THE PRINCE OF WALES AT MINGAN 161 



profits of the company depended on keeping out competitors. 

 It was the one instance I have ever seen where a monopoly 

 was altogether defensible, indeed commendable, for these 

 admirably administered trading-posts have been a vast blessing 

 to the savages of the North. They have kept a part of the abo- 

 rigines from the ruin which has elsewhere overtaken their kind. 

 I have since seen something of the management of the same 

 quality of aborigines in the western part of the United States; 

 the difference between the two systems is all there can be in 

 human affairs. 



While we were at Mingan, the then Prince of Wales came 

 there for salmon-fishing in the river of the name. One day our 

 friend the factor said that he would be glad to take me to the 

 place where His Royal Highness was having his sport and pre- 

 sent me to him. I asked him if the prince had expressed a wish 

 to see us. Finding that he had not done so, probably he did 

 not know we were on the planet, I told our good friend that 

 His Highness was doubtless glad to get out of the tiresome 

 business of presentations, and that I had not the heart to in- 

 trude upon his solitude; so I lost the chance to see the youth 

 who is now king. 



At Mingan, I found that my reputation as a medical man had 

 preceded me, borne by some of the crews we knew, so I was 

 again in practice. I was glad to help as far as my limited know- 

 ledge went, and glad when the training my father had given 

 me from childhood could be of use. Most of the cases were of 

 a simple nature, nearly all from bad food, taking the shape of 

 scurvy, or they were sprains, such as simple bandaging would 

 help. In a small way I helped some of the sufferers, which gave 

 me much pleasure; but one day a married man came to me, 

 saying that his wife was shortly to lie in, and that he bespoke 

 my services. I told him that we had need of going straightway 

 to Gaspe in New Brunswick. My medical practice evidently 

 was getting me into deep water. 



At Gaspe*, we were, after some three months beyond its 



