He encouraged the formation of
libraries at the several trading posts, and in his letters throws in a
remark about Sir Walter Scott, or Blackwood's last magazine, or other
living topic, although the means of communication made literature often
months late even on the banks of the Red River. His own effort in
producing a book gave rise to a considerable amount of amusement. After
his great journey around the world, he published an account of his
travels in two considerable volumes. It is now no secret that these were
prepared for him by a well-known judge of Red River Settlement, of whom
we speak more fully in a later chapter. This double authorship became
decidedly inconvenient to Sir George on the celebrated occasion when he
was cited in 1857 to give evidence before the Committee of the House of
Commons as to Rupert's Land. Sir George's experience in introducing
farming into Red River Settlement had been so troublesome, and expensive
as well, that he really believed agriculture would be a failure in the
West, and so he gave his evidence. Unfortunately for him his editor had
indulged in his book, in a pictorial and fulsome description of the
Rainy River, as an agricultural region.
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