| Original Message: Info from Beads 2 and Beads 19 re "Canton beads" |
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Lester Ross, in his 1990 article in Beads Vol. 2, makes this intriguing statement about the sources of beads sold by the Hudson's Bay Company: "...manufactured goods were imported from London, England, with secondary imports from China via Boston merchantmen trading in the Sandwich Islands to circumvent the Asian trading monopoly of the East India Company, and eventually from New England to avoid import duties imposed by the United States when American custom houses were established for the Washington and Oregon Territories." He mentions "tons" of glass beads, and lists various suppliers, such as J. P. Sturgis and Company, Canton fur merchant; known to have supplied the Company with small blue glass beads for outfit 1828. Perkins and Company, another Canton fur broker, was requested to acquire Chinese beads (Canada. National Archives. HBC Archives, A.6/21, fol. 88), but whether or not the request was fulfilled is unknown." As to what were the "Canton beads" listed in ships' manifests, "Canton beads were identified as round necklace beads, sold by the pound in four sizes." All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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