ing's Strait
to Queen Charlotte's Island, in north latitude fifty-three degrees, and
by the Hudson's Bay Company thence, south of the Columbia River; while
Ashley's company, and that under Captain Bonneville, take the remainder
of the region to California. Indeed, the whole compass from the
Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean is traversed in every direction. The
mountains and forests, from the Arctic Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, are
threaded through every maze, by the hunter. Every river and tributary
stream, from the Columbia to the mouth of the Rio del Norte, and from
the M'Kenzie to the Colorado of the West, from their head springs to
their junction, are searched and trapped for beaver. Almost all the
American furs, which do not belong to the Hudson's Bay Company, find
their way to New York, and are either distributed thence for home
consumption, or sent to foreign markets.

The Hudson's Bay Company ship their furs from their factories of York
Fort and from Moose River, on Hudson's Bay; their collection from Grand
River, &c., they ship from Canada; and the collection from Columbia goes
to London. None of their furs come to the United States, except through
the London market.

The export trade of furs from the United States is chiefly to London.
Some quantities have been sent to Canton, and some few to Hamburg; and
an increasing export trade in beaver, otter, nutria, and vicunia wool,
prepared for the hatter's use, is carried on in Mexico. Some furs are
exported from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston; but the principal
shipments from the United States are from New York to London, from
whence they are sent to Leipsic, a well-known mart for furs, where they
are disposed of during the great fair in that city, and distributed to
every part of the continent.

The United States import from South America, nutria, vicunia,
chinchilla, and a few deer-skins; also fur seals from the Lobos Islands,
off the river Plate. A quantity of beaver, otter, &c., are brought
annually from Santa Fe. Dressed furs for edgings, linings, caps,
muffs, &c., such as squirrel, genet, fitch-skins, and blue rabbit, are
received from the north of Europe; also cony and hare's fur; but the
largest importations are from London, where is concentrated nearly the
whole of the North American fur trade.

Such is the present state of the fur trade, by which it will appear that
the extended sway of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the monopoly of
the region of wh