Was it to parley?
or to fight?
The events which followed are well told in the evidence given by Mr.
John Pritchard, who afterwards acted as Lord Selkirk's secretary.

Mr.
Pritchard was the grandfather of the present Archbishop Matheson of Rupert's Land.

His evidence has been in almost every respect corroborated by other eye-witnesses of this bloody event: "On the evening of the 19th of June, 1816, I had been upstairs in my own room, in Fort Douglas, and about six o'clock I heard the boy at the watch house give the alarm that the Bois-brules were coming.

A few of us, among whom was Governor Semple--there were perhaps six altogether--looked through a spyglass, from a place that had been used as a stable, and we distinctly saw armed persons going along the plains.
Shortly after, I heard the same boy call out, that the party on horseback were making to the settlers." "About twenty of us, in obedience to the Governor," who said, 'We must go and see what these people are,' took our arms.

He could only let about twenty go, at least he told about twenty to follow him, to come with him; there was, however, some confusion at the time, and I believe a few more than twenty accompanied us.