The Great Company : $b being a history of the honourable company of merchants-adventurers trading into Hudson's BayWillson, Beckles
History
The Great Company : $b being a history of the honourable company of merchants-adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay
Willson, Beckles
Fur trade -- Canada; Hudson's Bay Company; Northwest, Canadian -- History
The same trader also declares he found a number of small prints, such
as in England were commonly sold to children, but which amongst the
Indians were each transformed into a talisman for the cure of some
evil or for procuring some delight. He even gives the mottoes on some
of these, and their specific uses: No. 1--"A sailor kissing his
mistress on his return from sea." This worn about the person of a
gallant attracted, though concealed, the affections of the sex! No.
2--"A soldier in arms." Such a talisman poured a sentiment of valour
into its possessor and gave him the strength of a giant!
It was alleged that by means of such commodities many customers were
secured to the Company, nor is there reason to doubt it. "Even those
Indians who shortened their voyage by dealing with us, sent forward
one canoe laden with beaver-skins to purchase articles of this kind at
Cumberland House." Henry adds that he was wise enough not to dispute
their value.
As time went on the Indians began to relinquish many of the habits and
customs, and even the appearance they presented, before the advent of
the white traders. Being in constant communication with the factories,
they became semi-civilized, and took on many of the outer
characteristics of the European. They brought in year after year the
spoils of the chase in strict confidence, and there exchanged them for
the necessaries of life, which they no longer provided for themselves.
To all intents and purposes the tribes were in the pay of the Company,
or lived upon their bounty. It was, therefore, to be expected that all
originality would be lost amongst them.
The principal things necessary for the support and satisfaction of the
Indian and his family in the middle of the eighteenth century were: a
gun, hatchet, ice chisel, brazil fob, knives, files, flints, powder
and shot, a powder horn, a bayonet, a kettle, cloth, beads, etc.
It was early found that alcohol was a very dangerous element to
introduce amongst the savages. Talon had presented the unhappy colony
of New France with a statute removing all the penalties and ordinances
of which justice and the authorities had made use to repress the
disorders caused by the too great quantity of liquor given to the
Indians.
[Sidenote: Liking of the Indians for liquor.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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