On the Fur Trade, and Fur-bearing Animals. 325 



ing's strait to Queen Charlotte's Island in N. Lat. 53°, and by the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company thence, south of the Columbia river, from which 

 Ashley's Company, and that under Capt. Bonneville take the remain- 

 derof the region to the coast of California. Indeed, the whole compass 

 from the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean is traversed in every direc- 

 tion. The mountains and forests from the Arctic sea to the gulf of 

 Mexico, are threaded, through every maze, by the hunter. Every 

 river and tributary stream, from the Columbia to the mouth of the 

 Rio del Norte, and from the McKenzie to the Colorado of the west, 

 from their head springs to their junction, are searched and trapped 

 for beaver. 



Almost all the American furs which do not belong to the Hudson's 

 Bay Company, find their way to New York, and are either distribu- 

 ted thence for home consumption, or sent to foreign markets. 



The Hudson's Bay Company ship their furs from their factories 

 of York Fort, and from Moose river on Hudson's Bay ; their collec- 

 tion from Grand river, &c. they ship from Canada ; and the collection 

 from Columbia river goes to London. None of their furs come to the 

 United States, except through the London market. 



The export trade of furs from the United States, is chiefly to Lon- 

 don. Some quantities have been sent to Canton, and some few to 

 Hamburgh ; and an increasing export trade in beaver, otter, nutria, 

 and vicunea wool, prepared for the hatter's use, is carried on with 

 Mexico. Some furs are exported from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and 

 Boston, but the principal shipments from the United States, are from 

 New York to London, from whence they are sent to Leipzic, a well 

 known mart for furs, where they are disposed of during the great 

 fair in that city, and distributed to every part of the continent. 



The United States import from South America, nutria, vicunia, 

 chinchilla, and a few deer skins ; also fur seals from the Lobos Is- 

 lands, off the river Plate. A quantity of beaver, otter, &.C. are 

 brought annually from Santa Fee. Dressed furs for edgings, linings, 

 caps, muffs, &,c. such as squirrel, gennet, fitch skins, and blue rabbit, 

 are received from the north of Europe ; also coney and hare's fur, 

 but the largest importations are from London, " where is concentra- 

 ted nearly the whole of the North American fur trade. "''^ 



Of the fur-bearing animals, "the precious ermine," so called by 

 way of preeminence, is found, of the best quality, only in the cold re- 



* Aikin on Furs, Trans. &c. 



