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CHAPTER XIV. 



1806 to 1815. 



First Establishments of the North- West Company in the Countries north of the 

 Columbia — Pacific Fur Company formed at New York — Plan of its Founder — 

 First Expedition from New York in the Tonquin — Foundation of Astoria near the 

 Mouth of the Columbia River — Destruction of the Tonquin by the Savages — 

 March of the Party under Hunt and Crooks across the Continent — Arrival of the 

 Beaver in the Columbia — War between the United States and Great Britain fatal 

 to the Enterprise — Establishments of the Pacific Company sold to the North- 

 West Company — Astoria taken by the British — Dissolution of the Pacific 

 Company. 



The expeditions of Lewis and Clarke, and Pike, did not fail to 

 attract the attention, and to excite the jealousy, of the British 

 government and trading companies. Pike had restrained the incur- 

 sions of the North- West Company's people into the territories of 

 the Upper Mississippi, and had lessened their influence over the 

 Indians inhabiting those regions. From the moment when Lewis 

 and Clarke appeared on the Missouri, their movements were 

 watched by the agents of the British Association ; and, so soon 

 as it was ascertained that they were ordered to explore the Colum- 

 bia, preparations were made to anticipate the Americans in the 

 settlement of that portion of the continent, for which the expedition 

 of those officers was evidently intended to open the way. A party 

 of the North- West Company's men was accordingly despatched, in 

 1805, under the direction of Mr. Laroque, to establish posts and 

 occupy territories on the Columbia ; but this party proceeded no 

 farther than the Mandan villages on the Missouri. In the following 

 year, 1806, another party was despatched from Fort Chipewyan, 

 under Mr. Simon Fraser, who crossed the Rocky Mountains near 

 the passage of the Peace River, and formed a trading establishment 

 on a small lake, now called Fraser's Lake, situated in the 54th 

 degree of latitude. This was the first settlement or post of any hind 

 made hy British subjects west of the Rocky Mountains. Other posts 

 were subsequently formed in the same country, which, in 1808, 

 received from the traders the name of New Caledonia ; but it does 



