he English
governor, was subject to them. So was Captain Gillam, with whom they
had quarreled long ago, when he refused to take his boat into Hudson
Straits on the voyage from Port Royal. Radisson and Groseillers were
for establishing more posts up the west coast of Hudson Bay, farther
from the competition of Duluth's forest rovers on Lake Superior. They
had examined the great River Nelson and urged Bayly, the English
governor, to build a fort there. Bayly sulked and blustered by turns.
In this mood they had come back to Prince Rupert to find the French
flag flying above their fort and the English Jesuit, Albanel, snugly
ensconced, with passports from Governor Frontenac and personal letters
for Radisson and Groseillers.

{145} England and France were at peace. Bayly had to respect Albanel's
passports, but he wished this English envoy of French rivals far
enough; and when Captain Gillam came from England the old quarrel
flamed out in open hostility. Radisson and Groseillers were accused of
being in league with the French traders. A thousand rumors of what
next happened have gained currency. One writer says that the English
and French came to blows; another, that Radisson and Groseillers
deserted, going back overland with Albanel. In the Archives of
Hudson's Bay House I found a letter stating that the English captain
kidnapped the Jesuit Albanel and carried him a captive to England. It
may as well be frankly stated these rumors are all sheer fiction.
Albanel went back overland as he came. Radisson and Groseillers did
not go with him, though there may have been blows. Instead, they went
to England on Gillam's ship to present their case to the company.

[Illustration: PRINCE RUPERT (After the painting by Sir P. Lely)]

The Hudson's Bay Company was uneasy. Radisson and Groseillers were
aliens. True, Radisson had married Mary Kirke, the daughter of a
shareholder, and was bound to the English; but if Radisson and
Groseillers had forsworn one land, might they not forswear another, and
go back to the French, as Frontenac's letters no doubt urged? The
company offered Radisson a salary of 100 pounds a year to stay as clerk
in England. They did not want him out on the bay again; but {146}
France had offered Radisson a commission in the French navy. Without
more ado the two Frenchmen left London for Paris, and Paris for America.

The year 1676 finds Radisson back in Quebec engaged in the beaver trade
with all