Though the adventurers failed in the original purpose for which they navigated this bay, their project, even in its failure, has been of advantage to England. The vast countries which furround Hudfon's Bay, as we have already obferved, abound with animals, whofe fur and fkins are excellent. In 1670, a charter was granted to a company, which at prefent consist of only feven perfons, for the exclufive trade to this bay, and they have acted under it ever fince with great benefit to the private men who compofe the company, though comparatively with little advantage to Great-Britain.

Prince Rupert was their firft Governor; the Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craven, Lord Arlington, and feveral other noble perfonages, conftituted the first committee. The tenor of their charter is as full, ample, and comprehenfive, as words can well make it; and, as if they fufpe&ted the intrution of fome adventurers on their territories, to participate in this valuable trade, the most fevere penalties, with forfeiture of property, are laid on all thole, who fhall haunt, frequent, or trade upon their coafts; how far their fucceffors have been entitled to these exclufive immunities, or how far their confined manner of carrying on the trade has proved beneficial to the country, we shall endeavour to point out,

The first traders to thefe parts acted upon principles much more laudable and benevolent, than their fucceffors feem to have been actuated by. They appear to have had the good of the country at heart; and to have endeavoured by every equitable means, to render their commerce profitable to the mother coun. try. Their inftructions to their factors were full of fentiments of Chriftianity, and contained directions for their ufing every means in their power, to reclaim the uncivilized Indians from a ftate of barbarifm, and to inculcate in their rude minds the humane precepts of the gofpel. They were at the fame time admonished to trade with them equitably, and to take no advantage of their native fimplicity, They were further inftructed to explore the country, and to reap fuch benefit from the foil and produce thereof, as might redound to the intereft of the Englith nation, as well as contribute to their own emolument. And lafly, they were directed to be particularly careful in feeing that the European fervants behaved orderly, and lived in briety and temperance, obferving a proper veneration for the ice of God, which was ordered to be collectively performed very feafonable opportunity.

hele were iujunétions worthy the exalted stations and rank fe of those who had the first direction of the affairs of the pany; and reflected much honour on their characters, as

men and chriftians: and had these praise-worthy establishments been adhered to, the country granted them might at this day have been a real advantage to Great-Britain. But instead of encouraging the trade, by a mild, equitable, and engaging deportment towards the natives;-inftead of ingratiating themfelves by affability and condefcenfion with a harmless people, the Hudson's Bay Company use them with undeferved rigour, caufing them frequently to be beat and maltreated, although they have come fome hundreds of miles in order to barter their skins, and procure a few neceflaries to guard against the severity of the approaching winter: owing to this conduct the trade has materially declined of late years.

Another reason why the Company's trade has declined, is a want of spirit in themselves, to push it on with that vigour the importance of the conteft deferves. The merchants from Canada have been heard to acknowledge, that was the Hudfon's Bay Company to profecute their inland trade in a fpirited manner, they must be foon obliged to give up all thoughts of penetrating into the country; as from the vicinity of the Company's factories to the inland parts, they can afford to undersell them in every branch.

To explain this emulation between the company and the Canadian traders, it will be neceffary to review the state of the Company in the year 1773. About that time the Canadian traders from Montreal, actuated by a laudable fpirit of industry and adventure, and experiencing the pecuniary advantages that refulted from their exertions, had become fo numerous and indefatigable at the head of the rivers which lead to the Company's fettlements, that the trade of the latter was in a great measure cut off from its ufual channel. The Indians being fupplied with every thing they could wish for at their own doors, had no longer occafion, as they hitherto had done, to build canoes, and paddle feveral hundred miles, for the fake of cultivating a commerce with the Company; in which peregrination they were frequently expofed to much danger from hunger; fo much so, that at one time feven canoes of upland Indians perished on their return to their own country.

Ever fince the above period, the Canadian adventurers have annually increased in the upland country, much to their own emolument, and the great lofs of the Company: who, it may be faid, are fleeping at the edge of the fea, without fpirit, and without vigour or inclination to affert that right, which their exclufive charter, according to their own account, entitles them to.

It is true, the Hudson's Bay Company have at this time a few eftablishments in the interior country; but thefe are carried on

in fuch a languid manner, that their exertions have hitherto proyed inadequate to the purpofe of fupplanting their oppo

nents.

The Company fignify to their Factors, that they have an indifputable right to all the territories about Hudfon's Bay, not only including the Straits and Bay, with all the rivers, inlets, &c. therein, but likewife to all the countries, lakes, &c. indefinitely to the weftward, explored and unexplored. They therefore ftigmatize the Canadian merchants with the infulting epithets of pedlars, thieves, and interlopers; though the quantity of furs imported by themfelves, bears no comparison to those sent from Canada. If this unbounded claim, to which they pretend, be founded upon juftice, why, in the name of equity do they not affert these pretenfions by a proper application to the British Parliament to remove the industrious pedlars, whom they would seem to look upon with fuch ineffable contempt, and prevent their any longer encroaching on their territories; but the fhock they received from the parliamentary application of the patriotic Mr. Dobbs, in the year 1749, has given them a diftafte to parliamentary inquiries They know the weakness of their claim, and the inftability of their pretenfions; it is therefore their intereft to hide from an inquifitive but deluded nation, every inveftigation which might tend to bring to light the futility of their proceedings.

If the Canadian traders can adduce any profit to themselves by profecuting this inland bufinefs, what are not the Hudfon's Bay Company enabled to do, with every advantage on their fide, would they profecute the trade with vigour?

York Fort at this time has four fubordinate fettlements; at which fettlements, conjointly, the Company allow one hundred servants, whose wages amount to about one thousand eight hundred and fixty pounds per annum; befides a floop of fixty tons, that makes a voyage once a year between York Fort and Severn Factories. In the year 1748, the .complement of men at that fetttlement was no more than twenty-five, whose wages amounted to four hundred and feventy pounds per annum, and the trade then ftood at thirty thousand skins one year with another. The other eftablishments which the Company maintain in the Bay, have fuffered the like proportional change, all decreafing in trade, and bearing additional incumbrances.

To exhibit at one view a ftate of their feveral eftablishments in the Bay at prefent, the following table is fubjoined.

The following is the standard of trade, by which the Governor or Factor, is ordered by the Company to trade with the natives.*

This is intended to keep up the appearance of a regular fettled plan of trade; but though this farce may be played off to those who have not had the opportunities of knowing the deception, it will not have that effect upon a perion any way acquainted with the business.

Notwithstanding this pretended standard is in itself fufficient ly hard upon the Indians, and difcouraging to the trade, yet the factors, and the company, in conjunction, do not think it fo; for out of this a pernicious overplus trade must be raised; which as Mr. Robfon juftly obferves, "is big with iniquity, and ftriking at the very root of their trade as a chartered company :" it is intended to augment the emoluments of the governor, at the expenfe of justice and common honefty: it oppresses the Indian who lives a moft wretched life, and encounters a variety of difficulties, cold, hunger, and fatigue, to procure a few neceffaries for himself and indigent family.

This overplus trade, as it is called, is carried on in the fol lowing manner; for inftance; fuppofe an Indian would trade one pound of glafs beads, it is fet down in the standard at two beaver fkins; but the conscientious factor will demand three, or perhaps four beaver skins for it; if the Indian afks for a blanket, he must pay eight beavers; and if he would purchase a gallon of brandy, he must give after the rate of eight beaver skins for it, as it is always one half, and fometimes two-thirds water. The confequence of this griping way of trade is in the end very hurtful to themfelves, as the Canadians, in the interior country, underfell them in every article.

Before the Canadian merchants purfued the fur trade with fuch diligence as they now do through the lakes, and had penetrated into the interior parts of Hudfon's Bay, a great number of Indians used annually to come down to the company's fettlements to barter their fkins. And though the company have now in a great measure loft the benefit of this lucrative traffic, it may not be amifs to mention the manner in which Indians profecute their voyages to the factories.

In the month of March, the upland Indians affemble on the banks of a particular river or lake, the nomination of which had been agreed on by common confent, before they feparated for the winter. Here they begin to build their canoes, which are generally completed very foon after the river ice breaks. They then commence their voyage, but without any regularity, all striving to be foremost; because those who are first have the best chance of procuring food. During the voyage, each leader canvalles, with all manner of art and diligence, for people to join his gang; influencing fome by prefents, and others by promises; for the more canoes he has under his command, the greater he appears at the factory.

Being come near their journey's end, they all put afhore; the women to go in the woods to gather pine-brush for the bottoms