One of the most discouraging things in connection with the Selkirk Colony was the long sea voyage and the difficult land-journey necessary, not only to gain assistance, but even to receive information from the founder in Britain for the guidance of the officers in Red River settlement.  This being the case McLeod could not wait for orders and so as being temporarily in charge of the Hudson’s Bay Company district at Red River, he planned a fort and proceeded at once to build a portion of it.  Fortunately across the Red River in what is now the town of St. Boniface, he found the freemen who were willing to help him.  He immediately hired a number of these and began work on the new fort.

Somewhat lower down the Red River than the Colony gardens he selected a site on the river banks, now partially fallen in, where George Street at the present days ends.  Here McLeod began to erect a Governor’s House, having confidence that the founder would not desert his Colony.  Along with this important project, expecting that the Colonists would return, he turned his men upon the fields of grain—­small, but to them very precious.  The yield in this year was good.  He also erected new fences and cured for the settlers quantities of hay from the swamp lands.

McLeod states in his diary—­of which a copy of the original is in the Provincial Library in Winnipeg—­that Fort Douglas was on the south side of Point Douglas, so called from Lord Selkirk’s family name, and which McLeod has some claim to have so christened.

Meanwhile the Colonists had taken their lonely way by boat or canoe, to the foot of Lake Winnipeg—­not expecting a speedy delivery.  They reached their rendezvous in July.  Lord Selkirk knew in a general way that his Colony was in danger and so had given orders to his faithful officer—­Colin Robertson, who had done yeoman service in collecting his first party in Scotland, but who was now in Canada—­to engage a number of men and with them proceed to Red River settlement to help his Colonists.  That the real state of things was not known to Robertson, or the founder, appears in the fact that Robertson coming from the East with twenty Canadians, passed up the Red River to the Forks to get the first news of the dispersing of the Colonists.  With his usual dash their rescuer immediately followed the settlers to Jack River, found them very much discouraged but persuaded them to return again to the banks of the Red River.  The work of rebuilding other houses which McLeod had not been able to overtake now went on, and there was the greatest anxiety to hear of Lord Selkirk’s plans.

The Earl of Selkirk had not become in the slightest degree discouraged.  Opposition and failure seemed but to inspire him the more.  On the return of Miles Macdonell as a prisoner to Montreal in the hands of the Nor’-Wester emmissaries, the founder immediately sought for a competent successor to Macdonell, and determined to send out the best and strongest party of settlers that had yet been gathered.