1836 Astoria; or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains
DESCRIPTION
This rare 1836 first edition of Astoria; or, Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains by Washington Irving, complete in two volumes with the original folding map titled Sketch of the Routes of Hunt & Stuart, offers one of the earliest published narratives of transcontinental travel across the American West.
Commissioned by John Jacob Astor to document his ambitious but ill-fated effort to establish a fur trading empire on the Pacific coast, Irving’s work blends historical fact with literary flourish, recounting the perilous 1810 – 1813 overland and maritime expeditions that led to the founding of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. The included map, not only complements Irving’s vivid account but also stands as a landmark in American cartography, capturing a continent in transition and a bold commercial venture on the edge of empire.
Examining the Map "Sketch of the Routes of Hunt & Stuart"
This folding map attached to the inside cover of the 1st volume, depicts the overland journey undertaken by Wilson Price Hunt and Robert Stuart between 1811 and 1813 during John Jacob Astor’s bold but short-lived attempt to establish a fur trading outpost aptly named "Astoria" on the Pacific Coast and mouth of the Columbia River. The map visually documents the inland leg of Astor’s Pacific Fur Company expedition, beginning in St. Louis and following the Missouri, Snake, and Columbia River systems to the Pacific Northwest. It captures the routes taken both westward by Hunt and eastward by Stuart, who in 1812 – 13 famously returned east through South Pass, later a critical gateway for westward expansion along the Oregon Trail.
Notable features on the map include key rivers like the Columbia, Snake, Missouri, and Platte, which were crucial to navigation and survival, as well as early references to Native American tribes and geographic landmarks such as the "Caldron Linn," where Hunt’s party lost boats and supplies. The map also marks several points of divergence between Hunt and Stuart’s paths, illustrating the formidable challenges faced during the return journey. Locations like Fort Astoria, Cape Disappointment, and South Pass are rendered with cartographic precision, providing one of the earliest visual records of overland travel through the still largely unmapped American West.
Washington Irving's Recount of the Ambitious American Expedition to the Pacific Northwest and Ill-fated Fur Trading Colony of Astoria.
Washington Irving’s Astoria recounts the ambitious but ill-fated attempt by John Jacob Astor to establish a global fur trading empire centered on the Pacific Northwest during the early 19th century. With a vision to connect the American interior to Asian markets via the Columbia River, Astor orchestrated a daring commercial venture involving both overland and maritime expeditions; an enterprise that would reveal the ruggedness of American expansion, the complexity of indigenous relations, and the unpredictability of frontier commerce.
The overland journey from St. Louis to the Pacific was plagued with peril. The expedition, divided into multiple parties, endured bitter winter storms, desert crossings, famines, hostile encounters with Native groups, and internal dissension. Notable events include the treacherous Snake River crossings, the tragic loss of men at Caldron Linn, the tense winter encampment at the Rocky Mountains, and various misadventures involving explorers such as Wilson Hunt, Donald McKenzie, and Robert Stuart. At the same time, the ship Tonquin, sent to establish a trading post by sea, was destroyed after a conflict with local tribes at Vancouver Island, killing its crew.
Throughout the narrative, Irving delves into the customs, politics, and geographies of the American West. Tribes such as the Sioux, Crow, Shoshoni, and Arikara are described in scenes of trade, tension, and reluctant alliance. The geography of the Columbia and Missouri Rivers, the Snake River desert, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific coast serve as both backdrop and obstacle to Astor’s ambitions. The text also includes vivid anecdotes of wilderness survival, such as men subsisting on dogs, encountering grizzly bears, or being rescued by indigenous guides.
Despite early optimism, the Astoria project collapsed under external pressures and internal failures. War between Britain and the United States, miscommunication, betrayal among Astor's partners, and British naval superiority led to the eventual takeover of the outpost by the British North West Company. Astor’s grand design to link continents through trade dissolved, though the story left an enduring impression on American frontier history.
Irving’s account, based on firsthand journals and letters provided by Astor himself, blends fact with literary flourish. While it documents a genuine commercial expedition, Astoria also serves as a romanticized chronicle of American ambition and hardship in the wilderness; an early vision of Manifest Destiny unfolding in real time. The book remains one of the most vivid and informative 19th-century narratives of transcontinental enterprise and exploration.
Inventory #12997
CONDITION
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