XVI OF THE FUR TRADE, &c.

to Lake la Rouge. Two unfortunate circumflances, however, happened

to them; which are as follow.

Mr. Wadin, a Swifs gentleman, of ftri& probity and known fobriety,
had gone there in the year 1779, and remained during the fummer 1780.
His partners and others, engaged in an oppofite intereft, when at the
Grande Portage, agreed to fend a quantity of goods on their joint ac-
count, which was accepted, and Mr. Pond was propofed by them to be
their reprefentative to aét in conjunétion with Mr. Wadin. Two men, of
more oppofite charaéters, could not, perhaps, have been found. In fhort
from various caufes, their fituations became very uncomfortable to each
other, and mutual ill-will was the natural confequence: without enter-
ing, therefore, into a minute hiflory of thefe tranfactions, it will be fuf-
ficient to obferve, that, about the end of the year 1780, or the begin-
ning of the year 1781, Mr. Wadin had received Mr. Pond and one of his
own clerks to dinner ; and, in the courfe of the night, the former was
fhot through the lower part of the thigh, when it was faid that he ex-
pired from the lofs of blood, and was buried next morning at eight
o'clock. Mr. Pond, and the clerk, were tried for this murder at Mon-
treal, and acquitted: neverthelefs, their innocence was not fo apparent

as to extinguilh the original fufpicion.

The other circumftance was this. In the fpring of the year, Mr.
Pond fent the abovementioned clerk to meet the Indians from the
Northward, who ufed to go annually to Hudfon’s Bay; when he eafily

perfuaded them to trade with him, and return back, that they might not