THE FREE TRADER. 15 



Indian's camp who had the furs, a trade, much 

 to the trader's profit was generally done. 



In those away back days the Free Trader 

 was always outfitted by the "Great Company." 

 He endured all the labor, hardships and priva- 

 tion of following the Indians to their far off 

 hunting grounds and of a necessity charged 

 high for his goods. Being a former servant of 

 the company he got his outfit at a reduced price 

 from what the Indians were charged at the 

 posts. The barter tariffs at each of the posts 

 was made out in two columns, i. e., Indian Tar- 

 iff and Free Man's Tariff. Say, for example, a 

 pound of English tobacco was bartered to the 

 Indian at the posts for one dollar a pound, 

 the Free Trader would get it in his outfit for 

 75 cents, and when he bartered it to some hun- 

 ter, probably hundreds of miles off, he would 

 charge one and half to two dollars for the same 

 pound of tobacco. 



I mention, to illustrate the amount in dol- 

 lars and cents, but the currency of those days 

 all over the northwest and interior was the 

 "Made Beaver." As a round amount the M. B. 

 was equivalent to 50 cents of our money of to- 

 day. At all the posts on Hudson's Bay the com- 

 pany had in coinage of their own, made of brass 

 of four amounts; an eight, quarter, half and 

 whole Beaver. The goods were charged for at 



