Old Square-Toes and His Lady, The Life of James and Amelia Douglas

Horsdal & Schubart Publishers. Very Good+. 2001. First Edition. Softcover. 092066377x . Ex-library book, but still in very good condition. Sturdy laminated cover and usual ex-lib type of markings. Pages clean and all intact, a little soiling outer edge of pages. Overall wear is light. B/w illus. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 224 pages; At the pinnacle of his career, Sir James Douglas, fur trader and colonial governor, was knighted by the order of Queen Victoria, and greatly enjoyed the pomp of his position. Considering his modest beginnings as a mixed-race baby in South America, this lofty status was remarkable. The life of Amelia, companion throughout James' long rise, saw even more suprising changes. Amelia was of mixed blood too, being part-Cree, part-Scot. She never left the northern Canadian forests until she married James, but ended up a respected lady of the Empire. Between them, James and Amelia Douglas knew everybody who was anybody in western North America. Their lives saw astonishing contrasts, from crossing North America by canoe to touring Europe by train, from Native uprisings to frantic gold rushes. They met with grief as well as glory, losing seven of their beloved children. Old Square-Toes and His Lady is a story of the adventure, heartbreak and devotion that lies at the roots of western Canada. (345noto) .