Astoria Chapter 52

In which our narrative, turning to the distant and rugged regions beyond the mountains, follows the ventures of Mr. Robert Stuart’s scattered parties as they navigate encounters with the industrious yet thievish Chipunnish tribe, the wild roaming bands of restless Indians, and the misadventures of wandering voyageurs and trappers amid the caches of buried trade goods. In this chapter, the hardy men establish trading posts, endure hardships of travel and theft, and form a disparate company bound by fortune’s whimsical hand, traversing rivers, mountains, and plains in pursuit of survival and commerce.