52 CANADIAN WILDS. 



they had a variety in ducks, geese, beaver and 

 an occasional bear and then they lived in the 

 tallest kind of clover while it lasted. 



As no insurance company could be found 

 who would take fire risks that could only be 

 represented to them on paper by the interested 

 parties, the Hudson's Bay Company began 

 years ago to take certain sums of money out 

 of each year's profits and created a marine and 

 fire account, out of which fund any loss by sea 

 or fire is met and the district or department 

 where the accident occurred is recouped for its 

 loss. Fires at the forts and posts have been 

 of very rare occurrence, as the utmost care and 

 precaution has ever been exercised in prevent- 

 ing such by the officer in charge. 



Self-preservation is the first law of nature 

 and the dwellers of these far away Hudson's 

 Bay posts knew of no greater calamity than 

 that of being burnt out and they looked to it 

 that as far as precaution went this should not 

 occur. 



