" General Letters from the Committee of the Honble the Hudson Bay Company - to thier Chief and Council at York Fort Commencing - 29 May 1794 Ending [blank]"

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" Hudson Bay House London 29 May 1794"

"Mefs Joseph Colen & Council York Factory.
Gentlemen.
1. We received by our Ship Prince of Wales, Captain Henry Hanwell, a packet containing your General Letter of 6th September 1793, Invoice, Bill of Lading and sundry papers agreeably to a list inclosed with them. - We again consign to you the above Ship; Captain Hanwell will deliver to you our Packet containing Invoice & Bill of Lading of her Cargo, this our General Letter & Sundry Papers as pr List inclosed.

2. The following Gentlemen we nominate to be of our Council at York Factory. Viz. Mr Jos. Colen Chief, Mr John Ballenden Second, Mr George Sutherland Trader Inland, Mr Robt. Longmoor, Mr Geo. Taylor, Mr John Wright Surgeon & Capt. Hanwell during his stay in the Country.

3. We very much approved of the fines laid on James Spence Jun & And. Davey for ill behaviour & refusing to obey the orders of superior Officers. The mode you adopted for imposing those fines was highly proper - they are confirmed at a full board here. Spence's Acc. is debited for the 15 £ & Davey's Brother, who received his Salary was paid 10 £ short of the Balance which would otherwise have been due to him, this you will not fail to communicate to them both & hope it will prove a proper Lefson to them & others.

4. There was no necefsity for Mr Cook to come home to clear up his Character, the Conduct of Mr Isham & himself, we are satisfied with, having the utmost confidence in the Abilities, Industry & Zeal of with these Gentlemen, & the present arrangements as well as the future ones which you have concerted? with Mr Cook, meet with our full approbation, both with regard to the Afsistance he may render the Men from Churchill, his returning in the Winter to accompany Mefs Rofs & Thompson to the Athapascow & in Summer to act as Trader at the Factory.

5. We are not at all surpprised at the Canadians endeavouring to decoy our Servants away nor do we see how we can prevent it. Opposition to each other must necefsary arise where there is a Competion for Trade. Fifteen Canoes being made at different settlements last Season is highly pleasing to us. by proper Exertions we shall not fear our Opponents let them persue what measures they may.

6. We have Altered the Standard for the following Articles only Viz.
Arrow Bards .... 12 for a Beaver
Awl Blades ..... 24 for a Beaver
Cannisters 4 lb .. 1 for 1 1/2 Do.
Cutlafses ........ 1 for 2 Do.
Sashes .......... 3 for 1 Do.
Cotton Shirts .... 1 for 1 1/2 Do.

7. We shall always consider with particular attention the exertions of our Officers & according to representations made to us by our Chiefs they shall meet with due Encouragement, but as to advancing 1/4 of a years wages to them because it is done to menial Servants We cannot comply with it.

8. We much approve your sending Deer Skins to MR & if occasion should require you will repeat it.

9. With respect to trip Money upon a Consultation with Mr Geo. Sutherland & Mr Phillip Turner we understand the distances to be as follows Viz.
From YF to Hill River ................... 120 Miles require 60 Men
From H.R. to Deep Water Lake ...... 170 Do. Do. 60 Men
From D.W. Lake to Cumberland Ho. 470 Do. Do. 60 Do.
From C. Ho. to Buckingham Ho. 600 Do. Do. 36 Do.
& therefore we propose the following premiums for each Trip
To the Pilot .... 20 £ each Trip
To the Steersman 15 £ each Do.
To the Bowsman 15 £ each Do.
To the Middleman 10 £ each Do.
This premium has been paid to those who returned to England last year & who had been on the above duty. From Hill River to Deep Water Lake being so exceeding difficult on Acct. of the Many Carrying places & Falls each Trip shall be entitled to the pay of two Trips.

10. The lofs the Company sustains by the Death of so many useful Servants, is certainly much to be lamented, but for what reason did all the Canadian Servants leave the Service? [questionmark?] We hope the method pursued, & any further Improvements which have been adopted to prevent since, will prevent any Furs being left behind in future.

11. Great care shall be taken in future of the rundlets with regard to their Quality - but the Flour with which they are filled, & the heat of the Hold may occasion them to Shrink they should therefore have their Hoops taken off & new Drove before they are filled with spirits, which may prevent the evil Complained of.

12. We shall expect also (with yourselves) much good to follow the Enterprize of Mefs Rofs & Thompson to the Athapascow Country.

13. A fresh supply of the efsence of Malt is sent you. We are Afsured it will effectually cure the scurvy, provided it be properly used - At some of our Factories they have made beer of it, this is contrary to the very Intention we sent it for; it is only to be taken medicinally & prepared thus - 4 Oz of the Efsence are to be desolved in a pint of boiling Water & drank at two Seperate Draught in the forenoon, by those only who are afflicted with the Scurvy, without the mixture of Hops which medical Men say here destroy its virtue as an antiscorbutic.

14. It is our exprefs orders that Mr Isham may be accommodated with as many Canoes as he may think necefsary for the Service he is on being well afsured he will demand no more than occasion requires.

15. We are persuaded whatever you may think to the contrary, that the Goods either of the Old or New Canadian Company - are not near so good as ours. when you have procured a sufficient Number of Canoes, you will no doubt exert yourselves & counteract the Plans of all the Canadians, whose articles altho' they may some resemble ours in appearance they do not in Quality. & of which you may convince the Natives.

16. The Extra & Supplies for Inland, which you say are demanded we decline limitting. You on the Spot are the best able to determine the Quantities that are required by those Stationed at the Interior Settlements besides it depends on a Great Measure upon the Number of Hands at those Settlements, where such supplies are demanded. & therefore it must remain with you to apportion, the various articles mentioned as the necefsity & the case may require.

17. The Extention of various Settlements towards the Athapascow, Swan River, & Churchill are highly satisfactory to us, but you are particularly to observe, that nothing is to be attempted towards the latter, that can be done by a Shorter Track from CR. Chiefs of adjoining Settlements should cooperate with each other, in carrying on the Trade in the Most expeditious & Shortest Mode. not regarding their Seperate Interests.

18. Mr Colen acted very judiciously, in giving Mr Cook directions to render Mr Geo. Charles every afsistance in his power, we hope this Young Man, in his enterprize will restore a Considerable part of the long lost Trade of Churchill.

19. In your York Journal under date 12th Oct. 1792 it is observed "that since the perquisites of Stones, have been take from the Captains, you find a very material Difference, as wood is now demand for Ballast, which is very scarce" - We were somewhat displeased at this circumstance, till we saw in the same Journal another remark, under date 2nd of Sept 1793 to the following puport "that all the remaining hands were busily employed collecting Stones, which are so scarce at this place, there will not be sufficient to Ballast the Ship Two Years, not? in the distance of some Miles from the Factory" - We cannot reconcile to ourselves this Inconsistency - We must leave that for you to do - proper & sufficient Dunnage must be procured for the Ship, which can only be of Wood. So, also must there be proper & Sufficient Ballast consisting only of Stones & according to the report of those who have resided at the Factory, there will always be Stone in plenty for that purpose, but on no consideration whatever must Sand or small Gravel be substituted instead of Stones, as the former would of coarse choke up the Pumps, & be attended if not with the most fatal, probably the most injurious Consequence to the Cargo.

20. We observe that your Men, according to your Report, Keep themselves exceedingly filthy it is therefore very easy to Account for the Scurvy making such progrefs amongst the Men - a trifling fine ought to be imposed on those, who do not clean themselves at least once a Week on Sundays - such & all reasonable fines shall be deducted from the Offenders Account.

21. If the home Gaurd Indians at their Wintering Grounds continue to Trade with the Canadians make them to understand (& be firm in your Determination) that you will not Supply them with provifsions from the Factory.

22. The general Complaint of the Weaknefs of the Brandy, rest only with our Excise laws. it is for that very reason you are to have recourse to your Distillery & it is with peculiar pleasure & Satisfaction, we see the Succefs of Mr Colens Application to this Branch, which experience convinces us of its utility.

23. From Mr Donald's report of Hill River something may be attempted there - as to objections made by Servants appointed to this or any other service it ought to have no weight with you - It is you place to ifsue orders & theirs to obey them, & upon refusal, on their parts, we exprefsly direct you to fine them, & that heavily, if any should dare to injure the Boats that Carry the Trading Goods.

24. Four Canoes left at Lake Winnepeg, with a large Quantity of Furs? [their question mark] We desire to know how this happen the Canoes being prevented from Employ elsewhere doubles the Evil.

25. With respect to a general Combnation among the Servants under date in your Journal 7th of July; you have it in your own power to prevent its spread for be afsured the fine you impose, shall be put in force - if proper Subordination, is not kept up by a Suitable disipline, Businefs can never be affected with advantage to any Concerned.

26. We again exprefs our concern, that the Furs at Cumberland were not brought down to the Factory. The General War in Europe diminishing the value of all our Imports, It is still more necefsary to increase the Importation, that the dificiency in price, may be made up in the Quantity Imported. We urge you therefore the more, to cause all the Furs Inland to be sent down to the Factory, as expeditiously as pofsible, & firmly rely on it that by the return of our Ship, the Furs lying so long at Cumberland House, will all be sent home.

27. As to the Canadians underselling us, we are not at all inclined to think so, their Corded Cloth is of an inferior Manufacture, as well as price, being what is generally Known here, by the Name of low priced Yorkshire Cloth, made to resemble that which we export - We are confirmed in our opinion, by the patterns of the Canadians Cloths being now before us.

28. We shall for the future confine our answers to Servt. Resolves to a List for that purpose only & numbered accordingly in the Packet List.

29. We have sent you one hundred Primers or Spelling Books for the use of the Children at your Factory & hope much good will be the result of your care & attention to their Improvement.

30. It is unecefsary to make Observations on all the various matters contained in the Journals. what particularly Strikes us, is, that there is some latent Cause, which occasions Obstructions, of one kind or other to the General Businefs of your Factory. To this we must observe, that the majority of our Council there, are, or ought to be, competant to render any preconcerted Measure for the purpose Abortive let it arise from what Quarter it may.

31. The general war in Europe still continuing with increasing Ardour will render Hands exceedingly scarce, those who are serviceable whose contracts expire you will endeavour to retain - such as do return will find a disagreeable Reception on their Arrival - Sailors & Soldiers were never more indispencibly necefsary than at present.

32. We desire that you will be particularly accurate in inserting in your Acct. Book the Value (in M Beaver) of the presents you annually make to the Indians, it may be specified in a Column next to that which mentions articles given.

33. Complaints having been made to us of the prolixity & tediousnefs in keeping the Account Book of Provisions, in the present mode, all we have to reply to it is, that it matters not how short it is kept, provided it is accurately done - the principal Intention of it, is, to furnish our confidental Servant at the Factory with a Constant check upon those who distribute the provisions; & by sending a transcript of it home, to give us also the necefsary Information Respecting it - We think the Expenditure for any number of Men & any number of Days may be carried out in one line, as well as on seperate lines daily, & equally correct if attended to properly by which much time & Writing may be saved.

34. We have received 10 £ from the Executors of Mr Ferdinand Jacobs to applied as usual to the use of his Daughter this has been communicated to our Council at CR.

35. We have sent you a Vatt according to the general plan of those made here which Differs a little from you Indent. it is particularly marked & Instructions for putting it up is inclosed in your Packet.

36. You Indented for no Tracking Lines.

37. Mr Phillip Turnor having represented to us that a Roasting Jack would be of great Service at your Factory we have sent you one complete.

38. You will also receive ingredients for making Cordials according to the Directions given you in your Instructions for Distilling & we have also sent you Two Hydrometers for trying the Strength of Spirits.

39. At Cumberland House we understand there is plenty of Sturgeon from this fish only Isinglafs is made & inclosed are instructions for preparing it. Great Britain pays Rufsia £ 100,000 a Year for this Article - Albany has sent home some very fine samples of it & if procured with attention, as we hope it will be, it may prove a very productive branch Commerce - the Women & Children of the Natives will be able to clean it & if they shall be allow'd what will be equall to two Shillings on every Pound that is sent home well prepared.

Lastly We recommend the Encouragement of Virtue Diligence & Sobriety in all our Servants & to discountenance the Contrary in every respect this Conduct will be a certain means of our affairs prospering under your Managements & will entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Freinds
(signed)
Edw. Hulse
Richard Hulse
Sam'l Wegg Gov.
Tho. Gould
Jos. Berens
James Winter Lake Dep. Gov.
Rich'd Neave
Nich'l Ceasar Corsellis
P.S. Send a List Home of all the Mathematical Instruments belonging to the Company which are at your Factory or the Settlements if Pofsible.
P.S. Mr John Wright Surgeon succeeds Mr Thomas Thomas Sen. Surgeon are so scarce at this period it is impofsible to say whether we can procure another in the place of Mr Tho. Thomas your Junior Surgeon - if we should not perhaps you may prevail on him to stay another year for Inland."




"General Letter 1795"

" Hudsons Bay House London 30th May 1795"


" Mefs Joseph Colen & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen,
1. We received by our Ship Prince of Wales Capt. Henry Hanwell a Packet containing your General Letter, Invoice, Bill of Lading &c under date of 22d Sept. 1794. We now consign to you our Ship King George Capt. John Richards who will deliver to you a Packet containing this our General Letter, Invoice, Bill of Lading, and Sundry Papers agreeable to a List inclosed with them.

2. We hereby nominate the following Gentlemen to be of our Council Mr Joseph Colen Chief who now returns to York in the Room of Mr William Tomison who by Capt. Richards returns to England. Mr John Ballenden Mr George Sutherland, Mr Robt. Longmore Mr Geo. Taylor, Mr Will. Cook, Mr John Wright Surgeon and Capt. John Richards during his stay. - Mr Geo. Sutherland we direct to set off on Inland duty this fall We expect much Succefs? from his experience & attention to the Company Interest.

3. Mr Joseph Colen being now here, with us it is needlefs to enter into a detail of the various matter relating to Trade at York Factory, on which we have frequently conversed. We shall therefore content ourselves with mentioning such Heads which appear to be necefsary to be imprefsed on our Council for their Government in General.

4. We are well pleased with the Increase of your Trade last year, but it would have been more satisfactory if all the Furs at Cumberland House had been brought down to the Factory for if the Spirit of Plundering among the Natives should increase Cumberland Ho. may at last suffer by it - It is very unpleasant to us to have our property thus kept back - it seems to arise from an intention in some one of our Servt. to injure the Company. to what other cause can such extreme bad Conduct be imputed? [their question mark]

5. Obsacles are again, we perceive thrown in the way of the Athapascow Expedition but we trust all difficulties which occur and impede the Company's Succefs will soon be removed.

6. The War in Europe still creating a great scarcity of Men it will not be pofsible to furnish any one of our Factories with the Number of fresh Hands wanted. you will therefore do well to prevail on those who desired to return home to stay another year - Indeed if they do return they will find not Employment but in the Army & Navy.

7. It appears from a Journal of one of the AR Inland Masters that the Natives boast of the liberallity which they Receive from the Master at SR particularly in presents of Cloth. We hope this liberality is not the occasion? of the decrease of the Trade at Severn this Year.

8. We have sent you a Cloth of a far superior Color than ever sent to the Bay before and have fixed the Standard for it agreeably thereto as the Expence in Dying it is considerable. You will take care to dispose of the Old Red Cloth before you even show the new to the Natives or otherwise it may remain on hand and perhaps become unsaleable. We have also sent you 8 yds of Embofsed Cloth as an experiment rated as you will see in the Standard - If it takes with the Natives as we have reason to think it will it may bring a higher price than we have rated it at - We have also sent a variety of other articles which Mr Colen has fixed on and is inclined to think it will answer well - Viz. Epaulets, Arm & Wrist Bands &c you will acquaint us with the results in due time.

9. We have revised the old Standard of Trading Goods and in some articles made an Alteration which you will herewith receive and will consined? yourselves to it. The times demanded it & it became highly necefsary to make this Alteration.

10. We have always been of opinion that our Cloth has been rated at too low a Value and We at the same time see some difficulty in raising it but it is at this period highly necefsary tho' it must be done discreetly without disgusting the Natives.

11. We are pleased with your efforts last Spring to afsist Churchill your erecting a House at the Nestowayan for the purpose of supplying that Factory occasionally might be well judged but we that situation will not interfere with the Trade of Churchill for above all things We desire our Servants will by no means interfere with Trade of each other.

12. The Circumstance at Manchester & South Branch Houses gave us much pain tho' We are happy no worse consequences ensued - let no means be lost in trying to reconsile those with our Servants.

13. We are Convinced of the superior Numbers of the Canadian Traders but when We consider the advantages of your Distilling and the superior Quality of most of our Trading Articles We think the Natives will be induced to give us the preference provided our Inland Traders be equally attentive.

14. We are perfectly satisfied with the Conduct of Mefs Isham, David Thompson, Rofs & others. Our Servants list for the future will be always under to Cheif only in a private Letter you will signify to the above Gentlemen our apporbation of their Conduct.

15. To preserve a good Understanding between YF & CR which will certainly be most conducive to the General Interest - We have given orders to the Latter to admit Mr Colen or any of his Council when they visit Churchill to be of the Council there and We direct that Mr Stayner or any of his Council when they visit York Factory may be admitted of your Council.

16. Let the whole of the Lace of which Mr Colen brought home a sample be returned by Capt. Richards.

17. We direct you to follow the orders contained in this & our former General Letters, You are to endeavour by all just & reasonable means to extend and enlarge the Company's Trade, especially by given every afsistance to our Servt. at the Several Subordinate Settlements Settlements, and We direct that all our Servants At their different Stations and those hereafter who may be sent farther Inland do treat the Natives with the utmost Civility & kindnefs and upon all occasions deal justly and equitably with them - but by no means to entertain any of them within the Factory and to prevent the too great Consumption of Provisions at the interior Settlements. the Masters there, are not to harbour the Indians about them but dispatch them to their Hunting Grounds as soon as pofsible.

18. We have sent at the request of Mr Joseph Colen a Time Peice by Arnold We desire the Greatest care may be taken of it as We should not choose to replace it with one of equal Value should any accident happen to it.

Lastly - We recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue, Diligence, and Sobriety in all our Servants and to discourage the Contrary in every respect this Conduct will be a Certian means of our Affairs prospering under your management and will intitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Freinds
(Signed)
Sam'l Wegg Gov.
James Winter Lake Dep. Gov.
Rich. Hulse
Jos. Berens
Nic. Cea. Corselis
Edw. Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Will. Mainwarring
PS. We observe that Mr P. Fidler has been kept at the Factory for two Season past but for the future We direct him to proceed on inland on Discoveries."





" Hudsons Bay House
London 1st of June 1796"


" Joseph Colen & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
By our Ship King George Capt. John Richards we received your General Letter, Invoice, Bill of Lading of her Cargo and Sundry other Papers. We again consign to you the above Ship Our Invoice Bill of Lading, Letters & Papers will be delivered to you in Packet by Capt. John Richards.

2. We nominate the following Gentlemen to be of our Council at York Factory as follows Viz. Mr Jos. Colen Cheif, Mr Wm Tomison, Mr John Ballenden, Mr Geo. Sutherland, Mr Tho. Thomas late Surgeon who now returns (Capt. Richards during his stay in the Country) Mr Thomas is appointed Master ar Severn House in place of Mr Ballenden who returns home.

3. We are sorry to find the Trade at York so much decreased last year we hope this Diminution in the Returns did not arrise from a ? of proper Exertions during Mr Colens absence.

4. It gives us much satisfaction to hear the Natives are so peaceably disposed as you represent and we hope all our Servants will endeavour to promote Peace & Concord with Natives as much as pofsible.

5. The bringing all the Furs at Cumberland House is very agreeable to us altho' we had conceived the quantity left there from time to time to much larger than it appears to have been brought from thence - however we hope for the future means will be contrived to send home all the Traded in the Course of the Season, & none left at any of the Settlements Inland.

6. Your Intimation that the Tract up Seal River may be nearer to Churchill Factory than - to York, we also think probable. We have every Reason to Conclude that the Trade of Churchill will hereafter be more favourable - this last year her returns were increased To our satisfaction, as well as yours. she will not be obliged to become burthensome to your Factory for supplies of Canoes &c having built several large Batteaux & navigated Churchill River to a great Extent - We have furnished her with a Still that she may avail herself of the same Advantage respecting the Rectifying of Spirits which is succefsfully practised by our other Factories.

7. There is nothing we more ardently desire that a good understanding to subsist between all our Servants at our different factories and by no means to interfere with the Trade of each other. Mr Auld appears to us to be very Capable as an Inland trader & understands the Trade of Churchill. We have therefore appointed him to the Station of Afsistant Second & Inland Trader to that Factory. And we have appointed Mr Edw. Jarvis to reside with you some time in order to examine the Stock in Trade in goods at York Factory and all the provisions & Stores and from him we expect a full representation of the present & future prospects of our Trade. His Commifsion from us, empowers him to visit our other Factories and wherever he may be for these purposes we appoint him to Preside in Council and we direct you to lend him every afsistance he may require to effect the extensive Object of his Mifsion.

8. The Number of Men returning from your Factory we have much Reason to lament for it is not in our power to replace them whilst the War continues. it is a very unfavourable Circumstance. you will do well to prevent it, if pofsible consistent with our General Rules.

9. Every Article of our Exports annually advances by which we are obliged to curtail considerably the Indents in general and as the Value of our Imports do not rise proportionably to such advances we desire to imprefs on your mind that it is only by an Increase of the Returns the Company will enabled to give the due Encouragement to their Servants. notwithstanding, it is our Intention to supply all our Factories with such portion of goods as will be equal to Two Years Consumption including the last Cargo.

10. The Distilleries by order of Government are stoped to lefsen the Consumption of Grain. of which there was an apparent Scarcity so as nearly to threaten a famine & provisions of every Discription at a price unknown before - English Brandy is not to be got at any Price - The Molafses Spirits we now send cost four times as much as that we supplied you with last year - You will therefore be as sparing of the Use of it among the Men as pofsible as we have not been able send more than one third the Quantity you indented for.

11. We have it in Contemplation to ship annually a Quantity of Molafses that may be distilled at your Factory and we should be glad of your Opinion how far it could be carried into Effect at York - We have sent you some further instructions to which you will pay proper Attention.

12. If Mr Donald McKay should prefer any of your Inland Settlements to his present Employment at Albany we have directed our Cheif & Council there if they think his Services would be more usefull to you to direct him to go to York Factory.

13. The Commander of our Ship or any other Officer of your Council should not sign the General Letter unlefs he means to hold himself responsible for its Contents.

14. The Deficiences which occured in several Articles contained in our Invoice we can impute only to our Lighterman's Servants several of whom have been transported lately for opening Divers Packages & stealing the Goods Contained in them which we hope will not happen again.

15. You will perceive in the invoice several Flannel Articles made up here which open immediately & give us your Opinion in the next general Letter, whether they are calculated to suit your Trade at the following prices (Viz.)
Waistcoats both Long & Short 2 Beaver each
Shirts 2 1/2 Do.
Drawers 1 Do.

16. We direct that you deliver no accounts Current to the Men who return to Europe, for all those you have heretofore delivered differs so much from your Account Book that it creates very great trouble to Mr Geddes & ourselves and difsatisfaction among the Men - And you will observe that for the future no Bounties or premiums will be allowed unlefs regularly entered in the account Books sent home.

17. You neglected to send home either Journals Correspondent Books descriptive Accounts of Mr Thompsons Maps at which we were much disappointed - You will therefore not fail to send them all home by the return of the Ship.

Lastly We recommend the encouragement of Virtue Diligence and Sobriety in all our Servants & to discountenance the Contrary in every respect this Conduct will be a certain means of our affairs prospering under your management & will entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Freinds
Sam'l Wegg Gov.
James Winter Lake Dep. Gov.
Rich. Hulse
Nich. Ceasar Corsellis
Edward Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Will. Mainwaring
Charles Merry

PS. The Executors of Mr Ferdinand Jacob have paid into our Hands £ 10 for the use of his Children either at York or Churchill which you will apply as usual - but as neither Mr Jefferson or Mr Matthew Cocking has remitted any Sum to us for the like purpose as heretofore We direct that you do not distribute any of our Goods to their Children - they have both been written to on the Subject & have given no reply."





"Hudsons Bay House
London 31st May 1797"

" Mefs Joseph Colen & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
1. We received by our Ship King George Capt. John Richards Invoice Bill of Lading &c of his Cargo and again consign to you the above Ship with various Articles of Merchandize agreeable to the Invoice, Bill of Lading &c inclosed in a packet which Captain John Richards will deliver to you.

2. It is not our intention to displace any Officer after being once Nominated of the Council unlefs there should appear sufficient cause for it - If any omifsion occur in our former Letter which has occasioned any Member to be removed from the Council, let him be reappointed & a suitable appology made to him on the Occasion - On a Moments reflection you must have seen that Mr Cook was not displaced by us for in 1793 We gave exprefs orders that all Masters Inland, whilst at the Factory, should be of the Council which we now Confirm - Mr Wm Tomison now returns to resume his former Station, Inland, and we direct that your Council be Composed of the same Member as last year except Mr Ballenden who remains at home for one Year to establish his health - and you will add to the Council Mr Donald McKay of AR should he arrive with you - Our Factory at Severn by an increased Trade of upwards of 3000 Made Beaver made some amends for your deficiency at the Factory.

3. We do not understand what you mean by " losing the Confidence of your Employers" or from whence you draw those Conclusions unlefs it be from our sending out Mr Jarvis to take an Account of all the Old Stock of Goods untradeable at York Factory which Mr Colen himself when last in England informed us amounted to near Ten Thousand Pounds Sterling could Mr Colen or any other Person imagine that invested as We are with the trust of this Company We could not rest under such Representations without having all such Goods (permittable by Law) to be returned to Us in order to dispose of them here to best advantage? [their question mark] That is the reason & the only reason we appointed Mr Jarvis to York Station in the first instance as being an Object of greatest Magnitude - His instructions are to Visit all our other factories for the same purpose But as Mr Colens feelings are so very much hurt at this Circumstance what think you must our feelings be when we discover in Mr Colens Correspndence Book that he informs Mr George Sutherland " he had sent several of the Men without any other cause of Complaint against them but that the Indents were considerably curtailed" And in a Sarcastic manner observes that " We are displeased with the small Returns of 30,000 M. Beaver from York and highly pleased with the exertions of the Officers at Churchill who sent home little better than 5000 M. Beaver". We best know how to appreciate the Returns from any of our Settlements, it is the Expence attending each factory that governs Us in our Estimation of its importance, and when we consider the Number of Hands & quantity of Goods annually sent to York, with other large disbursements attending it, and compare the outgoings in the aggregate with that of Churchill and her returns, this latter has been proportionably more productive than the former and we have very strong reasons to think the Trade of Churchill will annually increase.

4. The wantonly sending Men Home without any Cause but the Capricious humour of Mr Colen We would not have Conceived, & it would have been difficult for any one Officer, in the Service, to have imprefsed on our belief this Circumstance - Nothing but an Acknowledgement of it in his own words & Letters would have Convinced us of it. It will be to very little purpose that our Agent in the Orkneys procure Men annually for a very Considerable expence if they are thus injuriously to our Interest sent home And if this is permitted by us. We can neither expect an increase of Servants or even to keep up the Compliment of Men apportioned to each Factory - If any Men in future are sent home without our permifsion unlefs from some flagrant breach of Duty the Cheifs shall be charge with their Pafsages 5 Guineas each - In direct opposition to our orders you have advanced the Wages of several Men without previously submitting it to us - in some instances they are advanced even more than they thenselves proposed in their resolves sent home - This is not only injurious to the Company but highly disrespectful to us & what we have repeatedly forbidden - We direct that you will represent to us the Qualification of those who expect, or are thought by you to be deserving our Regard, that We might exercise our discretionary to allow or disallow the the proposed advance - If this be not attended to, such Advance of Wages shall be charged to the Accounts of the Cheifs, or the Masters Inland presuming to take this liberty - Robt. Garston Reported in the List of Servants 1795 unfit for Pafsage Inland but was allowed to Contract for 3 Years at 12 £ - advanced by Mr Colen to £ 14 - Will. Hawkland also under the like Circumstances.

5. You say " that Orphan Children of the Natives are Clothed by the Company's Cheifs annually and that if Mefs Cocking & Jefferson's Children are not to be supplied with Cloathing, in like manner, it will be poor encouragement for the above of Officers." In the first place We do not conceive that the children of the above Servants of the Company come under the discription of Orphans & that until lately, Remittances were made to us for the purpose of supplying these Children with Cloaths to the Value thereof as has been many Years the Case with the Executors of John Favell & Ferdinand Jacobs & others. In the second place Mefs Cocking & Jefferson are enabled to supply their Children with the Cloaths wanted, and surely if they refuse to do it - can it be expected from the Company?[theirs]. In the third place, We desire not your Animadversions on the Subject, we are the proper Judges how disposed of Company Property and with respect to the Matter We are speaking of. We insist on it that unlefs We have Rimittances made to us for the purpose, you do not supply the above Children with any Articles of cloathing at the Expence of the Company.

6. You say that the Steward at York is a very inactive Man & impute to him the imperfect Accounts of Provisions Remaining there are Certainly Writers & Young Men enough at the Factory to have attended to the businefs with the Steward so that the Accounts might have been more accurately stated.

7. Mr Longmoor was appointed by us as the Shipping Landing Officer & Store keeper at York and you in a former Letter imprefsed how much you were Satisfied with His Appointment and the Manner in which he executed the duties of his Station of the Outward bound Cargo &c yet this Valuable Officer you have thought fit to send Inland by whom his place is to be supplied We know not? or who so fit for it as Mr Longmore whom we direct to resume his former Station.

8. It was never the Custom till of late Years for the Ship to stay at York longer than 12 or 14 Days at farthest, a Month now We understand to be nearly the Time she is detained there, this is the Complaint of the Commanders who impute it sorely to their waiting for the Packet - We much fear that sometime or other the Ship will loose her Pafsage Home by detention - it would be very serious indeed to all concerned if this untoward Circumstance were to happen and out of your power to make restitution for the disaster - We therefore insist that you detain her no longer than a fortnight, it is quite sufficient for the purpose and you have Writers enough to prepare all the papers before the Ship arrives, excepting the General Letter which will engrofs but a small portion of your Time.

9. Any Packages of Trading Goods which are directed for Mr Wm Tomison, either this, or any future year. We exprefsly Order & direct that they be reserved for him and forwarded to him in whole or in part as he may think proper - He will appoint a fit person and send him to the Factory to take Charge of such Goods and attend the Conveyance of them to him from time to time whenever he has occasion for them.

10. We have complied with your Indent both for Trading with the Natives and for the Factory's Use. as far as prudence permits & notwithstanding these unfavourable times have amply furnished you with every necefsary Article - a larger Quantity of Rice is sent you than usual both Carolina & Indian the latter requires more boiling than the former but it is more nutritious tho' not quite so white or pleasant to the sight - It proves here a very useful Article in all Families and will be no lefs serviceable at your factory and for those travelling Inland.

11. Mr Donald McKay We perceive has left Albany for York. We hope his Services will prove useful and we desire he may be sent Inland with Mr Tomison. We have the highest opinion of the Knowledge and Experience of both these Gentlemen and if not thwarted in their plans are persuaded their Abilities will be of Efsential Service to the Company and We exprefsly direct Mr Tomison to take as many Men with him to go Inland from York as he shall think necefsary and We expect you to Comply therewith Accordingly.

12. Upon Reconsidering the flannel Articles sent out last year. We have resolved to fix it as follows Viz.
For Trade
Waistcoats long & Short 1 Beaver
Shirts 1 Do.
Drawers 1/2 Do.
For Sale to Servants
Waistcoats long & Short 5/ & 4/ each
Shirts 6/ ditto
Drawers 3/ ditto

13. We have also sent out an Afsortment of Strong Leather Shoes independant of those Indented for. and desire to know if they are approved of and whether they are better than those sent heretofore.

14. Your compliance with our directions in Ordering every Station to be Relinquished which is connected with Churchill is Satisfactory to us and We trust it will remain so for nothing can be more injurious to Companys Interest than in any of the Factories interfering with the Trade of each other.

15. It is with great Astonishment that neither Mr David Thompson nor Mr P. Fidler has sent us their Journals for two Years past nor their remarks? to their different Charts - whether this Circunstance arises from inattention or design We know not. but it imprefs Us with very unfavourable Conclusions on their Conduct - We shall expect these Journals and Remarks by return of the Ship or Measures will be taken accordingly.

16. When Mr Colen left England last he took with him a Time piece and also a large bound Manuscript Book by Mr And. Graham containing Remarks during his residence at the Bay. both these Articles We desire may be returned by Captain Richards - the latter We did not know Mr Colen had taken with him till lately.

17. We shall not at present put our plan in execution for distilling Spirits from Molafses & therefore there will be no Occasion for sending out Men for the purpose of distillation.

18. The Guns remaining at the Factory not Tradeable according to Mr Colens Account when in England from some defects. We desire may be repaired and Converted into Hunting Guns by which means the future Indent for Gun Barrels will be uselefs.

19. We have likewise sent you a few Dutch Cheese for trial they are much used here, in most families, and if they will keep better in your ? than our English Cheese will no doubt meet with Approbabtion.

20. Mr Colen acted very properly in advising Mr Stayner not to interfere in the disputes between the Natives & the Canadians - The Death of Mr Robt Thompson is a Melancholy instance of the impudence? of both parties - all that you ought to do if any of these Natives come to your factory is to send them away, as soon as pofsible, neither to harbour or encourage them in their Quarrels.

21. We desire you to Observe as a General Rule that the Young Men whom we have sent or may send from time to time as Writers, are to take their Meals at the Cheifs Table as it will serve as an ncitement to their Afsiduity & Attention & Maintain a proper distinction between them & the Men.

22. We have sent you some Silver Ornaments and have fixed the Standard according to Number as follows, Altho' we do not entirely confine you to it - as a present of small Value is sometime Necefsary to be made to the Cheif Indians.
No. 1 - 3 Beaver
No. 2 - 2 Do.
No. 3 - 3 Do.
No. 4 - 2 Beaver
No. 5 - 3 Do.
No. 6 - 1 Do.
No. 7 - 1 Beaver
No. 8 - 1 1/2 Do.
No. 9 - !.2 Do.

Lastly We recommend the Encouragement of Virtue Diligence & Sobriety in all our Servants and to discountenance the Contrary in every Respect this Conduct will be a Certain Means of our Affairs prospering under your Management & entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Friends
Sam'l Wegg Gov.
James Winter Lake Dep. Gov.
Rich. Hulse
Nich. Ceasar Corsellis
Edw. Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Will. Mainwarring
Cha. Merry
PS. The Purchasers of our Beaver complain that it comes lately very dirty and greasy on the Leather side much more so than the Canadians & thereby diminishes the Value 3/ or 4/ pr? ?. The Martens also which are packed prove very mouldy from the dampnefs of the Casks - these are Circumstances which require particular attention to gaurd against this very Matter Respecting the Martins We have repeatedly mentioned & particularly in the General Letter 1791."





" General Letter 1798"

" Hudsons Bay House
London 31st May 1798"

" Mefs William Tomison & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
By our Ship King George Captain John Richards we received Invoice & Bill of lading of her Cargo, Your General letter and Sundry Journals, Books of Account, Letters & Papers as pr List inclosed with them. We again Consign to you the said Ship Captain Richards will deliver to you a Packet containing this our General Letter with Invoice Bill lading, Letters & Papers as pr List.

2. We direct Mr Jos. Colen to return to England by the said Ship Mr Geo. Sutherland had also our leave to return on account of the Death of his Brother, if he should be Inland at the arrival of our Ship we direct that all Letters to him be immediately or as soon as Convenient forwarded to him - Mr James Bird has also our leave to return & bring his Son home with - Mr Malcolm Rofs has our leave also to return Home.

3. We therefore nominate our Council as follows Mr Wm Tomison, Chief, Mr Jos. Colen during the time the Ship remains in the Country, Mr John Ballenden who succeeds Mr Colen as Locum Tenens. Mr Donald McKay, if on the York Establishment, and Mr James Sutherland who we confirm in the appointment of Shipping Officer, Captain John Richards & the Rest of the Gentlemen as nominated in our former General Letter.

4. War continuing in Europe deprives us of the energy we used when Commerce was free & uninterupted. Articles of Exportation are now advanced in Price, & Furs for the most reduced to one half their former Value notwithstanding the most Valuable Canada Ship was taken in her Pafsage to England by the French.

5. We apprize you of these Circumstances that you may feel the absolute necefsity (as well as ourselves) of your conducting every branch of your Commerce in the most frugal and parsimonious manner and that you may inform all our Traders Inland of these Events which are so discouraging to us as to leave us no prospect of Advantage - The increase of Servants Wages is also intolerable this arises in a great measure from your paying no attention to their Contracts permaturely advancing Wages before their expiration and many instances having occured wherein you agree to advance more than the Servants themselves in their application to us, have required - We have repeatedly instisted on your Submitting to us the Qualifications of such who deserve Encouragement that we may encrease our pay according to our prescribed Rules - Partiality must be avoided and the meritorious only meet with the Reward we are ever ready to shew them. Vide 10 Paragraph General Letter 1796.

6. Several Omifsions have occured wherein Servants Bills are not entered in the Account Book for the future no Bills will be paid unlefs they entered in the Factory Books sent home and signed by the Chief - and take care that servants do not ovedraw their Accounts for such Bills will not be paid. You will Observe that no Bounties are allowed to those whose Wages exceeds £ 10 pr Annum

7. We are perpetually at a Lofs here to Charge Mens debts as there are several of the same Name for want of a proper discription of the Parish from whence they came and their Occupation. we are often led into an Error by debiting the wrong Account - Pay Particular attention to this in future.

8. In our Letter of 1794 we desired you to be particularly accurate in inserting in your Account Book the Value Made Beaver of the Presents you annually make to the Indians. We again repeat it & desire you will not fail to do it.

9. You have omitted to enter the Trade made by each Master, Inland; in the Account Book, so that their Accounts cannot be credited for the Bounties allowed thereon.

10. The Chief cause of the scarcity of Provisions last Year evidently arose from the great Number of Indians harboured at the factory. The Severn Indians who came there to take leave of Mr Ballenden got debt at York, and that in a great degree Trade should not have been procured at so great a Disadvantage nor can it be supported by such means. The afsertion of Mr Colen when in England that a very large afsortment of untradeable Goods remained at the Factory he now says in his private Letters was misconceived so by us and that the reverse is the Case and Mr Colen in his Letter from Gordon House to Mr Sutherland imputes such mistakes to arise from the Errors in the Stewards Account Books. This is very Strange indeed for in the ninth Para: of the last General Letter it pofsitively affirms " that there is a large Quantity of untradeable Goods still in the Warehouse and that they have always avoided sending those Goods Inland." How are we to come at the real fact of this matter?[theirs] It appears to us that this Surplus of Goods is kept for the purpose of Distributing to the Natives when at the Factory in order to entice them to come there, this must be attended with very great prejudice to the company and the Furs Obtained in this manner will cost more than they are worth & serve only to induce the Natives to become exorbitant in their demands besides flocking to the factory and Consuming the Companys Provisions &c Why are we to be kept Constantly in the Dark thus?[theirs] We desire you will send us a List those untradeable Goods that we may determine whether to Order them to be sent home or not.

11. The lofs of the Craft is another very ? Evil - And we are very much misinformed if it did not arise by not standing in proper Births before the Ice sets in - This inattention to the Companys Interest is inexcusable and we desire to know who had the care of the Craft.

12. It was contrary to our Regulations that Mr Longmore was sent Inland but since he his there we appoint Mr Jas. Sutherland in his Stead.

13. No pofsitive orders were given by Mr Tomison for 100 Cotton Shirts and Consequently were not sent so that no blame attaches to any one here - We have sent a seperate Invoice of Trading Goods for him and each Package is marked YF/W according to his request when here.

14. As none of the Flannel Slops will answer but the Shirts let these be returned by you and the other Flannel Articles sent home that we may forward them to such Factories as will dispose of them.

15. We are also of Opinion with yourselves that Settlements may be made in the Athapascow Country from its great extent both by York and Churchill Factories without interfering which each other and we trust it will be done.

16. We are not Suprized at Four Pipes of Brandy only remaining at the Factory when the Ship arrived. The Number of Natives surrounding you were quite sufficient to have Consumed it all. Mr Tomison must be supplied with Brandy from the Factory - Let all the untradeable Guns be fitted up and disposed of as soon as pofsible. Send home an Account of the Number on Hand and how many you have fitted up and disposed of already.

17. We are well satisfied with the Conduct of Mr Malcolm Rofs, at Bedford House, in Deers Lake which you will dignify to him when you write to him.

18. Let all the Servants Bills for the future be drawn on the Blanks now sent for that purpose, entered by one of your Writers and signed by the Cheif of the Factory according to the form prescribed.

19. Mr Mathew Cocking has paid into our Hands £ 6 for the use of his Children the Amount of which you will deliver to them in Goods.

Lastly We recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue, Diligence and Sobriety in all our Servants and to discountenance the Contrary in every Respect this Conduct will be a Certain Means of our affairs prospering under your Management and entitle you to the esteem of
Your Loving Friends
Sam'l Wegg Govenor
James Winter Lake Dep. Gov.
Richard Hulse
Nich. Ceasar Corsellis
Edward Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Wm Mainwarring
Charles Merry
PS. We have been under the necefsity of raising the Standard for the following Articles advanced in Price here to which you will pay particular attention
Blanket Striped 10/-
4 Points --- 26/-
3 1/2 ----- 18/6
3 -------- 15/-
2 1/2 ---- 13/-
2 -------- 10/6
1 1/2 point 8/-
1 point --- 6/6
Breeches --- 7/6
Cloth Common -- 8/-
Duck Raven -- 2/-
Duffels ----- 5/6
Hats from 3/6 to 13/- from No. 1 to 8
Jackets Guernsey ---- 6/-
Rum --- Gal. 10/-
Shirts Check --- 5/-
Shirts White --- 5/-
Shirts with S.Strap -- 5/6
Shoes --- pr 5/6
Sugar Loaf --- 1/2
Sugar heist? ---- 1/-
Tobacco Cut --- 1/10
Tobacco Roll --- 2/-"





" General Letter 1799"

" Hudson's Bay House
London 31st May 1799"

" Mefs William Tomison John Ballenden & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
1. By our Ship King George Capt. John Richards we received Invoice Bill of Lading of her Cargo General Letter sundry Journals Books of Account & Papers agreeably to the List inclosed with them. - We gain consign to you the same Ship King George Capt. Richards will deliver you a Packet containing this our General Letter with Invoice Bill of Lading Letters & Papers as pr list.

2. Let our Council be composed of the following Gentlemen Mr William Tomison 1st. Mr John Ballenden 2d. Mr William Cook 3rd. Mr James Sutherland 4th. and the rest of the Members who are at the Factory and were of the former Council. Observing at the same time that all Masters Inland when at the Factory are to be of the Council.

3. It was with concern we received so small returns as we did from your Factory last Year. the low price which many Articles sold for rendered the Trade lefs productive this Year than at any former period. Prime Martins fetch'd only from 5/6 to 6/6 ordinary from 3/10 to 4/2 & Wolf equally low. Our future prospects appear very discouraging indeed And Unlefs we have larger returns & a very considerable Dimunition in Expence the proprietary must suffer exceedingly.

4. We have been fortunate enough to procure 12 Rolls of Brazil Tobacco 4 of which we send you. - As we cannot always depend on procuring this Tobacco you will dispose of it as providently as you can - The Spencers Twist has been spun under the directions of Mr George Sutherland and the size of it considerably lefsen'd - We have also been able to procure some Prunes but as this is an Article we can seldom get during the War, you will distribute them with Economy.

5. We understand that a New North West Company is established at Montreal to Oppose us & the Canadians. We know by experience what our Opponents can, or in short, will do but as to the New Company they may (under the Notion of out Trading both) ruin the Trade altogether; we therefore think it adviseable for our Servants to incline towards our Old Competition rather than give any Countenance to the New & by thus shewing a partiality and keeping up a good Understanding with the Canadians, who are of course far more powerful than the New Adventurers can be. it may eventually be the Means of this New Company relinquishing their Enterprize entirely.

6. When Mr Thomas of Moose was at the Abbitibbi he entered into an agreement with the Canadians that neither party should send After the Indians to come & Trade with them. - This we think may have a good Tendency to both parties if a dependance could be placed on the Canadians. - But of this we are in much Doubt & they may take Advantage of this Confidence to our prejudice but of this you must be guarded against if similar Agreements be entered into between you and them.

7. We have very great cause to Complain of the smallnefs of many of the Beaver Skins sent Home last Year they were scarcely saleable & you are to consider the Duty on them is equally as much as the full grown Beaver. - Discourage therefore the Natives as much as you can from killing this Animal when so very Young and If pofsible avoid Trading for them.

8. We perceive notwithstanding what has been repeatedly said in our former Letters there still exists in Opinion at our Factories that some diecretionary Power ought to be lodged in the Chief for advancing Men Wages occasionally, but does not meet with our Approbation. - Your proposing advanced Terms to Servants with a reference to us for our concurrence Might be equally effectual to a pofsitive agreement on your part, as we might accede in some Instances to the Terms proposed but we shall not comply with exorbitant demands so that by leaving it to our Decision you would have their Services one Year longer until our determination were known. It is impofsible for you to Judge how much the Amount of our Aggregate Expences are. Servants Wages and Provisions are enormously heavy beyond your conception and we are determin'd to lefsen them by every means in our power at the same time not to loose sight of our meritorious Servants nor let them go unrewarded.

9. We have remarked that when Servants propose to increase their Wages at the expiration of their Contracts they generally prefer Terms when they are at the Factory. at Ship time with a threat that either their proposals shall be acceded to or they will return Home. This is mere Tricking & we direct you will discountenance such Conduct. If any individual should stand forward as a Ringleader send him Home immediately he shall never be employed again in our Service be he whom he may - But we are totally averse to any of our Servants coming from Inland to the Factory at the expiration of the Contract unlefs they are pofsitively determined and have our Previous leave to return Home. Let them send their proposals from their stations Inland to the Chief at the Factory. who will communicate the same to us & by return of the Ship they will have their Option either to continue in the Service or to quit and we direct you to send an extract of this Paragraph to all Masters Inland that they may communicate it to those under them and cause it to be generally Known.

10. Let the silver Trinkets you have on hand be sent Inland that they may be traded for by the Natives. We understand they remain at the Factory.

11. We conceive it Necefsary to raise the Price of Spiritous Liquors and are joined in this Opinion by the Chiefs at our other Factories. - Let therefore one Shilling pr Gallon be advanced on the Price of it charging for the future Six Shillings pr Gallon instead of Five.

12. The Home guard Indians have of late Years been a burden to the Factory continuing there in a State of Idlenefs serving only to consume the Provisions and remained in a state of Intoxication. - Formerly they used to supply the Factory with Partridges Geese & Ducks but latterly have been of little or no use whatever. - Let such injurious Conduct be totally removed shew no countenance to them in any Manner & they will of course with draw themselves.

13. We direct you for the future to convert your Old Lead at the Factory into Balls for which we send you BulletMoulds of 26 to the Pound. - The Men have Idle time enough to be thus employed but an Invalid may be engaged on this Businefs occasionally with out taking from his Work any hand now usefully employed.

14. The Trade from York Factory to & from Edmonton House if pursued accordingly to the plan suggested to us by Mr George Sutherland appears to be well calculated for lefsening, in part, our heavy Expences in requiring fewer Hands than is employed at present at York & its dependent Settlements. - For the future therefore let the Factory Canoes go to & from Gordon House only as their Rout. The Gordon House Canoes to go to & from the Head of Trout River & the rout from thence to Edmonton House to be conducted by the large Boats built under the Direction of Sutherland. To Navigate these Boats will require lefs than Half the Number of Men employ'd at present in Canoes between Trout River & Edmonton House - We therefore trust you will warmly adopt this plan by which you will convince us of your readinefs to diminish the enormous expence of the Company so immediately necefsary at the present Juncture.

15. We have sent you and our other Factories & their Dependent Settlements a Pot or Kettle call'd a Digester both simple in its construction & in its use but of the utmost Utility. - Scarcly will there be a Family here Rich or Poor but will soon be in pofsefsion of one. They are calculated entirely for making Soup as you will perceive by the printed Instruction which accompany each other. It is needlefs to dwell on its usefulnefs, common sense will immediately point it out to every one who see it and we trust you will not fail to Make constant use of it. The Digesters After first boiling are to be put on a slow Fire or in the Oven & there to simmer for any length of time which may be thought Necefsary. Cakes of this Portable Soup when cold make be taken Inland, but it should be diluted with water discretionally before eaten.

16. Raw Lemon Juice which it has been the constant practise to send to all our Settlements we shall discontinue for the present & supply in its stead the concentrated Crystalized Lemon Juice now used throughout the Navy & by the East India Company's Ships, tho' far more costly then the former it has every quality of the raw Juice & Keeps in any Climate perfectly good for any length of time. Instructions for using it is sent with it.

17. Mr Tomison appears to have had a very bad afsortment of Trading Goods supplied him from the Factory for some Years past. The cause of which being now totally removed we shall expect no farther complaints on this Head. From the Packages last Year directed for him & which were accordingly to his Indent we trust he will be supplied, and we hope there will now be no withholding from him any Goods he may send to the Factory for, or occasion for any seperate packages to be Shipped here for him in future.

18. We fear there is too great a Stock of Goods Kept up at Gordon House. this serves not only to encrease annually your Indents from the Factory but our Exports from hence; there are not Times for profusions of any Kind & we must from Necefsity curtail your Indents when we can do it with propriety.

19. Notwithstanding the Terms of Mr John Ward's Contract is not Expired; at the earnest solicitation of his Friends he has our permifsion to return Home this Year to avail himself of a more advantageous Situation in London.

20. Understanding that a considerable Number of Guns which are too Straight in the Stock are from this cause untradeable. Let them be sent Home by return of the Ship that they may be New Stock'd here.

21. Mr George Stuherland has solicited us to permit his Son John to come Home by return of the Ship which we readily comply with and you will send him Home Accordingly

Lastly - We Recommend to you the Encouragement Virtue Diligence & Sobriety in all our Servants and to discountenance the Contrary in every respect this conduct will be a certain means of our Affairs prospering under your Management and entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Friends
Samuel Wegg Gov.
Richard Hulse
Nich. Ceasar Corsellis
Edward Hulse
Thomas Gould
Richard Neave
William Mainwaring
Charles Merry
PS. Mr Mathew Cocking who lately died at York lef by his Will 6 £ pr Ann. each to his Three Daughters in Hudsons Bay - But you are Annually to Send Home a Certificate of their being living as they will be Deprived of their Legacy - The Executor has deposited with us £ 18 and you will Apply the Amount Accordingly.
If John Favell is at any of the Settlements belonging to York see that he has is proportion of the £ 15 - 10 - left by his Father amongst all his Children. The Executors having paid that sum to the Company agreeable to his will."





" General Letter 1800"

" Hudsons Bay House
London 28th May 1800"

" Mefs Jon Ballanden & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
1. We received our Ship King George, Captain John Richards a Packet containing Invoice Bill of Lading of your returns. - Your General Letter. Journals Account Books & Papers agreeably to a list inclosed with them.

2. We now consign to you the Prince of Wales Captain Henry Hanwell who will deliver to you our Packet containing this our General Letter with Invoice and Bill of Lading of provisions & Merchandize shipped to your addrefs.

3. The Members of the Council will be composed of the same Gentlemen as formed it the last Year.

4. We are much surprised as well as greatly concerned to find the returns from your Factory for the last Year diminished - when we consider the exports we have supplied you with, the large Number of Men in your Department, Boats, Canoes & every other Article which ought to produce an increasing Trade, we are led to conceive there must be some mismanagement at the Inland Settlements, especially when we know that the Canadians for many Years, have past by Cumberland House to go to the Northward & return with Hundreds of Packs of the finest Furs the Country Produces - It has been urged as a Reason for not going to the Northward that you have not Men sufficient for the Journey - Are we to understand by this that you have not Men enough to oppose the Canadians & in that Opposition to be constantly in Feuds & Quarrels with each other?[theirs] if so you may be afsured we shall never furnish you with Men sufficient to answer this purpose while we are a Company - It has also been alledged that the Country to the Northward is destitute of Provisions except Fish. but we know this is not the fact for the Canadian Traders procure large Quantities of Pemican dryed Buffalo &c &c which they take with them to their Colleagues down the River to their Station near Cumberland House where they Winter - The Country to the Northward is of extent enough to employ with succefs Ten times the Number of Men that the Canadians or ourselves will ever be capable of sending there - and surely apart of those at Cumberland House might have been sent forward to come in for a share of the Trade. at least, with the Canadians. - If the Company's Servants were as Active as the Canadians are they would reap the advantage of their Industry as well as their Employers - The Character of a British Subject in the Service of the Hudsons Bay Company one would suppose would be a Stimulus sufficient to counteract in some measure the Canadians - & not suffer themselves to be outwitted or forestalled by them. - but we again particularly recommend you to be on the most Friendly Terms with the Canadians - for if any serious consequences should arise from your Quarrels & Disputes it would be very difficult to find redrefs here even on application to Government.

5. We know not what progrefs the Churchill people have made in the Athapco Country but we are persuaded the Country is large enough for the Men from York & Churchill also to steer clear of each other - If the Natives could be prevailed on to Visit both these Factories as they did formerly it would be attended with great advantages - The Northward Trade is the Chief dependance of the Canadians and if a small Number of the Natives should be induced by Presents or particular Kindnefses shewn them to visit the Factory much real Benefit might be derived from it.

6. In your Account Book you mention in one Line 50,000 Made Beaver sent Inland - This is such a loose way of Keeping an Account of your Expenditure that it gives us no sort of Clue whereby we can see how you carry on your Trade. - for the future let it be exprefsed what Goods you distribute to each Trader & direct the Trader to send us an Account how he disposes of them - We observe a greater quantity of Goods forwarded to Rock House (or Inland) than ever sent by Mr Colen we therefore trust the returns will justify these measures - We have sent you a Ruled Pattern for your Inland Account Books - Which we desire may be kept in this Manner - particular transactions may always be communicated in the Journals - Diaries of Winds & Weather are to Us uselefs & need not be kept - You are to inform all the Inland Trader that their account Books signed by themselves are to be sent Home - for at present we can by no means form any Idea what has been done with the large quantities of Goods sent Inland.

7. At Swan River the total remains appear to be nearly 1315 MB.
There were Traded - 694 MB.
& Expended -------- 1511 do.
so that the Expences are more than double the Trade - this requires some explanation.

8. By Mr Joseph House's Letter to Mr W. Tomison the Conduct of John Irvine, Benj. Bruce, Magnus Tate, Alex Gun, & Geo. Goncher appears to deserve exemplary Punishment and if these Men had been fined according to the Offences the Committee would have confirmed them (provided such Fines were not excefsive) putting the Men off duty is certainly very little or no Punishment to them - In our former Letters we directed the Chiefs at your Factory to fine all refractry Servants and when such Fines are finally confirmed by us they shall be deducted from their Salaries.

9. Much commendation is due to Mr Ballenden for so quickly dispatching the Ship Prince of Wales at York and we trust that in future the detention of our Ship there will always be as short as pofsible & that - Mr Ballenden will continue his exertions to this Effect.

10. The Value of Wolves is much decreased of late. they are scarcely worth importing - you will therefore Trade as few as pofsible and none but what are well Cleaned and the Flesh well scraped off from the Skin. - they pay a duty of 7/- pr Skin large & Small, the latter will not even sell for the Drawback so that the Company are considerable loosers by this Article in general - The Standard for Wolves usually one Beaver we now fix to be only Half a Beaver to which you will pay due attention.

11. Some of the Cub Beaver were so very small which were sent home last year, that we could scarcely prevail on ourselves to expose them to sale - they were not so large as a Musquash - surely you do not reckon those as Made Beaver & expect Premiums on them for whatever you gave for them is much lofs to the Company.

12. The Enormous Expences of the Company increasing Yearly have determined us to diminish the heavy Charges that Annually occur, as much as pofsible, & therefore we have resolved that for the future all Servants of the Council who are desireous of returning Home, having obtained our leave for that purpose without giving up the Company's Employ, the Cost & charge of their Pafsage shall be wholly borne by themselves - they are to make their own Agreement with the Commanders of our Ships for their pafsage & the like expence on their returning to the Bay shall be at their own Cost - & if any Servant relinquish their Employment & after continuing some time at Home become desireous of entering again into our service their Pafsage out shall also be at their own Charge - Of this regulation you are to Apprize those whom it may concern that they may duly consider the consequence of returning Home on frivilous pretences.

13. We desire you will not fail to send us Certificates of the Abilities of those who return Home and also Certificates of the Illnefs or Indisposition of those who may return under such pretences.

14. Those Taylors at York Factory shall have £ 3,-,-, as a Gratuity to their present salaries annually provided they are diligent & capable Servants.

15. Changing the Names of dependant Settlements not only mislead but often time perplex us, when referring to the Map's let it therefore be avoided.

16. Much Inconvenience & difsatisfaction have arisen concerning the Sale of Men's Beds - It is therefore our pleasure that for the future you furnish those Servants returning Home with Feather Beds to lye on during the Pafsage free of any Expence to them - but such Beds are to be considered as the property of the Compny in which the Servants have no concern or Interest whatever.

17. In our General Letter of last Year we intimated that there was no Necefsity of you sending home, Duplicate Packets but we from experience this Year find Duplicate Invoices to be absolutely Necefsary you will therefore not fail to send them annually to us.

18. In all your Indents for Flour we observe it is your usual Customs to compute the Quantity wanted after the rate of one Pound pr Man pr Day as if all the Company's Servants resided at the Factory whereas those who go Inland for the most part take no Flour with them - to some of the Settlements we admit Flour may be sometimes sent - Biscuit for the most part is provided for the purpose & is usually furnished to the Inland Settlements - your Indents for this Article is always extravagant - these are not times for profusions of any kind expecially in an Artile which from its high price every discreet Family in this Kingdom is Oblidged to diminish the consumption.

19. The Rundlets in future which are now made under Mr Tomison's Direction will not be filled with flour or any Kind of Grain whatever as the Heat dries the Wood & occasions them to leak - but they ough invariably to be examined & tried if they will hold Liquor before they are sent Inland & Coopered if found Leaky.

20. The Blankets are striped according to your Indent - The Shoes are ordered to be large as well as the Hatts larger in the Crown - and your Indent for Cloth & other Articles liberally comply'd with.

21. Mr Geddes, informs us there is reason to believe he shall be able to procure the Number of fresh Hands ordered of who you will be supplied with as many as will answer your most sanguine Expectations.

22. Not having any Expectations that we should be able to procure Brazil Tobacco this Year we have under the Inspection of Mr Tomison & Mr William Bolland of Eastmain caused the Spencers Twist to be so Manufactured as to resemble it in Color, Size, Quality & Flavour - These Gentlemen are persuaded it will answer in every respect the purpose of Brazil Tobacco, but it has the disadvantage of being twice the Price of Brazil Tobacco & therefore demands much Economy in the Expenditure.

23. We are not unmindful of the attention paid to our Concerns by Mefs Cook, Bird, Ja. Sutherland, Fidler, Sinclair, Whitford, & Howse.

24. Your Annual Indents for Stores are so astonishingly large we are entirely at a lofs to conceive the reason of it, we have very good grounds for saying you have always remaining on hand a Quantity nearly if not sufficient for your purpose - it appears to us your Indents are made up for the most part at Random. We expect more circumspection in future.

Before we had concluded this letter Fifteen Rolls of Brazil Tobacco which we had given Orders for in the Year 1798 arived unexpected in the River from Lisbon, we have therefore in addition to the large quantity of the Tobacco Manufactured as above mentioned with Spencers Twist Shag? &c sent you Six Rolls of the Brazil these together exceed your Indent considerably - you will therefore revise your Indent for this Article if it be already made out and make proper allowance for the large quantity you now receive as your Next Indent for this Article must of course be lefsened considerably.

Lastly We recommend to the you encouragement of Virtue, Diligence and Sobriety and to discountenance the Contrary in every respect. This Conduct will be a certain means of our Affairs prospering under your management and entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Loving Friends
James Winter Lake G.
Richard Hulse D.G.
Nich. Ceasar Corselles
Tho. Gould
Richard Neave
Wm Mainwaring
Cha. Merry
GS Wegg
PS Mr Ballenden having sent the Inland Good either to Oxford House or to any other place that may be appointed as a Store House and having obtained a Receipt for such Goods from the Store Keeper there, may then merely notice in the Factory books that the Goods were sent to such Store Houses. - The Master of the Store House having sent Mr Ballenden a receipt and thereby having become responsible for such Goods must be very Accurate in his Accounts and of course demand Receipts of the delivery of those Goods. - and he is hereby ordered to keep as Store House Book distinct from the Account of his own Private Trade - It will be expected that all the Accounts of the Goods sent to all the Trading Posts, Eastward of each Storehouse & to those up Nelsons River &c &c. should in future be particularized in the Factory Books in the manner it is at present done at every other Settlement in the Bay but York. - The Resident at York must be careful of the Receipts of such Goods in case any future Investigation should be required.
J.W.L. G
RH. D.G.
J.G.
RN.
N.C.C.
The Executors of Ferdinand Jacobs have paid into our Hands £ 10,-,- to be applied as usual."





" Gen'l Letter 1801"

" Hudsons Bay House
London 20th May 1801"

" Mefs William Tomison & Council
York Factory
Gentlemen
1. We received by our Ship Prince of Wales Capt. Henry Hanwell, the Invoice & Bill of Lading of her Cargo your General Letter Journals Account Books & papers.

2. We now Consign to you our Ship King George Capt. Henry Hanwell who will deliver to you a Box (of which he has the key) containing Invoice Bill of Lading of Provisions & Merchandize shipped to your addrefs with sundry Letters & Papers according to List inclosed. The key of this Box having a brafs label affixed to it, you will keep & return the Box with the Factory Packet therein, this will be the manner in which the Factory Packets shall be conveyed by our Ships to & from the Bay in future.

3. The Members of our Council we direct to be composed of the same Gentlemen as formed it the last Year.

4. The Returns last Year we perceive are much decreased which we exceedingly regret. you must be sensible there are no means of counteracting the heavy Expences we are under but by increasing the Returns - The War continuing the Price of every Article of Merchandize & Necefsary of Life are much advanced - Flour Grain & Animal Food so exorbitantly that Families of all descriptions have lefsened the Consumption of them by every means immagination could suggest even parliament thought proper to recommend the Consumption of Bread not to exceed One Quarter Loaf pr Week to each person. such being the case here how much more does it become you to make every pofsible Saving you can in the Consumption of the Provisions now sent you? [theirs] but notwithstanding these Times of Dearnefs & Scarcity we have been as liberal in our supplies as circumstances would permit, for it was with the utmost difficulty we obtained permifsion from the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council to send to our Factorys at all the usual Articles of Provisions Viz. Beef, Pork, Butter, Cheese, Ham, Scotch Barley &c the Exportation of Rice being totally prohibited - Our first Petition in which we prayed for a Licence to Ship larger portions of these Provisions was rejected & we were obliged to prefer another curtailing the Indents as much as we pofsibly could by confining ourselves to the Quantities now sent to each Factory.

5. To comply literally with your Indents for Trading Goods would have been in us the height of Imprudence as it must have been attended with certain lofs to the Company, from the Scantinefs of the General returns notwithstading which we have now supplied you very Amply - But with respect to your Indents for Stores, they exceed all bounds are very unsatisfactorily Accounted for & to us appear in a great measure unnecefsary - We are confirmed in this belief from our personal Conversation from time to time - when opportunity permitted with the Chief Factors who freely acknowledge the Factories stand not in need of such profusions.

6. The Standard for Slops and some other Trading goods we have been obliged to raize in Account of the Advanced price.We have therefore sent you a new Standard to Govern you in the disposal of the different Articles.

7. Musk is an Article which bears a very high price here - it has been suggested to us that the Musk of which we have often specimens sent us from the Bay (which we believe is taken from the Musk Rat) would Sell well if you could procure a few pounds wt. of it we might be induced to try to send it in our Sales. at least send us as much of it as you can procure.

8. The Opposition of the Canadian Traders we know is very great. A Mr McGillveray by Letters, has applied to Mr Thomas of Moose whilest he was at the Factory, as well as since he has been Home, proposing certain conditions to be observed between them & not withdrawing from each others Settlements. As we cannot be so good Judges of the Local situation of the several Settlements, as you can be who are on the spot we leave intirely any Regulation of this kind if any such agreement should be proposed by the Canadians to Mr Tomison to be settled by him - Recommending most strenuously the due observance of Peace & Harmony with your Competetion. - We are fully persuaded that the superior Quality of the various Articles of our Trading goods will always command a preference with the Natives.

9. As to Brazil Tobacco it being out of our power to procure it we have sent a sufficient Quantity of Spencers Twist made in imitation of it, which Mr Tomison informs us would answer the purpose full as well.

10. No Jamaica Rum can be procured under Nine Shillings pr Gallon this you must be sensible is a sufficient inducement for us not to send any to either of our Factories.

11. We understand the Brig Beaver stands in need of refitting. Mr David Geddes has orders to engage two Shipwrights who with John Moar your Boat Builder we direct you to send to Severn to give her all the repairs necefsary.

12. George Rofs Son of the late Mr Malcolm Rofs John Inkster & Joseph Cook may be entered on the Companys Books as Apprentices & allowed £ 6 pr Ann each.

13. The fines of £ 10 each imposed on the following persons Viz. Mag. Tate, John Irvin Sen., Benj. Bruce & Alex. Gun we think too great - excefsive punishments as well as too lenitive ones have their Evils. we therefore mitigate these fines to £ 4 to each - We desire you will make this Known to them. Inform the rest of our Servants under your Government we are determined to punish by fine all those who are guilty of refractory Beheaviour - To Jos. Lewis for his meritorious Conduct in resisting the persuations of the above refractory Men we give £ 5 which is placed to his Credit in his Account in our Books.

14. The afsistance which Mr Bird at Cumberland House Rendered to Mr Auld in his Inland excursion from Churchill is very pleasing to us.

15. The Executors of the late John Favell have annually since his decease paid into our Hands £ 15.10. that the Amount in Goods may be divided between his Children in Hudsons Bay & of this Circumstance we have regularly advised you - Mr John Hodgson our Chief at Albany Writes us that one of Favell's Sons is now there and alledges that he has been at Severn for eight Years past & during that time has never been paid his share of the Above Annuitys. if this be true it is a very great Omifsion & may implicate ourselves in the neglect - Let this be inquired into of Mr Thomas Thomas at Severn and if the fact be so let the Man be paid his arrears as he might occasionally stand in need - You will Write to Mr Hodgson or desire Mr Thomas to do it the first opportunity & let him know whether the fact be as Favell states it or not.

16.We are under heavy penalties if Certificates for Bonded Goods are not returned to the Custom House here of the Landing of them in Hudsons Bay - These Certificates we have filled up & inclosed in the Packet which Mr Ballanden will sign & return to us, it being immaterial what Factory they are landed at so long as the goods are landed at the Bay. We have sent only one Certificate for each Ship which will answer the purpose as well as more.

17. The Commanders of our Ships have made great complaints to us of the enormous Bignefs of the Servants Chests when retiring from our Service - We therefore prohibit them from taking any chests on board, except belonging to the Chief or any Member of the Council, returning Home larger than three feet & half long by Nineteen Inches deep & Nineteen Inches Broad & only one for each person.

18. for many Years past we have received information through various Channels that Hudsons Bay Furs were Annually Smuggled into this City & privately sold to certain dealers - Altho' we had great Reason for believing the Matter to be true we we unwilling to be premature in our Decision. Knowing that however secretly such Transactions were conducted at length it would discover itself, that Period is now arrived - & we have been in Justice to the proprietors as well as to ourselves compell'd to discharge from our Service Mr John Richards late Commander of the Company's Ship King George of which you will take proper notice. We need not dwell on the subject we leave it to your own reflections and direct you to send an extract of this Paragraph to all Masters Inland.

19. Send copies of this Gen'l Letter to Mr Will. Tomison & Mr Thomas Thomas at Severn. Mr Ballanden has requested leave to return. We cannot dispence with his Services untill his agrement to continue Five Years are expired which will be in 1803 of which we have given due notice to Capt. Hanwell.

20. Mr Tomison has been repeatedly desired to send us Certificates whether the Children of James Spence Sen. late of York Factory (Inland) deceased be now living. with their names & where stationed that they might be paid the Annuity arrising from their late Father's funded property & Annually divided between them.

21. The different sort of furs should be packed seperately by themselves, Viz. the Casks with Martins or other fine Furs should be lined with 4 or 5 open Wolves or Bears which are not greasy let there be no mixture of Various Furs together except as above the lining of the Casks.

Lastly We recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue Dilligence & Sobriety in all our Servants & to discountenance the Contrary in every respect. this Conduct will be a certain means of our Affairs prospering under your Management & entittle you to the Exteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
(signed)
James Winter Lake Gov.
Rich. Hulse D.G.
Nich. Ceasar Corsellis
Edw. Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Will Mainwaring
G.S. Wegg
Cha. Merry
PS. The order respecting Bed Feathers contained in the 16 paragraph of our last Gen. Letter was not meant to extend to those persons who purrchased Beds previous to such Order but that in future all Feathers sent Home - except as before Excepted should be consider'd as the property of the Company.
After we had signed this Letter Mr Jn Thomas & Mr John McNab strongly solicited us for a small Quantity of Rum we have therefore permitted them to take at their own cost a Puncheon between them on consideration that the former divide his Quantity between AR MR & EM & the Latter his between CR YF & SR for which those who take a part of this Rum down the Bay must pay Mr Thomas for it & then at YF & SR are to pay Mr McNab.
We have sent a Copy of this Letter to Mr Tomison so you have only need to send a Copy of it to Mr Thomas Thomas at SR.
If the Executors of the late Mr Malcolm Rofs should prefer his Son George to come Home instead of Entering him on the Companys Books you have our permifsion to send him Home by Capt. Hanwell.
Mr Donald McKay has repeatedly desired that his Son may be sent Home - You will therefore send him to Orkney by the Return of Captain Hanwell.
signed
JWL.
RH.
N.C.C.
EH.
CM."





" Mefs Wm Tomison and Council
York Factory Hudsons Bay
London 26th May 1802"

" Gent.
1. We rec'd by our Ship King George Capt. Henry Hanwell Invoice and Bill of Lading of her Cargo, your Gen'l Letter Acct. Book Journals and papers.

2. We now consign to you the same Ship Command'd by Capt. John Turner who will deliver to you the packet box Cont'g Invoice & Bill of Lading of provisions & Merchandize Shipped to your addrefs with sundry Letters & Papers according to a List inclosed with them.

3. Our Council at York Factory we nominate as follows Viz. Mr Wm Tomison Chief - Mr John McNab, whom we have directed to proceed immediately from Churchill to York on the Receipt of our Gen'l Letter having appointed him to succeed Mr John Ballanden who has hereby our leave to return home and the rest of the members who composed it last year.

4. We have now the pleasure to announce to you that a General Peace between Great Britain and all the belligerant powers in Europe has taken place the proclamation of which was on the 29th Ulto - Of this happy event you will not fail to inform the Chief Factors at all the Inland Settlements Dependant on your Factory. - The restraint on our Trade occasioned by the high prices of every Article of our Exports during the war we trust will be removed but as this can only be effected by Gradual Means a strict attention to Oconomy will be Required in every department of our Commercial Concerns.

5. You will receive this year Ample supplies of provisions Trading Goods and Stores with an additional quantity of Rice as a Substitute occasionally for flour & we expect that your Returns will be Adequate thereto.

6. We are persuaded that nothing can Contribute more to the Companys interest than to maintain a friendly disposition with the Canadians, but no opposition of theirs is so injurious as that of our Servants clashing in their Trade with each other - Whenever we see? the Natives to whom any of our Settlements have given credit intercepted in their rout and traded with by our own Servants instead of suffering them to proceed to pay such debts we are very highly offended, and we direct you to Communicate to those who have been guilty of such ill judged Conduct how much it meets with our disapprobation - It is subversive of the general principle of our Commerce and entirely destitute of the smallest benefit to the Company.

7. No Brazil Tobacco can be procured this year - The Spencers twist is manufactured so to imitate it that we hope it will prove satisfactory.

8. You will receive 50 yds of Coarse Canvas to pack bed feathers in - reckoning 5 yds to a bed and 30 lb of feathers put in each will answer very well for the Servants who return home to Sleep on during the pafsage.

9. In the 6th Paragraph of our Gen'l Letter 1800 we directed that all Masters Inland are to sign the Acct. Books as a proof they are properly examined by them - The Gen'l Remains in these Books are not always cast up - Take care to insert the mens names and what bounties they are entitled to as well as the dates of their deaths if any should happen and observe that in future Contracts the Terms with the Servants should be 3 years at the same Specific wages - not 2 years at one sum and the 3d at another as heretofore.

10. The Indent Book has a wide Column on the left hand you will observe - divide this Column in two and insert the Gen'l Charge in One & Remains in the other - The Shipwright and Small Craft Stores are blended with each other in future keep them distinct.

11. Some of our Inland traders are apt to be very lavish with the Spiritous liquors among the Indians - this Conduct is exceeding wrong and has a bad tendency. Such profusion we desire may be discontinued and we caution our traders against using harsh language to the Natives it can answer no good end, and may induce them to prefer trading with the Canadians from whom they may meet with more civil usage.

12. We remark that no Acct. are sent home of Goods taken up at the Factory or Settlements by any of our Superior Servants - How is this?[theirs] - Have they not most or all of them Wives and Children who are all cloathed with the Companys Goods?[theirs] - This Consumption of the ? Articles you must be aware falls very heavy on the Company and requires from us an Enquiry into the Causes of such omifsions which amount annually to a very considerable sum - We understand that all the Commanders of our Ships have occasionally been supplied with Cloth at the Factory - this is unjustifiable in the extreme - If these Acct. are not sent home that each person may be debited accordingly we shall hold the Chief factor responsible for the Omifsion.

13. We have Resolved that no Chief or other person in the Companys Service in Hudsons Bay or any Commander or officer belonging to the Company Ships shall directly or indirectly receive the whole or any part of the wages that may be due from the Co. to their Servants - In order that no Servant may be defrauded as has heretofore happened, and you are by no means to omit sending home the particular Character of the different Servants of the Company who Sollicit any increase of wages or whose Contracts expire.

14. We Confirm the 21st Par. of our last Gen'l Letter wherein we directed that there should be no mixture of Furs in the various packages except the linings of the Casks and Coverings of the Bales - the After packages we consider as an exception.

15. It would be best to Cover the bundles of Martins Skins with birch Bark tying 50 Skins together as they do at Eastmain - The Deer and Elk Skins Should not be Shaved so close 1/2 Inch of hair should be left as the value of the Skin is much Reduced by the grain of the Leather being cut close - The Wolves also between the Shoulders where the Hair is thick are in general Shaved so Close as frequently to injure the Skin.

16. The following Errors appeared in your Invoice last year - be more Correct in future.
No. 12 a Pipe? - 4 Cats Short, 4 Wolves over
No. 18 - do. - 1 Cat short
No. 30 - do. - 1 Wolf short 1 Cat over

17. We are well pleased with the Harmony subsisting between Servants under Mr Peter Fidler at Chesterfield House and the old NW Company Canadians - Mr Tates exertions in the Bungee Country is also satisfactory to us and so is indeed the Conduct of all our traders in their several departments.

18. When ever you require Boat timbers send a Mould of such kind as you want as the timber Merchant here cannot judge what is best Calculated for you without it.

19. We could not think of complying with your Indent of Sheet lead as we know you had 18 or 19 Rolls of it lying at the Factory uselefs at the time you wrote for it Severn stood in need of one Sheet which you might easily supplied her with - Such Articles as SR may stand in need of and York without inconvenience to herself could supply ought to be done with out the smallest hesitation.

20. In the factory Book at the beginning of the year the Remains at Gordon House is stated to be 1881 MB.
There appears sent to Mr Whitford 33,896
Total -- 35,777 whereas the
Expenditure according to the Factory Book appears to be 37,650 so that the Expenditure exceeds the Receipts by 1873 MB this requires some explanation tho upon the whole the Acct. Books are more satisfactory than heretofore.

21. Mr Whitford informs us that he receives the distilled Brandy at 1 Gn. for 8 B. but that other Inland traders take it as 1 Gn. for 6 B. that he takes one Cotton Shirt for 2 B. and other traders take it as 1 1/2 B. so that by these variations it is impofsible the Factory Acct. should Correspond with the Inland Acct. Books. - several other articles are in the like predicament - Let the Standard in general be kept alike that all parties may be on equal footing in future.

22. If the sons of the late James Spence be living let them be supplied with Goods to the Amount of £ 20 they will be supplied annually with goods but the Amount will be mentioned to you on your sending home a Certificate if any of the Said Spences children be living.

23. Mr James Peter Whitford now Returns and we hope he will prove as attentive and diligent as heretofore - we are pleased with the attention of Mr James Bird and desire you will signify to him our Approbation of his liberal Conduct in supplying with provisions there who stand in need of his afsistance.

24. The supply of fresh hands will depend on Mr Geddes who informs us that the great demand for men for the fisheries will make them very scarce and he is in doubt whether he can procure the number wanted or not - If he is able to Complete his instructions for that purpose of Course you will receive them.

25. On your receiving this Letter let a transcript of it be made and forwarded to Mr Tomison unlefs he is at the Factory.

Lastly - we Recommend to you the Encouragement of Virtue diligence and Sobriety & to discountenance the Contrary in every respect by which you will be entitled to the esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
James Winter Lake Gov.
Ed. Hulse
Tho. Gould
Rich. Neave
Wm Mainwaring
Cha Merry
GS Wegg
Joseph Berens Jun."





" May 1803
Mefs William Tomison & Council
York Factory
1. We rec'ed by our Ship King George Capt. John Turner Invoice & bill of Lading of her Cargo, your Gn'l Letter Account Books Journals & papers according to the List enclosed with them.

2. We now consign to you the same ship under the same Commander, who will deliver to you the Packet Box cont'g Invoice of provisions & Merchandize ship'd to your addrefs with sundry Letters & papers.

3. Your returns last year afforded us very little satisfaction after every allowance for the various causes which may have in some degree tended to obstruct the trade, yet we cannot see sufficient Reasons for its decrease. Year after year the returns are nearly in the same proportion, it looks as if you had determined to set bounds to the trade in general & conceive that we should be satisfied if our Sales annually amounted to the same ratio. This is a matter of very serious importance. The great & first object of our concerns is an encreasing trade to counter balance the very enormous & accumulating Expences of it. We do not expect returns equal to those of our more powerful opponents, but surely We ought to receive such returns as are adequate to the quantity of Goods you are annually supplied with. - to be brief we expect more ample returns than we have of late years experienced nor will anything falling short of it be at all satisfactory to us.

4. Your Indents have encreased for the last three years & the returns by no means adequate thereto. We cannot conceive by what you are guided when you are making out your Indents. They appear to us to be made at Random - For instance you Indent for the articles underment'd thus Viz.
Hatchets oval Eyed 200 - 200 Remain'g --- none Expended
-------- square Eyed 150 - 142 --------------- 2 do.
Jackets unlined - 24 - 18 --------------------- 6 do.
Kettles Copper of 3 qts - 46 -------------- 3 do.
ditto ----------- 1 pt --- 64 ----------------- 1 do.
ditto ----------- 1/2 pt -- 130 -------------- 34 do.
Razors --------- 100 ------- 66 -------------- 8 do.
Vittery -------- 200 yds --- 440 ------------ 102 do.
so that out of all these Articles we have only sent you 20 three quart Copper Kettles.
From the above statement our Reasons for not complying with the above Indents must appear very obvious to yourselves. In your Indents for Cheese in future mention the different kinds seperately - You have omitted to insert the standard of furs & Skins barter'd against trading Goods - let this be attended to in future.

5. The little regard paid to our Regulations respecting Servants Wages displeases us exceedingly - engaging them at advanced Wages for one year has a very bad effect - for from the high wages given by you, they demand from us a still further advance. James Gaddy in 1802 left his terms to us being then at 18 £ pr Ann. we advanced him to £ 20 for three Years which expires in 1805, but before our letter could reach your hands you advanced him £ 5 pr ann. making his wages £ 23 for one year at the end of which he hopes for £ 30 pr Ann, there must surely be some mistake in this - Magnus Louttit in 1801 desired to Contract for 3 years & leaves his terms also to us, he had then £ 10 pr ann. we agreed to allow him £ 12 for 2 years & the last at £ 15 - but before this gets to your hands, as in the Case before mentioned you agree to give him £ 14 for one year & say that he expects 16 £ pr ann for 2 years more - How are the books of this Company to be kept here if this is perpetually the case or what use is it to send the servants proposals to us if in the mean while you enter into other Agreements with them, without our Knowledge Consent or Approbation - In consequence of such repeated Irregularities, if any Servants are engaged at higher wages than we approve of the Officer so engaging the Servant must answer in his account for the difference of which you will take due notice. Neither will we suffer any of our Servants whatever who are at present in our Service in Hudsons Bay to engage (in renewing their Contracts) for a lefs term than 3 years - nor will any person in future have their wages advanced without a Specific Character of their respective abilities being sent previously home to enable us in some degree to judge of their merit. We are concerned to find so little regard paid to our repeated directions on this head from which we have reason to conclude that after our General Letter be once read it is thrown by & thought no more of, for surely the above circumstances would not have taken place if the 8th & 9th paragraphs of our Gen'l Letter 1799 had been adhered to. We then observed that you appear'd partial to an Opinion that some discretionary power ought to be lodged in the Chief Factor for advancing mens wages occasionally but it did not meet with out Concurrence - it is probable we might somtimes accede to it - but we shall never Comply with what we conceive to be exorbitant demands. We also observed that when Servants proposed to have their wages advanced they generally proposed terms when at the Factory at Ship time accompanied by a threat that either their terms shall be complied with or they will return home - this is mere Tricking & we directed you to discountenance it. Let them send the proposals from the Inland Stations to the Chief at the Factory who will communicate the same to us & by the return of the Ship the following year they will have their option either to continue in the Service or to quit it, so that by those means you would have their services one Year longer until our determination was Known.

6. The great inconvenience we experience by the Men returning home every Year in such numbers - prevent if pofsible - We have laid pofsitive Injunctions on our Agent Mr Geddes to engage none for a lefs term that 5 Years.

7. Let the disposal of every Article (be it for what it may) be regularly entered in the account books. We do not object to Women being paid for their Services in trapping Martins &c, it is the Omifsions in the Account Books of Articles so expended, we dislike, it conveys to us an Opinion that our property in many Instances is distributed at Random. Masters inland are also to render their accounts in like manner both of Goods expended & what remains.

8. Send us from time to time an Acct. of trading Goods & Stores which are become untradeable damaged or uselefs that are in the Company's Warehouse at the Factory or Inland.

9. We have frequent Complaints from all our Factories that the Rundlets at first prove leaky, but by putting some hot Water into them & let it remain all night, they will become tight & hold the liquor well - it is the only method taken here by the Coopers to season Liquor Casks.

10. In the Correspondence books the Letters w'h are Copied therein are for the most part without place or date this is a very great Omifsion. We are frequently at a lofs to recollect the Evidence of the Writer & the Initials of the Settlement or station is not always sufficient for our Information. Let the name in future be written at length.

11. We have repeatedly instructed the Chief & Council at all our Factories to impose a Fine on all refractory Servants reserving to ourselves the Confirmation of such fines in some Instances we have seem them exorbitant, but when imposed with Justice they shall be confirmed. We mention this to remind you of our determination as we perceive by the Journals some of our Servants Inland are at times a little unruly.

12. With regard to a Scarcity of indigenous or Country provisions as appears to have been the case according to some of the Journals, we are extremely sorry that any of our Servants should have been distrefsed from this Cause, but it is what every people & Nation on Earth are liable to occasionally - all that can be done in it is to deprecate the Evil & bear it patiently when it occurs.

13. We are sorry for the fate of Magnus Birza of Albany which you will no doubt have heard of. On perusing his Journal under the date of the 23d May 1800 at Red Lake we perceive that on his receiving a Cut or Stab from an Indian, who bore him a grudge, the men under Birza immediately hung him. This action met with our highest displeasure, being wholly contrary to that conciliating & spicific Conduct we have ever recommended & by the Consequences of not obeying our instructions has been the lofs of a valuable to the Company. The Indian whom it it said was the aggrefsor, for any thing we know to the Contrary may previously have rec'ed some violence from our Servants & by taking away his life the premature death of Birza & others under him might have been expected. Such violent dreadful measures are big with the most Calamatous consequences. We hope nothing of the Kind will happen in future, that all our Servants will use their utmost Endeavours to prevent any dispute with the Ind. getting to such a head. Should any misunderstanding unavoidably arise, use every means in their power that may produce an amicable reconciliation. We have repeatedly desired you to maintain the utmost peace & harmony with your opponents. It is not the Intention or the Interest of the Company to create Conentions with the natives or the Canadians at the same time it behoves you to act with redoubled energy & spirit in trading with the Natives the more you are opposed by the Canadians. Our articles of trade will we are persuaded command a preference from their Superior Quality. The Cloth & Blankets are superior to anything of the kind we ever before sent to the Bay & particular attention has been paid to every other article.

14. The Company's traders we perceive notwithstanding our repeated Admonitions to the contrary frequently interfere with the trade of each other & induce the Natives to trade with them instead of encouraging them to pay the debts they had contracted at other of our Settlements. It is not pofsible to adopt anything of a more mischevious tendency, the Consequnces must be in the highest degree disadvantageous to the Company of which all our Servants must be sensible. We are highly displeased at it & shall not fail to order home any of our Inland Masters who persist in measures so detrimental to our Interest.

15. With regard to the Council at our Factories there will be no occasion for us to mention every year the names of the Gent. who compose it. if you adhere to this general Rule which we establish'd long since & informed you of accordingly Viz. The Chief Factor, his Second, Surgeon & your landing & Shipping Clerk or Storekeeper & all Masters inland when at the Factory are to be considered as Members of the Council.

16. We conceive it necefsary to inform you that Capt. John Richards late in the Company's service has now the Command of a Ship called the Edystone bound to Quebec (as we suppose) he stopp'd at Stromnefs in his pafsage out & there circulated advertisements round the Country inviting men to engage with him for America. He has provided between 40 & 50 at an advanced wages most of whom were the Company's late Servants. It is reasonable for us to conjecture that these men are intended to join the Canadians in the Vicinity of our Settlements or inland Stations. By these Measures feuds & animosities between our Servants & their Opponents may be created. But we strictly charge & command you to make known to all our Inland Masters studiously to avoid all disputes & quarrels with any of the Said men or their employers. the former it is probable may from the hard living & the hard usage they will of course meet with from their Taskmasters be induced to repent of their engagements But we also charge & command you & all our Inland Masters under pain of our highest displeasure that on no pretence or consideration whatever you entertain or take back into the Service any of the Said men keeping a higher distance in your behaviour & conversation if you should meet together neither receiving any favor from or granting any favor to or have any Intercourse or Connection with them. We further direct you to send a Copy of this paragraph to all inland Masters except Mr Thomas Thomas at Severn to whom we have written on the occasion.

17. The Copper Kettles that are sent this year have a number stamped on each of them to prevent the like Errors which have so frequently happen'd in sending the wrong sizes your Indents therefore for Kettles in future must be made out according to the number & not by the Measure as heretofore.

18. Our Accomptant is at a lofs to credit the Inland Masters for their premiums or their trade. We direct you therefore in future to specify the amount of each of their trades that they may be credited accordingly & also to send us an account of the two last years trades & be particular in mentioning the different Masters & their Stations which entitles to it.

19. We are heartily sorry necefsity compels us to communicate to you that the Conduct of the french Government has been such towards this Country since the late break of peace that his majesty on the 16th Inst. thought it necefsary to commence hostilities against it - this determination was preceeded by a very long negotiation in order to obtain if pofsible a peace compatible with the Honor & Dignity of his Imperial Crown, but it fail'd to obtain so desireable an object. From this unhappy event we are apprehensive the price of all our Exports will in future be advamced as in the late war. We therefore recommend the utmost Economy in the Expenditure of every Article both of provisions & Merchandize. The Expences which will of course accrue will bear very heavy on our Concerns & demand from you the utmost Attention for their Reduction especially while the War Continues.

20. You will find in the packet box a form of your future Invoices with rul'd paper for the purpose as you could not seperate the articles in the packages this form will answer the purpose by which at one view the Quality & Quantity may be perceived.

Lastly we recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue Diligence & Sobriety & to discountenance the contrary in every respect by which you will be entitled to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
James Winter Lake Gov.
Tho. Gould
Nich. Caesar Corsellis Dep. Gov.
Rich. Neave
Cha. Merry
Wm Mainwaring
Jos. Berens Jun.
PS. Let the Heirs of the late James Spence be supplied with Goods to the Value of £ 20 to be equally distributed between them & send us annually a Certificate of their being living with their proper names, this sum will be continued to them 2 or 3 Years longer. it will then be reduced to about £ 5 annually being the amount of their late Fathers Dividend on his ? No money will be paid into the Companys hands unlefs a Certificate is annually sent home as above, neither will you have authority to deliver the Heirs as above described any Goods from the Company's Warehouse also of the Ers? of Mr Cocking we have rec'd £ 18 for the use of his Children & likewise of the Ers? of the late Ferdinand Jacob for the use of his Daughter.
JWL Gov.
NCC Dep Gov.
TG."





" Hudsons Bay House
London 30th May 1804"

" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay"

"Gent.
1. By our Ship King George Capt. Jn Turner we reced your Packet cont'g Invoice & Bill of Lading of her Cargo & Account Books Journals & papers as pr List.

2. We now consign to you the same Ship under the same Commander who will deliver to you our Packet cont'g Invoice of Provisions and Merchandize Bill of Lading with sundry Letters & papers.

3. You say you "are concerned that the present returns must give us lefs satisfaction than last year" you have indeed very great reason for such conclusions - since the year 1801 the returns from York Factory have decreased nearly one half. Although we do not impute this falling off to a want of Energy on your part, as various causes may have arisen to occasion it yet we cannot help remarking that it gives us very great concern. From the enormous expences we are at & the high duties & charges in our exports & imports, the prospect of an advantageous trade seems every year to decrease, yet we have notwithstanding these discouraging appearances, complied wholly with your Indent in Provisions Stores & merchandize.

4. The number of men you will receive from the Orkneys we cannot ascertain. Mr Geddes had orders in Dec. last to procure as many fresh hands as pofsible & we have no doubt of his usual exertions.

5. Your Factory Account is kept clear, but not that of the Inland Trade. there is no list of the Value of trip money or bounties. We desire you will in future send an Account of the Trading Goods forwarded to Cumberland House being the chief Settlement Inland, instead of calling it the Saskachewan & Athapuscow, from whence we expect to have an account of the Goods amounting to 22180 1/3 MB in discharge of the Factory. We are however surprized to find that you had still 46014 MB as your general Remains, while your Trade is only 3261 MB - besides the Remains at Merrys House NRiver & the Remains under the direction of the Cumberland house Establishment. We must conclude that vast Quantities of Goods accumulate in youe Stores & we request that you will exert every means to dispose of them in the in the most advantageous manner. We must likewise recommend to your attention the recovery of what is due by the Indians.

6. Although your Factory Accounts have been regularly kept hitherto. We have notwithstanding now sent you a form by which in future we expect you will keep them - you will observe the book is to be paged with a list of the heads of each Account to serve as an Index & to be comformable in every other respect to the plan we now lay down, by this means we shall be enabled at once to turn to any part of the Account of the Factory under your Management which we could not heretofore without much difficulty.

7. You are exceedingly incorrect in your Servant resolves. James Swains Wages are 30 £ as fixed by the Governor & Committee not 25 £ as you have it. Malcom Sinclair the 2d came home last year, you say that he waits for our terms to renew his Contract - Thomas Sinclair came also home & you say he stays 2 years at 12 £ & hopes to have 14 £ for the 3rd ? At the End of the Resolves describe the Tradesmen wanted & the number of fresh hands you require & the fines if any for misdemeanors.

8. It has been intimated to us that many uselefs men would have been sent home were it not for fear if offending our Secretary - If such be the pusillanimous Conduct of our Chief factors, it deserves our severest reprehension - they are unworthy of our Confidence - If you see or hear any thing improper in his conduct either with respect to ourselves or to the Trust which is reposed in him by our Servants for whom he acts as agent in purchasing Furs did properly with their balances, it is your Duty to inform us of it.

9. We cannot fail to be much pleased with the Smallnefs of the Indents both for Trading & Stores at York Factory. It is highly gratifying to the Committee as they consider it as an earnest how much the Interest of the Company in this respect will be considered in future at York Factory. The lefsening the Expence of our Exports is what is most material in these times, it is a duty which should engage particularly the attention of our chief Factors & we are happy to find it so well fulfill'd at your Factory.

10. The handkerchiefs you mention that are not of the kind indented for let one of them be sent home that we might not send any of the same sort again - it is impofsible for us to know which kind is prefer'd unlefs we have some Criterion to go by - Take notice these Handkerchiefs cannot be again imported it would risk the seizure of the Ship & Cargo by the Kings Offices if they were found on board. The single one may be wash'd & Capt. Turner may take it in his pocket. Those Old Goods that remain with you must be disposed of in the best manner they can or they will lye & rot in the Warehouse.

11. Before this reaches you you will no doubt have heard of the Conduct of Capt. Richards late in our Service, of his having last year taken a Ship into the Bay named the Eddystone in the employ of certain Canada Merchants of this Metropolis & of his landing at Charlton Island a number of our men with trading Goods Stores & Provisions & erecting Warehouses there for the purpose of Opposing our long establish'd Commerce with the Natives (a direct Infringement of our Charter). It is pofsible our Opponents may have sent a Shallop to or near your Factory or up Nelson or Severn Rivers with men & goods & may endeavour to entice away our Servants, but we desire you will not seize or detain such Shallop, nor offer any violence to the men but avoid all disputes & disagrements with them. It is not the circumstance of their trading Inland we in this instance so much regard that will of course come under consideration but it is our Opponents afsuming a right to send Vefsels of any kind into the Bay that is the most material point to come under legal discufsion. If any of your people who are returning by the Ship are intelligent, sensible men, let them particularly inform themselves of such Facts, which they can speak pofsitively to, not from hearsay, but from their own Knowledge & let them make a written Memorandum at the time of such circumstances which particularly attract their notice.

Lastly We recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue, Diligence & Sobriety in all our Servants & to discountenance the contrary in every respect which will entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
James Winter Lake Gov.
NC Corsellis
Tho Gould
Rich Neave
Wm Mainwaring
Cha. Merry
GS Wegg
Jos Berens Jun.
GH Wollarton
PS The Musk we wrote you about in 1801 is of no value - send no more."





" Gen'l Letter 1805"

" Hudsons Bay House
London 31st May 1805"

" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.
1. We have reced by our Ship King George Capt. John Turner, Invoice, bill of Lading of her Cargo with letters Account Books, Journals & papers agreably to the list enclosed with them.

2. We now consign to you the same Ship under the same Commander who will deliver you the packet box containing Invoice, bill of Lading of Provisions and Merchandize with sundry Letters & papers.

3. The quantity of Furs received agrees with the Invoice but we request that they should be afsorted in their Separate packages and that the amount should be added up in the Cargo list - owing to the trade decreasing the Furs do not turn out as good an afsortment as usual - The quality of the Furs from Severn is very satisfactory.

4. We have examined attentively your Account Book but cannot sufficiently comprehend the Connextion of the Accounts between York and the Inland settlements we therefore now annex a copy of the different statements by which you will perceive the objects on which we want an explanation. we expect that your next Accounts will come in the form we have pointed out which we hope will facilitate efsentially our annual Statements at your Factory & all that relates to it.

5. In addition to our regulations last Season concerning the manner of keeping your accounts. We have to observe that we think the practice of Decimal Fractions would facilitate very much your calculations & we wish your Journals & Correspondence books to be paged that we may more easily turn to any particular account.

6. Your statement of the Wages premiums & Debts of our Servants as we have directed will facilitate very much the more speedy settling the mens accounts & the delay which was unavoidably occasioned last year will not occur again. We regret very much that delay should have occasioned uneasinefs but are glad to find that it will not have occasioned the least disadvantage to the concerned - It is our wish that every one should be allowed to receive his wages or balance as soon as the prefs of businefs will allow them to be made out & it is our wish that Mr Lean should afsist our Servants in employing to their Advantage what money they may have to spare, what little emolument he may have in the transaction is very well earned by his care & afsiduity to the businefs.

7. We are sorry to notice the defsentions that arise between two Neighbouring Factories by interfering with each others trade with the Natives, which we are afraid is very prejudicial to our service & of course our Opponents reap every advantage from such difsentions & we must entreat you to cultivate the most friendly disposition & good neighbourhood not only with your neighbouring Factories but likewise with the Natives as well as with your Opponents the Canadian Traders.We think it very probable the Canadian company will send a Ship into the Bay this Season to relieve the men they lately carried to Charlton Island & the neighbouring Coast and knowing their wish to establish a Communication with the Interior Country from York Factory, should they attempt it this season we strictly charge you not to behave in an hostile manner towards any of their Servants, but we desire you will obtain every information in your power in regard to their numbers whether British or Colonial, the quantity of their imports, their proceedings & the object they profefs to have in view, with every other particular Information you may think useful for our instruction.

8. We have repeated Orders to our Agents in the Orkney &c to avoid sending out again any Servants who may be disabled by age or infirmities from being useful in the Service when they arrive at their stations & hope it will be avoided in future, we find however that indifferent hands have been sometimes sent out owing to the extreme difficulty of procuring more able ones for the Service, on account of the various & prefsing want of the State under its present Circumstances.

9. We observe by the Captains Journals that the Buoys & Beacons were not laid down on Arrival of the Ship in future you will guard against this circumstance as it might be attended with serious consequences - Let them be laid down in future on or before the first of August if you pofsibly can.

10. We find that the Chief on the York Establishment has lately been allowed a premium on the Severn trade - We cannot discover in what way this Charge has been allowed; however - we shall allow it this Year - but shall not in future allow it, as we don't conceive that the trade at Severn is at all dependent on the Chief at York unlefs it is considered in that friendly & neighbourly Afsistance which we expect to be cultivated & maintained between all our Chief Factors, as well as Inland traders.

11. [blank. In the margin "See the 5th Para."]

12. Your reply to the 8th Paragraph of our last General Letter is perfectly satisfactory - We depend on your giving us such information as may enable us to correct any abuses that may occur & afford us the means of acting with Justice & Equity in all cases.

13. You must be aware of the annual increase of expences in every part of our concerns which exceeds by far any advance of price in the sale of your returns - We are therefore under the necefsity of recommending that every Economy & Exertion should be used in Order to preserve this valuable trade.

14. We have heard of an instance of one of our Chiefs detaining in his Warehouse a quantity of furs at Shiptime when he has had a good trade in Order to make a better Appearance the following year, if his trade should fall off. We cannot countenance any such transaction - We are willing to give every encouragement in our power to every deserving Servant in proportion to his trade, as well as making every allowance for ill Succefs, when no carelefsnefs or neglect can be imputed to it. We think it proper to mention to you on this Occasion that our Capt. are strictly prohibited from carrying on any trade on their own Account & are not allowed to bring home either for themselves or others any furs of any discription but for the sole account of the Company.

15. In your list of Servants who return home against each of their names give the reason for their returning & also their true Character, Age &c &c whether from strength Capacity &c they are qualified in every respect to be employed again - Send Mr Geddes also a list of such who return with their true Character & if proper to be employed again, otherwise he might engage those who are sent home for refractory behaviour & highly improper for the Service.

16. You complain that the stripes in the white Duffles are too faint & by the sample that you sent home that the quality is indifferent - This sample has been shewn to several Woollen Drapers as well as to our Packer & the East India Company's Packer who are of opinion there cannot be better made - It is impofsible the Colours of the Stripes can be so bright in Duffles as in Blankets from the nature of the Manufacture for this plain reason - In the Duffles the stripes are run through the length of the piece and the shoot or woof is wove upon the Colours consequently they must be very faint because the Shoot covers the Colours. In the striped Blanketings it is quite otherwise their stripes are wove acrofs the piece from one side to the other and covers the Chains or Warps which makes the stripes much brighter & bolder than they can pofsibly appear in Duffles - If the Natives prefer bright Colours they must take Blanketing instead of Duffles, as they often do at the other Factories - there is no reason to complain of the Manufacturer - who since he compleated this years Order has departed this Life, with the Character of a very honest Man.

17. If any Buck or Deers horns can conveniently be procured without interfering with a general Trade send it home as that article is now very much in demand here & bears a good price, so also are swans Skins now in great Demand if you can procure any pack them with their down facing each other & with as little prefsure on them as pofsible.

18. We have found it necefsary to alter the standard of very prime Bears which are now very valuable & we therefore Desire you will rate them in future as five made Beaver for a Bear, we cannot think of being so extravagant & wasteful as your neighbours are in their trade, but you must be governed by circumstances in opposing them & we hope we shall be enabled to maintain our trade in spite of all their exertions.

19. Capt. Turner has orders to leave an Anchor at York which may be of service if our Ship should at any time lose her Anchor on her outward bound Voyage.
We are well pleased with the Attention that has been paid to your Indents & we trust you will never lose sight of this efsential object. - These are not times to overload our Settlements with trading goods - whatever be necefsary shall be sent, but it would folly in us to send more.

Lastly we recommend to you the encouragement of Religion Virtue diligence & Sobriety & to discountenance the contrary in every respect by which you will be entitled to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
JW Lake Gov.
NC Corsellis D Gov.
Tho Gould
Wm Mainwaring
Cha Merry
GS Wegg
Jos Berens Jun.
GH Wollarton
Tho Neave
PS We are fully informed of the Combination that prevails in the Orkneys between the men formerly in our service as well as those who are now actually in our employ & their Relations & friends with the view of preventing our being supplied with the number of hands wanted for our Service with the intention of obliging our Chiefs to raise the wages of the men who are in the Service at an exorbitant Rate - We are likewise aware of the malicious tricks that are played by our Opponents in order to discredit our Service & prevent our getting the necefsary annual supply of useful hands to pursue our businefs with succefs - You may however depend on our exerting our utmost & that we shall try by every resource either by natives or foreigners to break that combination among the people in the Orkneys as well as thawrt the malicious & interested views of our Opponents - We are willing to give every proper encouragement - to well deserving people but cannot allow our Chiefs to Submit to any exorbitant terms that we find are exacted by the Men at Shiptime under the Idea that they cannot be spared & We desire you will communicate these resolutions whereever necefsay.
We find there is such an annual increase of defective Skins which we are under the necefsity of selling them under the Denomination of damaged & Staged goods, that we have been under the necefsity of turning our minds to remedy this growing evil as much as pofsible & we are inclined to think that an alteration of the present System of allowing a Bounty or Premium on the number of Skins or MB will remedy it in some degree & we think of allowing it in future on the produce of the Goods received from the different Factories, the total produce will be more or lefs beneficial according to the real Value of the Furs sent home & give hope this regulation will have the Effect of engaging the different Traders to attend more to the goodnefs of the Skins than to the larger quantity which would of course be obtained by trading for those of defective Quality.
We are afraid it does but too often happen that it is not by exertion alone in Trade, that an Inland Trader obtains a comparatively larger proportion of Trade than his Neighbour on the same establishment.
We regret that we have but too much reason to think that with a view of profit as well as the Idea of distinguishing themselves by a superior Trade some Inland Traders have been induced to hinder the Indians from trading with their Neighbours in the same Service & prefer that they should go with their Trade to their Opponents the NW Company rather than let their Neighbours on the same Establishment have the benefit of their trade or engage the Indians to proceed to the Factory. We would wish to adopt any Regulation that may be satisfactory to our Chiefs & Traders as well as useful & beneficial to the whole concern, but we are determined to remove as much as pofsible those Jealousies & animosities that exist to the Scandal of our Service, the detriment of our Trade and at the same time to the advantage of our Canadian Opponents & we shall exert our Attention in promoting those who exert themselves for the advantage of the Service in general & conciliating the affections of the Natives as well as their fellow Traders.
Although the amount of the premium cannot be ascertain'd till after the Sales, we desire you will continue to send the Lists calculated as usual.
Let the Children of the late Jas. Spence Sen. deceased be supplied with goods for their own use to the amount of £ 20.
On examining the produce of the different Skins we receive from you we are inclined to think you are not aware how very unproductive the damaged & Staged or Summer Skins are in proportion to those of good quality you will observe that the duty is the same on good or bad Skins & some few we receive are not actually worth the duty & much lefs the cost in the Country as you are not sufficiently informed of the quality of skins that are most in demand in this Country we transmit a note of the different denomination which may serve as a guide for you to prefer treating for the most valuable & productive Skins.
TG
CM
JB
GSW
TN
GHW"





" Gen'l Letter 1806"

" Hudsons Bay House
May 31st 1806"

" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.
1. We received by our Ship King George Capt. John Turner, Invoice and bill of Lading of her Cargo, with letters, Account Books, Journals & papers enclosed with them.

2. We now consign to you the same Ship under the same Commander who will deliver to you the packet Box, cont'g Invoice, Bill of Lading of Provisions & Merchandize, with sundry Letters & papers as usual.

3. We seriously lament the general diminution of your Trade the last year it somewhat exceeded the preceeding & altho Furs of all descriptions except Wolves & Wolvereens bore a good price at our Sales, which may be imputed to the scanty Returns, yet we cannot avoid Remarking that your Returns in 1804, were full 10 PrCent lefs, than that of the preceeding Year, & this owing to the quantity of small Skins of little value and last season the quality of the Skins was not better, from the excefsive number of Cub Beaver, There is likewise a mixture of very Inferior Bears, which do not repay the duty on importation - Three Packages of Beaver from Oxford House admit of some exception, as they were of particularly good quality - we should be glad to have it ascertained from what part of the Country they came & strongly recommend your pursuing the trade let them come from what quarter they may.

4. We have empower'd our Agent Mr Dav. Geddes at Stromnefs to offer such large bounties for the encouragement of fresh hands as well as some of our Old Servants, that we have no doubt from the advice we repeatedly receive from him of his being able to engage a Number of men sufficient for all the Factories to encrease & protect their trade in all parts from encroachment of their neighbouring opponents - In full Confidence of an increasing Trade, we have liberally supplied you with Trading Goods & provisions of every description & trust your returns will amply repay us for the excefsive expence of our Outfit. We cannot however omit recommend'g to your Attention, not only the greatest exertions, but the strictest Economy in every department, at the same time to cultivate as much as pofsible, the good will of all the Natives with whom you trade, giving them occasionally some ornamental presents, they are not an object of great expence & we expect would be fully repaid - The late Mr Goodwin of Albany annually order'd a considerable quantity of Ribbons of various patterns & at his own expence, which we understand he distributed frequently among the female Natives, especially those of higher clafs when they visited his Settlement. On this Idea we have sent you an afsortment of Ribbons for the like purpose, the Expence is not great & these little attentions shewn to the Natives occasionally may have good Effect. We know they are not over burthen'd with gratitude, but it is contrary to human nature to be displeased with Civility.

5. With regard to what we mentioned to you last year on the Subject of premiums, we shall for the future allow the Chief Factors £1 PrCent on the produce of the Cargoes, in lieu of the Allowance Pr score?, but as we cannot divide the exact produce of the Cargoes, till after the departure of the Ships, the amount of such premiums cannot be ascertained notwithstanding we shall allow our C+hiefs to dispose of the amount nearly, if he wishes to employ his money as usual but it is not pofsible, to allow a premium to Inland traders in the same manner, as we cannot estimate the precise value of such trade & their premiums will be as heretofore.

6. We desire you will send any untradeable Guns that are now at the Factory which may be repair'd here & indeed any Goods particularly such of British manufacture which may be unsaleable from their present condition & which when repair'd might be sent back.

7. Fines imposed by our Chief & Council on refractory Servants will be invariably confirm'd by us provided they are not excefsive & levied in proportion to the Wages of the delinquent & we direct that you do cause such fines to be inserted in the Factory Account Book.

8. With respect to swan Skins we observe that sufficient care is not taken to preserve the down, for in plucking off the Feathers great part of it is destroyed. the most simple method is, as well as the best, will be to cut the wings off from the Skin. Cut also the Skin open at the back & stretch them nearly like a Beaver - the Belly & breast are the most valuable parts & let the feathers remain on which will preserve the down. This article is become much in demand & will be valuable if this method to preserve the down is adopted.

9. As the two Factories which our Ships shall touch at first are Churchill & Moose, we intend in future to send the Certificates, which are required for exciseable goods, to these Factories only, the Certificates will be printed & filled up here for the Signatures of the Chief Factors & their Seconds, who will return them to us. You will have no occasion to send home any other Certificates of this nature.

10. You will find that your Indents have not only been liberally allowed, but in several Instances, sent more than what has been ordered, & altho we recommend the utmost Economy in every branch of your Expenditure, we desire that our Servants travelling Inland may be supplied with such necefsary articles as may tend to render their Journeys comfortable & pleasant to themselves, avoiding an ill Judged Economy on the one hand or profusion on the other.

11. We desire you will send to Churchill all the Empty Casks that can be spared for their Whale Oil, but we do not wish to discourage your attempting the Whale Fishery in your River, if anything can be done in it, without injury to the Fur trade, which must be the efsential object to be pursued.

12. We observe a very considerable leakage of Brandy & desire you will have the Casks property examined & repair'd when necefsary.

13. The property of the late Jas. Spence who died at York Factory in 1795 was claimed here by his father & the Interest of the Funded Property accumulated until he Relinquish'd his claim, this enabled his Executor to pay occasionally £ 20 to the Company for the use of his Children but as we understand they also have been supplied frequently with goods by Mr Tomison, we desire you will let us know the whole amount of the goods with which from time to time they have been supplied with since their Father's death lest they should have been overpaid that we may recover the Overplus back from the Executor.

14. We have perused with concern the duplicate of the letter from Mr Fidler to the NW Agent at Rainy Lake & shall expect to hear what answer was sent, if any - We desire you will avoid as much as pofsible any discufsion or disagreement with these people.

15. We observe by your Accounts that you want to know how to regulate Trips - You ought to have Known this long since, but we suppose they have been mislaid they are as follows Viz.

Trips from Chesterfield to Island House . Pilot & Steers'n 28/

York to Oxford House - Steers'n & Boat'n 15/ - Labourers 10/-
Do. to Gordon House - Steers'n & Boat'n 15/ - Labourers 10/-
Gordon House to Oxford - Steers'n & Boat'n 15/ - Labourers 10/-
Oxford house to Cumberland - Steers'n & Boat'n 15/ - Labourers 10/-

16. We do not insist on the practice of Decimal Fractions, we mentioned it last year, with a View to facilitate the Calculations.

17. The Invoice was not signed by the Chief, this was a great Omifsion. In all Invoices the place from whence the goods are Shipped & the Date are inserted & signed by the Shipper, neither were the Columns cast up let this be attended to in future.

18. We are informed there are a great many Martin & other valuable Skins which might be obtain'd in the Neighbourhood of the Factories in general, by giving some encouragement to the people, who might to employ their leisure hours in such pursuits, but we must avoid anything that may draw our Servants off from their duty, & cannot give that extent we could wish to this Idea, that has been suggested, depending however on our Chiefs requiring that duty should be fully attended to & wishing you to give every encouragement that may prove beneficial to the trade that may be consigned to us, as the produce of the exertions of the Men, out of the usual line of duty, it will of course be the businefs of the Chief to make a return of such Articles.

19. We do not find it necefsary to transmit you this season the price of furs & other Skins, which vary little from those transmitted last year, excepting the Beaver which has encreased considerably, but we do not think the same high price can be depended on in future - This being however the most efsential article of our Trade, we must recommend your most strenuous exertions in procuring abundant & valuable Returns of this latter article.

20. Having examined the Standard prices of Slops we now find that the terms on which you now dispose of these articles, bear no proportion to the prices we pay for them which during the War almost continually encrease - The Standard which is your guide at present was fixt some years back, we therefore now transmit a new standard for the disposal of Slops, by which you will be govern'd in future.

21. Wishing you to cultivate as much as pofsible an intimate connection with the Natives all over the Country & to facilitate your inter course with them, which must of course prove advantageous to the Company we have thought it would be adviseable to instruct the Children belonging to our Servants in the principles of Religion & teach them from their youth, reading, writing Arithmetic & Accounts, which we should hope would attach them to our Service & in a few years become a small Colony of very useful hands. We regret to find that the Nature of the Country & Service present some insuperable difficulties against sending out Ministers, who would be fully adequate to the object, we should have in view. We think however that there would be lefs difficulty in sending out persons merely to serve as Schoolmasters & we desire to be inform'd in Reply of your Opinion on the facility & Utility of this arrangement. If we should find encouragement to determine on the Measure, we should want to be informed of the number of Children there are on your establishment whether those inland would be sent down for a few years to remain at the Factory, till they would be enter'd on the Company's books as Apprentices or any other denomination - You will give us any information on this subject, in order if the plan be adopted to put it under proper regulation.

Lastly we recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue diligence & Sobriety & to discountenance the contrary in every respect by which you will be entitled to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
J W Lake Gov.
N C Corsellis DG.
T Gould
Wm Mainwaring
GS Wegg
Jos. Berens Jun.
G H Wollarton
J M Raikes
Tho. Neave
PS. Mr Tomison goes out this Season with the intention of pursuing the trade Inland, we desire you will facilitate the object he has in view by supplying him with trading goods, provisions &c. We must particularly recommend your cordial agreement, with your neighbours in the same Service, who has occasion to pursue the same track, We consider that the succefs of the trade materially depends on all parties doing their utmost to secure the trade to the Company.
Considering the great distance we are obliged to go to procure Beaver, in consequence of the approaching annihilation of the species in the Country adjacent to the Factory, an Idea has been suggested of the pofsibility of propagating the race & breeding them in situations adapted for that purpose near our Factory. If the plan be at all feasible it will of course take some years before it can be productive to answer the purpose of trade. We must however take every advantage in our power & are determined to pursue any eligible plan that may be advantageous to the concern. We desire therefore you will inform us whether there is in the vicinity of your Factory a situation adapted to put this plan in Execution. We need not point out to you what we conceive as requisite for this purpose, but desire you will inform us of the advantages as well as disadvantages, that may appear to your minds & what afsistance you may require to put it in Execution. We think a trial can be made at a very little Expence & wish you to give orders immediately Inland to secure a number of young Beaver for the purpose, a Bounty offer'd for them would in the first instance prevent their being kill'd at a time when their skins are not worth having & by the time you can receive them down at the Factory, you get ready prepared a place for keeping them in which might be extended as you found it necefsary.
You will take notice that in addition to the Brazill Tobacco mentioned in the Invoice we have directed Capt. Hanwell to deliver to Capt. Turner for your Factory three other ? of this Tobacco which are marked K
You have neglected to send Mr Tho. Swain the result of our determination respecting his last Contract in 1804. We highly disapprove of this inattention & we desire that all those who are inserted in our reply to Servants Resolves may be informed of such matter as may Relate to each individual. We have now written to Mr Swain on the Subject.
GSW
GHW"



" Hudsons Bay House
June 3 1806"

" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.,
I am directed to inform you that the Secretary of his Majesties Customs is a Gentleman of whom the Company have lately received very great Civilities. He has requested that his instructions for collecting shells may be sent to each of the Companys Factories if it be in your power to send any home they will be directed to him by Order of the Committee.
I am Sir
Your Obed. Servt.
Alex. Lean."



" Hudsons Bay House
June 4 1806"

" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.,
I am directed to inform you that in consequence of the very number of orders sent home annually from the Servants at the factories for Tea Sugar & Soap by which very great confusion is created in Shipping these Articles.
The governor & Committee have it in contemplation to send out in future a sufficient quantity of these articles that their Servants may be supplied with them at the Factory & placed to their accounts in the Account books.
I am Gent.
Your Obed. Servt.
Alex Lean
PS. On your maturely considering the quantity of the above articles which may be required you will not fail to insert the same in your Indent."





" Gen'l Letter 1807"

" Hudsons Bay House London
May 31st 1807"

" Mefs Jn McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
1. We received by our Ship King George Capt. John Turner, Invoice & bills of Lading of her Cargo, with Letters, Account Book, Journals &c agreably to the list inclosed with them.

2. We now consign to you the Ship Prince of Wales Capt. Henry Hanwell, who will deliver to you the packet Box contain'g Invoice, bill of Lading of provisions & Merchandize with sundry Letters & papers as usual.

3. The very unsettled state of Affairs on the Continent obliged us to have only one Sale this season & that consisted of such articles as were usually put up in the first Sale. The Bounties & Premiums are allowed as usual & we shall regulate the Premiums to the Chiefs when the Sales are compleated.

4. We have received your returns apparently in good condition, but regret to find, that altho' the number of Made Beaver is increased, the produce must be far inferior to that of last year owing to the very considerable decrease in the number of made Beaver & other valuable furs, which are made up in number by Skins of very inferior consideration We cannot avoid observing on this occasion that your Trade of 1805 gave 10 PrCent lefs in value than that of the preceeding year altho' the sales were very satisfactory & the produce of your consignment in MB is so much reduced that it is actually 20 PrCent lower than that of any other Factory. - We have given you direction concerning Swan Skins, their quills are valuable & we desire they may be preserved, the goose quills have been very indifferent for some years past - those from Canada are far superior - it is the general opinion that in the Canada sales here the Hudsons Bay quills are sold - look into this matter it deserves attention.

5. We observe that your general expences have decreased very considerably & desire you will continue your attention to this part of the service - You transmit a list of mens debts but do not give us particulars of the expenditure - we cannot therefore examine whether it be correct or not - nor have you sent us a list of the Premiums on MB to the Traders.

6. We notice very particularly the transaction at Nottingham House & regret that any of our Traders should be exposed to such a set of fellows, we desire you will continue to mention the names of the traders who thus misconduct themselves, as well as those men who afsist them in their unlawful conduct - we regret you should have been under any necefsity of making any kind of treaty with them, but since you have now relinquished the Athapuscow trade, we hope you will not meet with similar treatment.

7. We hope you will now be able to explore again the south branch of the Saskachewan & we have sent you a full indent of goods in expectation that you will maintain the trade all around you.

8. You mention an instance of noncompliance with the Indent for Rum, it certainly was an omifsion, the quantity you indented for was allowed to be sent, but while we were in suspence on the Subject of the Indent of the very efsential articles of your Trade, this trifling article for the Factory's use was omitted to be order'd. - you must therefore attribute the reason of your not receiving the Rum to the cause of the observation we had occasion to make to you on the subject of Brandy, Tobacco, Powder &c. - Finding that french Brandy is prefer'd to Rum we have sent you the former article instead of your Indent for Rum for the use of the Factory.

9. We have to recommend to you that you will attend as much as pofsible, to the Beaver being light skins with plenty of clean fur, it will always command a sure & certain sale, while many other articles vary with season & fashion - Through some misunderstanding orders were given some years ago to procure the heaviest skins, this is however erroneous - White foxes are likely to be in request & we desire your attention to keep them as clean as pofsible.

10. Upon the observations on the standard of slops which were made to us, in your last letter, which standard was grounded upon some grofs mistakes of the copying Clerk. we have taken the subject into mature deliberation & we wishing to give every advantage which we reasonably can to our servants in the Bay have determin'd us to let the prices of Slops remain according to the Old Standard - If the Water Boots are not all wanted you had better get what you can for them occasionally rather than return them.

11. We hope you will find the Shipment in general to your satisfaction - & we are always very particular concerning the Guns especially the locks to which much attention has been paid. We wish to hear your report of the Iron ware sent out last year.

12. If the men will employ themselves at their leisure hours in trapping martins (so connected with the general line of service) we leave the allowance to be made them for this or any other extra duty to the Chief or principal traders.

13. We are pleased to find that the Idea of affording some Education to the Children has been received with gratitude & that you hope it will be beneficial to the service in general. This subject has been constantly on our minds, but much difficulty presents itself in settling a plan to our satisfaction, you will a Sketch of our Ideas of the regulation, we should wish to adopt & desire you will state in return your observations on the subject. When we agree on a plan to be pursued, & have obtain'd that further information on the subject, which we shall expect from you, we shall take every measure necefsary to put it into execution - In the mean time we now send a parcel of books which are necefsary & we hope that the Surgeons at the different factories, who must have much leisure time, will cheerfully engage in this useful service - they must not suppose that it requires any very particular qualifications or study to engage in this service - while his pupils are learning, with a very little attention, he will always find himself sufficiently prepar'd for their progrefsive improvement - We shall consider of a proper remuneration, in addition to the present salary & we should regret being under the necefsity of sending out another person while we consider that the Surgeons cannot have their time busily occupied & while our expences are increasing on all sides, the establishment will be so expensive in different ways & we expect that all will exert themselves for the general good of the service.

14. We take particular notice of the infamous transactions of our opponents & we request you will continue to send us the names of the chief instigators of any violence or disturbance that may at any time occur from similar outrageous conduct of the Canadians in any part of your department. - but we particularly recommend to you to abstain from any act that may appear to incite a renewal of such proceedings, lest it may serve as an apology or excuse for future outrage - We are not surprized that irregularities do sometimes occur in situations so very distant from the seat of Justice.

15. In consequence of the continuation of the war & the want of men for the sea & land service, we have been obliged to allow a bounty this year, on entering our service, but hope that we shall not be obliged to resort to this very so expensive method in future - every article of our outfit & expence are yearly increasing, while we experience this year a total want of consumption of furs in general owing to the disorder'd state of Affairs on the continent & we cannot cease to recommend your attention to Economy, your exertions to increase our trade & secure to us that advantage which the general conduct of our servants compar'd with out opponents entitle us to expect.

16. It may accidently occur that you may want some particular articles from the ships medicine Chest & if so you will give a receipt to the Captain for the articles you are thus suppli'd with.

17. By a late act of Parliment the company Ships on their arrival here are liable to perform quarantine from having such articles on board Viz. skins, furs, feather &c as are enumerated in the Said act, unlefs a certificate be produced (certified by the Shipper) that those articles are not part of the Growth produce or manufacture of Turkey or any part of Africa &c &c &c. Capt. Hanwell will therefore present to you a printed certificate which if executed according to the instructions given to him will obviate this difficulty & you will not fail to pay annually proper attention to it - Several of these certificates are inclosed with the packet for you, in one of which the blanks are filled up with Red Ink, which will be kept at the Factory as an example for executing the certificates you deliver to the Captain.

18. We do not know how many men we shall be able to afsist you with this season, it must depend on the number our Agent Mr Geddes may be able to procure & on which their designation among the different factories will depend Altho' we labour under every disadvantage we endeavour to promote the trade by all pofsible means in our power & to give that afsistance which may enable you to support & prosecute our trade in all its branches - We must however be guided not only by your hopes & prospects of an increasing trade but also by the proceeds of your returns.

19. By Mr Tomisons remaining at Churchill we hope he will be useful to the trade there & we much approve of Mr Fidlers plan of joining him to explore the Country to the Northwards & we hope their united efforts will prove advantageous.

20. We had a report from you that John Turner had left the service in 1804 - If it is his choice to live with the Indians & pursue their line of life, we cannot enter him on our books.

21. We observe that you had supplied Mr McKay with provisions it would be more satisfactory to us to know from whom we are to expect a reimbursement - if your immediate opponents in trade formed a legally constituted body, we should know where to seek for redrefs for the illtreatment of which you complain.

22. We are exceedingly sorry to find by the Journals that Will. Budge, whom you appear to have engaged in the service, altho' he had deserted from Churchill to the Canadians has Kill'd a Canadian while in our service, we desire you will inform us of the particulars & on no account keep him in the Service - We must on this occasion repeat our resolution not to take again into our Service anyone who has absconded from it to that of our opponents, nor do we at any time wish to engage any of their british servants - these transactions are never sufficiently explain'd & always leave room for complaint.

23. We found an error in your Invoice of 1000 Martin - we must recommend this object to your attention - Our cargoes pafs the Custom house on the inspection & authenticity of the Invoices if therefore the contents of any package that is examined should be found incorrect, they would be liable to seizure & would create a great deal of trouble expence & unnefsary delay.

24. We have examined the standard of furs & find a very great inequality in the value set upon them by the Standard, we conceive that it may hurt the general trade in some respect, to alter the standard so long establish'd with the Indians, but hope you are at liberty to reject & discourage trading in furs & skins on which we lose very considerably Viz. Cats, Rabbits, Wolvereens & Kit foxes. We are surprized that all these form very prominent articles in your consignment, this accounts for what we have already mentioned on the very different result of your trade last year - Altho' it may appear at first sight that whatever you send home is an encrease to your consignment, we must calculate on the expenditure of our goods in purchasing or procuring them & we now find that unlefs you can obtain the following articles at the Rates undermentioned, we shall be losers & it would be better perhaps to refuse them entirely
Cats prime 2 Skins pr MBeaver
comm 3 Skins pr MBeaver
Rabbit 50 skins pr MBeaver
Wolvereen 2 skins pr MBeaver
comm 3 skins pr MBeaver
Kit foxes 30 skins pr made Meaver
Flying squirrels 4 skins pr made Beaver
Ermine 60 skins pr made Beaver
Swans 3 skins pr made Beaver.
We now enclose the prices of furs it may be some guide to you more particularly in estimating the comparative value of prime Skins & those of inferior quality. - Musquash is worth encouraging at a proper standard as there is a constant demand for them, the large may be valued at 10 & the small at 15 pr Made Beaver. Buffalo Skins answer in the Raw state but Kit foxes are not worth to us more than Rabbits the duty being 8d pr skin the same as prime? foxes. The flying squirrel or Chincilla is now in fashion. we understand there are numbers to be caught in your part. Ermine might likewise answer but the taking of these animals should not interfere with objects of greater magnitude - We desire you will observe the general Rule in all furs, that the Skin should be as thin as pofsible without hurting the grain & the fur to be clean without damage. Of the horns the mid'g & small are the most valuable.

25. We leave to our Chief & Council at the Factory the appointment of the Inland traders & their men for the Season. We consider our Chief as the best acquainted with the general state of the trade of each Factory & the abilities of the different traders in their respective stations & consider him as responsible for the General Result of his trade & must on the other hand require that his orders are attended to & we shall duly notice any refractory behaviour in this respect.

26. The preference given to Irish provisions as it is now prepared have induced us to order a few casks to be left at each Factory. We desire your opinion upon them & whether they are such as will suit your Factory - You will give them a fair trial both as to its present use & with respect to its keeping.

Lastly we recommend to you the encouragement of Virtue diligence & sobriety & to discountenance the contrary in every respect which will entitle you to the esteem of
Your affectionate friends
Wm Mainwaring Dep. Gov.
T. Gould
Jos. Berens Jun.
GS Wegg
GH Wollarton
Tho. Neave
JM Raikes
JH Pelle
PS. A Beacon that has been on the East. shore distant from York Factory about 24 Miles, a most excellent mark for the Ship coming in from Sea, we understand is gone to decay & it being highly necefsary for the Safety of the Ship, to have another erected, it is our exprefs orders that you erect another immediately - We desire likewise Mr George Taylor of the Brig Beaver about the beginning of August, to lay down in 5 fathom hole, where our Ship lies with his topsails at every opportunity as a guide to our Ship on her arrival & to be in Readinefs to come out to afsist her in coming out into the River as soon as she? heaves? in sight.
Your Council may consist of the same Members as last year with the addition of Mr Thomas Bunn
JB
GHW
TN"




" Hudsons Bay House
London May 20th 1808"

" Mefs Jn McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.
1. By our Ship Prince of Wales Capt. Hanwell we received your Invoice & bill of Lading of her Cargo with sundry Letters, Account books Journals & papers.

2. We now consign to you the Ship King George Capt. Jn Turner, who will deliver to you the Packet box containing Invoice, Bill of Lading of Provisions & Merchandize with sundry letters & papers as usual.

3. We regret to find that Beaver gets very scarce in your parts, you know that it has become a very efsential article of the Trade & we depend on your best exertions to obtain as much as pofsible: the afsortment of fine Beaver you have sent, does not unfortunately compensate for the scarcity of Beaver & we cannot expect that the total result of the sale of your consignment, will be more satisfactory than preceeding years - We have however much satisfaction in stating on the other hand the very reduced expenditure of our Goods, under various heads of service more particularly in the Saskatchewan under the Care of Mr Bird - we ought not to omit recommending this object to your attention, hoping however that you will bear in mind the necefsity of cultivating the goodwill of the Natives, by every attention that is expected.

4. Some of the Swans skins you sent were very superior to others & have sold very well: we must recommend that the skin & down be kept as clean as pofsible & that the feathers be left on which preserves the down in great beauty, do not omit likewise to collect swan quills.

5. We hope you will find by our present consignment that your complaints have been attended to by our various tradesmen. we have to recommend on this subject, that when you notice any defects, that you will mention the date of our shipment of the article complain'd of, which will enable us to trace the manufacturer - you have sent home among your articles returned some coblers awls & indent for Indian awls, these trifles ought to be made at the factory as they are wanted. we say the same of Barrows & have not sent you any of the latter.

6. Since you have totally relinquished the Athapuscow trade, we are anxious that it should be pursued from Churchill & we are much pleased to find that by the intelligence & exertions of Mr Fidler, a track has been found to the Athapuscow Lake from the Churchill river, which is much shorter than the rout you were obliged to follow - we hope we shall receive this Season Mr Fidlers observations on this track - wishing to pursue this valuable trade, which has been kept from us by the tricks, maneuvres & violence of our opponents - we have order'd a number of men to be sent to Churchill & hope that the early arrival of our Ship will enable Mr Auld to send immediately Inland without any lofs of time, as we find that he will probably be in want of some Officers to pursue the businefs at once with vigour & we hope that from your establishment, where you have so many valuable hands, that you will be able to afford some effectual afsistance - We must likewise request that you will lend every afsistance in your power in facilitating & forwarding the object we have in view either in trading goods provisions or any other object that may be wanted during the season - we are pursuaded that by mutual afsistance & co-operation this valuable branch of trade, which has been so long neglected, will be rescued from our opponents. we observe with pleasure that no unpleasant occurrence has happened between them & your people during the last season - we have no doubt they will most willingly leave you quiet at the Saskachewan, if they may not be molested in the Athapuscow, we wish to know what quantity of trade is annually brought down from thence if you cannot estimate the quantity of furs you will probably know how many men & boats are employ'd in those parts & what station they occupy - we wish likewise to be informed whether Dav'd Thompson has ever gone to the Westward of the Athapuscow, as we have often heard he intended. - We understand that Churchill have not the materials for building batteaux or Canoes in such abundance as in your River & we think you can give very effectual afsistance in this very necefsary part of service & again repeat our earnest desire that you use every exertion in this & in every branch of service to forward the general Interest of the Company.

7. Being desirous of giving every encouragement the Service will allow, we have determined to give the Bounties Premiums &c to your Factory & its dependencies on the same plan as others, which we find happen to be more favor'd in this respect & desire you will regulate it in future as follows
To Masters or Inland Traders - 1/ pr Score on their respective trades in MB.
Afsistants - 6d pr Score on their respective trades in MB.
Labourers - 3 pr Score on their respective trades in MB. The trips & Inland residence do not allow of any alteration.

8. We received the whole of your returns apparently in good condition & doubt not that what part is still unpacked will turn out as satisfactory as that which has been examined & sold. The general account of your consignment as well as the afsortment itself & the respective quality of the furs give us much satisfaction we have only to wish that your exertions for the benefit of the trade were as well seconded in this country by advantageous sales, but you will regret equally with us, that the lamentable state of the whole Continent of Europe is such, that not the most trifling articles of trade or manufactures of Great Britain can be exported from hence, into those enslaved counties. - We are therefore confined to the consumption of this happy Country alone for the sale of any portion of the produce of the Bay. - It is therefore particularly fortunate, that you have been able to send us such a large proportion of Beaver, which must continue to bear a fair price & a certain sale, notwithstanding the attempts that are made to replace it by any other cheaper fur - The quantity of Martins now in the country is very considerable & altho very few have sold & those at inferior prices we are in hopes they will get more in use next season - we therefore desire you to encourage the trapping & trading for these skins which there may be a demand for next season. The Musquash, Kit foxes & Rabbits have sold well but notwithstanding that, we lose considerably at the former standard for these articles. - We hope swans will continue to sell well. Castorum bears likewise a high price. - Bed feathers & quills will likewise meet a sure sale. But while we have on the other hand the consignments of the two last years of valuable furs & skins, we wish it were pofsible for you to trade alone, in the Articles above mentioned - We must however be satisfied to take the bad with the good, tho' at the same time we recommend you to continue your most strenuous endeavours to procure as good an afsortment as pofsible, on which must depend the profit or lofs, we may experience on our Account, with the Factory under your direction.

9. While we lament the want of sales for the major part of your returns, we wish the disadvantages we experience was alleviated by the expences of our outfit & other incidents attending the Trade, but it is far otherwise as we experience a considerable increase in our expences in every department - And we cannot cease to recommend to you, to be as economical as pofsible in the expenditure of Goods & provisions, whether presents or other expenditures attending the concern under your care. Altho' the situation of Trade in this country is very much against us we are desireous to enable you to prosecute the businefs with energy & spirit & we expect to be seconded by due care & attention in all your departments.

10. We have sent you a liberal supply of trading goods provisions, stores &c in expectation you will continue to pursue the businefs with succefs & afsiduity & extend your connextions as much as circumstances will permit in opposition to your neighbouring opponents. Owing to the scarcity & bad quality of pease, from the crops failing last year, we have not sent you any now but instead thereof, we have sent you an additional quantity of Oatmeal, which we understand is the best substitute. you will also find, we have supplied you with an additional quantity of Rice, which we consider as a very good article of provisions as it is not liable to spoil unlefs it gets wet. - as it is not a bulky article & being very nutritive it will be a very convenient article for conveying Inland & very acceptable particularly as it requires only to be boil'd plain. - We however recommend you to observe that Rice is not to be tied up in a cloth to be boil'd, by which means it forms a lump & becomes unpalatable, it should be washed with salt in a little water & boil'd quick about 8 minutes in plenty of Water - then strain it in a Cullender & shake it into a dish that it may not lump, but remain in seperate grains.

11. We have sent you samples of shot & have kept the counterparts, that there may not in future be any mistake in your orders - you will observe, that by the Invoice the qualities now sent you agree with the numbers or marks on the samples & we desire you will make out your indent from these samples - specifying the particular number of shot you require.

12. We likewise desire that you will in future indent for Stores of all denominations, whether for factory use or for any dependant branch of the service under the head of factory stores.

13. In making out your Indent it is not necefsary to specify for what particular service small stores are req'd but indent generally for what is necefsary as by making up such small packages of paint &c the packages come to more than the value of the article.

14. We have with reluctance pursued till the present season the expensive plan of giving bounties to labourers on entering the service at Stromnefs finding that the continual demand for men for the Army & Navy prevented our obtaining that increase in our establishments whch we found the nature of the service required - We were aware that perhaps the premium given might induce many person to come home with the hopes of obtaining it on re-entering the service - & we gave timely notice to our Agent in the Orkneys that we should not have occasion to allow any Bounty there. We hoped that our intentions would have been sufficiently known to prevent the Idea you seem to entertain, that some of our servants may return next season with the same intentions - we think it therefore necefsary to say that we certainly shall not in future grant any bounty whatever in this country on entering the service. We have given timely orders for the Men wanted for the present season - we understand that the merchantile service facilitates the endeavours of our Agent to procure men for our service & we hope he will engage as many as we now want for the different Factories - some few men may come home at the expiration of their contracts, but we have no doubt of replacing them if wanted - Feeling at the same time the importance of inducing men to stay in the country & supposing that it is the lower discription of our servants only, that may be inclined to return from such motives - We authorize you to give a bounty according to your discretion, but in no case exceeding 12 Guineas to all our servants not receiving more than £ 25 a year wages upon their entering a new contract for 5 years - fully pursuaded, that the encouragement held out to our other servants & the confidence they may firmly place, in a continuance of that encouragement, proportiioned to their several merits, must ever prevent them from supposing they can derive any personal adavntage from a system so detrimental to the affairs of the company. We hope this regulation will be satisfactory & enable you to retain in the service such persons whose services are desirable - it must prevent the men from coming home under the idle Idea of obtaining a bounty here & we hope it will have the beneficial effect of retaining the men, at their Inland posts, pursuing without interuption the businefs of the Company.

15. We have not ceased to occupy our attention with the means of affording to the Children of our Servants the instruction necefsary to enable them to become useful members of the Community & to satisfy the wishes of those parents who have so zealously offer'd to contribute their share towards the expence attending this establishment, we regret however to say that we have little hopes of ever being able to engage Clergymen who would leave this Country on any terms to promote the object we have in view - we shall however continue our endeavours to procure proper persons for these stations, where Clergymen are particularly desired in the mean time, we have it in view to settle a plan for proper teachers, tho' we have not yet been able to fix on a person, to our satisfaction for your station - if we should not be able to send one this season we hope that the books we have already sent you with the few we have added this season, will enable you to begin the establishment with succefs - We have already sent you our Ideas on the regulations necefsary for the School - we now send you some paragraphs to fill up what was left in blank, as we think it necefsary some settled system should be pursued for the satisfaction & advantage of all concern'd.

16. As Mr Fidler has been of efsential service in the new discoveries he has made in the neighbourhood of the Athapuscow Lake, we recommend that he should instantly repair to that country & that arrangements be made with Mr Auld to place him on that establishment, convinced that his exertions cannot be better applied either for his own Interest or for the advantage of the Company than in those countries he has so beneficially explored.

17. We have had complaints at different times on the subject of the temper of edge tools & have to observe that if they are too hard & render'd brittle by intense cold, they may be softened by fire so as to endure any degree of cold whatever - Every Smith or Armourer is acquainted with this circumstance & those at your factory will easily remedy this defect when it occurs.

18. We have thought it would be satisfactory to our Servants to know the state of their accounts with us & now transmit a list of balances due at the period of last Shiptime - All bills &c drawn at that period having been duly discharged.

19. We request that you will send us Annually the real Character, ability & station of those whose contracts are nearly expired & who are desirous of continuing in the Service at an advance wages - numbers are engaged under the description of labourers & unlefs they are properly described will always remain under that denomination, however deserving & meritorious of promotion - To Mr Geddes you will also send a list of those who are fined for bad behaviour on their returning to Stromnefs, otherwise they may receive their wages of him before we have an opportunity of confirming or remitting such fine or advising him on the subject.

Lastly we recommend to you the Encouragement of Virtue, Diligence & Sobriety among all our Servants at your Factory & to discountenance the contrary in every respect, which will entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate friends
Wm Mainwaring Gov.
Jos. Berens Jun. Dep. Gov.
Tho Neave
J M Raikes
J H Pelly
Tho Langley
Benj. Harrison
John Webb
PS. The Swans skins should be properly dried & not any of the feathers plucked from them - the method of plucking here, being preferred to that in Hudsons Bay. - We also wish to try the experiment of the down of the white goose & desire that you will procure as many of these geese skins properly dried & prepared the same as the swans.
The Executors of the late James Spence has paid us his arrears & also 20 £ for the use of his Children.
From the prefsure of businefs we were obliged to omit sending the list of balances as proposed in the 18th Para. indeed Mr Hodgson as well as Mr Jn Thomas of Moose who are now present are of Opinion that it would be uselefs.
WM."





" Hudsons Bay House
London 20th May 1809"


" Mefs John McNab & Council
York Factory
Hudsons Bay
Gent.
1. By our Ship King George Captain John Turner We received the Invoice and Bill of Lading of her cargo With sundry Letters Journals Account Books & papers - We now consign to you the same Ship under the same Commander who will deliver to you the Packet containing our General Letter, Invoice, Bill of Lading for Provisions & Merchandize &c.

2. We are much satisfied with the afsortment of your last consignment, the Beaver in particular has increased considerably & we wish you may be enabled to make a good Consignment this season, admitting the correctnefs of the comparative Statements you transmit us of the Trade of York since 1799 in Reply to our Observations on the unproductive Result of your Consignments. We must still observe to you that the increased nominal quantity of Made Beaver consigned to us is no positive proof of the advantage of your Trade had we been able to sell all your last consignment. We have no doubt the Result would have been much more satisfactory - to the increased Quantity of Beaver and the Smaller number of Rabbits and Kit foxes for which latter articles our Goods are given at a very disadvantageous price. We must therefore Repeat our Recommendation that you would if pofsible trade only for such articles as are Valuable to us. While we have noticed the disadvantagious Result above mentioned we have not omitted to observe that We are repaid on the whole by the comparative small expenditure of our Goods under the head of presents &c &c. We have very particularly the very triffling expenditure in the Saskatchewan under the care of Mr Bird While the Branch of your Trade is not diminished; this compensates in a great measure for the inferior Result on the Total produce of your consignment and we have not occasion to complain of the final Result of York Trade: but we must repeat that we wish you to avoid as much as pofsible giving our Goods for inferior Articles; Altho' the price of Rabbits has increased considerably since we altered the Standard of them as well as Kit Foxes which has had the Effect of decreasing the Quantity of your Consignment and altho' Kit Foxes have a sure rate We cannot think of a gain making any alteration in the Standard. - We shall now look to Mr Cooks Vigilent attention and Superintendance in sending us a good afsortment. - We shall not be deluded by the apparently great number of made Beaver you consign to us but shall appreciate your Trade by its intrinsic Value (meaning the price it produces at our Sale) & the expenditure of our Goods.

3. Your prefsing demand for afsistance in Men has not escaped our serious Attention but you will see in the Sequel how we are Situated & altho' we feel how useful it would be for the service in general to supply you with fresh hands, as well as other Settlements where men are to much wanted we have been obliged to determine not to send any this Season owing to the little demand for furs at Home or abroad.

4. It appears to us that the Custom of Carrying on a Correspondence Round the Bay by Packet is of no utility whatever & may as well be discontinued you will however resert to that communication When useful.

5. We duly notice the information you give us on the extent of the Canadian Trade from the Athapascow Deer Lake since you Relinquished it by Isle ala Crofse but we have not unfortunately been able to get effective hands to carry it on. We hope to hear however that Mr Auld? has been enabled to make some progrefs this season afsisted by Mr Fidler in addition to the few experienced Traders on the Station. - We feel very much the Importance of that branch of Trade and are not ignorant that the Succefs of it must depend in some measure on the Assistance and cooperation of York Factory particularly in a liberal supply of Provisions from Cumberland House and We must Request that you will not fail to give every afsistance in your power and point out to us what measures you think will be most conducive to forward the object in View we are Very willing and desirous of affording every encouragement that will be of Benefit to the Trade consistent with the nature of the Service.

6. We have taken due notice of the Proclamation of the Agency for the American Government in the Pursuit of their Trade on the Northern Boundary of Louisiana, we do not find that it can interfere with your Trade. you will not fail however to communicate to us whatever may occur in future on this head.

7. We must request the Brig Beaver may be dispatched as soon as pofsible for her Station at Severn. you Know how very necefsary it is to receive the Cargo early particularly where there is an Inland Trade. - We know that the Businefs at York has been done repeatedly without the afsistance of the Brig and we must require that on this part of the Service every Nerve? should be exerted.

8. We did not properly understand an observation that was made last season on the propriety of forming the Establishment of the School at a distance from the Factory, We now fully enter into the Idea and conclude that Cumberland House will be a proper Situation being more central and affording abundance of Provision and the Country itself affording the means of occupying the attention of the Inhabitants by some useful pursuits. We shall therefore expect that you will from the Establishment at Cumberland except some more eligible Situation Should offer.

9. Having supplied you liberally with Trading Goods &c during the past Season you will find that we have sent you but small consignments this year - We have however paid particular attention to every article of your Indent and we believe you will find that according to your Annual Consumption We have continued to complete a full afsortment that will enable you to continue the Businefs with Spirit aided by the enterprizing exertions of all your Traders and their dependants: While We feel on one hand the utility? of enabling you to maintain your Trading Connection at all your Stations Inland. you will deeply lament with us the necefsity we are under of limitting our expences in proportion to the means our Trade affords us by a Consignment of Goods which are Saleable in this Country.
This is the third year that the Trade with the Continent of Europe has been totally prohibited by the Enemy and of course the Accumulation of goods in our Warehouse is immense without the least prospect of a free export Trade - under these circumstances you cannot be surprized that we are obliged to confine our Exports to who is merely necefsary and we must Recommend most particularly to your attention to be as sparing as pofsible in the Expenditure of every Article under your management You must of course expect to find that we have been equally sparing in affording you afsistance in men and that instead of sending out fresh hands we have been obliged to allow those to come Home whose time is out and who wish to Return. We have allowed you to engage People Inland and we must leave it to your discretion to engage what hands you find necefsary to maintain those stations alone which afford Valuable articles in return for our Commodities. We feel and deeply lament the many instances by which the affairs of the Company will suffer but we must submit to Circumstances.

10. It is necefsary to point out to you as a General Rule that we are always willing to allow any of our Traders or Servants who have been long out to come home to their Families & Friends without quitting the Service. under such circumstances the expence tho' not triffling will not be a consideration to us, but it must be an object of consideration to our Chiefs and Traders themselves to think whether their services can be spared & whether their quitting their stations inland will not be attended with considerable detriment to our concerns - we must notice here a custom which is too prevalent among our Inland traders of coming down to the Factory at Ship time. in many respects it is very detrimental to the service - you will find by the Reply to Servants Resolves that any former omifsions are now attended to & we desire that you will take notice that where we have observed any Complaint of improper Conduct in the Men you will find it set to their Names and we desire it may be Communicated to them.

11. We mentioned to you last year that while we had the usual current demands and Sales? for Beaver, Musquash, Swan, Castorum, Feather and Quills for the consumption of this Country that there was not any demand for Martins, Otters, Cats, Foxes, Bears, Wolves, Deer & Elk and that it would be more advantage to us not to receive any of these last mentioned Articles: We are sorry to be obliged to repeat that the Trade is still precisely in the same Situation as there has not been any exportation for the Continent since the year 1806 - We have been disappointed in our hopes of a demand for Martins for home consumption. this Valuable little fur has not got in fashion? and we have been obliged this year to expose to Sale the Importation of 1806 in order to save the Drawback on the duties on Exportation and have scarcely obtained a price equal to one third of the Cost: without entering more minutely into the subject of the other articles in a similar Predicament this will be a sufficiant evidence to you of the real distrefs we labour under and the difficulty we experience in fixing any sort of Value on the above mentioned unsaleable Articles. - We however transmit you a price current for your information and guide in regulating the expenditure of our Goods which on the other hand increase in Value as well as all the annual expences duties &c.

12. We cannot cease to recommend your attention to the expenditure of the efsential articles of our Trade against the Choice articles for home consumption. we must notice in particular Hatchets, Guns, Blankets, Cloth and Tobacco: articles have increased very much in price particularly the latter owing to American Regulations. the Price of Cloth has likewise very much increased and we must repeat our most earnest recommendations that you will be as economical as pofsible not only in the expenditure of every article but likewise in your Indents for the following reason. as we cannot avoid repeating that we must measure our outfit by the means our Trade affords us to carry it on in Consignments of saleable articles.

13. Having still in our Warehouse your last consignments of Martins, Otter, Cat, Fox (not kit Foxes), Wolverins, Bears, Wolves, Minks, Raccon, Deer and Elk we desire you will retain all the Packages above mentioned articles till another Season. We hope they will be all preserved by you as they would be in this Country. - By your Retention of these articles we shall not have to pay the duty on them and they would probably remain on hand a long while - We calculate that what we have in Store will be sufficient to anwer any demand during a Season on a Change of Politics in Europe - We should have observed that there is a demand for White Foxes for home consumption and therefore we wish to receive them in as large quantities as can be procured. We are aware that the Packages already prepaired for Shipping will not allow you to follow this order very scrupulously but desire you will observe it as nearly as pofsible & transmit us the particulars of what part of the General Trade you retain to await our further orders.

14. We have experienced many inconveniences from the want of a fixed Period for payment of the Bills drawn upon us and we have therefore adopted the expedient of fixing the 31st March annually by which time our accounts are always ready for allowing the payment of Bills and Balances that may be due on the 30th of April we therefore transmit you a set of new Bills to be made use of accordingly.

15. We have turned our Minds very particularly to the object you point out of the dispositions of the few Canadians to treat with us not only for the supply of their necefsaries but likewise for the Barter against the Produce of their hunt. - We regret that this object should have escaped our notice formerly tho' we do not find that it was distinctly pointed out to us as likely to be an object of any consequence; but we now enter most fully into the importance of the object and we most wish you to entertain your connection to the utmost of your power - We are sufficiently aware of the very high Prices that the Canadian Company place on their articles they Supply to their own People which remunerates the Company for the very high Wages they are supposed to give to their Men - We have not however a sufficient Scale to form ? Calculation nor do we know whether the practice should be a guide to you in fixing the Value of the articles you will have to supply the free Canadians. We must therfore leave this to your discretion to settle in the best manner you can for the advantage of the Company - Strongly enjoining you to purchase those furs only this will produce such a price to the Company at their Sales as shall answer for the expence of procuring them - On the other hand you will judge by what precedes that we experience much difficulty in fixing a Value on the Furs you will take in Trade, Calculating however on what has been mentioned to us, that is the Standard we may now point out will not preclude us from making alteration in the future, which must in all probability be more advantageous to the Natives where our Trade in Europe is free - we shall proceed to state what we think a fair Value of the Articles that have been pointed out to us, estimating One Prime Winter Beaver at 1 1/2 lb and the price at 11 Livres pr lb reckoning the Livre at 9d.
1 Prime winter Beaver at Lves 16 pr skin
2 Spring Beaver 8
1 Prime Otter 14
6 Prime he Martins 2
8 Good She Martins 1.10
1 Prime large old Black Bear 14
1 Do. Brown Do. 14
2 Mid'g Do. 8
2 Prime Musquash -15 or 3/4
1 Do. Fox of Colors &c? 16
1 lb of Castorum 14
having this pointed out to you a Standard for the Furs we must next provide a means of payment for the Balances that may be due to those Free Canadians for the amount of the Goods they may supply above the Value of the necefsaries they may want of you & we see no method more satisfactory than giving them Bills on us for the Balance we therefore transmit you printed Bills for this exprefs purpose, you will observe by them that the Regular fixed exchange in Canada is 9d Sterling pr Livre you will of course forward these Bills to your inland Stations where there is any likelihood of Trading with the free Canadians & you will observe to your Traders that the check of such Bills as to be sent down to you by the first Opportunity to be forwarded to us as a sure guide in duty honoring the Bills. We hope there will be no objection to these Bills, it will be much more Satisfactory to us than establishing a Correspondent at Montreal & expect they will fully answer the purpose of the free Canadians and when once established it may prove a source of much advantage to the Company.

16. It has not escaped our notice that various articles of our Consignments are expended through Channels quite unconnected with Trade or necefsary Presents to trading Famalies we Know of instances in which Articles have disappeared on arrival as if they were Customary Presents from us without any thought of their being accounted for otherwise than by a Practice which as too long prevailed to the scandal of the Service and those employed in it - We are fully informed that many of the Articles which appear as trading Goods and not disposed of in that manner & that all deficiences are accounted for finally under the delusive Title of Presents & the apparent Amount of which is however diminished by a very different Standard of Trade from that in which you keep your Account with us - We shall not enter into particulars or Single out any particular head of Accusation & we make this a General Paragraph to which we must Require your very particular attention - We know the evil we complain of has gradually crept into the Service for many years & we Know how unpleasant has been the situation of our Chiefs who have attempted to put an end to such practices - The information we have collected from various channels & it obliges us to put an end to such delusive practices. We therefore request that you will send us in reply a Distinct Note of all articles of your usual Indent that are Traded for with the real Standard on which you barter with the Natives signed by the Chief & Inland Traders present. We have at different Times pointed out to you some Articles on the Standard for Beaver which require attention. we have nothing to offer this Season on this Head: but the observation already pointed out to you of the disadvantage we labour under in the expenditure of our Goods for Articles which have no Sale - The price current we now transmit you will be some Guide to you in this respect & we cannot here omit mentioning that while we praise your motive in requesting a Price Current as a guide to your transactions, it is sufficient Evidence of the fallacy of all your accounts.

17. We were induced from various circumstances not to persist in the Standard for Slops that was sent out in the year 1806 - on examination of that Standard there was but one article on which complaint was or could be made & that was evidently a mistake arising from the complicated Account of purchasing Blankets in this country, since the Period aluded to the number of men in the Service has increased considerably our Expences therefore increase as well as the cost of the Articles and the wants of the Men being more considerable our lofs on the Slops alone has increased very much & while the amount of wages increases individually it must be expected that we shall not sell the Slops at or under the prime cost without considering the expences and the large afsortment necefsary kept up that all may be supplied. We shall therefore when we have a distinct account from you of what are Trading Goods give you a regular account of Slops on a fair & liberal Standard.

18. While we have every reason to complain that the state of Trade in this Country bears so hard upon us, it is no alleviation to our Finances, altho' it may be to our Minds that our opponents are in the same predicament. as you will infalibly experience in the Trade of your Opponents who must be as much punched in their Circumstances & will not be able to pursue their plan of ruining us by profusion & extravagance.

19. We must observe to you that we cannot at all object to your sending home little presents of articles quite unconnected with the Fur Trade but we strictly adhere to our Rule that no article of our Trade shall come through any other Channel any triffling instances of deviation, to which we could not otherwise object, will not be discriminated by those who wish to carry on any ellegal Traffic in which we know our confidence has been most scandalously abused.

20. We have here also to notice to you a standing order to our Captains & their immediate dependants that they shall be informed of the contents of every Packages they receive on board & land particularly in the Orkneys or any where else than in our warehouse they are responsible to us for any diviation from our orders and on this head as well as on the manner of conducting our Trade in general, on which we have been obliged to enlarge so much this season we must freely declare this Trade will not allow of that profusion & neglect that it may hitherto have endured & that no idea of a want of proper Persons either in the Trade or Navigation will prevent us from taking every decisive measure we may deem necefsary to counteract & abolish the Evils that are so ruinous to the Company.

21. We expect by the return of our Ships signed by the Chief & all the Inland traders present a distinct account of all the Goods that are really traded with the Natives as well as the real Standard on which they are bartered, which will enable us to make those alterations we may find necefsary in the Standard of our Trade. in the mean while & in order to lofs no time in effecting those Alteration which we find indispensibly necefsary to revive the Affairs we have determined to make our Chiefs participate in the succefs of the Trade by making their remuneration arise from their exertions - we therefore cancel at once all their Salary and Premium from the present Season & shall allow them in future a fixed Premium pr skin traded at the Factory & likewise a proportion of 1/4? of the same on the skins traded by the Inland Traders as pr annexed Table.
Bears brown & black 2/
ordinary 1/
Beaver prime 1/
Stage 6d
Cub 5?d
ordinary 3d
Cat 4d
ordinary 2d
Castorum 1/
Feathers pr lb 1/2
Musquash 1/4
Martin 2d
ordinary 1
Fox 6d
Red 3
Otter 8
light & cub 4
Quills pr 1000 6
Rabbits pr 100 1/6
Swans 1/
Wolf grey 4d
Ordinary 2d
white & black 6
The above Premiums pr skins being calculated on their Relative value in England. this table will be not only a guide to you in your future barter to trade in those articles of the greatest Value & as near as pofsible in the proportions specified, but affords an opportunity of benefiting the Chiefs & Traders as well as the Company - We are far from wishing to reduce those Emoluments which are due to every one for their exertions & having taken great pains to calculate what will be a full Compensation for the wages and premiums now abolished, we think that in fixing the Standard of allowance we give very liberal terms & that it will prove to be to the advantage of the Chiefs and Traders in affording an immediate Opportunity of recompence for their exertions in procuring those Articles which are advantageous to the Company - The Salaries of the Traders stand for the present as fixed this year & the old Premium abolished & each will be allowed 1/4 of the Premium specified in the Table on their respective Trades.

22. If any unfortunate Accident should befall our Ships of which you could judge by her not arriving at the usual Season we should approve of your cargo being sent by the Brig Beaver with your Packet &c.

Lastly we recommend to you the Encouragement of Virtue Diligence & sobriety among all our Servants at your Factory & to discountenance the contrary in every respect which will entitle you to the Esteem of
Your Affectionate Friends
Wm Mainwaring Gov.
Jos. Berens Jun. Dept. Gov.
Tho. Neave
J H Pelly
Benj. Harrison
John Webb
Tho Lengley
PS. The Executors of James Suhterland have paid into our hands £ 20 for the use of his Family of the deceased who you will supply with Goods to that amount."



B.239/b/78

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