FUR. 
12 ? 
llie ti-ade is epeii fo al! parties, the fevern! pofls being 
protecled by regular troops, at the expence of the govern- 
r.tent. Added likewife to what are thus collected by the 
agents of the company, and of privatemerchants, there 
are contiderable quantities brought down to Montre.d for 
fale by traders, on their own account. Some of the(e 
traders come from parts as remote even as the Illinois 
country, bordering on the Miliillippi. They alcend the 
Milliilippi as far as Onifeonfmg river, and from that by a 
portage of three miles get upon Fox River, which falls 
into Lake Michigan. In the fall of the year thefe two 
rivers overflow, and it is then pradticable to pafs in a 
light canoe from one ri ver to the other, without any por¬ 
tage whatfoever. From Lake Michigan they get upon 
Lake Huron, afterwards upon Lake Erie, and thus reach 
the St. Lawrence. Before the month of September is 
over, the furs are all brought down to Montreal ; as they 
arrive they are immediately (hipped, and the velfels dil- 
patched in Odtober, beyond which month it would be 
dangerous for them to remain in tlie river on account of 
thefettingin of winter. Furs are alfo fliipped iij confi- 
derable quantities at Quebec, and at the townofTrois 
Rivieres, The reader may form fome judgment of the 
extent of the fur-trade in the hands of tlie North We(t 
Company only, from the following account of the furs 
and peltries which were the produce of tlie year 1798 : 
106,000 Beaver (kins, 6000 Lynx fkins, 
2100 Bearfkins, 600 Wolverine fkins, 
1500 Fox (kins, 1650 Fidier (kins, 
4000 Kitt Fox (kins, 100 Racoon (kins, 
4600 Otter fxins, 3800 Wolf fkins, 
17,000 Mufquadi fkins, 700 Elk (kins, 
32,000 Martin fkins, 750 Deer fkins, 
1800 Mink fkins, 1200 Deer (kins, drefTed, 
500 BufTalo robes, and a quantity of cartorum. 
The number of men employed by them in the year 
above-mentioned, amounted to fifty clerks ; feventy-one 
interpreters and clerks; ij20 canoe men ; and thirty-five 
guides. 
Mr. Mackenzie, after laying open the particulars of 
this interefiing commerce, concludes with obferving, 
“ that the fur-trade would be productive of more advan¬ 
tage both to the public and to the merchants, if the Hud- 
fon’s Bay and the North'Weft Companies were to unite. 
Experience (he fays) has proved, that this trade, from 
its very nature, cannot be carried on by individuals. A 
very large capital, or credit, or indeed both, isneceflary : 
and confequently an afTociation of men of wealth to direit, 
with men of enterprife to adt, in one common interert, 
mufl be formed on fuch principles, as that in due time 
the latter may fucceed the former, in continual and pro- 
grefiive fuccellion. Such was the equitable and luccefT- 
fiil mode adopted by the merchants from Canada, which 
has been already deferibed. The jundtion of fuch a com¬ 
mercial afTociation with the Hudfon’s Bay Company is 
the important meafure which I would propofe, and the 
trade might then be carried on with a very fuperior de¬ 
gree of advantage, both private and public, under the 
privilege of their charter, and would prove, in fadt, the 
complete fulfilment of the conditions on which it was firft 
granted. It would be an equal injuflice to either party 
to be excluded from the option of fuch an undertaking ; 
for, if the one has a right by charter, has not the other a 
right by prior polTedion, as being fuccefTors to the fubjedls 
of France, who were exclufively pofi'elTed of all the then 
known parts of the country, before Canada was ceded to 
Great Britain, except the coaft of Hiidfon’s Bay, and 
having themfelves been the difeoverers of a vafi; extent of 
country fince added to his inajefiy’s territories, even to 
the Hyperborean and the Pacific Oceans ? If, therefore, 
that company fliould decline, or be averfe to engage in, 
fuch an extenfive, and perhaps hazardous, undertaking, it 
would not, furely, be an unreafonable propofal to them, 
from government, to give up a right which they refufe to 
cxercile, on allowing them a juft and reafdnable indent. 
nification f.^r their dork, regulated by the average divi¬ 
dends of a certain number of year.s or the actual i>rice at 
whii h they transfer tlieir (lock. By enjoying the privi- 
Icgeof the company’s charter, though but for a limited 
period, there are tid venturci s who would be willing, as 
they are able, to engage in, and carry on, ti'.e propofed 
commercial undertaking, as well as to give th.e moll ample 
and (’atisfa6lory Cecurity to government for tite liilniment 
of its contradl with tlie companyIn conlideraiign of 
tlie perils and dangers I'ufiaincd by explui ing the unknown 
regions of North America, for the purpole of extending 
this commerce, and of the confequent advan'ages to geo¬ 
graphy and commerce, the king has bellow ed ilie honour 
of knighthood on the indefatigable projector of the 
fcheme, now (ir Alexander Mackenzie. 
The Ikins of wild animals are now every where drefTed 
with the hair on, for the various jmrpolcs of ornamental 
decoration, as well as for the ufe ol tlie army, both horle 
and foot. The furs of many fkins are hlcewile ufed in tlie 
felting trade, in which cafe the pelts, dripped of the hair 
or fur, are tanned for leather. A patent has been lately 
granted to Mr. Thomas Chapman, of Bermondfey near 
I.ondon, for his difeovery of a method of getting olT the 
wool or fur from leal and other (kins, in a more per(ect 
ftate than has hitherto been done, for the purpole of ma- 
nufadluring the fame into Iiats, or any other article of 
cloathing; w-hereby the fltins or pelts are lefs damaged 
than by any other procefs yet adopted, and are prelerved 
in a perfect (late, for the purpole of tanning into any kind 
of leather. Mr. Chapman dates his method to be as fol¬ 
lows : “ When the fur (kin is in the raw or natural ftate, 
lay it in clean frefir water for twelve hours ; afterwards 
take the fl<in to a beam ufually worked on, and, with a 
proper flefliing or beaming knife, (crape off the blubber 
or oily fubftance that adheres to the pelt. Then wadi the 
(kin very clean in Raiding water, in which the following 
ingredients have been before mixed and dillblved; that 
is to fay, to every fourteen pails of water, each pail 
containing about two gallons, put three pounds and a 
half of loft or other foap and two pounds of pearl-a(li, 
and fo in proportion for a fmaller or larger quantity. Thea 
put the fur-fitin in hoops to dry in the fun, or in a ftove- 
room, and make them as dry as pollible. As the (kins 
are fo dried, take them out of the hoops, and carefully 
wadi them again in the aforefaid compolition, made frefii, 
and as hot as before. The fkins are then to be taken to 
the beam, and again feraped with the beaming knife5 
and the knife will then draw, at every llrokc of the 
workman, the coaiTe hair only from the Ikin or pelt, 
leaving the fur or wool adhering thereto, cleared from all 
the coarfe hair. Then immerle the (kin in warm water 
for twelve hours, in which water the following ingredi- 
entsmuft have been previoufly mixed and dillblved ; that 
is to lay, to every fourteeen pails, each pail containing 
about two gallons, three pounds of foft or other foap, one 
pound and a half of pearl-afli, and one or two pounds of 
barilla, more or lefs, according to the temper and pliabi¬ 
lity of the fkin. After the fkins have lain in the water 
for the above time, take them and lay them on the beam, 
and ferape them with a proper beaming knife 5 and the 
workman will, at every ftroke, draw, or difeharge, from 
the fkin or pelt, fome of the wool or fur, until all the 
wool or fur be extradled or difeharged ; and thereby the 
fkin or pelt will be left free from every particle of hair, 
fur, or wool, and will be in no wife injured or damaged in 
its furface, or inward fubftance. After the wool or fur is 
thus feparated from the fkin, put it into a hair-bottomed 
fieve ; then take either two copper kettles, or iron pans, 
or boilers, of fuflicient fize to hold fourteen pails of wa¬ 
ter : fill one of the veflTels with water, and put therein 
three pounds and a half of foft or other fdap, two pounds 
and a half of pearl-afh, and heat the water fufficiently to 
diflblve the ingredients | the wool or fur, in the hair- 
bottonfed fieve, is to be iramerfed in this water ; ftirring 
it about frequently j and, prefling it with the hand, or 
other- 
