^S The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



Lowest in the scale arc the labourers, generally 

 French Canadians, half-breeds, or Orkneymen ; 

 indeed the great majority of the Company's ser- 

 vants are Scotch. These men are always employed, 

 although their occupations necessarily vary accord- 

 ing to the season. In the autumn they cut up and 

 store the large quantity of fuel that will be required 

 when the frost sets in ; in the summer they fish, 

 and transport the peltry from their post to the 

 nearest depot ; in fact, they make themselves 

 generally useful, and they are ready to turn their 

 hands to anything, from trapping a beaver to re- 

 pairing the stockade, or shovelling away the drift 

 snow in the winter. Next in rank to the labourers 

 are the interpreters. The latter are usually selected 

 from the most intelligent labourers, who, from being 

 long acquainted with the Indians, have picked up 

 their language sufficiently to entitle them to the 

 higher grade. They are a most useful, trustworthy 

 body of men, and from their ranks are drawn the 

 postmasters who have made themselves conspicuous 

 for activity and intelligence. The postmaster ranks 

 with the gentlemen of the service, with whom he 

 lives and takes his meals, and he is often placed in 

 charge of a small station, from whence he derives 

 his name, which signifies "master of a post," and 

 has nothing to do with letter-boxes, stamps, or 



