A General History of the Fur Trade* 19 



China, in the East India Company's ships, together with 

 the duty payable, and the various restrictions of that compa- 

 ny. Whereas, from America there are no impediments ; 

 they get immediately to market, and the produce of them 

 is brought back, and perhaps s'old in the course of twelve 

 months. From such advantages the furs of Canada will no 

 doubt find their way to China by America, which would 

 not be the case if British subjects had the same privileges that 

 are allowed to foreigners, as London would then be found 

 the best and safest market. 



But to return to our principal subject. — We shall now 

 proceed to consider the number of men employed in the 

 concern : viz. fifty clerks, seventy-one interpreters and 

 clerks, one thousand one hundred and twenty canoe men, 

 and thirty-five guides, Of these, five clerks, eighteen 

 guides, and three hundred and fifty canoe men were em- 

 ployed for the summer season in going from Montreal to 

 the Grande Portage, in canoes, part of whom proceeded 

 from thence to Rainy Lake, as will be hereafter explained, 

 and are called Pork-eaters, or Goers and Comers. These 

 were hired in Canada or Montreal, and were absent from 

 the 1st of May till the latter end of September. For this 

 trip the guides had from eight hundred to a thousand livres, 

 and a suitable equipment ; the foreman and steersman from 

 four to six hundred livres, the middlemen from two hun- 

 dred and fifty to three hundred and fifty livres, with an 

 equipment of one blanket, one shirt, and one pair of trow- 

 sers ; and were maintained during that period at the expense 

 of their employers. Independent of their wages, they were 

 allowed to traffic, and many of them earned to the amount 

 of their wages. About one third of these went to winter, 

 and had more than double the above wages and equipment. 

 All the winterers were hired by the year, and sometimes 

 for three years ; and of the clerks many were apprentices, 

 who were generally engaged for five or seven years, for 

 which they had only one hundred pounds, provision and 

 clothing. Such of them who could not be provided for as 

 partners, at the expiration of this time, were allowed from one 

 hundred pounds to three hundred pounds per annum, with all 

 necessaries, till provision was made for them. Those who act- 

 ed injthe two-fold capacity of clerk and interpreter, or were so 

 denominated, had no other expectation than the payment of 

 wages to the amount of from one thousand to four thousand 

 livres per annum, with clothing and provisions. The guides, 



