The Attractions of York Factory. 157 



sell out, and return to camp life, if by so doing they can encourage 

 immigration and facilitate the railway. 



In this respect they differ somewhat from the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany's officials. The latter, for the most part, discourage, as far as 

 they can do so by talking against it, the possibility of navigating 

 the Strait. They do not want their trade interfered with, as a 

 matter of course ; and besides the people at York see perfectly that 

 the road, if built, will never come to that place, as they have no 

 harbour. At Churchill there is a better feeling, and they, with one 

 accord, anxiously hope to see the enterprise succeed. The worst 

 opposition to the proposed Hudson's Bay route that I have met with 

 is that expressed by the acting chief officer at York, Mr. Matheson. 

 He simply ridicules the whole thing. It is quite different, however, 

 with Dr. Matthews, who has given the subject much attention. He 

 is a believer in the practicability of the navigation, and is most 

 anxious to see the people of Canada make use of it. 



The Hudson's Bay Company's officers at York are all provided 

 with excellent houses, well and comfortably furnished. They have 

 any number of servants, and live, in some respects, in considerable 

 style. The warehouses are heavily stocked with all kinds of mer- 

 chandise suitable to the trade of that northern country. Everything 

 from a needle to an anchor, and everything in its place, may be 

 seen as one passes through the storehouses. The only things upon 

 which there seems to be any limit as to quantity are the provision 

 stores. They keep only a supply sufficient for two years, and, as in 

 the case of last year, when supplies had to be sent to Churchill to 

 meet the requirements consequent upon the .detention of the Ocean 

 Nymph, they began to grow painfully less : so much so, that when 

 we left York, they were beginning to feel exceedingly anxious least 

 the outcoming vessel might not arrive, as in that event provisions 

 would positively run short before another year. When we left 

 Churchill, ,it was thought that perhaps the Company's vessel, not 

 having arrived there, might have found it advantageous to go on to 

 York first, but our arrival at the latter place dispelled this conjec- 

 ture. 



We left York Factory in a York boat for the Neptune at three 



