ortant project, expecting that the Colonists would return,
he turned his men upon the fields of grain--small, but to them very
precious. The yield in this year was good. He also erected new fences
and cured for the settlers quantities of hay from the swamp lands.

McLeod states in his diary--of which a copy of the original is in the
Provincial Library in Winnipeg--that Fort Douglas was on the south side
of Point Douglas, so called from Lord Selkirk's family name, and which
McLeod has some claim to have so christened.

Meanwhile the Colonists had taken their lonely way by boat or canoe, to
the foot of Lake Winnipeg--not expecting a speedy delivery. They reached
their rendezvous in July. Lord Selkirk knew in a general way that his
Colony was in danger and so had given orders to his faithful
officer--Colin Robertson, who had done yeoman service in collecting his
first party in Scotland, but who was now in Canada--to engage a number
of men and with them proceed to Red River settlement to help his
Colonists. That the real state of things was not known to Robertson, or
the founder, appears in the fact that Robertson coming from the East
with twenty Canadians, passed up the Red River to the Forks to get the
first news of the dispersing of the Colonists. With his usual dash their
rescuer immediately followed the settlers to Jack River, found them very
much discouraged but persuaded them to return again to the banks of the
Red River. The work of rebuilding other houses which McLeod had not been
able to overtake now went on, and there was the greatest anxiety to hear
of Lord Selkirk's plans.

The Earl of Selkirk had not become in the slightest degree discouraged.
Opposition and failure seemed but to inspire him the more. On the return
of Miles Macdonell as a prisoner to Montreal in the hands of the
Nor'-Wester emmissaries, the founder immediately sought for a competent
successor to Macdonell, and determined to send out the best and
strongest party of settlers that had yet been gathered.

He appointed, backed by all the influence of the Hudson's Bay Company, a
retired officer, Captain Robert Semple. The new Governor was of American
origin, born in Philadelphia, but had been in the British army. He was a
distinctly high-class man, though Masson's estimate is probably true--"A
man not very conciliatory, it is true, but intelligent, honorable and a
man of integrity." He was an author of some note, but as it proved, too
good or too