Armament and Profit

Any self-respecting outfitter provides mouth ammunition. Not to attack the enemy, but to feed his privateers!The most important thing that set an outfitter apart from the other parties involved in the privateering business was the fact that he was responsible for the vessel. Normally, he had to recruit the captain and crewmembers for the expedition he was funding. He was also responsible for requesting that the prize be sold once the usual inspections had been completed by the Admiralty.

Throughout the entire period of New France, outfitters were as likely to be merchants, such as Charles Aubert de la Chesnay, as they were to come from the colonial administration, as was the case of Governors Frontenac and Vaudreuil.

Privateer activities made some outfitters considerably wealthier, but such cases were rare. Truly large profits were more the province of the big ship-owners in Boston who outfitted a large number of ships during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.