TRADE

"Owing to the contract with the Russian American Co., three barques - the Columbia, Vancouver and Cowlitz - belonging to the Company, with occasional chartered ships, were kept on the line between this and England and Sitka, carrying goods from England to Sitka, and transporting grain, beef, etc., from the Columbia River and this place to Sitka. As the 49th degree was fixed upon as the boundary line, the Company were preparing, now, gradually, to abandon their stations south of the 49th degree in Oregon and Washington Territories, and remove north, this place being the objective point, where the head depot was to be established, and the required buildings were being erected here for this purpose. Instead of the annual ships, with the fur returns of the country leaving the head depot at Vancouver, on the Columbia River, they were, since last year, clearing from this place direct for England with the returns, and coming direct here with supplies."

Our farms here consisted of the Fort Farm, on the flat where the city is now; Beckley Farm, at the south of James Bay, and the North Dairy Farm. As high as forty bushels of wheat to the acre, was raised here, each bushel weighing sixty-three pounds, and sold to the Russians at 4s. 2d. per bushel, paid by bills on St Petersburg. Labour was cheap in those days, hence the facility with which those operations were carried on."

"One often hears the discipline of the HBCo mysteriously spoken of by ignorant people. The truth is the Co was a commercial and not a military body. The only discipline was that of an ordinary factory, each man had his own work to do and did it -...There would (sic) a few special demands. No one was allowed to trade on his own account - or to trade in any way in opposition to the Company - this even referred to the Captains of the Company's ships from England. Any one doing this was dismissed..."