rezanov-第8部分

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　his　attention　to　abolish　all　the　companies　and　close　the　colonies　to　traders　big　and　little。

But　the　enemy　had　a　very　subtle　antagonist　in　Rezanov。　　Apparently　dismissing　the　subject；　he　ap…　plied　himself　to　gaining　a　personal　ascendancy　over　the　erratic　but　impressionable　Tsar。　　No　one　in　the　opposing　camp　could　compare　with　him　in　that　fine　balance　of　charm　and　brain　which　was　his　peculiar　gift；　or　in　the　adroit　manipulation　of　a　mind　pro…　pelled　mainly　by　vanity。　　He　studied　Paul's　moods　and　character；　discovered　that　after　some　senseless　act　of　oppression　he　suffered　from　a　corresponding　remorse；　and　was　susceptible　to　any　plan　that　would　increase　his　power　and　add　lustre　to　his　name。　　The　commercial　and　historic　advantages　of　prosperous　northeastern　possessions　were　artfully　instilled。　　At　the　opportune　moment　Rezanov　laid　before　him　a　scheme；　mature　in　every　detail；　for　a　great　com…　pany　that　would　add　to　the　wealth　of　Russia；　and　convince　Europe　of　the　sound　commercial　sense　and　immortal　wisdom　of　its　sovereign。　　Without　more　ado　he　obtained　his　charter。

This　momentous　instrument　granted　to　the　〃Rus…　sian…American　Company　under　our　Highest　Protec…　tion；〃　〃full　privileges；　for　a　period　of　twenty　years　on　the　coast　of　northwestern　America；　beginning　from　latitude　55　degrees　north；　and　including　the　chain　of　islands　extending　from　Kamchatka　north…　ward；　and　southward　to　Japan；　the　exclusive　right　to　all　enterprises；　whether　hunting；　trading；　or　build…　ing；　and　to　new　discoveries；　with　strict　prohibition　from　profiting　from　any　of　these　pursuits；　not　only　to　all　parties　who　might　engage　in　them　on　their　own　responsibility；　but　also　to　those　who　formerly　had　ships　and　establishments　there；　except　those　who　have　united　with　the　new　Company。〃　　All　private　traders　who　refused　to　join　the　Company　were　to　be　allowed　to　sell　their　property　and　depart　in　peace。

Thus　was　formed　the　first　of　the　Trusts　in　America；　and　the　United　States　never　has　had　so　formidable　a　menace　to　her　territorial　greatness　as　this　Russian　nobleman　who　paced　that　night　the　wretched　deck　of　the　little　ship　he　had　bought　from　one　of　her　skippers。　　Perturbed　in　mind　at　his　re…　cent　failures　and　immediate　prospects；　he　was　no　less　determined　to　take　California　from　the　Span…　iards　either　by　absorption　or　force。

On　his　way　from　New　Archangel　to　San　Fran…　cisco　he　had　met　with　his　second　failure　since　leav…　ing　St。　Petersburg。　　It　was　his　intention　to　move　the　Sitkan　colony　down　to　the　mouth　of　the　Colum…　bia　River；　not　only　pressed　by　the　need　of　a　more　beneficent　soil；　but　as　a　first　insidious　advance　upon　San　Francisco　Bay。　　Upon　this　trip　it　would　be　enough　to　make　a　survey　of　the　ground　and　bury　a　copper　plate　inscribed：　〃Possession　of　the　Rus…　sian　Empire。〃　　The　Juno　had　encountered　terrific　storms。　　After　three　desperate　attempts　to　reach　the　mouth　of　the　river；　Rezanov　had　been　forced　to　relinquish　the　enterprise　for　the　moment　and　hasten　with　his　diseased　and　almost　useless　crew　to　the　nearest　port。　　It　was　true　that　the　attempt　could　be　made　again　later；　but　Rezanov；　sanguine　of　tem…　perament；　was　correspondingly　depressed　by　failure　and　disposed　to　regard　it　as　an　ill…omen。

An　ambassador　inspired　by　heaven　could　have　accomplished　no　more　with　the　Japanese　at　that　mediaeval　stage　of　their　development　than　he　had　done；　and　the　most　indomitable　of　men　cannot　yet　control　the　winds　of　heaven；　but　sovereigns　are　rarely　governed　by　logic；　and　frequently　by　the　fav…　orite　at　hand。　　The　privilege　of　writing　personally　to　the　Tsar；　in　his　case；　meant　more　and　less　than　appeared　on　the　surface。　　It　was　a　measure　to　keep　the　reports　of　the　Company　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Admiralty　College；　its　bitterest　enemy；　and　always　jealous　of　the　Civil　Service。　　Nevertheless；　Rezanov　knew　that　he　had　no　immediate　reason　to　apprehend　the　loss　of　Alexander's　friendship　and　esteem；　and　if　he　placed　the　Company；　in　which　all　the　imperial　family　had　bought　shares；　on　a　sounder　basis　than　ever　before；　and　doubled　its　earnings　by　insuring　the　health　of　its　employees；　he　would　meet；　when　in　St。　Petersburg　again；　with　practically　no　opposition　to　his　highest　ambitions。　　These　ambitions　he　delib…　erately　kept　in　a　fluid　state　for　the　present。　Whether　he　should　aspire　to　great　authority　in　the　government；　or　choose　to　rule　with　the　absolute　powers　of　the　Tsar　himself　these　already　vast　pos…　sessions　on　the　Pacificto　be　extended　indefinitely　would　be　decided　by　events。　　All　his　inherited　and　cultivated　instincts　yearned　for　the　brilliant　and　complex　civilizations　of　Europe；　but　the　new　world　had　taken　a　firm　hold　upon　his　humaner　and　appealed　more　insidiously　to　his　despotic。　　More…　over；　Europe；　torn　up　by　that　human　earthquake；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　must　lose　the　greater　half　of　its　sweetness　and　savor。　　All　that；　however；　could　be　determined　upon　his　return　to　St。　Petersburg　in　the　autumn。

But　meanwhile　he　must　succeed　with　these　Cali…　fornians；　or　they　might　prove；　toy　soldiers　as　they　were；　more　perilous　to　his　fortunes　than　enemies　at　court。　　He　could　not　afford　another　failure；　and　news　of　this　attempt　and　an　exposition　of　all　that　depended　upon　it　were　already　on　the　road　to　the　capital　of　Russia。

He　had　known；　of　course；　of　the　law　that　forbade　the　Spanish　colonies　to　trade　with　foreign　ships；　but　he　had　relied　partly　upon　the　use　he　could　make　of　the　orders　given　by　the　Spanish　King　at　the　request　of　the　Tsar　regarding　the　expedition　under　Krusenstern；　partly　upon　his　own　wit　and　address。　But　although　the　royal　order　had　insured　him　imme…　diate　hospitality　and　saved　him　many　wearisome　formalities；　he　had　already　discovered　that　the　Spanish　on　the　far　rim　of　their　empire　had　lost　nothing　of　their　connate　suspicion。　　Rather；　their　isolation　made　them　the　more　wary。　　Although　they　little　appreciated　the　richness　and　variousness　of　California's　soil；　and　not　at　all　this　wonderful　bay　that　would　accommodate　the　combined　navies　of　the　world；　pocketing　several；　the　pious　zeal　of　the　clergy　in　behalf　of　the　Indians；　and　the　general　policy　of　Spain　to　hold　all　of　the　western　hemisphere　that　disintegrating　forces　would　permit；　made　her　as　tenacious　of　this　vast　territory　she　had　so　sparsely　populated　as　had　she　been　aware　that　its　founda…　tions　were　of　gold；　conceived　that　its　climate　and　soil　were　a　more　enduring　source　of　wealth　than　ever　she　would　command　again。　　If　Rezanov　was　not　gifted　with　the　prospector's　sense　for　ores　although　he　had　taken　note　of　Arguello's　casual　ref…　erence　to　a　vein　of　silver　and　lead　in　the　Monterey　hillsno　man　ever　more　thoroughly　appreciated　the　visible　resources　of　California　than　he。　　Baranhov；　chief…manager　of　the　Company；　had　talked　with　American　and　British　skippers　for　twenty　years；　and　every　item　he　had　accumulated　Rezanov　had　extracted。　　To…day　he　had　drawn　further　informa…　tion　from　Concha　and　her　brothers；　and　their　art…　less　descriptions　as　well　as　this　incomparable　bay　had　filled　him　with　enthusiasm。　　What　a　gift　to　Russia！　　What　an　achievement　to　his　immortal　credit！　　The　fog　rolled　in　from　the　Pacific　in　great　white　waves　and　stealthily　enfolded　him；　obliterated　the　sea　and　the　land。　　But　he　did　not　see　it。　　Appre…　hension　left　him。　　Once　more　he　fell　to　dreaming。　In　the　course　of　a　few　years　the　Company　would　attract　a　large　population　to　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia　River；　be　strong　enough　to　make　use　of　any　favorable　turn　in　European　politics　and　sweep　down　upon　California。　　The　geographical　position　of　Mexico；　the　arid　and　desolate；　herbless　and　waterless　wastes　intervening；　would　prohibit　her　sending　any　considerable　assistance　overland；　and；　all　powerful　at　court　by　that　time；　he　would　take　care　that　the　Russian　navy　inspired　Spain　with　a　distaste　for　remote　Pacific　waters。　　He　had　long　since　recovered　from　the　disappointment　induced　by　the　orders　compelling　him　to　remain　in　the　col…　onies。　　The　great　Company　he　had　heretofore　re…　garded　merely　as　a　source　of　income　and　a　means　of　advancing　his　ambitions；　he　now　loved　as　his　child。　Even　during　the　marches　over　frozen　swamps　and　mountains；　during　the　terrible　winter　in　Sitka　when　he　had　become　familiar　with　illness　and　even　with　hunger；　his　ardor　had　grown；　as　well　as　his　deter…　mination　to　force　Russia　into　the　front　rank　of　Commercial　Europe。　　The　United　States　he　barely　considered。　　He　respected　the　new　country　for　the　independent　spirit　and　military　genius　that　had　routed　so　powerful　a　nation　as　Great　Britain；　but　he　thought　of　her　only　as　a　new　and　tentative　civilization　on　the　far　shores　of　the　Atlantic。　　After　some　experience　of　travel　in　Siberia；　and　knowing　the　immensity　and　primeval　conditions　of　north…　western　America；　he　did　not　think　it　probable　that　the　little　cluster　of　states；　barely　able　to　walk　alone；　would　indulge　in　dreams　of　expansion　for　many　years　to　come。　　He　had　heard　of　the　projected　ex…　pedition　of　Lewis　and　Clarke　to　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia；　butperhaps　he　was　too　Russianhe　did　not　take　any　adventure　seriously　that　had　not　a　mighty　nation　at　its　back。　　And　as　it　was　almost　the　half　of　a　century　from　that　night　before　the　American　flag　flew　over　the　Custom　House　of　Mon…　terey；　there　is　reason　to　believe　that　Russian　aggres…　sion　under　the　leadership　of