On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western CanadaRalph, Julian
History
On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western Canada
Ralph, Julian
Hudson's Bay Company -- History; Indians of North America -- Canada; Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
"The Natives are so discouraged in their Trade with the Company
that no Peltry is worth the Carriage; and the finest Furs are
sold for very little. They gave but a Pound of Gunpowder for 4
Beavers, a Fathom of Tobacco for 7 Beavers, a Pound of Shot for
1, an Ell of coarse Cloth for 15, a Blanket for 12, Two
Fish-hooks or Three Flints for 1; a Gun for 25, a Pistol for 10,
a common Hat with white Lace, 7; an Ax, 4; a Billhook, 1; a
Gallon of Brandy, 4; a chequer'd Shirt, 7; all of which are sold
at a monstrous Profit, even to 2000 _per Cent_. Notwithstanding
this discouragement, he computed that there were brought to the
Factory in 1742, in all, 50,000 Beavers and above 9000 Martens.
"The smaller Game, got by Traps or Snares, are generally the
Employment of the Women and Children; such as the Martens,
Squirrels, Cats, Ermines, &c. The Elks, Stags, Rein-Deer, Bears,
Tygers, wild Beeves, Wolves, Foxes, Beavers, Otters, Corcajeu,
&c., are the employment of the Men. The _Indians_, when they
kill any Game for Food, leave it where they kill it, and send
their wives next Day to carry it home. They go home in a direct
Line, never missing their way, by observations they make of the
Course they take upon their going out. The Trees all bend
towards the South, and the Branches on that Side are larger and
stronger than on the North Side; as also the Moss upon the
Trees. To let their Wives know how to come at the killed Game,
they from Place to Place break off Branches and lay them in the
Road, pointing them the Way they should go, and sometimes Moss;
so that they never miss finding it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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