In 1667, When Prince Rupert And Other Noblemen Set
Out Two Shipps, Radisson Went In The Eagle, Captain Stannard Commander, And
In That Voyage The Name Of Rupert's River Was Given.
Again in 1668 and in
1669, and in this voyage directed his course to Port Nelson, and went on
shore with one Bayly (designed Governor for the English), fixed the King of
England's arms there, & left some goods for trading.
In 1671 three ships
were set out from London by the Hudson's Bay Company, then incorporated,
and Radisson went in one of them in their service, settled Moose River, &
went to Port Nelson, where he left some goods, and wintered at Rupert's
River. In 1673, upon some difference with the Hudson's Bay Company,
Radisson returned into France and was there persuaded to go to Canada. He
formed severall designs of going on private accounts for the French into
Hudson's Bay, which the Governor, Monsr. Frontenac, would by no means
permitt, declaring it would break the union between the two Kings."
Oldmixon says [Footnote: Oldmixon, Vol. I. p. 549.] that the
above-mentioned Charles Baily, with whom went Radisson and ten or twenty
men, took out with him Mr. Thomas Gorst as his secretary, who at his
request kept a journal, which eventually passed into the possession of
Oldmixon. The following extracts give some idea of the life led by the
fur-traders at the Fort: "They were apprehensive of being attacked by some
Indians, whom the French Jesuits had animated against the English and all
that dealt with them. The French used many artifices to hinder the natives
trading with the English; they gave them great rates for their goods, and
obliged Mr Baily to lower the price of his to oblige the Indians who dwelt
about Moose river, with whom they drove the greatest trade. The French, to
ruin their commerce with the natives, came and made a settlement not above
eight days' journey up that river from the place where the English traded.
'Twas therefore debated whether the Company's Agents should not remove from
Rupert's to Moose river, to prevent their traffick being interrupted by the
French. On the 3d of April, 1674, a council of the principal persons in the
Fort was held, where Mr Baily, the Governor, Captain Groseilliers, and
Captain Cole were present and gave their several opinions. The Governor
inclined to move. Captain Cole was against it, as dangerous, and Captain
Groseilliers for going thither in their bark to trade. [Footnote: Oldmixon,
Vol. I. p. 552.] ... The Governor, having got everything ready for a voyage
to Moose river, sent Captain Groseilliers, Captain Cole, Mr Gorst, and
other Indians to trade there. They got two hundred and fifty skins, and the
Captain of the Tabittee Indians informed them the French Jesuits had bribed
the Indians not to deal with the English, but to live in friendship with
the Indian nations in league with the French.... The reason they got no
more peltry now was because the Indians thought Groseilliers was too hard
for them, and few would come down to deal with him." [Footnote:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 11 of 223
Words from 5184 to 5703
of 117345
