York Boat Bill of Lading, 1803

[Buck Conner1]

Having done a lot of water travel by canoe, flat boat and once as a guest on a reproduction York Boat (with more storage room than one would believe). Here's an idea of what the voyagers and trading firms loaded on these boats for years meeting the needs of the mountain people.

York Boat Bill of Lading, 1803
The following is a translation from French of an original York Boat bill of lading as printed ca. 1803. This is from Shepherd's Compleat Early Nineteenth Century Woodworker by Stephen & Victoria Shepherd. It was originally a printed form on one page and the areas showing a listed quantity was filled in as though this was a checklist for the standard issue.

York boats were much like the large birch bark canoes with different technique of manufacture - they were used the same. It may simply be a term that referenced boats from the York Factory.
 

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             York Boat, No. 



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__   Bales or bundles of Merchandise, No.
__   Bales of Black Tobacco,
__     do      Carotes Tobacco
__     do      North West Twist Tobacco
__     do      Bell-shaped Pots,
__     do      Brass Pots,
__     do      White Iron (tinned) pots,
__     do      Ham
__     do      Jowls
__   Kegs or Casks of Salt
__     do      Grease
__     do      Gun Powder
__     do      White Sugar
__     do      Brown Sugar
__     do      Pork
__     do      High Wines
__     do      Rum
__     do      Spirits
__     do      Beef
__     do      Butter
__     do      Shrub
__     do      Port Wine
__     do      Madera Wine
__     do      Red Wine
__     do      Brandy
__     do      Tongue
__     do      Sausage
__     do      Barley
__     do      Rice
__     do      Cheese
__     do      Raisins
__     do      Figs
__     do      Prunes
__   Cassettes of Merchandise, No.
__   Boxes of Iron, No.
__     do      Hats, No.
__     do      Knives, No.
__     do      Guns
__     do      Traps
__     do      Soap
__ Large Barrels of High Wines,
__     do      Spirits
__     do      Rum
__     do      Mixed</td><td style="width:189.0pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt" valign="top" width="252"> 
__ Packets of Iron
__     do      Steel
__ Sacks of Lead
__     do      Balls
__     do      Peas
__     do      Milled India Wheat, coarse, 1 
__     do              do        , fine,  2
 
Rations for the Voyageurs:
8         Sacks of Hard Tack
2            do        Peas
200 lb.  Paper wrapped packages Pork
 
Equipment:
1         Ax
1         Tin Plate
1         Sail Canvas
2         Belaying Pins
5         Line, Ropes
1         Pot
1         Awl
1         Roll of Bark
6         Bundles of Spruce Root
1         Pot Hook
12 lb.    Paper wrapped packages of Gum
List of Men:
1      Canoe (written in by hand.)
___     Pieces

                                        18___​

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