Particular care is extended to the education of the half-breed children, the offspring of the marriage or concubinage of the traders with the Indian women, who are retained and bred as far as possible among the white people, and are employed, whenever they are found capable, in the service of the Company. As there are few or no white women in those territories, except in the Red River settlements, it may be readily seen that the halfbreeds must in a short time form a large and important portion of the native population.

• The conduct of the Hudson's Bay Company in these respects is certainly worthy of commendation. It is, however, to be observed, that of the whole territory placed under the authority of that body, only a few small portions are capable of being rendered productive by agriculture. From the remainder nothing of value can be obtained, excepting furs, and those articles can be procured in greater quantities, and at less cost, by the labour of the Indians, than by any other means. There is consequently no object in expelling or destroying the native population, which can never be dangerous from its numbers, while, on the contrary, there is a direct and evident motive and interest for preserving and conciliating them, and the British certainly employ the best methods to attain those ends. By the system above described, the natural shyness and distrust of the savages have been in a great measure removed; the ties which bound together the members of the various tribes have been loosened, and extensive combinations for any purpose have become impossible.

'The dependence of the Indians upon the Company is, at the same time, rendered entire and absolute; for, having abandoned the use of all their former arms, hunting and fishing implements, and clothes, they can no longer subsist without the guns, ammunition, fish-hooks, blankets, and other similar articles which they receive only from the British traders. The position of the Hudson's Bay Company towards the North American Indians is thus wholly different from that held by the East India Company with respect to the Chinese; the motives for prohibiting the introduc

tion of spirits among the former people being as strong on the one part, as those for favouring the consumption of opium among the latter people are on the other. The course observed by the Hudson's Bay Company towards American citizens in the territory west of the Rocky Mountains, has been equally unexceptionable and yet equally politic. All the missionaries and emigrants from the United States, and, indeed, all strangers from whatever countries they might come, were received at the establishments of the Company on the Columbia with the utmost kindness and hospitality, and they were aided in the prosecution of their objects, so far and so long as those objects were not commercial. But no sooner did any one, unconnected with the Company, attempt to hunt, or to trap, or to trade with the natives, than all the force of the body was immediately directed towards him. There is no evidence, or well-founded suspicion, that the Hudson's Bay agents have ever resorted, directly or indirectly, to violence, in order to defeat the efforts of such rivals. And, indeed, those means would have been superfluous, whilst the Company enjoys such great advantages in its organization, its wealth, and the minute knowledge of the country, and influence over the natives, possessed by its agents. Wherever an American trading post has been established, or an American party has been engaged in trade on the Columbia, there appeared a Hudson's Bay agent at the head of a number of hunters, or with a large stock of merchandise, or a large amount of specie in hand, which were offered for skins on terms much more favourable to the Indians than those possessed by the citizens of the United States; and the latter, in consequence, finding their labours vain, were soon obliged to retire from the field. Even without employing such extraordinary and expensive means, the British traders, receiving their goods in the Columbia by sea from London, free from duty, can always undersell the Americans, who must transport their merchandise two thousand miles over land, from the frontiers of the United States, where the articles best adapted for the trade have previously been subjected to an import duty. In pursuance

of the same system, the Company endeavours, and generally with success, to prevent the vessels of the United States from obtaining cargoes on the north-west coasts of America, though the mariners of all nations, when thrown upon the coasts by shipwreck, or by other misfortunes, have uniformly received shelter and protection at its posts and factories. The furs and skins, which have hitherto formed almost the whole returns from the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company, are collected from the different posts, in part by regularly employed hunters and trappers, but chiefly by trade with the Indians of the surrounding country; and they are nearly all shipped for London in the Company's vessels at Montreal, or York, or Moose Factories on Hudson's Bay, or Fort Vancouver on the Columbia; the goods for trade, and the supply of the posts being received the same way.'—(Pp. 393—397, History of Oregon and California, published by Murray, London. 1844.)

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The grounds on which the exclusive licence of trade was granted in 1838, are stated by the Board of Trade (letter, 2nd June, 1837) to be on account of the liberal and enlightened policy which has generally distinguished the Hudson's Bay Company; and the peculiar nature of the fur trade seems to justify, and even to recommend, the adoption of the principle of conferring exclusive privileges upon a great body engaged in it, however objectionable such a principle appears with reference to commercial affairs generally.'-(Letter from Mr. (now Sir) Denis Le Marchant, Bart., to the Colonial Secretary, Parliamentary Papers, 547, of 8th of August, 1842.)

The present Governor-General of Canada, Lord Elgin, one of the most upright and able servants of the Crown, and whose judgment is of the highest order, thus expresses himself in a reply to the inquiries of the Secretary of State for the Colonies:-'I am bound to state that the result of the inquiries I have made is highly favourable to the Company, and has left on my mind the impression that the authority which they exercise over the vast and inhospitable region subject to their jurisdiction is, on the whole, very advantageous to the Indians.'

The Bishop of Montreal, on his visit to the Red River settlement in 1844, says, that the arrangements for his doing so were all made for him in the most excellent manner, and with the most careful attention, by direction of Sir G. Simpson, the Governor of the Hudson's Bay territories.' The Bishop speaks of 'the kindness and attention which he everywhere experienced at the hands of the Hudson's Bay Company's servants. At page 166 of his Journal, says, 'It is the rule of the Company's posts that the factor or trader in charge, where there is no clergyman, should read the church service on Sundays to the persons who can be gathered to hear it :-the Company have forwarded the erection of churches at Red River.' And at page 164 his Lordship remarks—' If I may judge from the kindness shown personally to myself, the facilities given to my operations, and the respect paid to my office by all the gentlemen representing the Company's interest with whom I had to do, that body must be presumed well affected to the cause; and that its several proceedings are conducted on a liberal scale, I have some occasion to notice.' —(P. 164.) The worthy Bishop wishes to have a Bishop appointed for Rupert's Land, as he considers that all the virtue of the Gospel is centered in the Episcopate.'-(Journal, p. 169.) The Hudson's Bay Company are, however, adopting the more prudent course of assisting the education of the people on religious principles. The late Mr. Leith, who was a resident factor of the Company, has bequeathed £.10,000 toward the propagation of the Gospel in the scene of his former pursuits and occupations.

A branch of the Church Missionary Society' was established at Red River settlement in 1822, under the Rev. Mr. West, who was appointed Chaplain to the Company. In 1824, the Rev. Mr. Jones was appointed Chaplain to the Company, and the Bishop of Montreal says, he met with much countenance and support from the authorities of the Hudson's Bay Company,' who, in 1834, gave a munificent grant towards the construction of another Protestant Church.-(Journal, pp. 194, 218.) • The building was opened for Divine Service on the 26th of Novem

ber, 1834. It is capable of accommodating, comfortably, 700 people, and 1000 might find room without being over-crowded. • Five day-schools, containing about 400 children, had been established; besides two seminaries, affording board, lodging, and education, to twenty-five young ladies, and thirty young gentlemen, children of the gentlemen engaged in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. These were under the care and superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, assisted by a tutor and governess from England. At the different Sunday-schools, also, nearly 300 received religious instruction, Moreover, the orderly demeanour, moral conduct, and religious habits of all classes, were, for the most part satisfactory and cheering.'—(Pp. 218.)

'In 1839,' says the Bishop, the Committee had the satisfaction to find that the Hudson's Bay Company more disposed to countenance and promote the formation of a Missionary station at Cumberland House, one of their posts, about 500 miles from the Red River.' The following shows the present state of the Church of England Mission in Rupert's Land. In North America, as also in our other Colonial possessions, this invaluable auxiliary of the Parent Church of England has been of eminent service to Christianity.

Commodore Wilkes, speaking of Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River, says, There are extensive kitchens and apartments for the half-breed and Indian children that the Company have taken to bring up and educate. Of these there are now