Fur trade Russia exported raw furs, consisting in most cases of the pelts of martens, beavers, wolves, foxes, squirrels and hares. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Russians began to settle in Siberia, a region rich in many mammal fur species, such as Arctic fox, lynx, sable, sea otter and stoat (ermine). In a search for the prized sea otter pelts, first used in China, and later for the northern fur seal, the Russian Empire expanded into North America, notably Alaska. From the 17th through the second half of the 19th century, Russia was the world's largest supplier of fur. The fur
Francis Martes Francis Martes Francis Euclides Martes Suazo (born November 24, 1995) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Martes was signed by the Miami Marlins as an international free agent in November 2012. He made his professional debut in 2013 with the Dominican Summer League Marlins. On July 31, 2014, Martes along with Colin Moran and Jake Marisnick were traded from the Marlins to the Houston Astros for Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernández and Austin Wates. Martes started 2015 with the Quad Cities River Bandits. He was later that season promoted to the Lancaster