It was at this period that the power of the fur trading magnates seemed to culminate, and their natural leadership of the French Canadians being recognized in the fur trade, many of the partners became political leaders in the affairs of Lower Canada. The very success of the new Company, however, stirred up, as we shall see, opposition movements of a much more serious kind than they had ever had to meet before. Sir Alexander Mackenzie's book in 1801 had awakened much interest in Britain and now stimulated the movement by Lord Selkirk which led to the absorption of the North-West Company. The social and commercial standing of the partners started a movement in the United States which aimed at wresting from British hands the territory of New Caledonia, which the energy of the North-West Company of explorers had taken possession of for the British crown. It will, however, be to the glory of the North-West Company that these powerful opposition movements were mostly rendered efficient by the employment of men whom the Nor'-Westers had trained; and the methods of trade, borrowed from them by these opponents, were those continued in the after conduct of the fur trade that grew up in Rupert's Land and the Indian territories beyond. CHAPTER XXII. THE ASTOR FUR COMPANY. Old John Jacob Astor--American Fur Company--The Missouri Company--A line of posts--Approaches the Russians--Negotiates with Nor'-Westers--Fails--Four North-West officials join Astor--Songs of the voyageurs--True Britishers--Voyage of the _Tonquin_--Rollicking Nor'-Westers in Sandwich Islands--Astoria built--David Thompson appears--Terrible end of the _Tonquin_--Astor's overland expedition--Washington Irving's "Astoria, a romance"--The _Beaver_ rounds the Cape--McDougall and his smallpox phial--The _Beaver_ sails for Canton. Among those who came to Montreal to trade with the Nor'-Westers and to receive their hospitality was a German merchant of New York, named John Jacob Astor. This man, who is the ancestor of the distinguished family of Astors at the present time in New York, came over from London to the New World and immediately began to trade in furs. For several years Astor traded in Montreal, and shipped the furs purchased to London, as there was a law against exporting from British possessions. After Jay's treaty of amity and commerce (1794) this restriction was removed, and Astor took Canadian furs to the United States, and even exported them to China, where high prices ruled. [Illustration: JOHANN JACOB ASTOR.]