Volume 1

PET BEAR—WILLIAM HENRY—VISIT TO LANGLOIS. 253
a hole, apparently desirous of taking up his winter quarters.
I got a place made for him, but he did not like it ;
although
snug and warm, he preferred making a place for himself.
He is so tame as to require no care or confinement, but
associates with the dogs, and even follows them and the
men into the plains and woods.
Nov. i8th. Laid up our canoes for the winter.
Nov. igth. William Henry * arrived on horseback from
Fort Alexandria ; continual derouines. Fire raging all over
the plains. 22d. Went to Hair hills; chased a drove of
bulls, fell from my horse, and narrowly escaped being killed
by the bull that turned upon my horse. 2jd. Sent a man
to Riviere la Souris.
Nov. 2^th. I found it necessary to visit a band of Mr.
Langlois' Indians, who were hunting beaver and bear in
the mountain about the sources of Salt river. I set off
with one man on horseback at midnight—light rain and
very dark—most favorable weather to escape the X. Y.,
who were on the watch. At daybreak we met a band of
Assiniboines going to Mr. Langlois with bear's meat, grease,
etc. Plains burned in every direction and blind buffalo seen
every moment wandering about. The poor beasts have all
* Two persons of the identical name are to be distinguished.—William Henry
above said was cousin to our Henry, and at this time a clerk in the N. W. Co.
He was at the lower fort on Swan r., near Lake Winnipegoosis, Oct. 29th,
1801, and no doubt wintered there or thereabouts ;
summered at Bird Mountain
fort 1802 ; wintered 1802-03-04 at Fort Alexandria, and summered there 1804;
wintered on Red r., at Sandy Hill r., 1806-07 ;
and his post on Red r. was
attacked by Sioux in the summer of 1808. He left for further W. in a year
or two, and was found by Thompson in charge of the N. W. Co. post at Cumberland
House, July 4th, 1810. He was in charge of a camp or outpost on
Athabasca r. in the winter of 1810-11. While on Canoe r., Sept. 22d, 1811,
Thompson learned that Wm. Henry had crossed the mts. by the Athabasca
portage, and found him with men and goods at Flat Heart r. next day.
Thompson makes Wm. Henry's camp of Oct. 4th, 1811, on Athabascan headwaters,
to be lat. 52° 53' 24" N. ; and Wm. Henry's house of May I2th, 1812,
to be lat. 52° 55' 16" N. We shall find Wm. Henry in chge. of a post on
Willamette r.,
in Oregon, winter of 1813-14.—William Henry, a hunter in the
service of the N. W. Co., with W. F. Wentzel, at a fort on Mackenzie r.,
starved to death there, winter of 1810-11.