14 



A General History of the Fur Trade. 



that X would proceed to the Indian country in the following 

 spring, 1785. His partner came to Detroit to make me 

 such a proposition. I readily assented to it, and immedi- 

 ately proceeded to the Grande Portage, where I joined my 



associates. 



We now found that, independent of the natural difficul- 

 ties of the undertaking, we should have to encounter every 

 other which they, who were already in possession of the 

 trade of the country, could throw in our way, and which 

 their circumstances enabled them to do. Nor did they 

 doubt, from their own superior experience, as well as that 

 of their clerks and men, with their local knowledge of the 

 country and its inhabitants, that they should soon compel 

 us to leave the country to them. The event, however, 

 did not justify their expectations ; for, after the severest 

 struggle ever known in that part of the world, and suffering 

 every oppression which a jealous and rival spirit could in- 

 stigate ; after the murder of one of our partners, the laming 

 of another, and the narrow escape of one of our clerks, 

 who received a bullet through his powder horn, in the ex- 

 ecution of his duty, they were compelled to allow us a share 

 of the trade. As we had already incurred a loss, this union 

 was in every respect, a desirable event to us, and was 

 concluded in the month of July 1787. 



This commercial establishment was now founded on a 

 more solid basis than any hitherto known in the country ; 

 and it not only continued in full force, vigour, and pros- 

 perity, in spite of all interference from Canada, but main- 

 tained at least an equal share of advantage with the Hud- 

 son's-Bay Company, notwithstanding the superiority of 

 their local situation. The following account of this self- 

 erected concern will manifest the cause of its success. 



It assumed the title of the North-West Company, and 

 was no more than an association of commercial men, agree- 

 ing among themselves to carry on the fur trade, unconnect- 

 ed with any other business, though many of the parties en- 

 gaged had extensive concerns altogether foreign to it. It 

 may be said to have been supported entirely upon credit ; 

 for, whether the capital belonged to the proprietor, or was 

 borrowed, it equally bore interest, for which the association 

 was annually accountable. It consisted of twenty shares, 

 unequally divided among the persons concerned. Of these 

 a certain proportion was held by the people who managed 

 the business in Canada, and were styled agents for the 



