 In addition to these military bases , private companies operated numerous trading posts in the region that were often referred to as " forts " , though they typically had little in the way of defensive fortifications . 
 In addition to these military bases , private companies operated numerous trading posts in the region <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> often referred to as " forts " , though they typically had little in the way of defensive fortifications . 
In addition to these military bases , private companies operated numerous trading posts in da region was often referred to as " forts " , though they typically had lil in the way of defensive fortifications .