pany and the Select

ansformation has been made of their undertaking. The individuals, as well as Canada as a State, and the Empire, also, have gained largely. The monopoly has been broken up, under liberal and generous treatment of the monopolists-monopolists who had deserved their monopoly by their able administration; and those who ran the risk, paid the cost, and incurred the anxiety, neither complain nor ask for the credit of their work. The merchant adventurer tra

y was constituted under

gan thus: "Charles the

cotland, France, and I

om these presents s

Sir Paul Neele, Sir John Griffith, Sir Philip Carteret, and Sir James Hayes, Knights; John Kirke, Francis Millington, William Prettyman, John Fenn, Esquires, and John Portman, citizen and goldsmith of London, have at their own great costs and charges undertaken an expedition for Hudson's Bay, in the Northwest parts of America, for the discovery

eights, and bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the streights commonly called Hudson's Streights; together with all the lands, countries, and territori

ic, in deed and in name," by the name of "The Governor and

unds aforesaid;" "with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and all other royal fishes;" "together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts within the limits aforesaid, and all mines royal, as well discovered as not discovered, of

and not in capite or by knight's service; yielding and paying yearly to us, our heirs and successors, for the same, two elks and two black beavers

and from the territories, limits, and places aforesaid, but also the whole and intire trade and traffick to and from all havens, bays, creeks, rivers, lakes, and seas into which they shall f

to any of their plantations, forts, factories, or places of trade," "for the security and defence of the same." "And to choose commanders and officers over them, and to give them power and authority, by commissions under their common seal, or otherwise, to continue, or make peace or war with any prince or people whatsoe

clusive possession of territories, exclusive powers of

referred to the consideration of "A. Ryder" and "W. Murray," who heard counsel for and against the Hudson's Bay Company, and finally decided that, "Considering how long the Company have enjoyed and acted under this charter

Lord Strange, upon "the state and condition of the countries adjoining to

proved, and the trade and fisheries there extended and increased; and also to inquire into the right the Company of Adventurers trading to Hudson's Bay pretend to have, by charter, to the property o

Hudson's Bay; under which charter the present Company claim a right to lands, and an exclusive trade to those countries; which charter being laid before your Committee, they thoug

er, who had been armourer and gunsmith, and had resided in the Bay for 22 years; Robert Griffin, silversmith, who had been five years in the Company's service; Thomas Barnett, smith, who went over to Albany in 1741; Alexander Brown, who had been six years at Hudson's Bay as surgeon; Captain Thomas Mitchell, who had commanded a sloop of the Company's; Arthur Dobbs, 'Esquire,' 'examined as to the information he had received from "a French Canadese Indian" (since deceased), and who was maintained at the expense of the Admiralty, on a prospect of his being of service on

1719, and ending, probably in despair, in 1737, the Hudson's Bay Company fitted and sent out in the whole six separate expeditions, which the Committee record in

the Hudson's Bay Company for D

rge Berley, sailed from England on

sey, sailed from York Fort, June 19

cock, master, sai

uly 2nd. Retur

Kelsey, sailed from York Fort, J

er, master, sailed

30th of s

er, sailed from Gravesend 31st May,

nce 21st June. Return

led from Prince of Wales' Fort, July 7th. Died

rt Crow, master, sa

uly 7th. Retur

but where he was the water was fifty fathoms deep, and the tide very strong; the ebb six hours and the flood two, to the best of his remembrance; that it is not common for the tide to flow only two hours; but he imagines it to be obstructed by another tide from the westward; that the rapidity of the tide upwards was so great, that the spray of the water flew over the bow of the schooner, and was so salt that it candied on men's shoes, but that the tide did not run in so rapid a manner the other way." Captain William Moore, being asked whether he believed there was a North-west Passage to the South Seas, said, "He believes there is a communication, but whether navigable or not he cannot say; that if there is any such communication 'tis further northward than he expected; that if it is but short, as 'tis probable to conclude from the height of the tides, 'tis possible it m

confirmed," he said, "by the experience of the Guinea trade, which, when confined to a company, employed not above ten ships, and now employs 150;" and "that the case of the Guinea t

doublings and treblings of its nominal amount, was,

690, making the nominal capital 31,500_l_.; in August, 1720, it was proposed to augment the cash capital, and to make the nominal total 378,000_l_. But at a "General Court," held on the 23rd December, 1720, it was resolved to "vacate" the subscription "by reason of the present scarcity of moneys, and the deadness of credit." And it was further "Resolved, that in the opinion of this Committee, that each subscriber shall have 30_l_. stock for each 10_l_. by him paid in," "which resolu

lation of exchange of commod

. Four fire-steels, one beaver. One pistol, four beavers. Twelve needles, one beaver. One four-foot gun, twelve beavers. Three knives, one beaver, and so on over a long list of various articles. Some of the things exchanged nearly 130 years ago, show that the Indians had a good knowledge of trade,

hts and measures; and it was said that the doubtful profit thus made, in oppo

d settlements of the Hudson's

ti

Fort

ouse, or

Main Ho

y For

Fort

f Wales'

e area of posts, all over the continent, at this later date;

-a mode of auction common in those days (under which the bidding went on till the inch of lighted wax, candle went out)-fl

d L

r lb ) 0 7

r skin) 0

" 0 13

18 0 0

11 71/4

es " 0 7

kin) 1 6 71

0 4 8

0 18 11

k " 0 12

0 11 7

0 0 9 0

(per lb ) 0

" 0 13

-----

s " 0 2 9

a " 0 2 4

per tun) 18

(per 1,000)

s article may have been, simply, bones of the whale; and "

ome as possible. We do hereby further direct that you cut away all trees, hedges, bushes, &c., or any other cover for an enemy; and lay all level and open round the factory, further than cannon shot, which we compute to be a mile; in order to hinder the enemy from attacking you unawares, and from being sheltered from the factory's guns. But you are to keep up, and repair, your palisadoes, for your defence." ... "You are to fire point bl

vigorous resistance, you should have the misfortune to be overpowered, then you are to nail up the cannon, blow up th

ondon merch