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Page 34
The Indians informed us, this spring, of a dreadful murder that had
been committed in the early part of the winter by some of the natives
of Hudson's Bay. The particulars of this tale of blood I since learned
from an individual that escaped from the massacre. The Indians
attached to the posts established along the shores of Hudson's Bay are
comparatively civilized; most of them speak English, and are employed
as voyageurs by the Company. Few or no precautions are taken at these
posts to guard against treachery; the gates are seldom shut, and some
of the posts are destitute of palisades or defence of any kind. Of
this description was the post where the catastrophe occurred which I
am about to relate.
The post of Hannah Bay is situated about sixty miles to the north of
Moose Factory, and was at this time under the charge of a Mr.
Corrigal. His establishment consisted of two or three half-breeds, and
an Indian who had been brought up by the whites. He and some of the
men had families. In the course of the winter five Indians came in
with their "hunts," and agreeably to their usual practice encamped
close by. Those Indians are designated "Home Guards,"--a term
generally applied to the Indians attached to a trading post; they hunt
in winter at a convenient distance from the post, and are employed in
summer as voyageurs, or in performing any other necessary duty.
Notwithstanding their thus being frequently in company with white men
and Christians, they still retain many of the barbarous habits, and
much of the superstitious belief of their forefathers, aggravated, I
regret to say, by some of the vices of the whites.
Among the number of those just mentioned was an individual who had
acquired considerable influence among his tribe, from his pretending
to be skilled in the art of divination. This man told his fellows that
he had had a communication from the Great Spirit, who assured him that
he would become the greatest man in Hudson's Bay if he only followed
the course prescribed to him, which was, first, to cut off their own
trading post, and then with the spoil got there to hire other Indians,
who should assist in destroying all the other posts the Company
possessed in the country. Accordingly, it was determined to carry
their design into execution, whenever a favourable opportunity
occurred. This was not long in presenting itself. They came one day to
the establishment, and told the people that the "man of medicine" had
come for the purpose of performing some extraordinary feat that would
astonish them all. The silly creatures believed the story, and went to
the borders of the lake, where they observed the sorcerer showing off
a variety of antics very much to their amusement. The conspirators,
seeing this part of the stratagem succeed, rushed into the house, and
immediately despatched Mr. Corrigal and his family. The men, hearing
the report of the guns, hastened back towards the house. The two that
first arrived were saluted by a volley of balls; the one fell dead,
the other fled. The third, seeing what had happened, seized his
youngest child, and also fled. The murderers pursued. The poor fellow,
encumbered by the weight of his child, necessarily fell behind. A ball
from the pursuers killed the child, and wounded him in the hand.
Dropping, then, the lifeless body, he soon came up with his fellow,
and both escaped without further injury.
It was about noon when they began their flight. One of them reached
Moose Factory next day about noon, the other soon after. The
distance--nearly sixty miles--travelled in so short a space of time,
may appear incredible; but fear gave them wings, they fled for their
lives and never halted. One of them, my informant, lost all the toes
of one of his feet by the frost.
Measures were immediately adopted to frustrate the further diabolical
designs of the Indians, as well as to avenge the innocent blood that
had been shed. Messengers were despatched with all possible haste to
Rupert's house, the nearest post, to give the alarm, and a party of
men, under an efficient leader, was sent to seize the murderers. This
expedition, however, proved unsuccessful, as the Indians could not be
found in that direction; but, in the meantime, two of them who had
come to Rupert's house to "spy the land," were seized and sent bound
to Moose Factory, and one of them was compelled to act as guide to
another party. Led by him, they approached the camp without being
perceived, and found the "man of medicine" sitting very composedly in
his tent, surrounded by the spoils he had taken from the fort. He was
secured, and the rest of his associates, who were absent hunting, were
soon "tracked," and secured likewise. They then all underwent the
punishment they deserved.
The fort presented a horrible spectacle. Men, women, and children
shared the same fate, and the mangled limbs of their victims were
scattered among the articles of property which the wretches, not being
able to carry off with them, had attempted to destroy.
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