A. D.I 743- ^35 



590 otter's fkins 

 850 cats 



260 damaged ditto 

 320 foxes 

 600 woolverines 

 170 ditto, damaged 

 320 black bears 

 1580 wolves 

 270 ditto, damaged, and flags 

 40 woodlli.ock fkins 

 10 mink fkms 

 5 racoon ikins 

 120 fquirrel fkins 



46,615 of all forts, fold for - - Li 8,226 o o 



He adds the following articles, but without their prices, viz. 130 elk 

 fkins, 440 deer fkins, 3170 pound weight of bed-feathers, aiid 220 lb. 

 in a tick, 140 caftorum, 470 whale fins, 23 cafks of whale oil, and 8 

 lb. of wefaguipaka. 



And in their March fale 40,125 beaver, worth Li 4,670 o o 



Unvalued goods, about - - 400 o o 



Total amount of their fales in the year 1743 L33,296 o o 



Upon this ftatc of this little company's fales, we may obferve, that if 

 their capital flock be but about Li 00,000, and that thereon they had 

 not for many years divided more than 10 per cent on that capital an- 

 nually, and if this year's fale be any rule to determine for other years, 

 it will follow that the company's annual expenie for fliipping, forts, 

 garrifons, I'alaries, and home charges, may be about L20,ooo. So that, 

 though Mr, Dobbes has fpared no pains to be maftcr of this lubjed:, 

 yet, after all, confidering the rilTcs the company conilantly runs, their 

 gains are little to be envied. Captain Middleton tells us, that the com- 

 pany has in all i 20 perfons, ofhcers, lokliers, and lervants, in their tour 

 forts in Hudfon's bay ; which forts are abfolutely requifite for their 

 people employed in preparing cargoes during winter, againfl: the arrival 

 of their fliips, as well as to protetl them from the attempts of the la- 

 vages and of wild bealls. So that, if the company fliould be dillblved, 

 as Mr. Dobbes propofes, and the trade laid open, thole forts mull be 

 kept up by a rate, or tax, on the private traders ; and undoubtedly the 

 company mufl, in fuch a cafe, have a reafonable compenlation for 

 them : and as the company, through the means of the forts, by their 

 long experience of the trade, and by fome fort of correipondence with 



Gg2 



