An essay that describes the 'coureurs de bois' (wood runners) very in-depthly and also at the same time briefly!

When the fur trade first began, First Nations and Inuit people brought the furs to the trading posts. They would arrive by canoe. The furs would be unloaded and traded for goods such as muskets (A type of gun used hundreds of years ago), axes, knives, blankets, whisky and pots. It was not long before some of the men at the trading posts decided they would go inland and get the fur themselves. These were …

…from animals. In the winter they had to keep warm at night. They would dig holes in the snow and line them with cedar branches. DID YOU KNOW? The insects in the woods could drive a man crazy, there were so many. To keep them away, coureurs be bois learned tricks from Aboriginal peoples. They use plants like bay leaves and bloodroot, as well as animal fats and even fish oil. (Source-http://www.canadiana.org)