28 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



the Indian trade by sending out agents of its own, so the 

 decision was reached to put the valuable fur traffic in the 

 hands of men already skilled in the service. It was esti- 

 mated that at that time the number of skins obtained in the 

 province annually amounted to about 50,000 pelts, exclusive 

 of the peltry drawn from the Sioux, Missouri, and Illinois 

 Indians. Of this amount, the savages on the Red River, 

 Tonica and the tribes on the Arkansas furnished 1,000 deer 

 skins each ; the Yazoo and Ossagoulas, 2,000 of a very good 

 quality; the Alibamon, 3,000; the Chicasaw and Choctaw, 

 4,000 each; the Talapouche, 5,000; the Abikas, 8,000, and 

 the other tribes in lower Louisiana smaller amounts. 



Wars With the Indians 



In 1717, the fur trade in the upper part of the province 

 was greatly disturbed by wars with the Fox Indians, and 

 while the Louisiana traders and troops were confronted 

 with this outbreak an unjust action on the part of the com- 

 mander of Fort Rosalie, in taking lands of the Natchez 

 for the purpose of making himself a handsome estate, 

 caused these Indians to rise and attempt to destroy this 

 important French settlement in the lower valley. 



Five years later the French share in the western fur 

 trade had sunk to a most critiacl condition, as the English 

 were quick to take advantage of the Indian outbreaks 

 against the French and they increased their trade and 

 profits correspongingly. Indeed, within a year or two En- 

 glish traders were among the Choctaws outbidding the 

 Frenchmen for pelts. 



In 1744, the year the French and English war started, 

 records show us that Louisiana obtained about 100,000 deer 

 skins, as well as many buffalo, kid, otter, and beaver skins, 

 for which the French traders gave in exchange guns, 

 powder, blankets, knives, needles, razors, vermilion, woolen 

 goods, ribbons, blankets, shirts, and "brandy well mixed 

 with waterl" 



At the same time the English were exporting about 

 100,000 hogsheads (800 to 900 pounds each) of skins a 

 year ,for which they received sixteen shillings, nine pence 

 a pound. 



