BOOKS.

ROSS'S FUR-RUNTERS.* SOME six years ago, Mr. Ross published a full account of the foundation and failure of the great fur-trade speculation un-

dertaken by the celebrated Mr. Astor of New York, which fur-

nished the materials for Washington Irving's Astoria. But though the theme was the same, the books were altogether different.

The author of the " Life of Columbus " first looked at the large design of securing all the fur-trade of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific coast from the boundaries of California to Vancouver's Bay, if not from the Russian settlements on the North. Irving's attention was next chiefly given to the struggles of the hardy ad- venturers with man and beast, and worse, with the gloom and barrenness and vastness of nature. Mr. Ross took a smaller view. Ile did not altogether overlook personal adventures, but his mind was mainly fixed upon the shop. He told how imperfeetarrangements, an ill-conditioned captain, officers who did not " set their horses together " and were not all of them well fitted for their work,

ruined the speculation, and, aided by wrecks at sea, a massacre on shore, and the war between England and America, finally com-

pelled its transfer to the North-west Company in 1813 ; that Company in turn being ingulphed, in 1821, by the Hudson's Bay corporation. The present work is a continuation of the Adventures of the Settlers on the Oregon. The first volume is a sort of history of the North-west Company, as regards Oregon, from the time they succeeded to Astor until their absorption. Mr. Ross describes their organization and mode of doing business with the Indians, touches upon the characters of some of the principal traders who managed matters under the Company in the district West of the Rocky Mountains, and freely comments on their oversights, self-opinion, and mismanagement. The greater portion of the volume, however, consists of his own explorations and adventures, together with those of his friends and followers. These explorations first and last extended over about ten degrees of latitude, from 40P to 50' North, and consisted of hunting expeditions or excursions to dis- cover new hunting-regions. The larger expeditions were accom- panied by bodies of men and horses, with considerable quantities of goods as presents, or to exchange with the Indians. The tours of discovery were made with a guide and two or three followers. In either case, the adventurers were led among some of the wild- est and grandest regions of the world, but very often some of the barest also, where any one save an Indian or a fur-trader would starve, and where even they sometimes did starve. The regions, too, abound in what those who have to go through it call " a diffi- cult country," where the way is always dangerous and sometimes impassable. To these natural obstacles may be added the dissatis- faction or treachery of followers and the hostility of Indians. A considerable part of the second volume is occupied with the account of an expedition among the head-waters of the Missouri and further South, when Mr. Ross took office under the Hud- son's Bay Company. It differs in nothing but magnitude and the responsibilities of higher command from the other expeditions. The remainder of the second volume narrates his Eastward journey across the Rocky Mountains, and thence down the rivers and lakes to the settlement on the Red River, where he finally pitched his tent. The journey was made along the regular line of communication between head-quarters and the posts West of the Rocky Moun- tains, so that it had nothing very particular to those who were used to it. Other people would have shrunk from the mountain journey, where navigation terminates on the waters of the Colum- bia, not to begin again till the Athabasca is reached on the Eastern side. Each man started with ninety pounds weight ; the road was difficult and steep, the cold that of winter; sometimes swamps had to be passed, more frequently the river along whose course the path lay.

" We commenced our journey at daybreak. A plunge or two in the cold water was our morning dram, which we had to repeat more frequently than we wished: in short, our whole day was occupied in crossing and recrossing this-impetuous torrent.

" When the current proves too strong or the water too deep for one per- son to attempt it alone, the whole join hands together, forming a chain, and thus cross in an oblique line, to break the strength of the current; the tall- est always leading the van. By their united efforts, when a light person is swept off his feet, which not unfrequently happens, the party drag him along ; and the first who reaches the Shore always lays hold of the branches of some friendly tree or bush that may be in the way ; the second does the same, and so on till all get out of the water. But often they are no sooner out than in again ; and perhaps several traverses will have to be made with- in the space of a hundred yards, and sometimes within a few yards of eaoh other, just as the rocks or other impediments bar the way. After crossing several times, I regretted that I had net begun sooner to count the number; ' • The Fur-Punters of the Far West: a Narrative of Adventures in the Oregon and Rocky Mountains. By Alexander Ross, Author of " Adventures of the First Set-

tlers on the Oregon or Columbia River." In two volumes. Published by Smith and Elder. but before night I had sixty-two traverses marked on my walking-stick, which served as my journal throughout the day."

Nor did the night's comfort make up for the hardships of the journey. " On the summit of the Grande Cote we found the snow eight feet deep, and there we encamped for the night. When travelling over snow, it is al- ways customary for travellers to clear a spot for their encampment ; but the men were so worn out after their day's labour, that a little indulgence was shown them on the present occasion. After throwing the loads off their backs, instead of setting them to clear away the snow and pitch the tents as usual, they were ordered to lay a tier of long green wood on the surface of the snow ; upon which, after being covered over with wet faggots and brush- wood, a blazing fire was, kindled and we prepared for rest. Travellers in severe weather, in these parts, generally sleep with their feet towards the fire; it was so with us, as no regular encampment was made. Each rolling himself up in his blanket, lay down on the surface of the snow, with his feet to the centre, forming a circle round the cheering fire ; every one stuck his shoes and socks on a forked stick to dry, in order to be ready for an early start. This being done, sleep soon sealed up our eyes. " We were not, however, long permitted to enjoy a bed of snow in peace ; for hardly had we slept, when one poor fellow, who had placed his feet in rather doubtful proximity to the fire, was awakened by feeling it approach too near his toes. Thus warned, he started up, exclaiming, Le feu! le feu!' In a moment we were roused ; but only to witness a scene of confu- sion, mingled with jests and shouts of laughter. It appeared that the fire had sunk down a considerable way, owing to the melting of the snow under it, and thus formed a miniature crater, over which feet and blankets, as well as shoes and socks, had experienced a too warm temperature. On jumping up, some, not aware of their position, slid down with an easy descent into the fiery gulf ; but, fortunately, the melted snow which they carried down with them, and the activity of their comrades, who hastily dragged them up, preveuted anything more serious than a fright. Some, however, were slightly burned, but none received any serious injury."

Many accounts of hardships met as a matter of course, and of adventures with savage men or savage beasts, will be found in the volumes. There are some striking sketches of landscape, and of Indian life and character, as well as a good deal of information about the old fur-trade. This last, however, has in Oregon passed from the English to the Americans : some of it is almost ex- tinct from the extinction of the animals or change of fashion,—for instance, the general use of silk hats has been a great respite to the beaver race ; they are said to have become so numerous since their skins have sunk in value that beaver hats may again come into fashion.

The matter of the book gains little from Mr. Ross's manner, be- yond the confidence which the reader feels in its literal truth. The effect of this literalness is increased by the narrowness of the writer, perhaps inseparable from his position. Fifteen years passed in the fur-trade and thirty years more in the Red River colony would naturally induce a man to attach undue importance to the Companies he served, as well as to the adventures of his fellows and his own journeys through the "howling wilderness." He again dwells too much upon the shop in somewhat of a shoplike spirit, and on a mat- ter that has ceased to have a practical character, and which few readers will incline to rank as historical. Adventures, escapes, or rogueries, which seem to belong to the " accidents and offences " of Oregon thirty or forty years ago, pall by repetition and by contrast with rarer incidents. Some of his own explorations lead to nothing ; so there is a journey resultless save in description, of which there is enough in other places. The book, however, is of considerable value as a picture of an almost past mode of human existence, an account of what a good constitution can be habituated to do and endure, as well as for its information upon the Indians of Oregon, now passing or passed away like their masters the Oregon fur- traders.

The largest and most important expedition, both for the num- bers employed and the extent of its explorations, was that which Mr. Ross commanded for the Hudson's Bay Company during his last years of service. It was a sort of caravan, consisting of fifty-five men, twenty-five women, sixty-four children, three hun- dred and ninety-two horses, and a small brass cannon. Besides scenery, adventure, and Indian diplomacy, something of the dis- cipline of an army and the strategy of a campaign was necessary. It started in winter, the camp relying upon the hunters for sup- plies, and having to make a "light meal' last for two days, as a beginning. It .7as desirable to avoid the pass called Hell's Oates, because it exposed them to run the gauntlet for three weeks through hostile Indians, who would rob and annoy if they did not attack : but no other route across the mountains was known to the Whites, and some Indians declared none of their ways were passable till the fine weather. An exploring party, however, was sent out; and, after six days' journeying, the leader thus reported on the difficulties to Mr. Ross, who had gone out to meet him away from listeners.

" The first three miles were thickly wooded, and the snow from six to eight feet deep, with a strong crust on the top. Afterwards, the country became more open, with occasional small prairies here and there ; the snow, how- ever, keeping the same depth, with the crust still harder and harder on the top as we advanced, for about three miles further, till we bad reached fully the middle of the mountain. From thence, all along to the other side, a distance of six miles more, the snow ranged from five to six feet deep, with the crust very strong till we got to the open plains. The distance, therefore, across, is twelve long miles; a distance and depth of snow that can never be passed with horses in its present state. Beyond the mountain is a large open plain, over which the snow is scarcely a foot deep. There we found plenty of buffalo."

Having directed the party to reduce the distance and soften the difficulties for the getters) camp, Mr. ROSS determined to try and beat a road by means of horses. "March 20th.—Notwithstanding the conflicting opinions regarding the road, and the unlooked-for fall of snow, I ultimately succeeded in getting forty-five men to start with eighty horses, to begin the road ; and never did I set out on any undertaking with less hope of success than I did on this. On arriving at the place, we were for some time at a loss how to begin; but, after a good deal of manceuvering, one man on snow-shoes took the foremost horse by the bridle, while another applied the whip to urge the animal on. When it had made several plunges forward, it became fatigued, and would neither lead nor drive ; so there we left it in the snow, with nothing to be seen but the head and ears above the surface.

" The second was then whipped up alongside of the first, and urged forward, making several plunges still further on ; and then it lay in the snow, some six or seven yards ahead of the other. The third did the same, and so on until the laid; when nothing was to be seen of our eighty horses but a string of heads and ears above the snow ! We then dragged out the first, next the second, and so on, till we had thernall back again. The difficulty of getting them extricated was greater than that of urging them forward ; but we were partly recompensed by the novelty of the scene, and the mirth and glee which the operation diffused among the people. All this was very well for a while; but the men, as well as the horses, soon got tired of it. This single operation, for we only went over all the horses once, occupied us nine hours; but we got five hundred and eighty yards of the road half made, and returned to camp after dusk. " Our first attempt, although an arduous one, produced no very flattering result—scarcely a quarter of a mile of road ; but I represented to the people that it was far beyond my expectation ; though in my own mind, the task appeared beyond our means of accomplishing, and one of the most discourage- ing undertakings I bad ever attempted. And if so hopeless under shelter of the woods, what would it be out in the open plains, where the road would be liable, from every blast of wind, drift, or snow, to be filled up in as many hours as we should spend days in opening it ? I, however, put the best face on things, and did everything in my power to cherish hope, which was so necessary to encourage my people to persevere and finish the task which we had begun.

"March 21st.—After some hesitation among the people, we again re- sumed our labours at the road ; but out of forty men and eighty-five horses which had set out in the morning, twenty-eight of the former and fifty of the latter were all that reached the ground. Thus, after eight hours' hard toil in much the same way as the day before, we only made the distance three hundred and seventy yards, when dark night brought us back to our quarters. With various degrees of success, and much anxiety and labour, we continued, doing more or less each day, until the 27th, when we reached the extremity of the woods. But in the open plains our progress promised to be exceedingly slow and discouraging, both on account of the additional distance we had to travel backwards and forwards, as well as the uncertainty of the winds and drift, which filled up the road nearly as fast as we could open it. Norhad we, after eight days' harassing labour, got over more than one-third of the distance. Although, if anything, the depth of the snow had decreased, yet in no place was it under seven feet. There were also other inconveniences : the mornings were cold as in winter, but during the day the sun melted the snow on our clothes and made them uncomfortable, while in the evening they froze and became stiff on our backs. The task was so disheartening, that on the last day I could only muster eight men and a few horses ; and before night I found myself left at the task with only four of that number."

The "grumblers" had now the upper hand in the camp : the majority expressed a determination to go back even to "Hell's Gates" ; symptoms of mutiny and desertion began to appear. However, by suspending work for a week, and much talking and persuading during the time of rest, Mr. Ross got them to make an attempt with mallets to break the ice, and wooden spades to clear away the snow. The plan was finally successful ; and the account is a striking example of what can be done when men make up their minds to do it.