398 Hudson's bay company's treatment of Indians. [1844. 



ardent spirits, appears to be rigidly enforced. Schools for the in 

 struction of their children are established at all the principal trading 

 posts, each of which also contains a hospital for sick Indians, and 

 offers employment for those disposed to work, whilst hunting cannot 

 be carried on. Missionaries of various sects are encouraged to en- 

 deavor to convert them to Christianity, and to induce them to adopt 

 the usages of civilized life, so far as may be consistent with the na- 

 ture of the labors required for their support ; and attempts are made, 

 at great expense, to collect them in villages, on tracts where the 

 climate and soil are most favorable for agriculture. Particular care 

 is extended to the education of the half-breed children, the offspring 

 of the marriage or concubinage of the traders with the Indian 

 women, who are retained, and bred as far as possible among the 

 white people, and are employed, whenever they are found capable, 

 in the service of the Company. As there are few or no white 

 women in those territories, except in the Red River settlements, it 

 may be easily seen that the half-breeds must in time form a large if 

 not an important portion of the native population. 



The conduct of the Hudson's Bay Company in these respects is 

 certainly worthy of commendation.. It is however to be observed, 

 that of the whole territory placed under the authority of that body, 

 either by its charter or by license, only a kw small portions are 

 capable of being rendered productive by agriculture : from the re- 

 mainder of the country, nothing of value in commerce can be ob- 

 tained except furs, and those articles can be procured in greater 

 quantities and at less cost, by the labor of the Indians, than by any 

 other means. There is, consequently, no object in expelling or 

 destroying the natives who occupy no land required for other pur- 

 poses and can never be dangerous from their numbers ; while on 

 the contrary, there is a direct and evident motive of interest to pre- 

 serve and conciliate them, and the Company certainly employs the 

 best methods to attain those ends. By the system above described, 

 the natural shyness and distrust of the savages have been in a great 

 measure removed ; the ties which bound together the members of 

 the various tribes have been loosened, and extensive combinations 

 for any purpose have become impossible. The dependence of the 

 Indians upon the Company is at the same time rendered entire and 

 absolute ; for having abandoned the use of all their former arms, 

 hunting and fishing implements, and clothes, they can no longer 

 subsist without the guns, ammunition, fish-hooks, blankets and other 

 similar articles, which they receive only from the British traders. 



