CHAPTER XLII.
Comprehensive Views .-- To Supply the Russian Fur Establishment .-- An Agent Sent to Russia .-- Project of an Annual Ship .-- The Beaver Fitted Out .-- Her Equipment and Crew .-- Instructions to the Captain .-- The Sandwich Islands .-- Rumors of the Fate of the Tonquin .-- Precautions on Reaching the Mouth of the Columbia.
HAVING traced the fortunes of the two expeditions by sea and land to the mouth of the Columbia, and presented a view of affairs at Astoria, we will return for a moment to the master spirit of the enterprise, who regulated the springs of Astoria, at his residence in New York.
It will be remembered, that a part of the plan of Mr.Astor was to furnish the Russian fur establishment on the northwest coast with regular supplies, so as to render it independent of those casual vessels which cut up the trade and supplied the natives with arms.

This plan had been countenanced by our own government, and likewise by Count Pahlen, the Russian minister at Washington.

As its views, however, were important and extensive, and might eventually affect a wide course of commerce, Mr Astor was desirous of establishing a complete arrangement on the subject with the Russian American Fur Company, under the sanction of the Russian government.

For this purpose, in March 1811, he despatched a confidential agent to St.Petersburg, full empowered to enter into the requisite negotiations.

A passage was given to this gentleman by the government of the United States in the John Adams, an armed vessel, bound for Europe.
The next step of Mr.Astor was, to despatch the annual ship contemplated on his general plan.