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PREFACE
THE present volume is
an enlargement of a paper the writer had prepared on Aboriginal History,
embodying facts which, on account of the light they throw-on the manners
and customs of the natives in pre-European times, he thought it well to
preserve for posterity As he went on in his studies, he soon discovered
that only a part of the history of British Columbia had so far been
written; that which is most interesting and, from a certain point of
view, most important, has to this day never been presented to the
public. Who knows, for instance, that long before Victoria and New
Westminster had been called into existence, the province had been
settled in a way, and had possessed a regular capital—at Stuart
Lake—whence a representative of our own race ruled over reds and whites?
Not one in a thousand Canadians or even British Columbians, The record
of these times and ways of life which are irrevocably past has never
been written, not to say published, and the only author who has ever
touched on some of the events with which we will soon entertain the
reader, Hubert Howe Bancroft, is so irretrievably inaccurate in his
remarks that his treatment of the same might be considered well-nigh
worthless. Nay, two months have scarcely elapsed since there was issued
in this city, under the auspices of that same Hudson’s Bay Company to
which we shall have so frequently to refer, a little pamphlet, in which
we read that “although McKenzie came west . . . in 1793, it was not
until thirty years later (or in 1823) that the first post was
established in British Columbia." What of the six most important forts
which flourished long hefore that date in the northern interior of the
province, and whose aggregate formed one of the most valuable districts
under the management of the fur-traders? Yet, if any set of individuals
ought to be familiar with the early history of British Columbia, it must
surely be the members of that trading corporation, whose immediate
predecessors discovered and kept under sway more than half of its
territory.
This apparently unaccountable ignorance shall be our excuse for offering
the present volume to the kind appreciation of Canadian and other
readers. The originality of the material of which it is mainly composed
and the novelty of the scenes it records have, in our humble opinion,
rendered it imperative that we should enter into details and tarry on
minor facts which, under other circumstances, might well have been
passed over with a brief mention. We have aimed at giving a faithful
picture uf the times, persons and places of which we have written. The
reader will judge of the degree of success which our efforts have met
with.
It is hardly necessary to mention that none of the letters and other
manuscript documents we quote from was written with a view to meet the
critical eyes of modern readers. Therefore it is but fair to remark
that, out of consideration and regard for the proprieties of grammar and
orthography, we have occasionally taken slight liberties—though as
seldom as possible—with the recorded utterances of the Hudson’s Bay
Company and other writers, while religiously conserving their sense or
meaning.
Had it not been for the courtesy of Mr. A. C. Murray, the gentleman in
charge of Fort St. James, on Stuart Lake, this little work could never
have been made what it is. For the generous access he gave us to all the
old papers, letters, journals, account books, and memoranda in his
keeping, we beg to return our sincerest thanks. The same is also due to
such gentlemen as the Hon. Senator R. W. Scott, Secretary of State for
Canada, who kindly put at our disposal a photograph of the first British
Columbian, Simon Fraser, whose portrait has hitherto never appeared in
print; to Messrs. R. E. Gosnell and E. Scholefield, of Victoria, for the
loan, by the former, of a volume of unpublished letters by the pioneer
traders and the blocks of some illustrations, and for the readiness with
which the latter laid open for our benefit the well-guarded riches of
the Legislative Library at the provincial capital. Finally, the services
of Archbishop Orth, of Victoria, call likewise for public
acknowledgment, as do also those of Messrs. A. P. Mclnnes, of
Alexandria; G. Hamilton, an old Hudson’s Bay Company officer; James
Bain, D.C.L., the obliging Librarian of Toronto, and last, though not
least, Bernard McEvoy, the well-known poet and journalist, who so kindly
lent us his valued aid in seeing the work through the press.
Vancouver, B.C., July, 1905.
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CONTENTS
Introduction.
The Country and Its Aborigines.
7he Country and Its Aborigines.—Boundaries—Flora—Lakes and streams—Fish
and game—Various native tribes—Manners and customs of the same—Their
probable origin—Original seat of the Babines.
Chapter I. Earliest Historical Times 1660 - 1765
Earliest Historical Times.—Na’kwcel and his iron axe—Lost and found
—Quick with his bow—His son killed by his wives—Prompt retribution—A
great patriarch—Chinlac and its sad fate—Spitted through the ribs—A raid
on the Chilcotins—Battling with spear and armor—Why Khalhpan could not
dance.
Chapter II.
Still Pre-European Times.—A new chieftain—A dishonorable
adventure—Stuart River massacre—K’wah tries to avenge it—A successful
attack—Between “ two fires”—Hostile reception of the victors— K’wah
becomes a gambler—Blood pays for an insult—Firearms first heard of—The
Beavers oppress the Sekanais—The latter retaliate.
Chapter III.
Discovery by Alexander Macksnzie.—The. fur-trade in the east—Alexander
Mackenzie—He crosses the Rockies—Liquor in great demand —He ascends the
Parsnip River—First intercourse with the Carriers —Dread on both
sides—An exciting episode—Panic and discouragement—A blind man opens the
eyes of the adventurers—All’s well that ends well.
Chapter IV.
First Foundations.—Mackenzie turns litterateur—Simon Fraser—First view
of Stuart Lake—P'raser prepares his great expedition—Difficulties from
nature and from men—A well named river—The Fraser—Ready, ye warriors
!—Surprise and consternation—First trading—Lake Stuart—Its
aborigines—-Errors of Bancroft and others.
Chapter V.
Founding and Exploring.—Erecting a new fort —The pioneers starve—And
then complain of their abundance—Fraser Lake—A large bill
—Reinforcements—Fort George founded—Disagreeing authors all in the
wrong—Fraser’s trip to the sea-coast—“Awful and forbidding appearance ”
of the river—Native ladders for a trail along an abyss—The river not the
Columbia—Bancroft unfair to Fraser.
Chapter VI.
Stuart and Harmon at Stuart Lake.—Stuart succeeds Simon Fraser— Harmon
comes to Stuart Lake—The first drunken orgy—’Kwah is chastised—Cremation
of a Carrier—Harmon and McDougall go to Babine—Received with a display
of war clubs and axes—The very first mail within British
Columbia—Stuart’s shortcomings—Massacres and murders—Conflict between
the rival companies—Amalgamation of the latter.
Chapter VII.
The Hudson!s Bay Company in New Caledonia.—The Company’s Charter—Its
organization—The servants and their grades—The clerks and the
apprentices—A privileged class—Original status—A new Deed Poll—An
American proud of his title—Lord paramount —Hudson’s Bay Company
forts—The Company’s influence detrimental to the moral welfare of the
Indians—Fire-water and vendettas.
Chapter VIII.
William Connolly Succeeds Stuart.—Governor Simpson—Forts Alexander and
Chilcotin are founded—Bancroft mistaken—Warlike Indians—Fort Babine
erected—Bancroft wrong again—Poor Mary!—Douglas comes upon the scene—He
acts as Connolly’s fisherman—Did he found Fort Connolly?—Difficult
times—Furs, furs—A buffoon causes a war.
Chapter IX.
An Episode and its Consequences.—A fanciful account of the occurrence
—The heroical role attributed to the wrong party—The real facts —“The
man he killed was eaten by the dogs; by the dogs he must be eaten”—The
aggressor on the defensive—Dr. Bryce’s mistakes —Bancroft’s dramatized
version of the affair—The Governor at Stuart Lake—How the Company had
the last word—But Douglas
had to leave.
Chapter X.
Connolly and Dease at Stuart Lake.—Greed for furs—Fisher has recourse to
tricks to get them—Lively correspondence—The original Tete Jaune
Cache—Fifteen dogs on the tables—An alert in the woods—Dease arrives at
Stuart Lake—Why Connolly was relieved of his post—Opposition traders on
the Skeena—A clerk on strike—John McLean at Stuart Lake—First burial
among the Carriers.
Chapter XI.
Peter S. Ogden takes Charge of the Country.—Ogden’s antecedents—His
characteristics—The trickster tricked—Resources of the different
posts—Salmon—The engages—Hard on evil-doers—A boorish officer and a
clerk in a tight place—A philippic—Caught in his own net.
Chapter XII.
The Country and its Resources.—A new route established—Salmon and staple
food—How that fish is caught—Articles of trade—Odd items —Canoes and
guns.
Chapter XIII.
Peter S. Ogden Governs.—An undesirable post—Anderson’s census—Its
inaccuracies—’Kwah falls sick—And dies—Ogden asserts his authority—The
wails of a culprit—A quick-tempered officer—Uprisings among the
natives—A deserter causes trouble—Campbell’s expedition.
Chapter XIV.
Among the Babines.—A new fort wanted—Domestic troubles of the officer in
charge—McBean is removed—His instructions to his successor—Morwick pays
his imprudence with his life—The avenging expedition—Treachery
wins—Cameron despondent—A double murder and its consequences—Even D.
McLean is apprehensive.
Chapter XV.
First Catholic Missions.—Canadian priests on the Columbia—Ogden asks for
contributions towards their maintenance—Father Demers goes to Stuart
Lake—His description of the voyage—Missionary work—Degraded
Indians—Among the Shushwaps—Father Nobili —The devil apes the
Almighty—False prophets.
Chapter XVI.
Mattson's Tribulations.—Manson succeeds Ogden—How McIntosh
died—Desertions more and more numerous—The officers leave one after the
other—An unfaithful man—The manager is disgusted—The terrible Waccan—His
manifold services—A deserter caught—Anderson’s new route is tried—And
found wanting.
Chapter XVII.
A 'exis Belanger and His Avenger.—An unnatural joy—Alexis is cast
away—One of his tricks—More disdemeanors—A provocation —Shot while
steering—D. McLean and his principles—“Where is Tlel ”—Approval of a
crime—Forced to scalp—Was that right?
Chapter XVIII.
“Club Law” in New Caledonia.—The personnel of the district— Manson
dissatisfied-Pack-trains under difficulties—A curt officer—Paul Fraser
is killed— Manson reproved—Trouble with the chief— Annihilation
threatened—Half-hearted reconciliation—The “Prince of darkness:"—Douglas
on the Crimean War—First symptoms of the gold craze.
Chapter XIX.
Golden Cariboo.—First discoveries—Hill Bar—New mail facilities—The
Horsefly discovered—The Cariboo mines—Fabulous yields—An overland party
reaches the gold fields—Shipwreck and consequent hardships—Gruesome
scenes of cannibalism.
Chapter XX.
Improvements and Trials.—New seekers after gold—The Cariboo waggon
road—A newspaper in the wilds—Improved conditions at Stuart Lake—The
smallpox—Traders and miners—Down on free traders—The bottle is called
into requisition.
Chapter XXI.
From Chi cotin to Omineca.—The Waddington Trail—The Chilcotins— Fourteen
whites massacred—The Bentinck Arm massacre—The causes of the
rising—Punitive expeditions—D. McLean is shot—Some of the murderers are
captured—Their fate—The Western Union Telegraph Co.—Mining in Omineca—A
steamboat at Stuart.
Chapter XXII.
Some oj the Later Pioneers.—Lively scenes near Fort St. James—Judge P.
O’Reilly—Themis at fault—G. Hamilton succeeds P. Ogden—P. Dunlevy and
his trading ventures—A mystified official—James Reid—Strenuous life
finally crowned with success.
Chapter XXIII.
Laudetur Jesus Christus !—First Anglican missions—Various Catholic
expeditions—P'ather McGuckin—Bishop D’Herbomez visits the district—At
Stuart Lake and Babine—Father Lejacq—A rebellious medicine-man comes to
grief—Danger from alien races—A mission is established near Fort St.
James—The first resident missionaries and their flock.
Appendices. |
