The Adventurers of England on Hudson Bay A Chronicle of the Fur Trade in the North

At the turn of the twentieth century a traveler could stand on the stone gate of Fort Garry in Winnipeg and watch a winter procession that seemed lifted from a painting of old Quebec. Dog‑sled brigades from the Hudson’s Bay Company thundered across snow‑drifts, their bells jingling and huskies pulling low toboggans loaded with fresh pelts. The drivers, swathed in corduroy and fur, shouted the old French command “marche! marche!” as they guided the sleds toward the river.

Beyond the colorful tableau, the narrative follows the English “adventurers” who pushed deep into the northern wilderness to build a fur‑trade empire. It weaves together the tragedy of Henry Hudson, early French‑English rivalries, daring overland raids, and the hardships of years of disaster before the trade finally expanded. Rich illustrations, period maps, and first‑hand accounts bring the rugged world of fur hunters and indigenous partners to vivid life.