Between 1841 and 1846, Robert M. Ballantyne (1825-94) traversed the inhospitable terrain of Hudson's Bay, Canada, bartering for furs. In 1848, aged just twenty-three, he published an account of his experiences. Applauded by contemporaries for describing 'a novel and singular existence', Ballantyne's narrative challenges many misconceptions about nineteenth-century Canada.
Combining anthropological observations with descriptions of landscapes and animals, Ballantyne's 1848 narrative will appeal to historians, geographers and travellers alike.
