"No. 30 Y. 1817"
"Deposition of Mr J McLeod"
[title page]

" The Information and complaint of John McLeod District Master in the Service of the Hudsons Bay Company given on Oath to me James Bird Esquire, Governor of the Northern Department of Ruperts Land and one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Indian Territories of North America, at Carlton House in the said Northern Department this seventeenth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and seventeen"


" I John MacLeod District Master, in the service of the Hudson's Bay Campany of the Parish of Lochs in the county of Rofs Scotland, now residing at Carlton house Ruperts Land, do declare that on or about the seventh day of August in the Year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and sixteen, I left Jack River with several other servants, and sundry articles of merchandize of the Hudson's Bay Company to go and trade with the natives of Isle a la Crofse, where I arrived, about the Twentieth day of September last, and occupied a House, (built by Servants of the Hudson's Bay Company last year) Situated about half a mile from a settlement belonging to the North West Company of which John Thomson Esquire a partner of the said Company had Charge, and within about twenty yards of another House which on my arrival there was occupied by a few Canadian servants of the northwest Company: Some time after my arrival at the Hudsons Bay Companys house at Isle a la Crofse I was informed by Paul Decharme (who had charge of the Settlement of the Hudsons Bay Company during the preceeding summer) that Samuel Black, a partner of the north west company, had, a short time before my arrival, made some of his men, with himself at their head, fire several Balls at our flag Staff several of which Balls Struck the flag staff; and that the said Samuel Black had repeatedly told him, the said Paul Decharme, that the Hudson's Bay Company should never have a share in the trade with the natives at the said Isle a la Crofse and that their Settlement there should not be standing on the following Christmas."

" On or about the Seventeenth day of October last I went in a Boat accompanied by John Macdougald, John Macdonald, Pall Quin, and several other servants of the Hudsons Bay Company, to a Band of Indians who were encamped, on the opposite shore of the Lake, at about five miles distance from my house; approaching the shore where the Indians were, we heard firing from their camp and saw several Balls drop close to our Boat; we however landed near the Indians Camp and there saw several Canadians Servants of the Northwest Company Amongst whom I perfectly Knew Joseph Paul & Joseph Charteer, and supposing it to be them who had been firing at us I asked the Said Joseph Paul and the Said Joseph Charteer what they had been firing at, to which the said Joseph Paul answered "at a mark" I replied that there was no mark near where their Balls fell but my boat. I then desired my Indian Interpreter to Speak to the Indians: but he no sooner began than the said Joseph Charteer and? others of the said Northwest Company's Servants tried to Stop him and the said Joseph Paul said that we had better leave the camp as the Indians were badly disposed towards us; but finding the Indians were friendly disposed we continued conversing with them and notwithstanding the Northwest Company's servants attempted by force to keep the Indians from us they succeeded in accompanying me to my boat and joyfully accepted of some small presents which I made them; they also told me where they were to winter and said they would gladly trade with me providing I could protect them from the Said North west Company."

" On the second of January last the said Samuel Black accompanied by Benjamin Frobesher, a partner of the said northwest Company, Peter Skeen Ogden Clerk or trader of the said Northwest Company, the said Joseph Charteer, one Turcotte, one Pacquent, one Pichie, one Bourgsier?, one Goder (Canadian servants of the said Northwest Company) Pierre Bouchie, Pierre Paul, Jean ? Bouchie?, three half Breeds, and about twenty five more canadians and half Breeds all servants of the said Northwest Company came over, part of them armed with Swords & Pistols, from the House of the Said John Thomson Esquire towards my House, at a short distance from which, they stoped and called to my men (Servants of the said Hudson's Bay Company) Challenging them out to fight; a few of my men ran out, unknown to me, to accept the Challenge thus given them; but as soon as I heard they were gone I ran after them and pursuaded them to return home with me: The said Samuel Black and party then approached nearer to my House. Some of them repeating their Challenge for my men to come out and fight them; several of my men made repeated attempts to go and resent the provocation they received, and I, as often succeeded in preventing them from beginning an Affray which I had been privately informed, the said John Thomson Esquire and the said Samuel Black had laid a premediated plan to provok, with a view of its offering them an opportunity to seize my person, the persons of my men and the property of the said Hudson's Bay Company, with some appearance of Justice. Seeing that they could not provok me to begin a Quarrel, some of the Canadians of the Party of Said Samuel Black came within my Gates, giving my men the most abusive and insulting Language, but on my ordering them out they at length returned to their own house pouring forth abuse against us as long as I could hear them. The said Samuel Black had some time before this taken up his residence with a few Select men at the House before mentioned, situated within about twenty yards of my house, the settlement aforesaid of the Hudson's Bay Company.
On the Thirteenth day of the said January I sent off Francois Deschampt, Bateau Paul, and Andrew Okorin, with letters which I had lately received from John Clark Esquire at Athabascow, to go to Carlton District. On the Twelth day of February last I received the following note from John Thomson Esquire - Viz.
Isle a la Crofse 12th February 1817
Mr McLeod Sir,
I am sorry that the recent occurences at present existing in the Indian Territories between the Contending parties, Obliges me to trouble you with this note. - Your men Fr. Deschampt &c with the letters in their pofsefsion are now in this Fort. An Amicable accomodation may be entered into between us, & for this purpose I shall be happy to see you over as soon as Convenient.
I am Sir yrs Sincerely
Signed John Thomson."

" Having reason to believe that the said John Thomson Esquire desired me to come over to his Fort for no other purpose than to make me a prisoner, I declined going over. on the Thirteenth of the said February I received a note signed by the said Samuel Black and the said Peter Skein Ogden in which I was informed that, if I persisted in declining to comply with the request of the said John Thomson Esquire to go and see him at his house, my men, the said Francois Deschampt, and his two companions, would be committed to Close Confinement. I told the bearer of the said note that I would see the said Samuel Black the next day. - On the Fourteenth of the said February, I sent off John Macdougald, Bateau Paul, Bernand Viver, and George Garns?, with letters adrefsed to James Bird Esquire Governor of the Northern Department of Ruperts Land to acquaint that Gentleman with the proceedings of the said John Thomson Esquire, the said Samuel Black, the said Peter Skein Ogden and their Servants. A few hours after the said John Macdougald and his party aforesaid had left me, I observed a number of armed men going out of the house of the said John Thomson Esquire and taking the road that the said John Macdougald went. Apprehending that these men were going to seize the said John Macdougald and his Companions I armed myself and, accompanied by John Macdonald, Angus Mathews?, Michel Dumaine, Jacque Oullette?, Antoine Pappe? and one Regist?, who were all armed, followed the men of the said John Thomson Esquire: When I had proceeded about 1 mile from my House I came up to the said Samuel Black, the said Peter Skein Ogden and twenty nine more armed canadians, and half Breeds, Servants of the said Northwest Company, who had surrounded the said John Macdougald, the said Bateau Paul, the said George Garns & the said Bernand Viver, and Patrick Cunningham and Abais? Belland (these two last were on their way from Edmonton House to my house with letters), As I approached, the said Samuel Black the said Peter Skein Ogden and Four Canadians, their Servants, all armed come to meet me, and when they came near I asked the said Samuel Black what induced him to stop my men; the said Samuel Black replied? that it was my fault, that what he had done was the Consequence of my not going to see Mr Thomson; and he then asked me if I would promise to go and see Mr Thomson; I told him, the said Samuel Black, that I would not go to see Mr Thomson and that if Mr Thomson had any businefs with me he might come over to the house of the said Samuel Black where I would meet him; the said Samuel Black then left me and returned to the main body of his Party, or men, with all of whom he returned towards me; John Macdougald and his Companions aforesaid took that opportunity to try to get on to my house, but they were immediately pursued and after a great deal of Struggling disarmed by the said Samuel Black and his companions; During this affray in which several cocked Guns were presented I endeavoured to Join my men, the said John Macdougald &c, but could not make my way through the said Samuel Blacks men who were between us; while I was making the attempt to join my men the said Peter Skein Ogden Jumped before me and presenting a Pistol at me, said to me "if you are a man Stand Out" I immediately presented my Pistol at him, the said Peter Skein Ogden, when he immediately turned the butt of his Pistol toward me saying "I do not want to fight, I want only to speak to you",: I then asked the said Peter Skein Ogden what he had to say, he said to me, "will you go and see Mr Thomson": Seeing that most of my men were disarmed and that I was myself surrounded by a number of armed Savages and Other ruffians and that my own life as well as that of my men were in danger for I heard a few moments before the inhuman Black say to the said John Macdougald (who presented his Gun in his own defence at the said Samuel Black) "look at my boys who surrounded you" meaning several half Breeds (who stood on each side of MacDougald with their Guns ready to execute the Command of the said Samuel Black) Men unrestrained? by any laws human or divine and on that account selected by the said Northwest Company to execute the most barberous outrages, I at length told the said Samuel Black and the said Peter Skein Ogden that, if they would let all my men return home to my house and restore their Arms that I would go and see Mr Thomson to which the said Black and Ogden agreed. My men received their arms and were allowed to go home - and I went over to the House of the said John Thomson Esquire who on my entrance presented me with the letters which he had taken from my men Francois Deschampt and party on the eleventh of the aforesaid February desiring me to open and read them; I took the letters, put them in my Pocket, Saying I would open them at my own House, and turned about to leave his House, when the said Samuel Black Shut the door of the House and the said John Thomson Esquire told me that I was arrested, that some arrangement must take place between us before I could be liberated, and desired me me to send for the said John Macdougald or some other Person to be witnefs to the Agreement we might make; the said John Macdougald came over to the said John Thomson Esquire's house and there was detained with me two days, in the course of which time I was repeatedly prefsed by the said John Thomson Esquire to deliver into his hand property of the Hudsons Bay Company to the value of Five hundred Pounds, on whch terms only I was told I should obtain my liberty: I told the said John Thomson Esquire that I would not give a Shillings worth of the Hudsons Bay Company Property. that if I had infringed the Laws of my Country he must detain my person, or accept of such other security as I could provide. - the said Samuel Black replied that they (him and Thomson) did not care a damn for my person, and told me that if I did not give up the Goods, they would take them and my house together. I desired them to do as they thought proper; at length having detained me and the said John Macdougald in the said John Thomson Esquires house two days, viz from about noon the Fourteenth of said February to one AM the Sixteenth of the said February, we were at length liberated after I had reluctantly Signed the following Agreement. - Viz.

Articles of Agreement entered into between John Thomson to the Nortwest Company on the one part and John Macleod to the Hudsons Bay Company on the other part. -

Article 1st. Whereas the said John Macleod by hereby arrested for his unlawfull and unprecedented proceeding in seizing Several establishments belonging to the N.W.Company in the Indian Territories commonly called Red River in the Winter 1815-6 to the great lofs and determent of the said Northwest Company the said John MacLeod Clerk acting for and on behalf of the said Hudsons Bay Company hereby voluntary agrees binds & obliges himself to keep the Peace for? one year from this date. and in default of not Conforming to the said Agreement the said John Macleod promises and binds himself to pay to the said John Thomson acting for and on behalf of the said Northwest Company the sum of Two hundred and fifty Pounds Sterling at the same time it is understood and Agreed upon that should the said John Macleod or servants be attacked that himself and Servants are Justified in defending themselves and property intrusted to their Charge.

Article 2nd. Owing to the unlawfull and unprecedented Transactions that have taken place under the conduct and management of the Earl of Selkirk acting for and on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company by the seizure of the said Nortwest Company's Posts and property on Lake Superior and other Posts the property of the Northwest Company in the Indian Territories constitutes a Right to suspect and doth suspect a Conspiracy entered into by the said Earl of Selkirk and the said Hudson's Bay Company for the ruin and destruction of the said North west Company and for which cause the said John Thomson for his own as well as for the security of the north west Company deems it prudent and proper to prevent and allow any letter or letters or verbal mefsages going further towards North than this place and that the said John MacLeod for himself Colleagues and Servants under his control and management, Agrees binds and Obiges himself not to sent any letter or letters or verbal mefsages north of this place commonly called Athabascau and especially that the said John MacLeod binds and obliges himself that, Francois Deschampt a servant of the Hudson's Bay Company now under the management and Control of the said John MacLeod shall not be allowed permitted or employed without due timely? notice? to the aforesaid John Thomson or his Colleagues in the District or Department to go out of this district or Department or to Carry any letters or verbal Mefsages out of the said District or Department before the navigation is open.- and further for the aforesaid security of the said north west Company the said John Macleod for himself and colleagues in this district promises and binds himself to give notice to and advertize the Gentlemen acting for and on behalf of the said Northwest Company in this district or department when he intends sending towards the South or Saskatchewan commonly called Fort Du Prairies - In due observance of this 2nd Article voluntarily made and entered into the said John Macleod hereby binds and obliges himself to pay the sum of Two hundred and Fifty Pounds Sterling if not duly fulfilled to, on his part as afore mentioned. -

Article 3rd. - It is also agreed and settled upon that any letter or letters that it may be found or thought proper to send to the South or Saskatchewan Shall not be molested or detained by either of the partys? contracting this Agreement. Isle a la Crofs the Fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Seventeen.
signed John Thomson for NWC John McLeod for HBC
Witnefses
signed
John McDougald
P.S. Ogden
Joseph Spence
The said John Thomson and the said John McLeod ? agrees that Joseph Spence and John Macdougald Clerks for the said Hudson's Bay Company binds and Obliges themselves and doth hereby binds and obliges themselves by those? present to pay Five hundred Pounds Sterling as the above and foresaid Penalty on goods and Chattles that is to say the said Jospeh Spence Four hundred Pounds Sterling of the said John MacDougald one hundred Pounds Sterling if the said John Macleod should make default in the performance in the above mentioned Conditions. - Signed Joseph Spence John MacDougald
Witnefses
signed
PS Ogden
Sam'l Black."

" About the eleventh day of March last the said John Macdougald arrived at Isle a la Crofs with letters from James Bird Esquire desiring me if convenient to pay him a visit at Carlton House. - To prevent their having any plausible pretext to use any violence towards me, I according to the aforesaid agreement, informed the said John Thomson Esquire and the said Samuel Black of my intention to go to Carlton House, they both endeavoured to persuade me not to leave my house, but not feeling myself under any obligation to Comply with their wishes in that respect, I on the Fifteenth day of the said March left Isle a la Crofs accompanied by Michel Dumain, and William Bruce with an intention of going to Carlton House: I was immediately after leaving my house followed by the said Samuel Black, the said Joseph Charteer, Jean Marnie? Bouchie?, Pierre Paul, and wis-kis-ri-kish; Three half Breeds Servants of the said Northwest Company; I proceeded on till I came to a place where the road pafses through thick willows at about eight or nine miles distance from my house, which I no sooner entered than I saw eight armed men Start out of the willows on each Side of the road at a small distance before me; I however advanced slowly on, my attention on the men before me, I was suddenly seized from behind by the said Samuel Black who said to me "you are my prisoner" I desired the said Samuel Black to show me his warrant: he replied that he had no warrant but that he had seized me by order of the Justice of the Peace, meaning as I understood the said John Thomson Esquire. The said Samuel Black and his Companions, amongst whom; besides those before named, I saw and knew, the said Joseph Paul, the said Turcotte, the said Pierre Boucher, the said Bellangie, and one la Pire?, these seized my arms, my dogs and Sledge the persons of William Bruce and Michel Dumaine (after a Considerable Resistance on the part of Bruce) and their arms and other property, and conducted us prisoners through woods to prevent my been seen by my People at my house, to the house of the said John Thomson Esquire where we were put into Close Confinement in a back part of the house. Our Sledges which contained the little property we had with us, were brought in and examined before me by the said John Thomson Esquire and by the said Samuel Black, who particularly open? a small trunk of mine and to? took some loose papers and three letters with which I was Charged with by some of my men of Isle a la Crofs, which the said John Thomson Esquire took away with him, when Thomson left? the room in which I was confined four men remained in the said room to guard us. - The following morning, Sunday the Sixteenth day of said March, I was informed by the said Samuel Black that ? accompanied by the principal part of the servants of the said John Thomson Esquire, had broke into my house that morning, about four AM, and taken pofsefsion of it, after Seizing the arms of all my men, whom he found asleep, and on Whom he placed a Guard to keep them prisoners in their own house: On the same day I heard the said John Thomson Esquire say to the said Samuel Black "we will go over and take the Goods". the next day viz. the Seventeenth day of the said March I saw the said John Thomson Esquire receiving the Goods of the Hudson's Bay Company which had been under my care in my house, which his men and himself put in to a ware house within his Fort: after this was done I observed the said Samuel Black conversing apperently in a private manner with several of the Servants of the said John Thomas Esquire, one after another. - On the folloing day viz. the eighteenth of the said March I mifsed the said Samuel Black and Several of the men I had seen him conversing with the day before, and I was informed that they were gone to take the Hudson's Bay Company Settlement at Green Lakr, the next day, viz. the nineteenth day of the said March, the said John Macdougald (the person, whom I left in Charge of my house, on my departure for Carlton House as before mentioned) came to see me in my prison and there gave me the following information, He said that about four AM on the Sixteenth of the said March the said Samuel Black and a number of armed Canadians, servants of the said John Thomson Esquire and the said Northwest Company broke into my house, seized all the arms they found in it, made all my men, who were sleeping in their beds at the time, prisoners, and left a Guard of armed men to Confine them in their own house; after having done which he the said Samuel Black returned to the house of the said John Thomson Esquire; and that in a few hours afterwards the said Samuel Black came again to my house accompanied by the said John Thomson Esquire and demanded of the said John Macdougald all my papers and the keys of the Store house in which the Hudson's Bay Companys property was usually kept; that the said John Macdougald refused to give up the keys, upon which the said John Thomson Esquire said to Samuel Black "let us lose no time, break open the door" the said Samuel Black then kicked open the door, took the Goods and delivered them to servants of the servants of the said John Thomson Esquire who took them away, the said Samuel Black having first taken account of the Goods, as did the said John Macdougald, doing the same as they were taken out of the room. - On the Twenty Third day of the said March I saw the said Samuel Black, the said Turcotte, and several Canadians and half Breeds, Servants of the North west Company, arrived at the said John Thomson Esquire House with some private property belonging to the Hudson Bay Company's Servants, who, I understood, had lately been taken prisoners at Green Lake by the said Samuel Black and party; the next morning viz. on the Twenty fourth day of the said March, Paul Decharme, and John Macdonald two traders (in the Service of the Hudson's Bay Company) whom I had stationed at Green Lake came to see me, and they gave me the following information; they said that, on or about the nineteenth day of the said March about eight PM the said Samuel Black, the said Peter Skeen Ogden and a number of Canadians and half Breeds Suddenly Rushed and entered the Hudsons Bay Company's house at Green Lake of which the said Paul Descharme had Charge, Seized the said Paul Descharme the said John Macdonald and Several other Servants of the Hudson's Bay Company and all the Property of which the house contained, which was conveyed by the said Samuel Black and the said Peter Skeen Ogden and party, to the house of the said North west Company at Green Lake; and that, a day or two after they had been taken prisoners they, the said Paul Decharme the said John Macdonald and several other Servants of the Hudson's Bay Company with their wives and families were forced by the said Samuel Black to leave Green Lake and go, with very great inconvenience to themselves, to my house at Isle a la Crofs where they arrived on or about the twenty third of the said March. John Macdonald's face at that time was all bruised, and on my asking him the cause he said that at the time he was taken prisoner he was severely Beaten by one Cadotte a half Breed, several other of the Servants of the Northwest Company holding him (the said John Macdonald) while Cadotte was beating him: a few days after my house was taken as above related, a few of my men came over to my prison to tell me that they had been desired to fish for themselves and do other work and to ask me? if, while they were deprived of their liberty, any person had a Right to order them to do any work, I told these men that those who had deprived them of their Liberty ought to feed them, and that they (my men) certainly had no right to do any work so long as they were Guarded as prisoners: a short time after, I was informed by the said Samuel Black and said John Thomson Esquire that one of my men Bernand Viver, had been ordered to do some work by the said John Macdougald, that the said Bernand Viver refused to do any work while he was kept as? prisoner, that the said John Macdougald then applied to them, the said Samuel Black and the said John Thomson Esquire, requesting their aid to oblige the said Bernand Viver to do work, but that the said Bernand Viver persisted in refusing to do any work either for the said Black, Thomson, or Macdougald till he was restored to liberty: In consequence of this refusal to do work, the said Bernand Viver was dragged over by three or four men to the house of the said John Thomson Esquire: a few minutes after the said Bernand Viver had been thus? forced into the said John Thomson Esquires fort. I received a note from the said John Thomson Esquire requesting me to see him; I went accordingly to the said John Thomson Esquires room where I found him and the said Samuel Black sitting together; the said John Thomson Esquire requested me to command the said Bernand Viver to obey any orders, and to do work, that the said John Macdougald might think it necefsary to give him; I answered that I would ifsue no orders to any person while myself was a prisoner, and while the said John Macdougald and the rest of my men were not at liberty to act in the management of their own affairs as they thought proper. - I then left the said John Thomson Esquires room and returned to my own appartment where I found the said Bernand Viver guarded by Several of the said John Thomson Esquire's Servants; The said Bernand Viver ? that he had been brought over by force, for the reasons aforesaid, and that Lewes threatened with close confinement if he persistes in refusing to do work. I desired the said Bernand Viver to take courage and not to give way to their threats or commands; and he was immediately after taken away from me by several of the said John Thomson Esquires Servants. -
On the Twenty eighth day of the said March I received a second note from the said John Thomson Esquire requesting that I should go and see him. I went accordingly to his room where I again found him and the said Samuel Black. The said John Thomson Esquire adrefsed himself to me, complaining of the unruly State of my men, who he said would not obey the orders of the Said John Macdougald or any other person, and at length told me that I might take the "Reins" again and join my own men at my own house if I pleased; I answered that I would not return to my house to take the Command of my men again unlefs he the said John Thomson Esquire allowed me and them to manage our affairs with perfect liberty; he replied that after the eighth of April then ensuing he would would not impose on us any restaints whatever. On the following Day - viz the Twenty ninth of the said March I was allowed to go over to my own house to see my men which I did, and soon returned to the house of said John Thomson Esquire accompanied by the said John Macdougald, before whom I demanded of the said John Thomson Esquire a written note under his hand promising that he would not hereafter deprive me, or any of my men of our liberty. Such a note the said John Thomson Esquire refused to give me, but he Said "I'll be damned on my word of honour if I lay a hand on you again or prevent any of your men from going where they please after the eighth of April. - On the ninth day of the said April I sent off John Macdonald, Patrick Quin and John Macdonald to go to Gordon house, but they were no sooner mifsed by the said John Thomson or his adherents - that I received a note from the said Samuel Black in which he desired to know whether I had sent off any of my men, and requesting a written answer: I desired the bearer of the note the said Joseph Charteer, to inform the said Samuel Black that I had no answer to make him. A few minutes after the said Samuel Black came in to my house to make a? search? for the men who were mifsing and not finding them, Three of the said John Thomson Esquire's men, viz the said Jean marne? Boucher, the said Pierre Paul, and the said Cadotte were sent in Pursuit of the said John Macdonald and Party. -
On or about the Fifteenth day of the said April the said John Macdonald, and the said Patrick Quin, and the said John Macdonald arrived at my house (accompanied by William Tate and Malcom Rosay? from Carlton house) and informed me that they had been overtaken at Green Lake and forced to return back from that place by the said Peter Skein Ogden and the other men aforementioned who had been sent after them. - on or about the sixteenth day of the said April I went accompanied by the said Paul Decharme to the said John Thomson Esquire, at his house, where I told him that in preventing my going to, or having any communication with Carlton house, he not only exercised an unlawful Authority over me, but might pofsibly occasion the most ruinous future distrefses to myself, my men, and upwards of sixty other servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, wintering in Athabascow, whose lives might pofsibly depend on a supply of Pimican which I intended to get from Carlton District but which he had already prevented me from sending for in due time; and I requested that he would allow me then to send to Carlton house to Acquaint the said James Bird Esquire with my situation in case it should yet be in that Gentleman's Power to supply our wants. I returned home without receiving any decisive answer.
On the following day viz the Seventeenth of the said April the said Samuel Black sent for the said William Tate who had lately arrived as before mentioned from the Saskatchewan, and told him that he would allow him (the said William Tate) and one man, to accompany him to go to Cartlon district but that he would not allow more of the Hudsons Bay Company's Servants to leave Isle a la Crofs. -
The following morning viz the eighteenth day of the said April I sent off the said William Tate and the said Patrick Quin to go to Carlton House, merely to inform the said James Bird Esquire of our distrefsed Situation, as I was sencible that the season was too far advanced to admit of that Gentleman having it in his power to send any Pimican to Isle a la Crofs this Season. -
The next day viz on the ninteenth of the said April I went to the said John Thomson Esquire and informed him that (as he had already promised me that I should be allowed to send to Green Lake from some Birchrind which I had there) I intended to send some men the following day to fetch my Birchrind from Green Lake to make Canoes with for Carrying me and my men to York Factory; but (notwithstanding his former promises) he said that he would not allow any of my men to leave Isle a la Crofs, till the navigation was open when I might send up a few men in his Canoes. I told him that it would be then too late: not seeing the said Samuel Black I asked where he was gone and the said John Thomson Esquire answered that he (the said Samuel Black) was gone with a party of men to Cold Lake and perhaps to the Saskatchewan - Having been privately informed that the said Samuel Black was gone with a party of ruffians to attack the Hudson's Bay Company Settlement in the Saskatchewan River, I prepared (seeing that I neither could again recover my liberty nor be of any service to my employers at Isle a la Crofs) to set off on the Twenty first day of the said April to go with Fourteen of my men to Carlton house but the said John Thomson Esquire having been made acquainted (by some of the Spies he placed about my house) with my intention, my house was surrounded by armed men and I found it impofsible then to put my design in execution. -
On the Twenty second of the said April the said Samuel Black and party returned to Isle a la Crofs, and I was informed that he had found the ice in too weak a State to admit of his pursuing his way to Cold Lake - This day one Duc a Servant of the said John Thomson Esquire (the same who guarded me while I was in Confinement in the said John Thomson Esquires house) come in to my house and asked my men, in my hearing, if I was in, Francois Deschampt answered that I was, "that will do," replied the said Duc "your master had better be quit for otherwise we will take him to a place where he will not be at liberty to walk about". having been informed a day or two before by Benjamin Marchand (one of my men) that he had learned from a source that could be depended on, that the said John Thomson Esquire had resolved on again seizing my Person, and that I would be allowed to remain no longer than three or four days more at my own house. I, on the Twenty third day of the said April, again tried to get away but in vain - convinced that I should ? be permitted to enjoy the small degree of liberty I then pofsefsed and my men being all of the same opinion, and on that account desirous that I should endeavour to escape from Isle a la Crofs, I, in the evening of the Twenty fourth of the said April, left my house accompanied by Francois Deschampt, Jacque Oulette, one MacKay, and William Flatt to endeavour to go to Carlton District, a distance of about Two hundred Miles with only six days provisions, one Gun, and a little Ammunition which, with our Blankets, we carried on our Backs, and after Suffering many privations and extreme fatigue in travelling throught thick wood, sharp ice, and cold water we arrived at the said Carlton house on the Seventh day of the present May.

During the Fifteen days I was confined in a sequestered room I was almost without any society. It was seldom that any of my own men or officers were permitted to see me, amd never but in the presence of some of the said John Thomson Esquires Servants, and on the whole I am sorry to observe that the treatment I received from the said John Thomson Esquire during my confinement was by no means calculated to give me a better opinion of his Politnefs than I before entertained of his humantity and Justice. -
I had taken an opportunity while in prison, to warn one or two of the said John Thomson Esquire's men of the punishment they exposed themselves to, from the Laws of their Country, by suffering themselves to be led, by their masters, into the Commifsion of so many Crimes. In consequence, as I suppose, of which the said Samuel Black one day said to me, " You had better not have any thing to say to my men, or they will be left at Liberty, to treat you as they think proper"; words, the real price of which can be fully understood only by those who are, like me, acquainted with the fate of the late unfortunate Mr Keveny, who after having been apprehended merely from interested motives, by Archibald Norman Macleod, one of the principal agents of the said North West Company, was cruely murdered while under confinement by Servants of that Company.
John Macleod

Given on Oath (some erasures and corrections having been first made) before me as aforesaid at the time and place abovementioned.
James Bird Gov. ?"




B.27/a/7

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