(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
Bales like these, each weighing 90 pounds, were used to package and transport furs and other goods. Each voyageur carried at least two, sometimes three, bales on his back. The markings on the bales are explained here. "Pieces were marked by the various trading companies to keep track of the materials moving throughout the system. In general, the marks would state who owned the piece, where it was going (usually by code), perhaps an indication of what the piece contained, a bill of lading number, perhaps the weight, and in many cases the year in which the goods were packed."
