24 The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



forming the Company, should even visit the 

 territories granted, contrary to the true meaning of 

 the charter, that is to say, for trading purposes — 

 all other subjects of the crown were expressly for- 

 bidden to visit or trade at any of these places, 

 unless specially licensed by the Company, on pain 

 of incurring the royal displeasure, and the forfeiture 

 of goods. Offenders might be bound in the penalty 

 of a thousand pounds not again to trade within this 

 exclusive domain. The Company had full power 

 to equip armed vessels, and send them with men 

 and ammunition to any of their forts, factories, or 

 places of trade, appointing commanders and officers 

 by commission under the common seal. They had 

 the right of making war or concluding peace with 

 any non-Christian prince or people within the 

 territories covered by their charter. They might 

 build castles, forts, or fortifications and garrison 

 them, and lay out towns and villages ; whilst any 

 persons, not members of the Company, whether 

 British subjects or not, who should sail into 

 Hudson's Bay, or enter their territory without 

 leave, were liable to be seized and sent to England — 

 in short the power of the new Company was prac- 

 tically unlimited, and the monopoly as complete 

 as the inclination of the monarch, and ink, parch- 

 ment and lawyers could make it. 



