Not a little, too, of Sir George’s economy was of “the penny-wise and pound-foolish” kind.  Thus it has been already observed, that the lives of the Company’s servants, and the property of an entire district, were placed in extreme jeopardy by his false economy; and a contingency, which no prudent man would have calculated upon, alone prevented a catastrophe which involved the destruction of the Company’s property to a large amount, as well as of the lives of its servants.  But independently of this, he has committed several errors of a most serious kind.  Of these the chief is the Ungava adventure, an enterprise which was begun in opposition to the opinion of every gentleman in the country whose experience enabled him to form a correct judgment in the matter; and this undertaking was persisted in, year after year, at an enormous loss to the Company.  Finally, he has not even the merit of correcting his own blunders.  It was not till after a mass of evidence of the strongest kind was laid before the Committee, that they, in his absence, gave orders for the abandonment of the hopeless project.

His caprice, his favouritism, his disregard of merit in granting promotion, it will be allowed, could not have a favourable effect on the Company’s interests.  His want of feeling has been mentioned:  a single example of this will close these remarks.  A gentleman of high rank in the service, whose wife was dangerously ill, received orders to proceed on a journey of nearly 5,000 miles.  Aware that his duty required a prompt obedience to these orders, he set off, taking her along with him.  On arriving at the end of the first stage, she became worse; and medical assistance being procured, the physicians were of opinion that in all probability death would be the consequence if he continued his journey.  A certificate to this effect was forwarded to Sir George.  The answer was, that Madame’s health must not interfere with the Company’s service; and that he must continue his journey, or abide the consequences.

In consequence of this delay, he only reached Montreal on the day when the boats were to leave Lachine for the interior.  He hurried to the office, where he met Sir George, and was received by him with the cool remark—­

“You are late, Sir; but if you use expedition you may yet be in time for the boats.”

He earnestly begged for some delay, but in vain.  No regard was paid to his entreaties; and he was obliged to hurry his wife off to Lachine, and put her on board a common canoe, where there is no accommodation for a sick person, and where no assistance could be procured, even in the last extremity.

VOCABULARY OF THE PRINCIPAL INDIAN DIALECTS IN USE AMONG THE TRIBES IN THE HUDSON’S BAY TERRITORY.