Who move about from place to place, either with Indian
tribes, whose traffic they wish to monopolize, or with main
bodies of their own men, whom they employ in trading and
trapping. In the meantime, they detach bands, or "brigades" as
they are termed, of trappers in various directions, assigning to
each a portion of country as a hunting or trapping ground. In the
months of June and July, when there is an interval between the
hunting seasons, a general rendezvous is held, at some designated
place in the mountains, where the affairs of the past year are
settled by the resident partners, and the plans for the following
year arranged.
To this rendezvous repair the various brigades of trappers from
their widely separated hunting grounds, bringing in the products
of their year's campaign. Hither also repair the Indian tribes
accustomed to traffic their peltries with the company. Bands of
free trappers resort hither also, to sell the furs they have
collected; or to engage their services for the next hunting
season.
To this rendezvous the company sends annually a convoy of
supplies from its establishment on the Atlantic frontier, under
the guidance of some experienced partner or officer. On the
arrival of this convoy, the resident partner at the rendezvous
depends to set all his next year's machinery in motion.
Now as the rival companies keep a vigilant eye upon each other,
and are anxious to discover each other's plans and movements,
they generally contrive to hold their annual assemblages at no
great distance apart. An eager competition exists also between
their respective convoys of supplies, which shall first reach its
place of rendezvous. For this purpose, they set off with the
first appearance of grass on the Atlantic frontier and push with
all diligence for the mountains. The company that can first open
its tempting supplies of coffee, tobacco, ammunition, scarlet
cloth, blankets, bright shawls, and glittering trinkets has the
greatest chance to get all the peltries and furs of the Indians
and free trappers, and to engage their services for the next
season. It is able, also, to fit out and dispatch its own
trappers the soonest, so as to get the start of its competitors,
and to have the first dash into the hunting and trapping grounds.
A new species of strategy has sprung out of this hunting and
trapping competition. The constant study of the rival bands is to
forestall and outwit each other; to supplant each other in the
good will and custom of the Indian tribes; to cross each other's
plans; to mislead each other as to routes; in a word, next to his
own advantage, the study of the Indian trader is the disadvantage
of his competitor.
The influx of this wandering trade has had its effects on the
habits of the mountain tribes.
