54 Some Mew Voyages 



Gains, and commonly extend to a Year,~ and fome- 

 times more. The Merchants put into the two Ca-* 

 bows ftipulated in the Licenfe, fix Men with a thou-p 

 find Crowns- worth of Goods, which are rated to 

 the Pedlars at fifteen per Cent, more than what they 

 are fold for in ready Money in the Colony. When 

 the Voyage is performed, this Sum of a thoufand 

 Crowns commonly brings in feven hundred per Cent. 

 dear profit, and fometimes more, fometimes lefs ; 

 for thefe Sparks calfd Coureurs de Bois bite the Sava- 

 ges moil dexteroufly, and the lading of two Ca- 

 nows, computed at a thoufand Crowns, is a Pur- 

 chafe for as many Beaver-skins as will load four Ca- 

 nows : Now, four Canows will carry a hundred and 

 fixty Packs of Skins, that is, forty a- piece ; and 

 reckoning each Pack to be worth fifty Crowns, the 

 value of the whole amounts to eight thoufand 

 Crowns. As to the Repartition of this extravagant 

 Profit, 'tis made after the following manner : In the 

 firft place, the Merchant takes out of the whole bulk 

 fix hundred Crowns for the Purchafe of his Licenfe j 

 then a thoufand Crowns for the prime Coft of the 

 exported Commodities. After this, there remains 

 6400 Crowns of Surplufage, out of which the Mer- 

 chant takes forty per Cent, for Bottomree, which a- 

 mounts to 2J60 Crowns; and the Remainder is di- 

 vided equally among the fix Coureurs de Bois, who get 

 little more than 600 Crowns a-piece: and indeed I 

 muft .fay 'tis fairly earn'd ; for their Fatigue is in- 

 conceivable. In the mean time, you muft remark, 

 that over and above the foregoing profit, the Mer- 

 chant gets 2$* per Cent, upon his Beaver- skins by car- 

 rying them to the Office of the Farmers General* 

 where the Price of four forts of Beaver-skins is ftx'd. 

 If the Merchant fells thefe Skins to any private Man 

 in the Country for ready Money, he is paid in the 

 current Money of the Country, which is of lefs va- 

 lue than the Bills of Exchange that ch$ Dire&or of 



, that 



