But it is chiefly as a narration of the fortunes of the Astorian expedition, that we value Ross’s book. Unlike Franchère, he exhibits no reserve, and unhesitatingly expresses his opinion of the conduct of Captain Jonathan Thorn and Astor’s partners, during the now famous voyage. His accounts of the adventures of the “Tonquin” and its passengers are consequently the more vivid and personal of the two. The dramatic situation evidently appealed strongly to our author’s temperament; the incidents at the Falkland and Hawaiian islands, the irascibility and unreasonableness of Thorn’s conduct, the useless sacrifice of life to the strictness of naval discipline, are related with no assuaging touch. Neither does the writer spare the reader an account of the hardships and trials of the adventurers, the poor and scanty food, the toil in felling trees and erecting buildings, the feuds and ill feeling between the workers, and the caprices of the commanding partners. Later, in describing the transfer of Astoria and its property to British hands, our author unhesitatingly appears as an apologist for the transaction, and an advocate of the pro-British party. His criticism of Astor’s management, while partly justifiable from Ross’s standpoint, seems to possess an element of personal pique; and for the clerks who, like Franchère, chose to remain loyal to the American owners, Ross has but few words of commendation. For a just estimate of the transaction, the reader must balance probabilities between the conclusions of Irving, Franchère, and Ross, and likewise take into consideration the emergencies arising from the Anglo-American war.
Aside from its historical value, Ross’s Adventures possesses abundant interest for all who are stirred by clearly-delineated accounts of life in the great silent places of earth. Our author has a graphic touch: dangers from Indian treachery, perils of the forests and the waterways, thrilling escapes of every sort, lose nothing under his pen; wilderness life is vividly portrayed—the sharp contrasts between civilization and savagery, the obstacles which beset man’s progress through the vast solitudes of the North-west, the forbidding aspects as well as the beauties of primeval nature; all these are presented with force and not seldom with charm.
Assistance in annotating this volume has been received from Louise Phelps Kellogg, Ph. D., and Edith Kathryn Lyle, Ph. D.
R. G. T.
Madison, Wis., August, 1904.
Alexander Ross’s Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River
Reprint of the original edition (London, 1849)
ADVENTURES
OF THE FIRST SETTLERS ON THE