It Is Needless To Go Into A Detail Of The Variety Of Accidents
And Cross-Purposes, Which Caused The Failure Of His Scheme.
They
were such as all undertakings of the kind, involving combined
operations by sea and land, are liable to.
What he most wanted,
was sufficient capital to enable him to endure incipient
obstacles and losses; and to hold on until success had time to
spring up from the midst of disastrous experiments.
It is with extreme regret we learn that he has recently been
compelled to dispose of his establishment at Wappatoo Island, to
the Hudson's Bay Company; who, it is but justice to say, have,
according to his own account, treated him throughout the whole of
his enterprise, with great fairness, friendship, and liberality.
That company, therefore, still maintains an unrivalled sway over
the whole country washed by the Columbia and its tributaries. It
has, in fact, as far as its chartered powers permit, followed out
the splendid scheme contemplated by Mr. Astor, when he founded
his establishment at the mouth of the Columbia. From their
emporium of Vancouver, companies are sent forth in every
direction, to supply the interior posts, to trade with the
natives, and to trap upon the various streams. These thread the
rivers, traverse the plains, penetrate to the heart of the
mountains, extend their enterprises northward, to the Russian
possessions, and southward, to the confines of California. Their
yearly supplies are received by sea, at Vancouver; and thence
their furs and peltries are shipped to London.
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