258 CANADIAN WILDS. 



ried out at places where there was no compe- 

 tition. 



The gentleman in charge was the representa- 

 tive of the "Great Company" and what he said 

 was law. Our interests and those of the In- 

 dians ran on parallel lines. 



It- was to our interest to see all that the In- 

 dian required should be of the very best. That 

 he should have good, strong, warm clothing, 

 good ammunition and double-tower proved guns 

 was essential to his ability to hunt, his comfort 

 and his very life. 



It was drilled into the hunters at each yearly 

 send off, that if he did not exert himself to hunt 

 sufficient to pay the advances given him, that 

 the "Great Father" would riot, or could not, 

 send goods for the next year. 



It was explained to them that their furs 

 were bartered in far off countries for other new 

 guns, blankets, twine, capots, duffle, copper ket- 

 tles and other wants of the Indians. As we 

 wanted the hunters to be well clothed and sup- 

 plied with necessaries we imported no such use- 

 less trash as the frontier posts were obliged to 

 keep to cope with the free traders. 



If an Indian took a four point H. B. blanket, 

 even with the rough usage it was subjected to, 

 it would keep him and his wife warm for a year. 

 The next season, a new one being bought, the 



