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

l^>'r:the regiments of70Dc Mciirou, Wutteville, and theGlengary Fcncibles in Canada, were reduced.The privates, as well as the officers, were entitled,on their discharge, tohave lands assigned them inthe Canadas, in which case the men (of the twofirst mentioned regiments) were not to be broughthome to Europe. Nearly two hundred of theMeuron Regiment remained in America, and ofthese about eighty, together with four gentlemenwho had been oflicers in the regiment, instead ofremaining in Canada, preferredgoing to the RedRiver settlement with the Earl of Selkirk. HisLordship entered intoregular written agreementswith each of these men, in like manner as he haddone with his other settlers, and labourers at thecolony.—They were to be paid at a certain rate permonth for navigating the boats up to Red River;—were to have lands assigned to tluin at thesettlement ;—and, if they didnot chuse to remainthere, they were to have a free passage back toMontreal, or, if they preferred it, were to be conveyed,at his Lordship's expense, to Europe, by theway of Hudson's Bay. Besides the dischargedsoldiers of the regiment of Meuron, there wereabout twenty of that of De Watteville, whoengaged on similar terms. A few of the GlengaryFencibles, with one of their officers, also joinedhim. When these men were discharged, they wereno longer soldiers,—They retained their clothing, asis usu 1 in such cases, and Lord Selkirk furnished