8 May 1812
by Elizabeth Campbell“The Carpenter work of our Boats was done- they are of the required shape but slightly put together & every part of the work but indifferently executed. a piece of the stern post was split off one in taking it out from the place it was built.” – Miles Macdonell Journal
Although the first boats Macdonell inspected in April looked better than expected, the last ones he ordered, built according to his modified plans, disappointed him. Tensions between the Mr. Auld at Churchill, Cook, who was Auld’s ‘lieutenant’ at York Factory, and Macdonell may have filtered down to the workers. The carpenters also may have resented the colony Governor inspecting their work, telling them how new boats could be improved and how he wanted the finished boats altered to suit him. They had, after all, been building boats for transporting goods up and down the trade routes from Hudson’s Bay much longer than the colony Governor!
(references: page 16660, 16654 and 16652 respectively of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)
Tags: 1811 Work Party, boats, HBC & RRS relations, Miles Macdonell, Miles Macdonell's Journal, York Factory
