Money-values are entirely unknown in these trades.  The values of articles are computed by “skins;” for instance, a horse will be reckoned at 60 skins; and these 60 skins will be given thus:  a gun, 15 skins; a capote, 10 skins; a blanket, 10 skins; ball and powder, 10 skins; tobacco, 15 skins total, 60 skins.  The Bull Ermine, or the Four Bears, or the Red Daybreak, or whatever may be the brave’s name, hands over the horse, and gets in return a blanket, a gun, a capote, ball and powder, and tobacco.  The term “skin” is a very old one in the fur trade; the original standard, the beaver skin or, as it was called, “the made beaver” was the medium of exchange, and every other skin and article of trade was graduated upon the scale of the beaver; thus a beaver, or a skin, was reckoned equivalent to 1 mink skin, one marten was equal to 2 skins, one black fox 20 skins, and so on; in the same manner, a blanket, a capote, a gun, or a kettle had their different values in skins.  This being explained, we will now proceed with the trade.

Sapoomaxica, or the Big Crow’s Foot, having demonstrated the bigness of his heart, and received in return a tangible proof of the corresponding size of the trader’s, addresses his braves, cautioning them against violence or rough behaviour.  The braves, standing ready with their peltries, are in a high state of excitement to begin the trade.  Within the fort all the preparations have been completed, communication cut off between the Indian room and the rest of the buildings, guns placed up in the loft overhead, and men all get ready for any thing that might turn up; then the outer gate is thrown open, and a large throng enters the Indian room.  Three or four of the first-comers are now admitted through a narrow passage into the trading-shop, from the shelves of which most of the blankets, red cloth, and beads have been removed, for the red man brought into the presence of so much finery would unfortunately behave very much after the manner of a hungry boy put in immediate juxtaposition to bath-buns, cream-cakes, and jam-fritters, to the complete collapse of profit upon the trade to the Hudson Bay Company.  The first Indians admitted hand in their peltries through a wooden grating, and receive in exchange so many blankets, beads, or strouds.  Out they go to the large hall where their comrades are anxiously awaiting their turn, and in rush another batch, and the doors are locked again.  The reappearance of the fortunate braves with the much-coveted articles of finery adds immensely to the excitement.  What did they see inside?  “Oh, not much, only a few dozen blankets and a few guns, and a little tea and sugar;” this is terrible news for the outsiders, and the crush to get\in increases tenfold, under the belief that the good things will all be gone.  So the trade progresses, until at last all the peltries and provisions have changed hands, and there is nothing more to be traded; but some times things do not run quite so smoothly.