1 1 8 1 lie Home of the VVolvcj-ene and Beaver. 



cially to the Russian possessions on that coast, 

 where numerous small vessels of every nationality 

 were in the habit of trading yearly, bartering 

 European merchandise with the Indians for the 

 skin of the sea-otter and other valuable furs, and 

 shortly afterwards he nttempted the great scheme 

 of his life, which wa> to monopolise the fur trade 

 from the Canadian lakes to the Pacific, by establish- 

 ing numerous posts, making a central depot at the 

 mouth of the Columbia River, and then, by obtain- 

 ing one of the Sandwich Islands as a station, to 

 supply Chinese and Indian niarkets with furs sent 

 direct from the Pacific coast. 



This gigantic scheme failed, as we shall see, but 

 its grandeur was worthy the sagacity and genius of 

 its originator. Of course the reader must not 

 imagine that Pierre Lefranc related the life of Mr. 

 Astor thus at length by the side of the fire amidst 

 Canadian snow. The majority of what is related 

 above was learnt by Paul subsequently, but before 

 following the history of the expedition, I deemed 

 it best to insert a brief sketch of its promoter, and 

 may add that Mr. Astor's fortune was the largest 

 ever accumulated by one man in America, amount- 

 ing to no less a sum than four million pounds 

 sterling, the result of good judgment, enterprise? 

 and probity. It is said of him, "During his whole 



