The Fur Animals of Louisiana 29 



After the beginning of hostilities, the French were un- 

 able to provide their traders with European goods in suffi- 

 cient quantities to carry on a successful barter with the 

 Indians for fur pelts, and in addition the French prices 

 for peltry decreased by three-fifths of their former value, 

 while the English prices advanced. For instance, a deer 

 skin would sell in England for five livres, while in France 

 one of the same quality would bring but two. This con- 

 dition, coupled with the fact that the English goods offered 

 the Indians were of much better grade in most cases than 

 those imported from France, placed the Frenchmen of the 

 valley at a disadvantage. 



The French had one hold on the faithfulness of the 

 savages of the lower Mississippi Valley and that was that 

 French powder was more easily obtainable and of pro- 

 nounced superior quality to that offered by the English. 

 The rivals attempted to offset this advantage of French 

 powder and lead by giving the Indians English rum, which 

 threw them into a series of drunken orgies, and while they 

 were in this crazed state, endeavored to turn them against 

 the French. Some success crowned the efforts of the En- 

 glish in this direction for the French were forced to fight 

 the savages, and the English collected the pelts during the 

 upheavals. At times, it is claimed, the English actually 

 bought up the next year's assortment of pelts on a basis of 

 credit for a present supply of rum. 



During the four years of the war, 1744 to 1748, not- 

 withstanding a shortage of French goods for trading, the 

 trouble with the Indians, and the keen competition of the 

 English, the fur trade of the Louisiana colony continued; 

 it was far from being destroyed, for it was estimated that 

 there were some 1,600 Frenchmen engaged in the trade, 

 and in 1745 it was said that there was a collection of furs 

 at New Orleans valued at 9,621 livres. 



Furs Float Down the Mississippi 



With the restoration of peace between England and 

 France the fur trading went forward with the same com- 

 petition that had marked affairs before hostilities, and by 



