.
dating from the 1st of May, the first food commenced
swelling, and it did not until houses fences and
cattle were all swept away. The rise then eighteen
inches higher than the recent one but the colony was
small and there not half SO great destruction Of
property This year it commenced swelling on the 9th
NJ May, and reached the highest point on the 25d The
tsuits are truly appalling Dwellings, fences crops and
k have been carried away and thousands of the in
haAtants without shelter and almost destitute of
Iood number of them have been dispatched to Canada
and Minnesota for aid
the Red river of the North has its sources near those
'ne mississippi and the ST. Peters, and flows through
valley northward into Lake Winnepec In seasons
water the British portion Of the Continent is sever
so se arumber of islands. The waters of the north
Lanz;a Columbia then mingle with those Of the Mac
lei 4oSs OF the Mackenzie through Lake Athabasca
nose or Lake Winnepec which is again connected
WIN tnose OF the St Peters, the Mississippi and Lake
The colony founded by the Earl Of sekirk in 1919
mo number Of Scotch and Orkney men TO settle
mere te the formation of the Northwest Fur-radinr
company which was organized in opposition to the Hud-
son Company the possession Of this spot became
as post in which might be coseted interme-
bas ~ ior the Journeys of the uoydfQrs to Atha
a@sv aaa r, sos6srn Orgon for years
povuy se ragged petwesn the rival eenpanias ito
exclusive occupation. This war was terminated by the
English Parliament in 1917, when the Northwest was
merged in the Bay Company.
The colony now contains near Ten thousand Inhabitants
the larger portion of whom Ass or habreeds. and
the remainder chiefly Of Scotch and Orkney origin They
cultivate wheat barley and the vegetables
to the climate Until recently large Quantities Of buffalo
meat were annually dried and smoked These animals
are now quite scarce and the cooniss to
pay attention to the of hogs and cattle Former
~ their only trade with the agents of the Bay Com
pany who visited them annually with goods groceries
and implements of husband for which they received in
exchange supplies of dried meat, fish, &c. for then pou
ages Within the last five years trade has been opened
with the inhabitants Of Minnesota and three en-
petitions for trading purposes have been made to St
Louis The colony was in thriving condition when
entered it upon the lst of May but the contrast is
most affectngly deplorable The labor of twenty-six
years in the construction of improvements has been lost
and is believed that two hundred thousand pounds ster
ling would scarce suffice to reinstae the inhabitants as
the flood found them.