142 



Inasmuch 



Inhabitants 

 Described 



Trade 



trading posts of the diocese we quote again from 

 the Bishop: &quot;The only usual residents in the 

 Mackenzie River Diocese, besides the native 

 Indians and Eskimaux and the missionaries, are 

 the officers and employes of the Hudson s Bay 

 Company, who are engaged in the fur trade. 

 For the purposes of this commercial undertaking 

 twelve trading posts in the diocese are occupied 

 which are mostly called Forts, though of late 

 years entirely destitute of defences. These 

 trading posts consist each of about half a dozen 

 log buildings, used as residences for the clerk in 

 charge and employes, and for fur store and 

 trading shop. The posts are situate from 100 to 

 300 miles apart, and are mostly along the courses 

 of the rivers and lakes. About 100 families of 

 Indians, more or less, trade at each post. These 

 live in their leather lodges or tents, and hunt 

 the surrounding country for provisions and furs, 

 with which they trade at the post nearest to them 

 about twice in the year. They generally, in visit 

 ing the post, remain only a couple of nights, ex 

 cept in the spring time, when they often bring 

 families and tents, and remain encamped in the 

 neighbourhood of the post for some weeks. 



&quot;In early days of the trade, when spirits were 

 dealt out to the Indians, these visits were scenes 

 of riots and debauchery ; but for many years the 

 trade in intoxicating liquors has been abandoned, 

 and the Indians are now free from all turbulence 

 in their visits to the trading establishments. 



&quot;The situation of the trading posts is as follows : 



