The ramifications that Indian supply responses to rising fur prices and to European gift-giving practices had for the overall conduct of the fur trade have yet to be fully explored. Clearly the costs that the Europeans would have had to absorb would have risen substantially during the periods when competition was strong, but to date no one has attempted to obtain even a rough idea of the magnitude by which these costs rose during the time of English-French or Hudson' Bay Company-North West Company rivalry. Nor has serious consideration been give to the manner in which such economic pressures may have favoured the use and abuse of certain trade articles such as alcohol and tobacco.
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