Statement respecting the Earl of Selkirk's Settlement of Kildonan ...

ATPENDIX.[B. ]111iM R. Miles Macdonnell, who was governor of thedistrict of Ossiniboia, and had charge of the Red Riversettlement, expected a considerable addition of newsettlers in the Autumn of 1814, and being apprehensivethat a scarcity of |)rovisions miglit be felt, if earlymeasures were not taken to obtain a sufficient quantity,he (inthe montri of January of that year) gave noticeto the traders, both of the Hudson's Bay and North-West Companies, that, at the opening of the navigation,no more provisions would be allowed to be carried outof the district, than what migbi- be requisite for theconsumption of those traders ,it being, as he thought,an indispensable duty in him to provide for the residentinhabitants of the district.The traders of both Companies,who had collected provisions from the Indians(from whom they are generally procured), were to bepaid a fair price for such as he retained. The HudsonJBay traders accordingly delivered up their surplus provisions;but those of the North-West Company refused,and attempted to carry out of the district all the provisionsthey had collected. Upon this, Mr. MilesMacdonell issueda warrant, under which a seizure ofprevisions was made by Mr. Spencer, the sheriff.Thisproceeding gave rise to considerable discussions betweenMr. MilesMacdonell and Mr. Duncan Cameron, andothers of the North-VVest Company ; and upon theirrepresenting that their trade would sutler in other partsof the country, if deprived of these provisions, an agreementwas entered into, the purport of which was, thatthe North-West Company should retain the quantityrequisite for their trade at that time, and should supplytA"ll