y ravels in North America. g 3 



The Trade to which they confined themfelves folely for a 

 /// ConduB in ^^^^ Time in Canada^ was that of Skins or 

 Re^ êl to the Skin impoffible to relate the Faults 



Trade ^ ^ which have been here committed. The Ge- 



^* nius of our Nation never, perhaps, was 



(hewn more than on this Occafion. When we difcovered this 

 vaft Continent, it was full of Deer and other Beafts of the 

 Chace : But a Handful of Frenchmen have within a fmgle Age 

 found Means to make them almoft entirely difappear, and there 

 are fome Species of them entirely deftroyed. They killed the 

 Orignals, or Elks, for the fole Pleafure of killing them, and to 

 Ihew they were good Markfmen. No Body thought of inter- 

 poiing the King's Authority to put a Stop to fuch an extrava- 

 gant Diiorder : But the greateft Evil proceeded from the infa- 

 tiable Covetoufnefs of private Perfons, who applied themfelves 

 folely to this Trade. They came for the moll Fart from France, 

 like Si MON ID ES ; that is to fay y pofTelîing only what they had 

 upon their Backs ; and they were impatient to appear in a bet- 

 ter Condition. At firil, this was eafy : The Savages did not 

 know the Treafure their Woods contained, but by the Eager- 

 nefs the French fhewed to get the Skins out of their Hands, 

 they got from them a prodigious Quantity, by giving them 

 Things v/hich fome People would not pick up : And even fince 

 they have been better informed of the Value of this Merchan- 

 dize, and expeded to be fomething better paid for it, it was very 

 eafy for a long Time to fatisfy them at a fmall Expencei With a 

 little Conduél, this Trade might have been continued on upon 

 a tolerably good Foundation. It would be difficult, however, to 

 name a fingle Family, at this Time, that ha? been enriched by 

 this Trade. We have feen fome Fortunes, as immenfe as fud- 

 den, raifed and difappear almoil at the fame Time ; like thofe 

 moving Mountains of Sand which fome Travellers fpeakof, and 

 which a Vv^iirlwind raifes and levels again in tlie Plains of Af- 

 rica* Nothing is more common in this Country, than to lee 

 People fuitera languifhing old Age under Pvlifery and Contempt, 

 after having had it in their Power to have made a handfome 

 Settlement for themfelves. 



After all, Madam, thefe private Perfons who have mi/Ted 

 making Fortunes which they did not deferve, would have been 

 unworthy of the Public Concern, if the EfFefts of it did not 

 fall upon the Colony ; which foon found itfelf reduced to fuch a 

 State, as to fee entirely dried up, or running in another Channel, 

 a Spring from whence fo many Riches might flow into its Bofom» 

 Its Ruin begun by its Plenty. By Means of heaping up lea- 

 ver Skins, which were alv/ays the principal Objed of this 

 Trade, there was found fuch a vafl Quantity in the Magazines, 



F that 



