, 1864-02-12

EcaFt-HcntIinE Particulars Of the
Fute If Three Cana
EuHtr{f.9 3fsye

From tho Victoria Colonist, December 1871
From Mr. John Giscome, just returned
from prospecting tour from :he mouth Of
tie Quennelle to distance $50 miles east Of
details Of the 3ntc Of a portion Of tho Cana
dinns WHO attempted to cross overland to
Caritoo, an incomplete account Of which
apr cured in the caoniM Of July IL:
s. Mhtle Minterlng at tcP Port George, about the
Gilbert md Thomas Rennie, arrived at l tic
fort in very weak state frum cold and want
Of food Thomas Rennic had lis feet frost
bitten. They reported that they had got on
rosk above Fort George, and bad left three
Of tEeir party behind III feeble state, with
only ten days provisions, adding their
the EtWo brothers had taken twenty eight
days 10 reach tho fort. Mr. Charles Judged.
from their description, that the accident had
taken place about ninety miles up. He
thertfole dispatched two indians in search.
bnt they returned, after few hours' nb-
scEcc, st5ting that tho weather vas too se-
ycro to attcmp It..
On tho 1et Of January the two Rcnnics
came to Giscome's cabin, and while there
four Indians arrived. Ore Of tile Rennics,
who spoke Freuc', inquired Of the Indians il
they had seen or heard Of the missing men.
They IcTl:cd That they had not come by the
Way Of the Frazer, but BY II nearer route. On
the following day the Indians left the fort,
protesting to return to the lake they had
come from. Alr. Giscomc, however, subsc-
quently learned from other Indians t1ltt at
certain point two Of tht four Indians went up
the river seeking for the unfortunate men,
whom they succeeded IN finding. Two Of
THIN (be1ieycd to bo He1stone and Nriglt)
were still alive. but had killed Vim. Rcnnie
(trother Of Gilbert aud Thomast, 0ud had
eaten all but his legs, which they held in
their hands when found, and were tearing
the raw flesh from the bones. Tie Indians
were going 10 light fire for them, when the
two men drew their pistols, and tic Mdi,ns
Ted, but did not return to give information at
the fort. This new g. did not reach the fort
nntil March, and The two Rennics, who had
htccme dtscontented with their fare ut Fort
George (Which was the very best 10 be had)
left at the end of January.
When Mr. Giscomc TIE abo3t to start on
his prospecting tour in April, Mr.. Charles told
him that from Information his wife had pro-
cured from tie Indians, he was afraid some of
tic Indians had murdered the last survivor,
and requested Giscome, should he proceed
n that way, to examine the samp particularly:
finding 1t high, the guido displayed grent re-
1uctance in taking the route which led to the
sCot, hut upon being we'll paid he consented
to go. Giscomc found the camp about lily
miles above Fort George, with the remains Of
two men, bnt the third was missing: Their
and everything else worth removing had been
carried OF BY tho Indians. Inside the camp,
In one corner, there lay q small pile Of bones,
carefully pr cked together; among them was
the skuil3o young man tsunposcd to be that
Of William Rcunic5 with the whole OF the
feet He also found the skull Of IN older man
which had eight prints Of IN IKE upon it
where It Ind evidently been chopped open.
Some Of the bones we're still bloody, and were
half chewcd ut the cn1s. Outside Of the
camp he found patch Of Rcnnie's hair still
his party collected the bones, dug q grave,
and buried them, leaving written notice In
case the spot should be visited by any other
persons.
subsequently, on the nrst1ake after leaving
the Ffazer, air. Giscolne Nas engaged in
writing few notes Of what he had seen to
Mr. Charles, when the Indians, who Ind u.s.
sisted In packing over the portage, became
rexed, and declared he was writing to say
tlat they had murdered the last man. Gis-
come appeased them, when one Of the num-
ber said be knew where the third man could
TIC camp, over rife, stripped of his clothes,
and several cuts from q hatchet on his head
and body. He promised to bury the body on
his way back, and from subsequent infoSma-
tfon las reason to believe he did SO.
At an Indian camp On the first lake, Gis-
young Indy in it, but no name to Indicate
which Of the party it belonged to, also, two
axes, spy-glass, and -so1nc camp utensils,
which the Indians said they had removed
from the camp, but they would not disclose
eT aeF sid 10 saa ney otend ot 1ae
cd taking. them to Mr.. Charles. It is not
known whether they did so or not, but that
gentleman has In Ills possession some Of what
Is supposed to be young Rennie's hair, and