Volume 1

iogr.
234 CAMERON DYING—THE DUCHARMES.
him in any danger until, after breakfasting with him, on
bidding him adieu the tears started in his eyes. I proposed
to delay my departure, if he thought I could be of any
service, but he urged me to set off without him, as he knew
that my affairs required me to return ; he said he hoped to
be able to follow me in a few days. I left him Lagasse and
two horses, and desired Cotton to get a sleigh made for
him, that he might come on the first fall of snow. Poor
fellow ! We parted never to meet again in this world. I
overtook two men I had sent ahead on foot, and X. Y. Stit,
who was going to X. Y. Ducharme.'^ We stopped at our
old encampment. Jist. Before daybreak we were off in
the dark ;
got lost, and did not find our way until daylight.
At twelve o'clock we arrived at Riviere aux Marais, the
men on foot ; Stitt with his two men arrived late in the
afternoon, very much fatigued. Met an express with
letters from the northward. It will be necessary for me to
make a trip as soon as possible to all my other outposts.
Sunday, Jan. ist, 1804.. A dull and gloomy New Year's
'5 Ducharme is an old and numerously represented name in Canadian history,
in and out of the fur-trade. Jean Marie Ducharme, b. ca. 1723, was living at
Lachine near Montreal on the invasion of 1775-76 ;
became a trader at Michilimackinac
and elsewhere ; took a prominent part in the disturbances of 1780,
"I'annee du grand coup " ;
returned to Lachine ca. 1800 ;
became blind, and
d. there ca. 1803 : in Tasse, I. pp. 341-350. He had a brother Dominique,
a cousin Laurent, and three sons, Joseph, Dominique, and Paul.
Dominique ist was associated with his brother in various enterprises. Dominique
2d became a trader, was Indian agent at Lac des Deux Montagnes, and
took part in the war of 18 12 : see Tasse, I. p. 355. Joseph was also a trader.
Laurent Ducharme is historical. He witnessed the Michilimackinac massacre,
June 4th, 1763, of which he had warned Major Etherington unavailingly ; and
had a trading house on Milwaukee r. in 1777. In 1857 Paul Ducharme was
ca. 87 years old, and had been at Bale Verte over 60 : Tasse, I. p. 356.—For
Ducharme was with
others of the same name but different families : One
Thompson on the Saskatchewan in June, 1800.—Antoine Ducharme appears as
voyageur N. W. Co., Fort Dauphin, 1804.—Nicholas Ducharme, guide N. W.
Co. in 1804, Fort Dauphin, was a witness in the Semple case at Toronto, Oct.
1818.—Pierre Ducharme is listed as voyageur N. W. Co., Upper Red r., 1804,
and may or may not be same as the Pierre
Assiniboine in 1794.
Etienne Ducharme who was on the