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What was the role of the voyageurs in the fur trade?
Voyageurs were independent contractors, workers or minor partners in companies involved in the fur trade. They were licensed to transport goods to trading posts and were usually forbidden to do any trading of their own. The fur trade changed over the years, as did the groups of men working in it.
What did the voyageurs carry?
The canoe carried 65 bundles of goods to trade as well as food for the trip, their personal belongings, an axe, a kettle, and material to repair the canoe. The canoe itself weighed 300 lbs (136 kg) adding to the weight the voyageurs carried over a portage. Each bundle weighed 40 kg (90 lbs.).
What type of canoe was used by the voyageurs *?
The voyageurs used “North Canoes” to transport the furs and trade goods they collected on their voyages between trading posts and forts. Originally made by the Ojibwe and later at Fort Lac la Pluie on the Rainy River, the “North Canoe,” was light, easily navigable, and quickly repaired with native materials.
How much weight could a voyageur carry?
It was about 36 feet (11 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide, and weighed about 600 pounds (270 kg) and carried 3 tons of cargo or 65 90-pound (41 kg) standard packs called pièces. Crew was 6–12, with 8–10 being the average.
Where did fur traders sleep?
When they were finished all of the work, the voyageurs told stories and sang songs until it was time to sleep. Shelter for the night was an overturned canoe, a bed of moss, and a blanket or furs for warmth. If the weather was bad, they erected a tarp as cover.
Why did the fur trade come to an end?
The fur trade started to decline in the Eastern United States by the late 1700’s. The decline resulted chiefly from the clearing of large areas for settlement. As more and more land was cleared, fur-bearing animals became increasingly scarce.
What did the Voyageurs carry on their backs?
Men were expected to carry one or two 90-pound loads of cargo, as well as the canoes, on the many portages – some as long as 12 miles over rough terrain – connecting the various waterways. They often used tumplines to steady heavy loads on their backs.
How many bundles did a voyageur carry per mile?
Some carried up to four or five, and there is a report of a voyageur carrying seven bundles for half of a mile. Hernias were common and frequently caused death. Most voyageurs would start working in their early twenties, and they would continue working until they were in their sixties.
Where does the loading of cargo take place?
For example, the loading of “ dry bulk ” commodities such as coal, ore, and grain is nearly always done from special shore facilities that pour them from a high elevation directly into the cargo holds of the ship.
What was cargo handling like in ancient times?
Goods flowing in the route must be transferred to and from the sea link; they must also be given care while aboard the ship, and in turn they must not be a hazard to the ship and its crew. Cranes unloading containers. Ancient cargo handling consisted almost exclusively of manually carrying cargo in single man-loads.