Volume 1

VARIOUS BRIGADES EN ROUTE. 277
June nth. Lake Winipic brigade passed—seven men
per canoe. I returned to Bas de la Riviere in a small boat,
with Plante and Hamel.
June ijth. Messrs. Ferguson '* and Campbell off in a
boat in the lake.
June lyth. Messrs. McLeod " and J.
McKenzie " arrived
in two canoes from Athabasca.
" Alexander Ferguson or Farguson appears as an employee of the N. W. Co.,
in 1799 !
probably not the Mr. Ferguson above said.— " Mr." Ferguson of the
N. W. Co. arr. at Fort Alexandria, Sept. ist, 1804, from Fort Dauphin,
"Archibald Norman McLeod, who became a personage in the N. W. Co.
Thompson names "Archibald McCloud" as elk. N. W. Co., " for Montreal,"
at Grand Portage, July 22d, 1797 ; he also notes that " Mr. McCloud" arrived
at Sault Ste. Marie with Alex. McKenzie, May 26th, 1798, left June ist, and
arrived at Grand Portage June 7th. He was a proprietor, Fort Dauphin Dept.
in 1799, and in charge of Swan River Dept. in 1800. He left Encampment
isl. in Lake Winnipegoosis, Sept. ist, 1800, to go to Lac Bourbon (present
Cedar 1., on the Saskatchewan), returned Sept. 6th, and started next day for
Swan r. He wintered 1800-01 at Fort Alexandria on the Assiniboine, and
was at the N. W. house on Swan r., May 20th, 1801, en route to Grand Portage.
He returned to Fort Alexandria, Sept. 27th, 1801. (See these dates in
Harmon, who says that Alexander McLeod, half-breed son of A. N. McLeod,
by a Rapid Indian woman, was in his fifth year in July, 1801). He wintered
there or thereabouts, and on May 17th, 1802, passed Bird Mountain fort, en
route to Grand Portage, and expected to go to the Athabasca Dept. next.
Doubtless he did so, as Harmon speaks of addressing a letter to him there,
Jan. 27th, 1803. On July 12th, 1805, he was en route frorn Kaministiquia to
Athabasca ;
in July, 1807, he was en route from Athabasca to Kaministiquia.
He passed Fort Dunvegan on Peace r. Oct. 7th, 1809, en route across the
Rocky mts. to New Caledonia (British Columbia).
From the foregoing is to be distinguished Alexander McLeod, who was also
in the Athabasca region for some years. His activities appear to be of earlier
date than those of A. N. McLeod. " Mr." McLeod wintered at Fort Chipewyan,
1789-90, continuing the building. Alex. McLeod was found by Thompson
on the Missinipi June r3th, 1797, en route for Grand Portage, and July
20th, 1797, on the Height of Land near that place. " Mr." McLeod arrived at
Grand Portage July 2d, 1798, from Athabasca or English r.,
left for Athabasca,
July loth, left Rainy Lake house July 23d, left Winnipeg house July 31st, and
was on the Missinipi Aug. 25th, 1798. "A." McLeod was at the fort near
the forks of Peace r. Jan., 1803, and went below with Mr. Stuart, May 6th, 1803.
'*
James McKenzie of the N. W. Co.—distinguish from J.
McKenzie
of the H. B. Co., with whom Henry had such a good time, June 4th. See
note '*, p. 216.