What’s online?
The entire collection is scanned and online.
What’s in the entire collection?
This collection consists of a journal written by an unidentified fur trader traveling in the region of the Du Lièvre Rivere, a tributary of the Ottawa River, in western Québec. The entries, covering May to June of 1775, document a journey during which the trader faced river rapids, a number of portages between waterways, and at times hostile Indian trading partners. The author also describes travel on Lake Desable (Lac des Sables) and the Gatineau River, as well as several days spent in Montreal.
The trader seemed to have traveled with a number of people, including men referred to as Brazeau and Pero, as well as several unnamed Indian guides. He writes of crossing paths with other traders by the names of Dumullion, Jaques Gagnier, Mclean, Rosebud, and Lyons. The author's trading partners included members of the Ottawa, Nipissing, Atikamekw (referred to as Tetes-de-Boules), and Iroquois tribes. He writes of several tense negotiations which led to physical confrontations and threats of stealing the trader's goods. In one such incident, the trader was forced to flee an Indian settlement by canoe, leaving his Indian guide behind. The trader also describes difficulties caused by natural forces, including heavy rain, mosquitoes, and a canoe that overturned in river rapids.
The trader used his journal not only to describe the day's events, but also to record his inventory and details of transactions. The items exchanged included beaver skins, rum, blankets, shirts, tobacco, and flour. In Montreal, he writes of buying provisions and hearing news about "a war against the Bostonians."
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