GAMESTERS OF THE WILDERNESS 5 



de lard,* famous hunters, traders, and trappers on 

 their own resources. The MacDonalds and MacKenzies 

 and MacGillivrays and Frobishers and MacTavishes 

 Scotch merchants of Quebec and Montreal were quick 

 to seize the opportunity. Uniting under the names of 

 North-West Fur Company and X. Y. Fur Company, 

 they re-engaged the entire retinue of cast-off French 

 men, woodcraftsmen who knew every path and stream 

 from Labrador to the Eocky Mountains. Giving 

 higher pay and better fare than the old French traders, 

 the Scotch merchants prepared to hold the field against 

 all comers in the Canadas. And when the X. Y. amalga 

 mated with the larger company before the opening of the 

 nineteenth century, the Nor Westers became as famous 

 for their daring success as their unscrupulous ubiquity. 

 But at that stage came the other factor American 

 Independence. Locked in conflict with England, what 

 deadlier blow to British power could France deal than 

 to turn over Louisiana with its million square miles 

 and ninety thousand inhabitants to the American Ee- 

 public? The Lewis and Clark exploration up the Mis 

 souri, over the mountains, and down the Columbia to 

 the Pacific was a natural sequel to the Louisiana Pur 

 chase, and proved that the United States had gained 

 a world of wealth for its fifteen million dollars. Be 

 fore Lewis and Clark s feat, vague rumours had come 

 to the New England colonies of the riches to be had 

 in the west. The Eussian Government had organized 

 a strong company to trade for furs with the natives of 

 the Pacific coast. Captain Vancouver s report of the 



* The men employed in mere rafting and barge work in con 

 tradistinction to the trappers and voyageurs. 



