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Tous las autres exemplaires originaux sont film*s en commen^ant par la pramiire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la derni*re paga qui comporte une telle empreinte. U I des symbols? suivants apparaitra sur la derni*rv« imagf> de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: le symbole — »> signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols V signifie "FIN ". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre film*s A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre raproduit en un seul clich*. il est film* * partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche * droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagas n*cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iliustrent la m*thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 T k^ l/f tf> HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY STATEMENT OF THE 1857 [Fri»ted by Hmrt Ki«T Cav.toh, N.g't He«d Cottrt, Gracwhurch StiMt.] \ 1 !•»,- ■.-Ml«5Mr-»"55SiS>?f!V(!l«» STATEMENT OF Tni', HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY, 1857. [Printed by HEKaY Kent Causton, Nag's Head, Gracechurch Street.] V I V STATEMENT or THB HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. By a Charter of King Charles tlie Second, dated May 3, A. D. 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company was incorporated by tlie name of " THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF ADVENTURERS " OF ENGLAND TRADING INTO HUDSON'S BAY. ' Many rights and privileges were granted by this Charter, the two most im- portant rights being those given in the following words : — " We have " given, granted, and confirmed, and for Us, our Heirs and Succes- " sors, do give, grant, and confirm unto the said Governor and Com- " pany and their Successors, the sole Trade and Commerce of all " those Seas, Straits, Bays, Rivers, Lakes, Creeks and Sounds, in " whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance to " the Straits called Hudson's Straits, together with all the lands " and territories upon the countries, coasts, and confines of the " Seas, Bays, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks, and Sounds afoixsaid, that are " not already actually possessed by or granted to any of our Sub- *' jects, or possessed by the Subjects of any other Christian Prince " or State." 1670 I In 1671 the Company sent out a ship to Hudson's Bay, under the 167 1 conmiand of Charles Bailey, whom they appointed Governor of the Territories and Forts they had established in the Bay previous to in- corporation. In 1682 the Fronch for the first time entered the Bay, and in that J 682 and the following years did much damage to the trade and property of the Company. In 1687 Commissioners were appointed li} ihe 1687 li 17] K»J Kinfj;s of En^liuid and Fmncn lo rniisidtr llic compliiiiils miidi- l»y tho Company ii};ainMt the rroncli. Tin; l'-ii,nli>li (lomtnissioncrs re- ported tliiir opinion tliat His INIiijesty (Jann?s the Se«'ond) and his Snhjeels had a nj;iil lo the whoh' Hay and Siniits of Hudson, and to tht' srde trade thereof. 'I'hey fnrlher advised His iMiijesly lo support the (!onipany of Hudson's liay in Iht^ recovery and inainlenanee t)f those rij;lits. A remonstrance \vas snhse(|Menlly addressed t(» tlie the l''ren<-h Kiii"; asserting this ( laim, and (h-nv.indin}; fidl salisfaelion fpointed by the Company as their Agents to regain posses 1744 In 1474 Parliament voted a sum of £20,000 for the discovery of the 1746 North-West passage, and in 1746 an expedition was set on foot by some private adventurers in hopes of oljtaining this reward. That expedition was unsuccessful, but its originators applied to King George the Se(!ond for a Charter similar lo that possessed by the Company, in order to enable them to prosecute further their attempts. His Majesty referred this petition to the Law Officers of the Crown, acted on their advice, and did not assent to its prayer. Another petition being after- wards presented to I'arliament, and a Committee appointed to enquire into its nu'rits, evidence was taken, and a Report presented to the House. I'pon coiisideration of that Report in a Committee of the whole House, the House refused, on a division of (i6 to 29> to inter- fere with reference lo the rights claimed by the Company under their Charier. As long as Canada was held by the French the opposition of wan- dering traders (coiu'eurs de bois) was insufficient to induce the Com- pany lo give up their usual method of trading Their servants waited at the Forts built on the coast of the Bay, and there bought by barter the fins which the Indians brought from the interior. But atler the 1763 cession of Canada to Great Britain in 1763, British traders, following ill tlii> track ))f III*' l-'rciicli, iit'iiclratrd into tli(> ciiiintrics lyiii;; to llio north. wot of tlu! (Ioiu|miiy's It'iiitoriiN, and hy llicir liiiildini;' Facto- ries, lH'on^,'lit the market for furs near r to tin; Indian Mcller. 'I'liu Coni|(any, lindinn' lln-ir trade serionsly ad'ecled, extended the field of their o|)er:ilions, and sent parlies to estaMish thenisel\es in the interior, III pnx-ess of time all smaller o|>posiiin' interests were alisinhed, either by piirchase or coalition, in the >iorlh-\Vest (Joiiipany of Montreal, which thus hecaiue the Hole rival and competitor to the llndson's iiay Coir.pany. Diirin;;? many snccM'ssive years a most disastrons coiilcdt was carried on between those two Companies. \\ herever one Com- pany established a tradin;;' post, there at once the other Company also commenced operations, 'i'liis system of clos(> competition rapidly produced a j!;eneral state of dis()r;;anization, resnitinj;' in scenes of violeiictt and bloodshed between the Indians, the trappers and the tradi'is in the interests of the rival (,'oinpanies. Th(! Hudson's Iiay Company had built their posts up to 1811 priii- IgJ [ cipally for the purposes of the fur trade; but in that year they ceded to the I'^arl of Selkirk a tract of laud, near the Ked Itiver, for the es- tablishment of an aj^jricultural Colony. (Colonists were brouj^ht from Scotland, wliose chance of success was defeated by the ellects of rivalry in the fur trade. Afler under;j,oinjj great vicissitudes, the mas- sacre of the (iovernor and principal men of the Colony nearly com- pleted its ruin in 18I<>, Full particulars of the lamentable events of 1816 that period will be found in the reccuds of the Colonial Oflice, and in p ipers already presented to Parliament. In 1821, both Companies having suffered severely from the ruinous 1821 effects of their com|)etition, made arrangements by which they became an united interest under tlie management of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany. In the same year the Home Government, to whom the state of the country bad long been a subject of ditliculty and anxiety, passed the Act 1 & 2 (jieo. IV., cap. 60, under which a License was granted by the Crown to the Hudson's Bay Company, for the exclusive trade of the whole Indian Territories not already included in the Company's Charter. That License, renewed in 1838, again terminates in 1859. 1838 Under this exclusive system, trade has been successfully maintained and exteniled. The Foreign Fur Companies in Oregon and New Caledonia, on tiie west of the Rocky Mountains, have been driven out ofthelield, and British Goods have become almost exclusively the articles of barter with the Indians, in the place of foreign com- modities. 6 1839 ^" ^^39 the Russian Fur Company lenNed a portion of their terri- tories to tlu! Hudson's Hay (Jonipany, and also, in 1842, entered into 1842 an a>j;reenicnt to discontinue the sah; and gift of spirits wherever they had dealings witii tiie Indians. During the times of opposition, the Indians trading with the rival Companies derived little good and much harm from their intercourse with the whiles. New diseasrs were Iiroughl among them, and new vices were taught. Tiie introduction and liberal sale of spirits caused excesses over which no control could he kept, and ijrought the Indian to want and misery. Hostile nations constantly at war with each other were uninterrupted in their outrages of plunder or nu>ssac;e; the influence of the traders heing seldom used to prevent bloodshed or to mitigate cruelty. An entire change took |^cc when the rivalry of the two Comj)anies ceased on coalition. It then became their interest to keep the peace iietween the tribes, as hunters were wanted, and peace was re(l for this kindly treatment, even if no higher or nobler motive made it inip( i"ili\e. I'revi(»ns lo ihe monopoly established in 1821, the mora! and reii^iious improvement of the Indian tribes had been little attended to. Snice tiiat time missionaries of various creeds have been introduced into mos( places within the territories of the Company. They have preached and taught, built churches and set up schools. Aid has been Riven l>y tlie ( '(>m|i»ny in forwiinliiiK tluwo (thjorlH : sonu* of the MiHNiormrii'K n;-e their Huluried CliaphiiiiH, and all nceive asKiHtnnce in their wants hy ^iftH of money or uraiils of land, — hy allowanee of rutionH or hoiiHe-rooni, and l»y the Hiipply (»f free convt-yance. Nothinj^ can better Hjtenlc to thi' improved (M)ndition of the tcrritorien under the €oni|>uny'H rule than the fuet, that whih; lioMtihlies >till occur on the frontier, where the illicit trade is carried on, Ititweeii the native tribes; and while u tierct; and bloody war has Iteeii for some time ra^in^ between the Americans and Indians, in tlu! lately ceded territory of Oregon, peace liiut been kt^pt in tlu? Company's territories, and the authority of the law respt>ct<'d. 'I'lie ('ompany's establishments have afforded protfc<;lion to the Americans .t'l their plundered and houseless families ; and the Company's Oth<'ers have smuessfully used Uieir influence with the natives tu miti{$ate cruelty and to discourage war. The fur trade is the principal business carried on by the Company ; the greater part of the territories possessed under their Charter, or over which they have control under their exclusive License, beitig, in point of soil and climate, untit for cultivation or for the abode of any but Indians and wild animals. Owing to the inaccessibility of the country, and the precarious nature of the means of communicating with it, the Company are obliged to keep two whole years' supply of essential articles in advance, besides those of the current year. But for this reserve, in the event of the loss of a ship, not only the Indians, but the Servants of the Company would run the risk of starvation. The Company have one-hundred and ten Posts in Rupert's Land and tlie territory held under License, besides forty-five Factories in Canada, Labrador, &c. They have in their employment more than 1800 Servants. The trade gives regular employment to seven ships, besides those taken up on charter for particular voyages. Some of these vessels sail yearly from London to Hudson's Bay, freighted with British goods, bringing home cargoes of furs. The rest are kept for the Pacific trade. The goods sent out to Hudson's Bay in June, 1857, will, in the usual course of things, be delivered at York Factory in the ensuing August, that month being the earliest period at which, on account of the ice, the ships can enter the Bay. The goods placed in the depot at York, remain there till the spring of 1858, and will then be taken into the interior. Their arrival at their ultimate destination depends upon the distance of the posts, not reaching some stations, as u 8 those on Mnckni/ii's lliver, till 18.>9 or 1«C)0. 'riicy "ill have to reinain in depot till llie toll win<;' year, and then be e\(lianj;-e(l Cor furs. The furs will l)f slii|>|)i'(l fur lMi<;laiid in ISUI or lS()-2. and sold in London in tiie sprinj,^ of ISCvi or ISO-'J. Tims, cajtital spent in 18^7 may brinj; no nlnrn nntil live or six years after its in\e>tineiit. The goods sent out are almost exclusively f British product' and nninu- faclnre ; and the re,!j;nlarity of the supply, combined with i'.ie superior quality of the articles, iuid the j;reater cheapness of price, haw hitherto enabled the Con)pany to compete with the llnssian and American Companies, and the illicit traders on the frontier. The number of Indians inhahitinj? the territories, and under the control of the Company, is supposed to be not less than 150,000. No certain information of their numbers in IS'il can be obtained, so as to test their increase or decrease since that year; but the Servants of the Company, who have had the best opportunities of forminji a judjiment on this subject, ha\ e no doubt thai in the northern districts, the Indians have increased in numbers, but that the contrary has been the case in the neij^hbourhood of the frontier. The nundjer of whites and half- castes is about 11,000, of whom about 7,000 are settled at Red lliver. The territories under the manajiement of the Company, are divided by the Rocky Mountains into two districts, the Eastern and the Western; each differing from the other in climate and physical characteristics, 'the Eastern district embraces the whole of Rupert's Land given by the Charter, and the valleys of the Mackenzie and its tribntares, which are held under the License. It is bounded on the side of the L'nited States by the 4.Mh parallel of latitude; on the side of Canada, by the height of land whose waters How into Hudson's Bay ; and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. It may be divided into— ]. Barren grounds, uninhabital)le by whites or Indians. 2._Thickwoo(l country, adapted for the residence of Indians. .'}._ Prairie land, suitable for settlement and cidtivation. 1. The Ba ren grounds lie on both sides of Hudson's Bay, stretching northwards from about the 55th parallel, and embracing all the lands between Labrador in the East, and Mackenzie River on the West. This vast region is, as its name imports, sterile,— devoid of timber and almost of vegetation. Visited by the Indian only at statetl periods for the purposes of hunting; it is unlit for the abode of human beings, and valueless for commerce. ,'iS,',it. 9 2. The Thkckwood country sniToiinds the lowor Coasts of Hudson s Bay, with an average breadtli of 400 miles, and extends iu a norlli- we.sterly direction up the valley of the Mackenzie lliver to the Arctic Sea. Rivers and Lakes cover half of this expanse. The climate ia rigorous, and tiie soil poor ami cold ; the frost seldom leaving the jfrouud for the whole year. The lands, however, ahoiind iu fur- beaiing animals, and the waters with tish, so as to ix? pecuharly fit for the abode of Indians and the carrying on of the fur trade. Dillicnlt of approach and uninviting in aspect, it otters little inducement to emigrants to settle in it. 3. The Prairie Lands lie to the westward of Lake ^Vinipeg, reach- ing to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. No physical boundaiy di- vides them from the United States, the 49th parallel being the only separation. The Saskatchewan River forms their northern limit, where they join the Thickwood Country. The climate is severe, but healthy, with great extremes of heat and cold, and fretjiient sudden changes of temperature. On the banks of the Red and Assiuiboine Rivers, and thence north as far as Cumberland House, good land is to be found, producing fair crops of Wheat and other grain. Spring Wheat only thrives, fall-sowing having universally failed. Towards tlie west the soil is |)oor and thin, especially near the Mountains and arnuiul the numerous Salt Lakes. A sea of grass, with here and Uiere a wooded Island, the country is better (it for pasture than for tillage. The want of timl)er for buildings, fences and fuel, will be a serious hindrance to the settlement of this district The only coal to be found is, unfortunately, of so inferior a «|ualily as to be useless. The Prairies are occu[)ie(l or ranged over by the predatory Blackfeii Indians; more numerous and more warlike than any other tribes ov the east side of the mountains, ihey are aliuo>t always at feud with the Cree Indians of the Saskatcliewan. The disturbances arising from such warfare, au(i the annoyances lliese marauders might occasion to settlers, by stealing tiieir horses, kiliiug their catlU", or laying waste their lands, would make colouizaliou extremely ha':^ardous, or else demand the presence of a largf protecting military f(,rce In JNew Caledonia the climate, though varialile, is milder than that of the region on the east side of the mountains. Tiu' country is generally wooded, rugged, and mountainous. In favored localities ill the valleys, good soil is olliii found, and fair crop-, of grain have been produced. The whole district is, however, iu the possession of Bavage tribes, and by superiority of soil and situation, offers to a settler no sufficient inducement to go so far to seek his fortunes, la the 10 Island of Vancouver, the climate is lieallhy, and the soil, in many parts which have been explored, good, and capable of producing large crops of grain ; but the great distance from the mother country, and from any regular trading track, the savage races which have posssession of the interior of tho island, and the greater attractions of other settlements wiJh fewer drawbacks and greater advantages, pre- sent obstacles to its rapid colonization. The neighbourhood of Cali- fornia, and the Gold Regions, offering such attraction to the emi- grant has seriously interfered with the exertions made by the Company to promote this end. The Charter of the Company has from time to time, come under 1690 the cognizance of the Legislature. In 1690 the Company having been annoyed by constant question as to their powers of seizure and punishment' of interlopers, and of their right to exclusive trade, petitioned Parliament for an Act to confirm the privileges contained in their Charter. An Act was passed for that purpose, but its duration was limited to seven years. The present rights of the Company are, therefore, those conferred by their original Charter, repeatedly recog- nized since the Act of 1690, by other Acts of the Legislature. 1708 In 1708, an Act of Parliament (6th Anne, cap. 37,) was passed, for the encouragement of the trade to America, declaring that it should be lawful for all Her Majesty's subjects to trade into any part of America where they might lawfully have traded before the passing of the Act, and not otherwise. On the petition of the Company, supi)ortcd before a select Committee by counsel, a Clause was added, providing that nothing in the Act should extend to take away or prejudice any of the Estates, Rights, and Privileges of the Hudson's Bay Company. 1744 ^° 1744, when an Act was passed (18th Geo. II., cap. 17,) granting a reward for the discovery of a North-west passage through Hudson's Straits, it was expressly provided that nothing therein contained should extend, or be construed to take away or prejudice, any of the Estates, Rights or Privileges of or belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. 1774 In 1774, an Act of Parliament (14th Geo. III., cap. 83), in des- cribing the boundaries of Canada, says that they lie " northward " to the Southern boundary of the territories granted to the Merchant 1794 Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay. In 1794 the Treaty of Peace, Commerce, and Navigation concluded between Great Britain and the United States, gives the free right of passage 11 across the boundaries to the subjects of either State, the country situated within the limits of the Hudson's Bay Company excepted. In 1803, an Act of Parliament (43rd Geo. III., cap. 138,) was 1803 passed to extend the jurisdiction of the Canadian courts to the Indian territories. This Act was considered not to apply to the Company's territories, because although their territorial position brought them within the Act, the civil and criminal jurisdiction already granted by the Charter took them out of it. In the con- vention of October 20, 1818, between Great Britain and the United 1818 States, the Eastern frontier of the two countries and the respective rights of fishery are established ; nothing therein contained is to prejudice any of the rights and privileges of the Company. In 1821, the Act giving the Crown power to grant Licenses for 1821 exclusive trade was passed. The first clause specially exempted the lands or territories heretofore granted to the Governor and Company of Adventurers trading to Hudson's Bay from the operation of the License. The fifth clause extended the provisions of the disputed Act of 43 Geo. III., cap. 138, making them of full force in rmd through all the territories heretofore granted to the Company. The last clause declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect any right, privilege, or authority which the Governor and Company of Adventurers trading to Hudson's Bay are by law entitled to claim and exercise under their Charter ; but that all such rights, privileges, authorities, and jurisdiction shall remain in as full force, virtue and effect, as if this Act had not been passed. In 1846, in a Treaty made between Great Britain and the United 1846 States, the free and open navigation of the Columbia River was granted to the Hudson's Bay Com|)any, and to British subjects trading with them. This privilege would be lost if the Company ceased to exist. In the early days of the Company's existence, in time of war or loss, no st"ps wore taken to proceed in the search of the North-Wcst Passage ; but in 1719, trade being profitable, and the war at an end, 1719 the Company sent out two Ships under the command of Captain Knight to look for the supposed passage. These ships, with their crews, were lost. In 3721, 1722, 1723, ships at the order of the 1721 Company sailed along the West Coasts of the Bay as (ar as Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome. In 1737, the Company fitted out two 1737 ships, which sailed to the nortii from Churchill River; but the Captain dying in latitude 62°, the ere. s turned back. 12 1740 J'» ly'lO, 17'12, 1743, 1744, Captains Smith and Mitchell. Officers in the Company's Service, went round the Coasts of the Bay, and ascertained that there was no passa,c;e thence into tlie I^acific. 1771 J" 1771, a report having been broiijiht by some Northern Indians of the existence of a j-reat river discharging itself into a Northern Sea, the Company sent Mr. lleariie to examine the country t»» the north of Churchill Kiver, if any |)assage was to be found in those regions. He siiccc^eded in discovfM-ing the Coppermine River, and in descending it as far as the Arctic Ocean. This expedition shewed that there was no North-West Passage through Hudson's Straits. 1790 ^" 1790 the " Beaver" sloop was sent on a voyage of discovery by the Company. The Captain left the ship at the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet, and proceeded in boats to explore. Finding no passage through Chesterfield Inlet, he returned to his vessel. To the various Expeditions started by private enterprize, or set on foot by the Government, the Company have always given aid and information ; but no ex])edition for discovery was undertaken by the 1836 Company themselves from 1790 until 1836, when Messrs. Dcase and Simpson were sent out. These adventurous travellers, descending the Mackenzie Itiver, explored the coasts of the Arctic Ocean as far as 1837 Pttint Barrow, in the year 1837. The next year they went down the Coppermine River, and discovering Victoria Land, surveyed and named the coast to the east as far as 106"* longitude \V. 1846 In 1846, Dr. Rae, the Company's Surgeon at Moose Factory, at the head of a party of twelve men, wintered in Repulse Bay ; and iu the next year, surveyed about 655 miles of land and coasts on the 1848 shore of Committee Bay. In 1848 Dr. Rae accompanied Sir John 1850 Hichardson in his search for Franklin ; and in 1850, led an Expedition by Great Bear Lake and the Coppermine River to the shores of the Arctic : 630 miles of coast on the southern shores of Victoria and WoUaston lands were surveyed, traced, and accurately laid down. 1853 ^" iSb3 Dr. Rae again wintered on Repulse Bay with a party of seven men, having, as before, no fuel except for cooking: 1,100 miles of land and coast were explored in that season, and definite intelli- gence of the fate of Sir John Franklin and his parly was obtained. Few labourers in the cause of scien'^e have done or suffered more thiin t4iis gallant Officer of the Company. 13 The expense of tliese Expeditions, and llie assistance rendered In Sir John Ross in 1850, hixvv cost the Company very larjjje sums of money. The wliole of tlie JNorlh Coast of tlie American Continent, Avith the exception of a small portion of one lumdred and lifty miles not yet acciu'ately surveyed, h;is lieen carefully examined hy the OUicers of the Company. Indeed, Init for the Fur Trade and its Adventurers, the greater part of the vast district north of the Canadas would still be a profitless and nnknown region. s'Ss- ^Wf^^p^ II. K.CunHirtt. Pfinttr, Swyn l\mt\ Conn, Wrac*ri Uurdi Slrt-H.