"
Plainly Governor Macdonell feels his burdens! However, the culmination
of this officer's troubles did not reach him until a serious rebellion
occurred among his subjects--so mixed and various.
A workman--William Finlay--presumably an Orkneyman, who had been
regularly employed by Miles Macdonell when the scurvy was bad in Mr.
Hillier's camp, refused to obey the health regulations, his one
objection being to drink this spruce decoction. He was immediately
dropped from work. A few days afterward supposing the matter had blown
over, Macdonell ordered him to work again. Finlay declined, whereupon,
though under engagement he refused to further obey Macdonell. The
Governor then brought him before Mr. Hillier, who like himself, had been
made a magistrate. His breach of law in this, as in other matters being
brought against Finlay he was sentenced to confinement. There being no
prison at York Factory it seemed difficult to carry out the sentence by
his being simply confined with his other companions in the men's
quarters. Accordingly the Governor ordered a single log hut to be
constructed, and this being done, in it the prisoner was confined. Not a
day had entirely passed when a rebellion arose among some of his
compatriots--the Scottish contingent from Orkney and Glasgow--and a band
of thirteen of them surrounded the newly built hut, set it on fire and
as it went up in smoke rescued the prisoner.
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