THE NORTHWESTERN BOUNDARY -LINE. 215 



all other royal fislies in the seas, bays, inlets, and rivers within 

 the premises and the fish therein taken, together with the roy- 

 alty of the sea upon the coasts within the limits aforesaid, and 

 all mines royal, as well discovered as not discovered, of gold, 

 silver, gems, and precious stones, to he found or discovered 

 within the territories, limits, and places aforesaid, and that the 

 said land be from henceforth reckoned and reputed as one of our 

 Plantations or Colonies in America, called ' Rupert's Land,' " 



This concession was induced, as the preamble of 

 the charter sets forth, by the reason that the parties 



" Have, at their own great cost and charges, undertaken an 

 expedition for Hudson's Bay, in the 7iorthicest part of America, 

 for the discovery of a new passage to the South Sea, and for 

 the finding some trade for furs, minerals, and other considerable 

 commodities, and by such their undertaking have ab-eady made 

 such discoveries as do encourage them to proceed farther in 

 pursuance of their said designs, by means whereof there may 

 probably arise very great advantage to us and our Kingdom." 



The Company's Chai'ter, in common w'ith others of 

 that period", conveyed to them the right to hold the 

 territory granted with all rights and jurisdictions ap- 

 j^ertaiuing thereto, as of the manor of East Green- 

 "wich in Kent ; the Company became lords and pro- 

 prietors of Rupert's Land on Condition of a yearly 

 payment to the Crown of " two elks and two black 

 beavers ;" and no legal impediment existed to the es- 

 tablishment on Hudson's Bay of a local political gov- 

 ernment such as existed in Massachusetts or Virgin- 

 ia ; but, in reflecting on the slow growth of the Brit- 

 ish Colonies in the more temperate latitudes of North 

 America, it w^ill be readily seen that no colonization 

 could be effected on the frozen and desolate shores 

 of Hudson's Bay. In effect, the Company very soon 



