The Diary of Nicholas Garry. (B. Quaritch. 5s.)-Mr. Nicholas Garry
was a director of the Hudson's Bay Company, and when this Company came to terms with its great rival, the North-West Company, he went out, with a representative of the other party, to settle affairs upon the spot. He was, he says, "the only single man in the Direction," and so felt it a duty to go, though he does not pretend that the duty was not attractive. He started on April 7th, 1822, and reached New York on May 10th. (He found in the Custom House people "a liberal polite manner," which he recommends to his own countrymen.
The Americans:' he says, "are wise enough to pay their searchers well, each man receiving 3 dols. a day.") About a month later the party started on their Canadian journey, which is related in interesting detail. He started on his return voyage from York Factory, at the mouth of the Nelson River in Hudson Bay, on September 14th, and reached Thurso on October 26th, after not a few dangers and hardships. His inland travels gave him, it may be observed, many opportunities of being drowned. It extended over about three thousand three hundred miles. Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement is described. Mr. Garry thinks the rents too high,-twenty bushels for second year, rising by ten yearly, for 100 acres, a bushel being worth 103. A voyage by light canoe from Montreal to Fort William (on Lake Superior) is estimated to cost £306; but it was necessary to have a crew of thirteen and a guide. Among the provisions we see 12 gallons of spirit at the modest cost of 22 17s. The value of furs is reckoned in "beavers" (equivalent to 3s. or 4s. each). The order is brown bear and silver fox (3), black bear, cross fox, and otter (prime) (2), the cheapest being common marten (3 to beaver). In 1821, in the Northern Department 193 brown bears and 135 silver foxes were brought in, 878 black bears, 277 cross foxes, and 2,660otters, of martens 36,937, while 82,312 musk-rats were killed. Of beavers there were 8,995 and 3,156 cubs. Who can wonder that the creature is almost extinct? The gross number of animals killed was 145,556, valued at 448,050. There is a difficulty in the figures here, if, as is said, the rate was between 3s. and 4$. per beaver. We are told that an Indian for 47 various skins might haves gun, 3 yards of cloth, 31b. of powder (at about 7s. per pound), Sib. of shot (at is. 9d. per pound,-not a bad profit), 1 large blanket (28s.), 1 hatchet (7s.), 1 file (3s. 6c1), a 3 gallon kettle (21s.) There seems an attractive margin of profit in these prices.
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