Page:American Diplomacy in the Orient - Foster (1903).djvu/123

 grew into a flourishing and lucrative trade, and for the succeeding century made the American influence the predominating factor in their destinies.

Reference has already been made to the fur trade which was early carried on by the vessels of the United States between the northwest coast of America and Canton. This trade had its origin in the action of several merchants of Boston in 1787, who formed an association for the purpose of combining the fur trade of that coast with the Chinese trade. With this object in view they freighted two ships, the Columbia, Captain Kendrick, and the Washington, Captain Gray, with articles especially adapted for barter with the Indians, and the vessels set sail, via Cape Horn, on their long voyage through an unknown sea. After many trials they reached their destination, in 1788, exchanged their merchandise for furs, loaded them on the Columbia, under command of Gray, which vessel made the voyage to Canton, there bartered the furs for a cargo of tea and returned to Boston by the Cape of Good Hope, after an absence of three years, thus having the distinction of being the first ship to carry the American flag around the world.

Kendrick, with the Washington, remained on the coast, and afterwards established himself on the Hawaiian Islands, where he lost his life by accident in 1793. Gray left Boston on his second trading voyage in 1790, and it was in the course of this expedition that he discovered and entered the Columbia River. To the Boston fur traders must be ascribed the credit of laying the foundation of the great territorial possessions