Title Page of the York Factory Journal: September 1714 to September 1715.
Detailed records were maintained at each Hudson's Bay Company post for each trading season. From these records historians obtain a picture of the trade in furs. This title page from the York Factory Journal for the 1714-1715 trading year reveals that James Knight was Governor of the post. Knight, a veteran trader in his seventies, disappeared a few years later leading an expedition in search of a North West Passage out of Hudson Bay. Every post also kept an account book in which the year's trade was recorded. Here is the trade at York in 1714-1715.
(qty)Skins Beaver Value Total
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Beaver (11120) 1 / 1 11120
Half Beaver (2080) 2 / 1 1040
Coat Beaver (3250) 1 / 1 3250
Moose (2390) 1 / 2 4780
Moose small (20) 1 / 1 20
Moose Fawn (5) 1 / 1 2 ╜
Wolverine (24) 1 / 1 48
Otter(76) 2 / 1 38
Cats (97) 1 / 1 97
Wolfs (2) 1 / 2 4
Bear (22) 1 / 2 44
Cubs (6) 1 / 1 6
Red Fox (18) 1 / 1 18
White Fox (21) 2 / 1 10 ╜
Martins (1550) 3 / 1 516 2/3
Buffaloes (2) 1 / 3 6
Fisheretts (2) 2 / 1 1
Muskrats (8) 8 / 1 1
Deer Skins (2) 2 / 1 1
Castor (44 lbs) 1╜lbs / 1 29 1/3
Deer Hoofs (1080) 24 / 1 45
This Years trade in Beaver is 21078
As the chart shows, each trade item was assigned a value in beaver, called its "made beaver" value. Thus, in 1714-1715 two otter, white fox or deer skins equaled one made beaver; moose, wolf or bear skins were each worth two made beaver; and it required eight muskrats to equal one made beaver. The ledger also shows the quantity of each type obtained.
At a much later date the Company issued tokens of wood or brass valued in made beaver which the Indians could use as money. Credit in terms of made beaver was also extended to supply hunters if it had been a poor year for furs or if circumstances of competition made such a move advisable.
