Adventures Of The First Settlers On The Oregon Or Columbia River: Being A Narrative Of The Expedition Fitted Out By John Jacob Astor, To Establish The "Pacific Fur Company," With An Account Of Some Indian Tribes On The Coast Of The Pacific

ALEXANDER ROSS

Publication: Smith, Elder and Co, 1849, London

First Edition. 8vo. Original Blind-stamped Green Cloth, xv, [1], 352 pp., Preface, Folding Map. A book of exceptional importance to the history of Astoria and the early struggle between the United States and England for control of the Oregon Country. Ross was an officer of the Astoria company, he arrived aboard the ill-fated "Tonquin." He was sent up the Columbia on a trading expedition where he became established at Ft. Okanagan. When the Northwest Company took over Ross stayed on. Ross spent 15 years trading on the Columbia, and later, at Ft. Nez Perce, trading throughout the Snake River country. An excellent narrative, the author was a keen observer and a careful recorder of all he experienced. Ross also includes the important overland accounts of Robert Stuart and Wilson Price Hunt. Elliott Coues called this work one of the three "synoptical gospels": of the Astoria enterprise. This work also includes a section devoted to Chinook vocabulary and jargon, and a "Table of Weather at the Mouth of the Columbia River." "An excellent description of the Astoria venture of 1812 and the early Anglo-American struggle for control of the Oregon country. Ross was an officer of the Astoria company, and this is one of the fullest accounts of the whole project."--Bill Reese, The Best Of The West, 112. An exceptionally clean, tight copy with no foxing and the folding map in fine condition. Previous owners bookplates on front pastedown. Skillfully, professionally rebacked with original cloth laid-down on spine, and some very slight touch-up to corners. The only copy we've ever seen in original cloth. Near fine copy, protected in a clamshell box with title, author, and year of publication in gilt on leather label on spine.