FORTS AND POSTS. 51 



families and a man or two they departed from 

 the forts in September, taking the supply of 

 trading stuff with them. 



These small parties were self-sustaining, be- 

 ing given one day's provisions to take them 

 away from the fort. After that until the next 

 May they lived on fish and the small game of 

 the country, with probably an odd wood caribou. 

 The men of the party trapped furs while hunt- 

 ing game for their substenance. The proceeds 

 for the personal winter trapping of each serv- 

 ant was allowed him as a bonus over and above 

 his wages. Cash was not given, but they had 

 permission to barter the skins for what they 

 chose out of the trade shop and they went 

 principally in tobacco for the men and finery 

 for the women. 



Where fish and rabbits in their season was 

 the mainstay with these people, prodigious num- 

 bers were required and consumed to sustain 

 life. Thirty or forty white fish or the same of 

 rabbits was an ordinary daily consumption of 

 the dwellers at one of these "flying posts," but 

 the reader must remember they had no auxil- 

 iaries to help out this plain straight food. 



No butter, lard, pork, sugar or vegetables, 

 just rabbit or white fish twice a day and noth- 

 ing else. This was washed down with bouillon 

 in which the food was cooked. Spring and fall 



