Belfast, Prince Edward Island, founded in August 1803, owes its existence to Lord Selkirk. Its bicentennial is a tamely reminder of Selkirk's work in Canada, which extended beyond Belfast to Baldoon (later Wallaceburg) in Ontario, as well as to Red River, the precursor to Winnipeg. Aptly named 'The Silver Chief' by the live Indian chiefs with whom he negotiated a land treaty at Red River the fifth Earl of Selkirk spent an immense fortune helping Scottish Highlanders relocate themselves in Canada. Using a wealth of documentary sources, she reconstructs the sequence of emigration from Scotland to the three areas of settlement. She shows that emigration took place in a carefully planned and controlled way and reveals the self-reliance, adaptability and steely determination of the Selkirk settlers.