6 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



Mr. Geddes, the agent of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company at this place, undertook to 

 communicate my wish for volunteer boatmen 

 to the different parishes, by a notice on the 

 Church door, which he said was the surest 

 and most direct channel for the conveyance 

 of information to the lower classes in these 

 islands, as they invariably attend divine 

 service there every Sunday. He informed 

 me that the kind of men we were in want 

 of would be difficult to procure, on account 

 of the very increased demand for boatmen 

 for the herring fishery, which had recently 

 been established on the shores of these is- 

 lands ; that last year, sixty boats and four 

 hundred men only were employed on this 

 service, whereas now there were three hun- 

 dred boats and twelve hundred men en- 

 gaged ; and that owing to this unexpected 

 addition to the fishery, he had been unable 

 to provide the number of persons required 

 for the service of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany. This was unpleasant information, as 

 it increased the apprehension of our being 

 detained at York Factory the whole winter, 



