t April, 1816, and again held Cameron as a
prisoner. Duncan Cameron was however a dangerous prisoner. His
ingenuity, courage, and force of character were so great that at any
time he might be the centre of a movement among the Metis. It was in
consequence decided that Duncan Cameron should be taken as a captive to
England by way of York Factory and be tried across seas. Colin Robertson
was instructed to conduct him to York Factory. No doubt this was a
reprisal for the arrest and banishment meted out to Miles Macdonell.
Cameron was delayed at York Factory on his way to England for more than
a year and after a short stay in Britain returned to Canada. He
afterwards obtained damages of L3,000 for his illegal detention.

[Illustration: FORT DOUGLAS From copy of a Pencil sketch made by Lord
Selkirk and obtained by the author]

But there was future trouble brewing all through the West.

The new Governor, however, unaware of the real state of matters in
Rupert's Land and probably ignorant of the claim of Canada to the West,
and of the force of a customary occupation of the land, procured with
high-handed zeal a further reprisal. Before Colin Robertson had gone to
conduct Cameron to York Factory the Governor and Robertson had discussed
the advisability of dismantling Fort Gibraltar. To this course
Robertson, knowing the irritation which this would cause to the
Nor'-Westers strongly objected. For the time the proposal was dropped,
but when Robertson had gone, then the Governor proceeded with a force of
thirty men to pull down Gibraltar, which was done in a week. The
stockade was taken down, carried to the Red River and made into a raft.
Upon this was piled the material of the buildings, and the whole was
floated to the site of Fort Douglas and used in erecting a new structure
and fully completing the Fort which John McLeod had begun. The same
aggressive course was pursued under orders from the Governor in regard
to Pembina House which was captured, its occupants sent as prisoners to
Fort Douglas, and its stores confiscated for the use of the Colony. The
spirit shown by Governor Semple, it is suggested, had something of the
same treatment as that given to the Colonists by the official classes in
England against which Edmund Burke burst out with such vehemence in his
great orations.

Governor Semple's course would not satisfy Colin Robertson nor would it
have been approved by Lord Selkirk. The course was his own and fully did