This band of Colonists, consisting as they did of "watch and
clock-makers, pastry cooks and musicians," were quite unfit for the
rough work of the Selkirk Colony. In 1821 they were brought by way of
Hudson Bay, over the same rocky way as the earlier Colonists came. They
were utterly poverty stricken, though honest, and well-behaved. Their
only possession of value was a plenty of handsome daughters. The Swiss
families on arrival were placed under tents nearby Fort Douglas. As soon
as possible many of the Swiss settlers were placed alongside the De
Meurons on German Creek. Good Mr. West, who had just been sent out as
chaplain by the Hudson's Bay Company, in place of the minister of their
own faith promised to the Scottish settlers, did a great stroke of work
in marrying the young Swiss girls to the De Meuron bachelors of German
Creek. The description of the way in which the De Meurons invited
families having young women in them to the wifeless cabins is ludicrous.
A modern "Sabine raid" was made upon the young damsels, who were
actually carried away to the De Meuron homesteads. The Swiss families
which had the misfortune to have no daughters in them were left to
languish in their comfortless tents.
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