The Remarkable History of the Hudson's Bay Company / Including that of the French Traders of North-Western Canada and of the North-West, XY, and Astor Fur Companies

by George Bryce

The damages claimed were:—

1682.	Captain Gillam and cargo on PrinceRupert.(Captain and a number of men, cargo, and ship all lost in hostilities.)Governor Bridgar and men seized and carried to Quebec	£	s.	d.
	Moderate damages	25,000	0	0
September 1684.	French with two ships built asmall house and interrupted Indian trade
	Damages	10,000	0	0
1685.	French took Perpetuanaand cargo to Quebec
	Damages	5,000	0	0
	For ship, master, and men
	Damages	1,255	16	3
1686.	French destroyed three of Company'sships at bottom of Bay, and also three ships' stores, etc., and took50,000 beaver skins, andturned out to sea a number of His Majesty's subjects	50,000	0	0
1682-86.	Five years' losses about Forts(10,000beaver skins yearly)	20,000	0	0
1688.	Company's ships Churchilland Young seized by the French	10,000	0	0
1692.	Company sent out expedition to retake Forts, which cost them	20,000	0	0
1686-93.	French possessed bottom of the Bayforseven years. Loss, 10,000l. a year	70,000	0	0
	Damages	20,000	0	0
	Total damages claimed	£211,255	16	3

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[CHAPTER VII.]

RYSWICK AND UTRECHT.

The "Grand Monarque" humbled—Caught napping—The Company in peril—Glorious Utrecht—Forts restored—Damages to be considered—Commission useless.

Louis XIV. of France, by his ambition and greed in 1690, united against himself the four nations immediately surrounding him—Germany, Spain, Holland, and England, in what they called "The Grand Alliance." Battles, by land and sea for six years, brought Louis into straits, unrelieved by such brilliant episodes as the naval prodigies wrought by D'Iberville on Hudson Bay. In 1696, "Le Grand Monarque" was sufficiently humbled to make overtures for peace. The opposing nations accepted these, and on May 9th, 1697, the representatives of the nations met at William III.'s Château of Neuberg Hansen, near the village of Ryswick, which is in Belgium, a short distance from the Hague.

Louis had encouraged the Jacobite cause, James III. being indeed a resident of the Castle of St. Germain, near Paris. This had greatly irritated William, and one of the first things settled at the Treaty was the recognition of William as rightful King of England.

Article VII. of the Treaty compelled the restoration to the King of France and the King of Great Britain respectively of "all countries, islands, forts, and colonies," which either had possessed before the declaration of war in 1690. However satisfactory this may have been in Acadia and Newfoundland, we find that it did not meet the case of the Hudson Bay, inasmuch as the ownership of this region was, as we have seen, claimed by both parties before the war. In the documents of the Company there is evidence of the great anxiety caused to the adventurers when the news reached London, as to what was likely to be the basis of settlement of the Treaty. The adventurers at once set themselves to work to bring influence to bear against the threatened result. The impression seemed to prevail that they had been "caught napping," and possibly they could not accomplish anything. Their most influential deputation came to the Hague, and, though late in the day, did avail somewhat.