The Fur-Lined Crypt: The Harsh and Unforgiving Adventure of the Early North American Fur Trade Hardback - 2010

Experience the adventures of the eighteenth century as The Fur-Lined Crypt takes you into the harsh and unforgiving lifestyle of the men who spent their very souls in the early North American fur trade. These men of grit and courage unveiled the mysteries of the hinterland and its uncharted rivers, forests, and plains, thus opening the way for civilization and settlement of a new continent. The Hudson's Bay Company and its various forts and trading centers provided a vital service and offered a unique entrance into the continent's heartland. Frequently it was their employees who were among the first Europeans to discover and enter what was not always a friendly land. These fur traders surveyed, mapped rivers, and discovered previously unknown peoples. In the end, they lifted the veil of distance and found ways to overcome the inhospitable climate that hid the land's wealth and potential. They forged the requisite alliances with the native peoples who, perhaps unwittingly, provided the fuel that kindled the commerce of the day. A window into this lawless society reveals cruelty mixed with compassion, love overcoming hate, and survival in a dangerous world. This historically accurate chronicle threads an intriguing yarn of human perseverance through the pain and anguish of living in isolation far from loved ones.