ungry wolves. He dubbed them 'lazy, spiritless and
ill-disposed.' The 'Glasgow rascals,' too, were a source of annoyance.
'A more ... cross-grained lot,' he asserted, 'were never put under any
person's care.'

[Illustration: The country of Lord Selkirk's Letters.]

Owing to the discord existing in the camp, the New Year was not ushered
in happily. In Scotland, of all the days of the year, this anniversary
was held in the highest regard. It was generally celebrated to the
strains of 'Weel may we a' be,' and with effusive handshakings, much
dining, and a hot kettle. The lads from the Orkneys were quite wide
awake to the occasion and had no intention of omitting the customs of
their sires. On New Year's Day they were having a rollicking time in
one of the cabins. But their enthusiasm was quickly damped by a party
of Irish who, having primed their courage with whisky, set upon the
merry-makers and created a scene of wild disorder. In the heat of the
_melee_ three of the Orkneymen were badly beaten, and for a month their
lives hung in the balance. Captain Macdonell later sent several of the
Irish back to Great Britain, saying that such 'worthless blackguards'
were {49} better under the discipline of the army or the navy.

One of the number who had not taken kindly to Miles Macdonell as a
'medicine-man' was William Findlay, a very obdurate Orkneyman, who had
flatly refused to soil his lips with the wonder-working syrup of the
white spruce. Shortly afterwards, having been told to do something, he
was again disobedient. This time he was forced to appear before
Magistrate Hillier of the Hudson's Bay Company and was condemned to
gaol. As there was really no such place, a log-house was built for
Findlay, and he was imprisoned in it. A gruff-noted babel of dissent
arose among his kinsfolk, supported by the men from Glasgow. A gang of
thirteen, in which both parties were represented, put a match to the
prison where Findlay was confined, and rescued its solitary inmate out
of the blaze. Then, uttering defiance, they seized another building,
and decided to live apart. Thus, with the attitude of rebels and well
supplied with firearms, they kept the rest of the camp in a state of
nervousness for several months. In June, however, these rebels allowed
themselves to fall into a trap. Having crossed the Nelson, they found
their return cut off by {50} the melting of the ice. This put them at
the mercy of the officials at