. These, however, he complains, were very badly constructed through
the clumsiness and lack of skill of the Colonists and Company employees,
whom he had ordered to build them.

Now on July fourth, 1812, Governor Macdonell, his Colonists, and the
Hudson's Bay officials--Cook and Auld--are all gazing wistfully up the
Nelson and Hayes Rivers, and we have the postscript to the last letter
as found in Miles Macdonell letter book, sent to Lord Selkirk, reading,
"Four Irishmen are to be sent home; Higgins and Hart, for the felonious
attack on the Orkneymen; William Gray, non-effective, and Hugh Redden,
who lost his arm by the bursting of a gun given him to fire off by Mr.
Brown, one of the Glasgow clerks."

(Signed) H. MacD.

The expedition left York Factory for the interior on the 6th of July,
1812.

CHAPTER V.

FIRST FOOT ON RED RIVER BANKS.

The weary winter passing at Nelson Encampment had its bright spots.
Miles Macdonell in the building erected for himself, on the south side
of the Nelson River, kept up his mess, having with him Mr. Hillier,
Priest Bourke, Doctor Edwards, and Messrs. John McLeod, Whitford and
Michael Macdonell, officers and clerks. Those Immigrants who took no
part in the rebellion fared well. True, the scurvy seized several of
them, but proved harmless to those who obeyed the orders and took
plentiful potations of spruce beer. With the opening year a fair supply
of fresh and dried venison was supplied by the Indians. In April upwards
of thirty deer were snared or shot by the settlers. Some three thousand
deer of several different kinds crossed the Nelson River within a month.
"Fresh venison," writes Macdonell, "was so plenty that our men would not
taste salt meat. We have all got better since we came to Hudson Bay."

But as in all far northern climates the heat was great in the months of
May and June, and Governor and Colonists became alike restless to start
on the inland journey.

The passing out of the ice in north-flowing rivers is always wearisome
for those who are waiting to ascend. Beginning to melt farther south,
the ice at the mouth is always last to move. Besides, the arrival was
anxiously awaited of Bird, Sinclair and House. By continuous urging of
the dull and inefficient workmen to greater effort, Miles Macdonell had
succeeded in securing four boats--none too well built--but commodious
enough to carry his boat-crews, workmen, and Colonists.

Though Macdonell sought for the