Des Groseilliers was a French explorer and fur trader. He did his work in conjunction with his brother-in-law Pierre-Esprit Radisson, 20 years younger. The pair went into the wilderness to the northwest, there to trade with the natives. Des Groseilliers came to Quebec about 1641. During the years of 1658-60 the pair went to the territory around Lake Superior. Though the trading was not bad there, it was learned that the best furs in quantity could be had from the tribes northwest of the Lake. In a trip to the northwest in 1661-63 they came into the territory around Lake Winnipeg and maybe beyond. They returned to Montreal after an arduous trip with a string of canoes full of valuable furs, which, the French government there, found an excuse to scoop up; needless to say des Groseilliers and Radisson were not much impressed with this result. They turned to the English. They were received well at London and were soon in the company of influential persons. The result was the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company.
