Note 77 — Chapter V · [1]

For Fort Fraser see ante, p. 56, note 68. Fort St. James, at the outlet of Stuart Lake (latitude 54° 26′ north), was built in 1806 by Simon Fraser amid a large population of Indians, and has been maintained continuously to the present. After the advent of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Fort St. James was made the emporium of New Caledonia, the residence of a chief factor. In 1828 it was visited by Sir George Simpson, who entered in proper state with buglers and bagpipers, the governor and his suite mounted, amid the welcoming discharge of cannon and musketry (A. McDonald, Peace River, pp. 24, 25). For two views of this post see Morice, Northern Interior of British Columbia, pp. 102, 110.

Fort McLeod is the oldest permanent post west of the Rocky Mountains. Founded in 1805 by Simon Fraser, it has maintained a continuous existence to the present. It was named for Archibald Norman McLeod, a colleague of its founder in the North West Company. Located on a lake of the same name, near the source of Finlay River, in latitude 55° north, it was chiefly useful as a supply post on the route from Canada via Peace River.

Chilcotin was founded (about 1828) on a river of the same name tributary to the upper Fraser, about latitude 52° as an outpost for Fort Alexandria (see ante, p. 44, note 53). Difficult of maintenance because of the troublesome character of the Chilcotin Indians, it was abandoned before 1850.

In addition to the posts mentioned, the Hudson’s Bay Company had in Farnham’s time within New Caledonia, Forts Babine, Connolly, and George—the latter on the upper Fraser, the two former on lakes of the same name in the far north.—Ed.