The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, U. S. A., in the Rocky Mountains and the Far West

An eager chronicler of early American fur trade finds a particularly vivid subject in Captain Bonneville, a West Point graduate whose love of literature sits oddly beside his soldier’s duty. Raised by a French immigrant in New York, Bonneville combines scholarly charm with a restless imagination, often lost in the pages of Shakespeare or Voltaire even as the frontier beckons. His posting on the western edge of the United States brings him into contact with trappers, Native traders, and rugged pioneers, sparking a burning desire to map the uncharted Rocky Mountains.

Determined to turn day‑dream into reality, Bonneville secures official permission and a modest budget, then travels to New York where old friends and ambitious merchants rally behind his plan. Together they assemble a small company, gather supplies, and set out toward the vast, untamed lands beyond the Rockies. The early chapters follow his preparations, the camaraderie of his crew, and the first steps into a wilderness that promises both danger and discovery.