tlement and
partly in England, was sold for little more than one dollar a yard. The
L2,000 of capital was all swallowed up, L4,500 of debt to the Hudson's
Bay Company was never paid, the scheme became a laughing stock in
England, and failure and misery followed its collapse in the Colony.

At this time the French-Canadian settlement at Pembina was induced to
remove to St. Boniface on the Red River, where they gathered around
their new priest, Provencher, to whom they became much attached.

The Selkirk Trustees, in every way, continued ungrudgingly to advance
the interests of the Colony, but their plans, though often mere theories
failed more from extravagance and want of good men to execute them than
from any other cause.

Believing that farming was the thing needing cultivation in a country
with so rich a soil, the Colonizers began the Hayfield farm on the north
bank of the Assiniboine River, near what is now the outskirts of the
City of Winnipeg, a little above the present Agricultural College
buildings. Beginning with an expensive salary for Manager Laidlaw, the
promoters erected ample farm buildings, barns, yards and stables.
Importations were made of well-bred cattle and horses. Several years of
mismanagement and helplessness resulted from this trial of a model farm,
and it was given up at a total loss to the proprietors of L3,500. The
Assiniboine Wool Company was next started, but failed before the first
payment of stock took place, without damage to anyone, so that, as was
remarked, there was "much cry and little wool." The Flax and Hemp
Company was the next unfortunate enterprise. This failed on account of
there being no market, so that farmers never reaped the successful crops
which they had grown. An expedition was made to Missouri, under Messrs.
Burke and Campbell, to introduce sheep into the settlement. As the
fifteen hundred sheep purchased had to be driven 1,500 miles to their
destination on Red River, only two hundred and fifty of the whole flock
survived. Failure after failure taking place did not prevent the
formation of a Tallow Company, which resulted in the loss of L600 to
L1,000, and a considerable sum was spent also in an abortive attempt to
open up a road to Hudson's Bay, a scheme which Lord Selkirk's letters
show, he had in view from the very beginning of the life of the Colony.
The courage and generosity of the executors of Lord Selkirk shown to all
these enterprises reflects the greatest cred