Volume 1

PREVIOUS MANDAN TOURS NOTED. 301
back. Mr. F. A. La Rocque " has this post in charge for
X. Y. Co. had posts, which were abandoned in 1804. In that year they both
also had posts at the mouth of the river ; the N. W. Co. being in charge of
Andre Poitras, clerk N. W. Co., winter 1804-05 ;
probably the same as one
Poitra or Poitras who wintered at Fort Esperance, 1793-94. Present Fort
Ellice, on the W. side of the Assiniboine near the confluence of the Qu'Appelle,
at the mouth of Beaver or., was once called Beaver Creek fort. Bell renders the
name Ellis, and says that it "likely takes its name from the Hon. Edward
Ellis, who was chiefly instrumental in bringing the H. B. Co. and the N. W.
Co. into one corporate body." (Alexander Ellice of the X. Y. Co. signed the
Montreal agreement of Nov. 5th, 1804.)
"Franfois Antoine I.arocque, clerk N. W. Co., who led the Mandan expedition
of 1804, and wintered there with Lewis and Clark. He is the " Mr. Le
Rock " and " Mr. Laroche " of L. and C, ed. 1893, pp. 203, 213, 226, 228,
229, 240, 248, and has left us an interesting and valuable journal of 1804-05,
published in Masson, I. 1889, pp. 297-313. He had been with Harmon
at Forts Alexandria and Montagne a la Bosse in Oct., 1804, and left Fort Assiniboine
for the Mandans 2 p. m., Nov. Iith, 1804, with Chas. McKenzie,
clerk N. W. Co. ; J. Bte. Lafrance, clerk ; Wm. Morrison, Jos. Azure, J. Bte.
Turrenne, Alexis McKay, voyageurs, and nine horses ; arrived at the Mandans
3 p. m., Nov. 25th. Returning, he reached Fort Assiniboine 8 p. m., Feb. 12th,
1805. Again he left there, June 3d, 1805, with Chas. McKenzie, J. Bte. Lafrance,
and two voyageurs, under instructions to reach the Rocky mts., if possible
; but did not succeed in this attempt, and returned to his post Nov. i8th,
1805. Mr. Larocque was a brother of Joseph Larocque ; he married Miss
Cote, dau. of an independent trader and sister of Jules Maurice ; he left only
a son Alfred Larocque, who was father of M. le Chevalier Larocque, a papal
zouave ; of Armand Larocque ; and of Mrs. Alderic Ouimet, wife of a Speaker
of the House of Commons. Mr. F. A. Larocque left the N. W. Co. early,
entered upon business in Montreal, was unfortunate, and died at an advanced
age in the Gray Nunnery of St.
Hyacinthe.
Larocque was preceded in going to the Mandans by David Thompson, whose
never published journal is before me : see L. and C, ed. 1893, p. 197, and
Pike, ed. 1895, p. 167—upon which latter notice I can now enlarge. This tour
is in Book No. 9 of Vol. V. of the arrangement of his MS. in the Crown Lands
Dept. of Ontario, at Toronto. A list of his men on inside of cover is : Rene
Jussomme ;
Joseph Boisseau ; Hugh McCracken ; Alexis Vivier ;
Pierre Gilbert ;
Fran9ois Perreault ;
Toussaint Vaudril ; Louis Joseph Hool ;
Jean Baptiste
Minie. D. T. left McDonnell's Assiniboine house 9.30 a. m. Tuesday, Nov.
28th, 1797 ; reached Ash house on Mouse r. Dec. 7th, and made its position
49° 27' 32"N.; crossed R. au Saule or Willow r. Dec. i6th ; notes thermometer
minus 41° Dec. 20th, and had a terrible storm. " McCraghen " sick Dec. 21st,
and could not go on ;
reached usual crossing place of Mouse r. and struck across
country to Dog Tent hill ; froze his fingers on Christmas ; reached Missisourie r.
Dec. 29th ; one Murray, not in foregoing list, is named Dec. 30th. At the