The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-08-05

number. These are called forts, but except
Fort Garry, at the Red River settlement,
are merely log houses, generally without de-
fences Of any sort, each occupied by two or
three servants of the Company, who are en-
gagged in direct traffic with the Indians.
The furs collected at these posts, which
extend westward. from Red River to the
Rocky Mountains, and from two to THREE
hundred miles apart, are transmitted in
barges and canoes down the Saskatchewan
and other streams, to Lake Winnepeg,
whence they have three different outlets, to-
wit Through Nelson's river to Hudson
Bay through Red ard Rainy Lake rivers
to Lake Superior; and latterly by carts
overland, from tie Red River settlement to
ST. Paul. The expense and difficulty Of
travel through the two former canoe routes,
interrupted by innumerable portagcs, has had
the effect, during the last dec de, 10 turn
this trade in the direction Of its gcographi-
cal afiinitics, which furnish in the smooth
adjacent plains Of the Red River and Mis-
sissippi, its easiest and cheapest avenues to
market. The land route 10 ST. Paul
has increased in favor since the completion
Of Railroads to the Mississippi has brought
us into direct communication with the sea-
board, and the Hudson bay Company IL
sell ceasing to struggle against the inevita.
bic tendency Of things, has itself acknowl-
edged the superiority Of the route il had ig.
norea, by sending, this year, over sixty pack
ages Of it's goods by this channel.
The adoption Of tins new avenue marks
new era in the history Of the trade and il
will be interesting to inform ourselves Of the
value Of that trade which Is shortly to be
emancipated from the arbitrary restraints
of u commercial monopoly-to follow its To-
climate impulses--and then 10 show by
statistics the progress Of the commercial in
tcrcourse which has sprung up in obedience
to It's natural tendencies and its prospects
of future expansion in the development Of
the varied resources of the immense region
which is drained by this channel.
According to an English document before
us, the gross value Of the furs and skins ex.
ported TO England from the possessions Of
the Hudson Bay Company, va'ies from
81 100000 to S2,5OO,OOO At the half
yearly sale at London, in April Of last year
the proceeds were Sl,l5OOO0.
The average Of annual exports OF furs
&c. from the Company 3 possessions will be
about 81 ,800,0o0-about five times the
value Of the imports sent in exchange.
which amount TO about three hundred thou
sand dollars in all. The proportion Of
these imports which 20 10 the district un.
der consideration, will afford a reliable
measure of the value Of the exports there.
from, which are shown to be ~ five to one.
The imports Of the Company goods into the
Red River settlement alone have averaged
for number of years past about 800 600
per year. II Is fair TO presume that at
least an equal amount Ia very low estimate)
has been distributed among the numerous
posts along the Saskatchewan and iis tribu.
larcs. The proportion. then, Of the whole
exports Of furs from the basin OF the Win
nipcg may be safely estimated at more than
one half Of the whole trade Of the Company
or, at least, 81 100000.
Such are the proceeds Of the trade 10 it's
present restricted state, and In one class Of
commodities alone. What will il bc when
left TO the free course Of commercial compc.
| tition, and when an unrestricted colonization
opens new fields OF industry, and presses all
the resources Of this new north. western en-.
pire into the stream Of reciprocal inter.
course, whose swelling volume ia already
wearing Il deep track between Red River
and st. Paul 7 The origin growth and fu-
ture development Of this trade will form the
subject Of n succeeding chapter.
Tux ELEcrross elections for mem.