urchase of the Hud

away the fertile lands where our buffaloes feed! Let in all kinds of people to squat and settle, and frighten away the fur- bearing animals they don't hunt and kill! Impossible. Destruction- extinction-of our time-ho

er cent, on 800,000_l_., leaving only 700,000_l_. as the value of a territory bigger than Russia in Europe. Such a company would have to raise additional capital of its own to modernize its business, to improve the means of intercourse between its posts, and to cheapen and expedite the transport to and fro of its merchandise. I carefully described the nature of these changes and all that they involved. The Duke seemed to favour this idea. Then I pointed out that, if desired, a land company could be organized in England, Canada, and the United States, which, on a similar principle of rental and redemption, might take over the lands-leaving a reserve of probably a fourth of the whole as the, unpaid for, property of the Government-at the price of 700,000_l_. If these proposals succeeded, then all the country would have to do was to lend 1,500,000_l_. on such security as could be offered, ample, in each case, in my opinion. But I said it must be a condition, if these plans were adopted, to erect the Hudson's Bay territory into a Crown Colony, like British Columbia, and to govern it on the responsibility of the Empire. I showed that this did not involve any large sum annually

enture. In the end, I thought I had converted the Duke, well disposed always, to the wisdom of such a policy. Following this line, we discussed many details. He "would not sell," but he would "exchange;" and, studying the map, we put our fingers upon the Aroostook wedge,

e once bought, the Duke would manage to take the purchase over for the country. I was too sanguine. I had not measured the passive resistance of the inside of the Colonial Office to everything that inside had not initiated; though the fact that day by day objections, urged to the Duke from inside, were put to me, by him, and, I believe, always satisfactorily answered, might have warned me. I hope to live to find three condit

one of the promoters of the Pacific scheme, a refusal which led Mr. Glyn to hesitate to sign the legal papers without his friend and colleague. It was an anxious time for me; for on my head rested the main responsibility. One circumstance somewhat sustained me. On "the 10th December, 1862, at Thomas' Hotel, the Duke

e were Mr. G. G. Glyn (the present Lord Wolverton), Captain Glyn (the late Admiral Henry Glyn), and Messrs. Newmarch, Benson, Blake, and myself. Mr. Berens, an old man and obstinate, bearing a name to be found in the earliest lists of Hudson's Bay shareholders, was somewhat insulting in his manner. We took it patiently. He seemed to be astounded at our assurance. "Wha

, to expedite matters, will you allow us to see your accounts, charters, &c." They promised to consult their Court. And, gradually, it got to this, that I was put in communica

I spent the forenoon with Mr. Roberts, the accountant, and his son and assistant, at the Hudson's Bay House. Mr. Roberts told me many odd things; one was that the Company had had a freehold farm on the site of the present city of San Francisco of 1,000 acres, and sold it just before the gold discoveries for 1,000_l_., because two factors quarrelled over it. I learnt a great deal of the inside of

aw him again on the 15th, and wrote a letter to the Hudson's Bay Company. On the 19th Mr. Maynard told me that the Huds

support would be at our service. What good was moral support in providing a million and a half? What was to be done? There were only two ways: one, to make a list of fifteen persons who would each take a "line" of a hundred thousand pounds

t the Hudson's Bay Company would give no credit. We must take up the shares as presented and pay for them over the counter. Thus, the latter alternative was, after some anxious days, adopted. Mr. Richard Potter was the able negociator in completing this great transaction, began and carried on as above. The shar

perty, and will continue to hold it, has, and will have, a safe and unusually profitable investment. These shareholders, besides the large reserves near their posts, which I shall enumerate later on, have a claim to one-twentieth of the land where settlements are surveyed and made. This gives a great future to the investor. On the

between the period of purc

letters of the Duke's relating

ING S

ugt.

DEAR

rmed under such auspices as those with whom I placed them in communication. The question now is-what breadth of land they will give, for of course they propose to include the whol

Lords in my reply to a motion by Lord Donoughmore. I cannot, however, view the proposal in so favourable a light as you do. There would be no immediate or direct return to show for this

ome of her politicians would no doubt support the proposal with views of their own,-but it wo

ed States-exchange (if the territory were once acquired) would be a different

large ones in this matter of my own, but I fear purch

yours s

WCA

Watki

l period. The doubts came from the offici

ing S

ovr.

ar Mr.

from the Pacific to Ca

d quarter, and I incline to think it is much nearer accuracy than s

ours ver

CAST

a Route from Va

na

Conveya

raser River, or Lillovet Stage coach 2 days Alexander, on Fraser River Do. 4 days Fort George, on Fraser Ri

m Lillovet to Alexandria as in progress, as also the machinery of a stern-whee

pass of the Rocky Mountains. The distance from this to Jasper House, [Sidenote: Jasper House, between 53 degrees and 54 degrees N.L., and distant 120 miles fro

e, and 90 miles by road from Assiniboin.] on the Saskatchewan, is 200 miles by road through a level wooded country

Edmonton is represented as the only necessary work

by water along the Saskatchewan and Lake Winnipeg, another b

ute between the Red River and Lake Superior, except

Nov_.

.

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ovr.

DEAR

, Mr. Colville, and Mr. Maynard; but I am sorry to find that ma

Mr. Baring, Mr. Glyn, and

ier than 2.30 nor later than 4? If that will interrupt other

s sin

CAST

UMB

ril,

DEAR

ogers the draft print of your

ting the lower portion of the Athabasca territory; but the

do not see that the delay of ten days or a fortnight from this date could endanger the measu

I will send the paper

nce, and see you (after

r any day after i

me hear

very si

CAST

ING S

ay,

AR MR.

went out to N. Columbia on Friday last, and to Canada on Saturday, w

ithout dictation) will

olonial, n

ay between 3 and 4.30, I shall be glad to see yo

very si

CAST