43 38

Lieut. Franklin was the bearer of letters of introduction to such several of the North West partners whom he was expected to meet in the interior, and amongst them he had letters to M^r Shaw, M^r MacTavish, and M^r Campbell. The visits which the gentlemen of this mission paid made to the prisoners were and the attention they paid them, were evidently galling to their gaolers; but from their altered deportment in consequence, Messieurs Shaw and MacTavish were induced to apply for leave to embark for England on board the Prince of Wales; to which Williams, after some demur, consented, on the condition of their entering into such recognizances as he should dictate, to which, as the only means of escaping from their rigourous captivity, they consented agreed. Two papers were accordingly executed, of which they could not obtain copies, but which purported to be recognizances, one from M^r Shaw to keep the peace M^r MacTavish, with M^r Shaw as his surety to appear in a Court of Justice in England or in Canada, under a penalty of three thousand pounds, but not specifying any charge upon which he was to appear, and the other a recognizance one from M^r Shaw to keep the peace unde[r] the like penalty; and the same day Williams set off for the interior.

M^r Campbell and M^r Frobisher equally applied to know their fate. The latter received no answer, but M^r the former was apprised about the

[38]