Pierre C. Pambrun
Pierre C. Pambrun, Jr. was the son of Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) Chief Trader Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun. Pambrun Jr. was in charge of the HBC post at Fort Halkett and later Fort Frances and Pelly Banks while Robert Campbell was at Fort Selkirk.1) John O'Brien served with P. C. Pambrun as a trader at Pelly Banks in 1848-49. O'Brien took furs to Fort Simpson in the spring of 1849 and was supposed to return with supplies for Pelly Banks and Fort Selkirk. He turned back at Fort Liard because of sickness and when his Indigenous workers deserted him, so the fall supplies never arrived. All the buildings at Pelly Banks burned in November 1849 except for a small warehouse. On March 15, 1850 a HBC trader named Dubois starved to death and was eaten by Mr. Forbister, who himself died on March 25. The third trader, Pambrun, survived until a search party arrived from Fort Selkirk in April 1850.2)
James Green Stewart and his companion Reid left Fort Selkirk on their snowshoes in April 1850 with a few provisions, blankets, gun, axe and a kettle. When they arrived at Pelly Banks, they found all but one small house burned in the early part of the winter and Pambrun and Lapie emaciated to the bone. Forbister and Dubois had died of starvation. There were no supplies and the nets had been left at the fisheries and allowed to rot. Pambrun and Lapie joined Stewart and crossed over to Frances Lake enroute to Ft. Simpson where Dr. Rae was in charge. He loaded a boat with supplies and sent it back with Stewart who notified Campbell at Selkirk. In the fall of 1850, Campbell left Fort Selkirk on the news that supplies had arrived. He arrived at Fort Frances in September and found Stewart and the supplies. Campbell had been out of touch for two years. They reached Fort Selkirk again around the middle of October. They received little trading goods, only tobacco, a few kettles, and axes. Stewart arrived in early November with the mail and news of the boats and outfit at Frances Lake. Pambrun was reassigned to the Frances Lake post, much to Campbell's dismay. He would have preferred that Stewart be given the position.3)