1810.] astor's plans for monopolizing the china trade. 293 



the operations. His first objects were to concentrate in the hands 

 of the company the fur trade of every part of the unsettled territo- 

 ries of America claimed by the United States, and also the supply 

 of the Russian establishments on the North Pacific, which was to be 

 conducted agreeably to arrangements made with the Russian Amer- 

 ican Company, similar to those proposed by the government of St. 

 Petersburg to the cabinet at Washington, as already mentioned ; and 

 by the attainment of these first objects, he expected to be able to con- 

 trol, if not exclusively to possess, the whole commerce between the 

 ports of China and those of America, and of a large portion of Europe. 



For these purposes, posts were to be established on the Missouri, 

 the Columbia, and the coasts of the Pacific contiguous fo the latter 

 river, at which places the furs were to be collected by trade with 

 the Indians, or by hunters in the employ of the company. The 

 posts were to be supplied with the merchandise required, either by 

 way of the Missouri, or by ships despatched from the ports of the 

 United States to the North Pacific ; and the furs collected were to be 

 carried either down the Missouri to the Atlantic ports of the Union, 

 or westward to the establishments of the company on the Pacific. 

 The merchandise sent to the Pacific would be discharged, in the first 

 instance, at a principal factory, to be founded at some point most 

 convenient for distributing the articles among the interior posts, 

 and for receiving the furs from those places ; and the vessels 

 would then take in cargoes of furs, which they would transport 

 to Canton. Vessels would also be sent, either directly from the 

 United States, or from the principal factory on the Pacific, to the 

 Russian American establishments, with provisions and other articles, 

 for which furs were to be received in payment ; and from Canton 

 these vessels would bring to Europe or America teas, silks, and other 

 Chinese goods, procured in exchange for their furs. It is scarcely 

 necessary to ad I, that all these movements were to be conducted 

 with order and regularity, and at stated periods, so as to prevent loss 

 of time and labor, or injury to the various articles transported. 



The number of shares in the company was to be one hundred : 

 of these half were retained by Mr. Astor, who was to advance the 

 funds necessary for the first operations, and to manage the con- 

 cerns at New York ; the remaining shares being divided among the 

 other partners, who were to conduct the business in the western 

 territories, on the Pacific, and at Canton. The association, if 

 prosperous, was to continue twenty years, after which it might be 

 prolonged; but it might be abandoned by any of the partners, or 



