OF THE POLAR SEA. 131 
the differences have been’ more than once decided 
by force of arms. To carry on the contest, the 
two Companies are obliged to employ a greatmany 
Servants, whom they maintain often with much 
difficulty, and always ata considerable expense. 
There are thirty men belonging to the Hud- 
son’s Bay Fort at Cumberland, and nearly as 
many women and children. 
The inhabitants of the North West Company’s 
house are still more numerous. These large 
families are fed during the greatest part of the 
year on fish, which are principally procured: at 
Beaver Lake, about fifty miles distant. The 
fishery commencing with the first frosts in autumn, 
continues abundant; till January, and the produce 
is dragged over the snow on sledges, each drawn 
by three dogs, and carrying about two hundred 
and fifty pounds. The journey to and from the 
lake occupies five days, and every sledge requires 
a driver. About three thousand fish; averaging 
three pounds a piece, were caught by the Hudson’s 
Bay fishermen last season; in addition to which 
a few sturgeon were occasionally caught in Pine 
Island Lake; and towards the spring a consider- 
able quantity of moose meat was procured from 
the Basquiau Hill, sixty or seventy miles distant. 
The rest of our winter's —— —" 
Jevive 
ie or i tras cart © 
and the two ar pages, are now, in yall rea, at an-end, 
