After his crew returned to Russia with sea otter pelts judged to be the finest fur in the world, small associations of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia toward the Aleutian Islands.
ˈæftɚ hɪz kɹˈuː ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tə ɹˈʌʃə wɪð sˈiː ˈɑːɾɚ pˈɛlts dʒˈʌdʒd təbi ðə fˈaɪnɪst fˈɜːɹ ɪnðə wˈɜːld, smˈɔːl ɐsˌoʊsɪˈeɪʃənz ʌv fˈɜː tɹˈeɪdɚz bɪɡˈæn tə sˈeɪl fɹʌmðə ʃˈoːɹz ʌv saɪbˈiəɹɪə təwˈɔːɹd ðɪ ɐlˈuːʃən ˈaɪləndz.