294 pacific fur company's operations. [1810. 



dissolved, within the first five years, Mr. Astor bearing all the 

 losses incurred during that period. 



This was certainly an extensive and complicated scheme ; but it 

 appeared, at the time when it was devised, to be perfectly practicable. 

 The territories in which the new establishments were to be formed, 

 had never been occupied : there could be no doubt that the Russians 

 would gladly agree to the proposed arrangements for the trade with 

 their factories ; the demand for furs at Canton was regular, and suf- 

 ficiently great to insure the superiority, in that market, to those who 

 could control the supply ; and the Americans would possess, in 

 China and on the Pacific, a decided advantage over the British, 

 whose flag was then rarely seen in the Pacific, in consequence of 

 the monopoly enjoyed by the East India Company. Moreover, there 

 was then no prospect of a material change in the political positions 

 of the principal nations of the world. 



The only party from which the Pacific Company could apprehend 

 any immediate and serious difficulties, was the North-West Company 

 of Montreal. The resources of that body were in every respect 

 inferior to Mr. Astor's ; but, in order to prevent rivalry, he communi- 

 cated his intentions confidentially to its directors, and offered them 

 an interest to the extent of one third in his enterprise : they, how- 

 ever, rejected his proposal, and took measures, as will be shown 

 hereafter, to forestall him. Was Mr. Astor — a citizen of the United 

 States — justifiable in thus offering to an association of British sub- 

 jects, noted for its enmity to his adopted country, a share of the ad- 

 vantages to be obtained under the flag of the United States, from ter- 

 ritories exclusively belonging to the United States, or of which the 

 exclusive possession by the United States was evidently essential to 

 the welfare and advancement of the republic ? 



Having matured his scheme, Mr. Astor engaged as partners, 

 clerks, and voyageurs, a number of Scotchmen and Canadians, who 

 had been in the service of the North-West Company, and afterwards 

 a number rather greater, of other persons, principally natives of the 

 United States. The partners first admitted were Alexander Mackay, 

 who had accompanied Mackenzie in his expedition to the Pacific in 

 1793, Duncan Macdougal, and Donald Mackenzie, all Scotchmen, 

 formerly belonging to the North-West Company : these persons 

 signed the constitution or articles of agreement of the Pacific Com- 

 pany, with Mr. Astor, on the 23d of June, 1810; having, however, 

 previously communicated the whole plan of the enterprise to Mr. 

 Jackson, the minister plenipotentiary of Great Britain in the United 



