Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-02-19
HUDSON BAY co.
THE STORY OF A GREAT FUR
DEALING CORPORATfON.
Its Charter Was Granted by King
Charles II.--Trading With tn-
dians for Skins of Wild
Animals.

Charles III. OF England was made 10
believe that wonders in the way Of DIS
covery and trade would result from a
grant of the Hudson Bay territory to
certain friends and petitioners. An cx-
perimental voyage was made with good
results in 1868, and in 1872 the King
granted the charter to what he styled
"the Governor and Company of Adven-
turers of England trading into Hudson's
Bay, one body corporate and politique,
in deed and in name, really and fully
forever, for Us, Our heirs, and Success
ors." 1t was indeed a royal and
wholesale charter, for the King de-
:lared, "We have given, granted and
confirmed unto said Governor aud Com
pany sole trade aud commerce OF those
Seas, Streights, Bays, Rivers, Lakes,
Creeks, and Sounds, in whatsoever lati-
tude they shall be, that lie within the
Streights commonly called Hudson's,
together with all the Lands, Countries,
and Territories upon the coasts and con-
fines of the Seas, etc, not already actu-
ally possessed by or granted to any of
our subjects, or possessed by the subjects
of any other Christian Prince or State,
with the fishing OF all sorts of Fish,
Whales, Surgeons, and all other Royal
Fishes, together with the Royalty OF
the Sea upon the Coasts within the
limits aforesaid, and all Mines Royal, as
we'll discovered as not discovered of Gold,
Silver, Gems, aud Precious Stone, ald
that the said lands be henceforth reck-
oned and reputed as one of Our Plantl-
tions or Colonies in America called Ru-
pert's Land" For the gift of an empire
the corporation was to pay yearly to the
King, his heirs and successors, two elks
snd two black beavers whenever and as
often as he, his heirs, or his successors
"shall happen to enter into the said
countries" The company was empow-
cred to man ships of war, to create an
armed force for security and defence, to
make peace or war with any people that
were not Christians, and to seize any
British or other subject who traded in
their territory. The King named his
cousin, Prince Rupert, Duke OF Cumber
land, to be the first Governor, and it
was in his honor that the new territory
got its name of Rupert's Land.
In the company were the Duke Of AL
bemarle, Earl Craven, Lords Arlington
aud Ashley, and several knights and
baronets, Sir Philip Carteret among
them. There were also five esquires, or
gentlemen, and John Portmau, "citzen
and goldsmith. " They adopted the
witty sentence: "Pro pellh cutem" "a
skin for skim, as their motto, and es-
tablished as their coat of arms fox Sc
iant as the crest, and shield showing
four beavers in the quarters, and the
cross of ST. George, the whole upheld
by two stags.
The "adventursrs' quickly estab
lished forts on the shores of Hudson
Bay, and began trading with the Indians,
with such success that it was rumored
they made from twenty-five to fifty per
cent. profit every year. But they ex-
hibited all of that timidity which capi-
tai is ever said to posses. They were
nothing like as enterprising as the
French courriers dr bois. In hundred
years they were no deeper in the country
than at first, excepting as they extended
their little system of forts or "factories"
up and down and on either side OF
Hudson and James Bays. In view OF
their profits, perhaps this lack Of enter
prise is not to be wondered at. On the
other hand, their charter was given as a
reward for the efforts they had made,
and were to make, to ind "the North
west passage to the Southern seas" and
in this quest they made less of trial
than in the getting Of furS. But the
company had no lack Of brave aud hardy
followers. At first the officers and men |
at the factories were nearly all from the |
Orkney Islands, and those islands re-
mained until recent times the recruiting
source for this service. This was
because the Orkney men were Injured to
a vigorous climate, and to diet largely |
composed of fish. They were subject to
less Of change in the company's SER
vice than must have been endured by |
men from almost any part Of England.
They brought from England about
$4,000 worth of powder, shot, guns,
fire-steels, fints, gun-worms, powder
horns, pistols, hatchets, sword blades,
awl blades, ice chiscls, files, kettles, fish
hooks, net lines, burning glasses, look.
ing glasses, tobacco, brandy, goggles,
gloves, hats, lace, needles, thread, Thin
bles, breeches, vermilion, worsted sashes,
blankets, hannels, red feathers, buttons,
beads, and "shirts, shoes, and stock
ens." They spent, in keeping up their
posts and ships, about flb, 1000, aud IN
return they brought to England casio.
rum, whale fins, whale oil, deer horns,
goose quilts, bed feathers, and skiDs-in
all Of a value of about f26, 900 per an
nun. ! have taken the average for
several years in that period Of the com.