in the following manner: In the front a halberd and enfign are carried; next a drummer beating a march; then several of the factory fervants bearing the bread, prunes, pipes, tobacco, brandy, &c. Then comes the captain, walking quite erect and stately, smoking his pipe, and converfing with the factor. After this follows the lieutenant, or any other friend, who had been admitted into the fort with the leader. They find the tent ready for their reception, and with clean pine-bruth and beaver coats placed for them to fit on. Here the brandy, &c. is depofited, and the chief gives orders to fome refpectable perfon to make the ufual distribution to his comrades. After this the factor takes his leave, and it is not long before they are all intoxicated; when they give loose to every fpecies of diforderly tumult, fuch as finging, crying, fighting, dancing, &c. ; and fifty to one but fome one is killed before the morning. Such are the fad effects of the vile compofition they are furnished with, upon thefe occafions.

After continuing in a state of intoxication, bordering on madness, for two or three days, their mental faculties return by degrees, and they prepare themselves for renewing the league of friendship, by fmoking the calimut; the ceremony of which is as follows: A pipe made of stone is filled with Brazil tobacco, mixed with a herb fomething like European box. The ftem of the pipe is three or four feet long, and decorated with various pieces of lace, bears claws, and eagles talons, and likewife with variegated feathers, the fpoils of the moft beauteous of the feathered tribe. The pipe being fixed to the ftem and lighted, the factor takes it in both his hands, and with much gravity rifes from his chair, and points the end of the stem to the East, or fun-rife, then to the Zenith, afterwards to the West, and then perpendicularly down to the Nadir. After this he takes three or four hearty whiffs, and having done fo, prefents it to the Indian leader, from whom it is carried round to the whole party, the women excepted, who are not permitted to smoke out of the facred pipe. When it is entirely fmoaked out, the factor takes it again, and having twirled it three or four times over his head, lays it deliberately on the table; which being done, all the Indians return him thanks by a kind of fighing out the word Ho.

Though the above ceremony made use of by the Indians, in fmoking the calimut, may appear extremely ridiculous and incomprehenfible, yet, when we are made acquainted with their ideas in this refpect, the apparent abfurdity of the custom will vanish. By this ceremony they mean to fignify to all perfons concerned, that whilst

the fun fhall vifit the different parts of the world, and make day and night; peace, firm friendship, and brotherly love, fhall be established between the English and their country, and the fame on their part. By twirling the pipe over the head, they further intend to imply, that all perfons of the two nations, wherefoever they may be, fhall be included in the friendship and brotherhood now concluded or renewed.

After this ceremony is over, and a further gratification of bread, prunes, &c. is prefented, the leader makes a fpeech, generally to the following purport:

"You told me last year to bring many Indians to trade, which I ec promised to do; you fee I have not lied; here are a great many young men come with me; ufe them kindly, I fay; let them trade "good goods; let them trade good goods, I fay! We lived hard laft "winter and hungry, the powder being fhort measure and bad; "being fhort measure and bad, I fay! Tell your fervants to fill the "measure, and not to put their thumbs within the brimm; take pity 66 on us, take pity on us, I fay! We paddle a long way to fee you; "we love the English. Let us trade good black tobacco, moist and hard twifted; let us fee it before it is opened. Take pity on us; take pity on us, I fay! The guns are bad, let us trade light guns, "fmall in the hand, and well fhaped, with locks that will not freeze "in the winter, and red gun cafes. Let the young men have more "than measure of tobacco; cheap kettles, thick, and high. Give "us good meafure of cloth; let us fee the old measure; do you mind

me? The young men prove they love you, by coming fo far to fee "you; take pity, take pity, I fay; and give them good goods; they like to drefs and be fine. Do you understand me?"

As foon as the captain has finifhed his fpeech, he, with his followers, proceed to look at the guns and tobacco; the former they examine with the most minute attention. When this is over they trade their furs promifcuoufly; the leader being fo far indulged, as to be admitted into the trading room all the time, if he defires it.

It is evident that the fur and peltry trade might be carried on to a much greater extent, were it not entirely in the hands of this exclufive company, whofe interested, not to say iniquitous fpirit, has been the fubject of long and just complaint.

It will, we doubt not, feem very mysterious to the generality of people, that the company do not exert themselves to turn the riches of this country to their advantage, when they alone are to reap the benefit of their exertions. People will naturally be led to conclude from their

conduct,

Conduct, that what writers have faid on this fubject is devoid of truth, and mere chimeras; but this is for want of knowing the peculiar views of the company, their affection for their long-foftered monopoly, and that fingular obfcurity which invelops their whole conftitution, nay, the whole of their mercantile tranfactions.

The company do not entertain the leaft doubt, but if the country they poffefs was properly explored by perfons of ability, valuable difcoveries might be made; but this they think may be fo far from redounding to their intereft, that it might have a contrary effect, by encouraging adventurers to petition for liberty to partake of these difcoveries, and thereby occafion an inveftigation to take place, which would probably shake the foundation of their charter. This is not all; as the company confifts at prefent but of feven perfons; this fmall number wifely think, that as long as they can fhare a comfortable dividend, there is no occafion for their embarking in additional expenfes, in order to profecute difcoveries which might transpire to the world, and endanger the whole.

The limits of the bay and ftraits comprize a very confiderable extent; the foil of which, in many parts, is capable of much improvement by agriculture and induftry. The countries abound with most kinds of quadrupeds, &c. whofe fkins are of great value. The numerous inland rivers, lakes, &c. produce fish of almost every species; and in the feas in and about the ftraits, and the northern parts of the bay, white and black whales, fea-horfes, bears, and feals, are killed in great numbers by the Efquimaux, whofe implements for this purpofe are exceedingly fimple. What advantage might not then arife to the nation from this branch of trade alone, were it laid open? If able harpooners were fent on this employ, with fufficient affiftants, and properly encouraged, greater profits would accrue from this fishery, than from all the peltry at prefent imported by the company. The difcovery of numberlefs fine harbours, and an acquaintance with the furrounding country, which at prefent is entirely unknown to us, would, in all likelihood, be the confequence of thefe feas being more fre quented than they are. And indeed if ever the forts and fettlements on the American boundary line are furrended according to the treaty of peace, England has no other means in her hands to counterpoife the fuperior advantages the Americans will then poffefs in the fur trade, that to throw the trade to Hudfon's bay open, and thus destroy a difgraceful monopoly, or to incorporate with it by a new charter the merchants trading to Canada, and thus infufe into it a fresh por

tion

L

tion of mercantile vigour: by this means an extensive intercourse with nations, to which we at prefent are almost strangers, might be opened, and a country explored whofe refources may equal if not furpafs thofe of the country round Canada.

If it be objected to this, that the vast quantities of ice in the straits must impede a vessel from making difcoveries, we anfwer, that many years the ice is fo infignificant in quantity as not to obftruct the paffage of the ships in the leaft; and in those feafons when it is thickest, it is diffolved and difperfed in the ocean long before the return of the ships in September.

Even in the very confined manner in which the company carry on this trade, it is far from being inconfiderable in value, though their fhips feldom stop but a very short time for the purpose of trading with the Efquimaux; they employ three ships annually, which are manned with feventy-five men.

The company exports commodities to the value of about ten thoufand pounds, and bring home returns to the value of twenty-nine thoufand three hundred and forty pounds, which yield to the revenue about three thousand seven hundred and thirty-four pounds. This includes the fishery in Hudfon's bay. That this commerce, small as it is, affords immenfe profits to the company, and even fome advantages to Great Britain in general, cannot be denied; for the commodities exchanged with the Indians for their skins and furs, are all manufactured in Britain; and as the Indians are not very nice in their choice, fuch things are fent of which there is the greatest plenty, and which, to use a mercantile phrafe, are drugs. Though the workmanship happens to be in many respects fo deficient, that no civilized people would take it, it may be admired among the Indians. On the other hand, the skins and furs brought home in return afford articles for trading with many nations of Europe to great advantage. These circumstances prove the immenfe benefit that would redound to Britain, by throwing open the trade to Hudson's bay, fince even in its prefent restrained state it is fo advantageous. The only attempt made to trade with Labrador, has been directed towards the fishery. Great Britain has no fettlement there. The annual produce of the fishery amounts to upwards of forty-nine thousand pounds.

In May 1782 all the farts and fettlements belonging to the Hudfon's bay company were deftroyed by the French, the damages fuftained were rated at five hundred thousand pounds.

NOVA-SCOTIA;

COMPREHENDING THE PROVINCE OF NEW-BRUNSWICK AND NOVA-SCOTIA.

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

THESE provinces are fituated between 43° 30′ and 49° north lati

tude and 60° and 67° eaft longitude from London, or 8° and 15° eaft longitude from Philadelphia. Their length is four hundred miles, and their breadth three hundred. They are bounded on the north, by the river St. Lawrence; on the east, by the gulf of St. Lawrence, which washes its coafts one hundred and ten leagues in extent, from the gut of Canfo, at its entrance into the gulf, to cape Rozier, which forms the fouth part of the river St. Lawrence, and by the gut of Canfo, which divides it from cape Breton; on the fouth, it is washed by the Atlantic ocean, having a fea coaft of ninety leagues, from cape Canfo, eaft, to cape Sables, weft, which forms one part of the entrance into the bay of Fundy, which also forms a part of its fouthem boundary; weft, by a part of Lower Canada, and the district of Maine.

Notwithstanding the forbidding appearance of this country, it was here that fome of the first European fettlements were made. The firft grant of lands in it was given by James the First to his fecretary, Sir William Alexander, from whom it had the name of Nova-Scotia, or New-Scotland; fince then it has frequently changed hands, from one private proprietor to another, and from the French to the English nation backward and forward. It was not confirmed to the English, till the peace of Utrecht, and their defign in acquiring it does not feem to have arifen fo much from any prospect of direct profit to be obtained by it, as from an apprehenfion that the French, by poffeffing this province, might have had it in their power to annoy the other British fettlements. Upon this principle, three thousand families were tranfported in 1749, at the charge of the government, into this country, who built and fettled the town of Halifax.

The tract of country within thefe limits, known by the name of Nova-Scotia, or New-Scotland, was, in 1784, divided into two pro

vinces,