Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/369

 More About Astorians 341 Canadians. The Missouri Fur Company, and more es- pecially Manuel Lisa, made strenuous efforts to keep Mr. Astor and the American Fur Company out of the Missouri country. This jealousy of the St. Louis traders towards Mr. Astor's company seemed to have affected in some degree the officials in the United States Indian Department. An act was passed in 1816 excluding Brit- ish traders, although it did not prevent the engagement of foreigners in the service of American traders. Most of Mr. Astor's engages were Canadians and the author- ities near St. Louis seized upon this circumstance as proof of a violation of the law. Col. Talbot Chambers, of the Rifle Regiment, stationed at Fort Crawford, in Septem- ber, 1817, thought proper to deny foreigners permission to accompany American traders down the Mississippi, and refused to recognize any authority to trade in that country other than the licenses emanating from the Governors of the Missouri and Illinois Territories. He therefore seized upon two boats belonging to the Amer- ican Fur Company in command of Russel Farnham and Daniel Darling. These men and their boats were or- dered to proceed to Fort Bellefontaine (not far from St. Louis) and report to Gen. Clark. Unfortunately Farn- ham had on board two notorious characters, one, a man named St. John, who had boasted of having hoisted on his boat, during the War of 1812, the scalps of three Americans. Farnham and Darling were en route to the DesMoines river to trade, and Col. Chambers insisted that in order to do so they must first obtain a license from Gen. Clark. Chambers permitted the boats to pro- ceed, and gave them a letter to present to the military posts between Fort Crawford and St. Louis. During this passage they were positively prohibited from holding any intercourse with the Indians, save when absolutely necessary to satisfy immediate wants, or to land. Col. Chambers wrote Maj. Morgan that Farnham and Darling "appeared to be hardened rascals."