ad 
~ ment beaver 3 3000 coat ditto; 10 
and fhaved ; 
aT ha 
‘gemains to be. decided; whether two parties under the fame 
econ, and by fimilar exertions, thoug unequal in nui 
will be able t Inue ea 
parties again to coalefce ; for neither appear 
eapital, to fupport their refpeGtive claim arket, 
and it is not. probable that either will relingsi them on any 
ere tome, than perpetual participation 
e two companies -have nearly moitopolized ihe fur- 
; ai e having fearcely any -conipetiters, they have ina 
great sage ie Indian market in their’ own “power ; bat 
pene and fas: 3 be he Indians, fo long: acc ftomed to 
the trade, have long ae learned, that a -beaver pee is 
‘worth more than a two-penny knife, er a fix- “pen 
trinket. 
- By the pri inted documents of the annuals importatiens from 
‘€anada, the quantity of furs and fkins, which arrived: in 
England in the year 1783, was as Chowne. 2 96,060 © parch- 
,;00@ deer in. the hair 
10;000 “ditto Indian ; halfidreffed, 8 5,000 5 
£0,500.bear 3 17,700 otter; 3400 fitter: 3 40,000 marten ; 
_§600 wolf; 300 woolverin; 7300 cat; 6400 mink ; 3900 
fox 5 3600 elk ; 65,000 mufquafh.”’ 
r the northewef c been formed, 
very confiderably the trade was‘increafed by their ied 
exertions, will appear fr orts 17845" 
*¢116,000 parchment beaver ; 4000 coat ditto; 130,000 rac- 
-wwoolverin 3; 6000 elk 3 160,000 deer in-thé = and fhaved 3 
“000 Indian ditto bal-drefe dee a mufqu: 
two ie companies 
larger quan tity of 
Ieet. The i invoices of che car 
‘lowing refult, and it forms the. g greateft annual importation 
-ever: madé. from ‘that country, 
pa ae 35 dere ditto 3: 178,000 raccoon m5. Lh 
* min: ; "11,000 filhier 5 660 woo verin 5 
an muf quath 3 eee der in the. hair. and fhaved ;- 
i aceileds elk.” coe 
— nearly as erdue ; but after 
company, andthe partial toa Fs 
al imports began to decline.. Thus the crea 0f-1799 
gives the following flatement, viz. 113,000 parchnient 
beaver fixins ;- 1200 coat ditto ;~ 126,000 raccoon 5, 1349500 
marten; J 6,000 otter 3 21,000 b 
; it, .k ao : 
1803. gives, .‘ ied parchment beaver {kins 3-200 co 
ditto; 150;000 r 2 "marten 3° £7,060 0 
bear; $600 wolf; : 125000 ‘minik 
mufquath 3. 204,000 deer in the iaeeaad eed ; bon elk.” 
he year ee produced rather co and sh pats 
ing one much The refult of -3 will ferv 
eneral view oF the el spate ftate. of the ‘trade : .: “ 1O obo Deo 
nt beaver fkins 3 .12.5,000-ra¢ 
' '@2,000-0fter 5 -16,000 a 1000 avolf ; 3 $3300 ae site hia 
mae: ra 
0,000. fox. .N.B. 2300 white 7000. fifher’; 
e jun e 
aie was fill Gaia: extended, anda m much d 
furs we into’ 
R S$. 
Woolverin s 315, 00 mufquath ; 216;000 deer in the hair and 
lave 2 es 
| Wha at have been the caufes of this gradual diminution is 
the clnagae?! brought t to market has been a fubject of ferious 
inqui By fome it has pen attributed ‘to the. interference 
of the Hudfon’ 8 bay company ; and their agents, engrofling 
a confiderable portion of the intercourfe with the SKnilte. 
neaux, Chepewyan, and other tribes of Indians, who’ ufed 
exclufively to trade with the Canadian adventurers. 
reverting to the ftate of the fales belonging.to that company, 
it. will be evident this could not have been: the caufe, for the > 
arrivals in the market through that channel alfo ee ‘been 
progreflively growing lefs. wo reafons may be afligned 
fo; ion, Firft, the diftance the adve 
éd to go to meet with new Indian tribes for the pur- 
- pofe of pro ofitable barter, and the e eave: rang e the hunters 
are neceffitated to take, for fucceistul purfuit in procuring 
faleable fkins. - fecond reafon may be found i in the recent 
formation of a new company at New York for carry ing 
on the fur-trade in nie United States; who, though at pre» 
fent they do not much annoy the Canadian traders by ae 
rivalfhip in the commerce of the extenfive lakes ; yet by the 
oe antity of furs they import from Canada, a the ae 
fupplying the Chins, they occafion rable 
cage on the quantity of i ee which otheewile would 
be expofed in the Engl ma etwo 
caufes have had ac onfiderable influen nce, both upon the 
trade in Cac, and alfo at-Hudfon ’s bay 3 and they furnifh 
two powerfully perfuafive arguments, why the intercourfe 
fhould be extended and improved’ with - counters bor- 
dering on the north-welt coaft ef Americ 
The prices of this article have been progrefvely Stns, not 
1 
ing 
1 
; a 
atio nt ep ary .and continuative 
caufe of the. average advance — in the Rae oF oa . Other 
betes 
Ctuationss 
r 
tippets, and farr 
quality, or diftinguithed the upper claffes of gentry. Now 
coftly | furs adorn the drefs of: females i in that iphere of life, 
an saditiongt ‘fifteen 
ion, or 
for. re eae 
ny. By 
9y/the average eee reckonin ing 
of beaver, ya 
prior .to that: period, of a pound weight 
