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Sir ALEXANDER MacKkENZIE

tale of atrocities, of murder, violence, arson,
and pillage, is long. Probably the sins of the
North-Westers were the greater, for they
were more powerful than their rivals, and
they commanded the loyalty of most of the
half-breeds and Indians. Selkirk himself was
much more scrupulous than were his enemies.
Mackenzie, without taking a leading part,
remained throughout a partisan of the North-
Westers. In 1816 Selkirk published in Lon-
don in support of his claims a small book
called 4 Sketch of the British Fur Trade in
North America, which contained a_ bitter
attack on the North West Company. The
North-Westers replied in 1817 with 4 Narra-
tive of Occurrences in the Indian Countries of
North America. In the preface the author
states: “Sir Alexander Mackenzie, to whose
authority Lord Selkirk so often appeals and
whom he so often misrepresents, was desirous
of taking up the discussion, an intention the
execution of which circumstances alone have
hitherto delayed.” His health was failing,
and he was dropping out of affairs. In 1819
he refers to himself as a “dormant partner”