Star.
London, England, 1820-01-07 00:00:00

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PRICE,SEVEN-PENCE.

to trade with China, but freights European ot. Ame-
rican vessels for that ptirposet -
To form an idea of the value of the eat-goes, it is
sufficient to say, that he has already paid 20,000 dol-
lars for the transport of a single one of these cargoes.
Another advantage which he detives front the Ko-
diack islanders is, that he lets out boats on hire to

American Captains, which are rowed by thew people .
and commanded by Russians, and are sent out to the
coast of California to catch sea otter s. A ship of
250 tons burthen must. have • fifty such boats, which
are narrow and long, made of Skins and hoops of
casks, and can contam three men. .
All these undertakings are done in the night: eget),
thing remains on hoard the American ship, till they
have arrived at the place for' catching the sea otters:
If the air is calm, the boats are let into the sea to stir:
prise the sea otters, which sleep with their heads altave
water. They are attacked with advantage in the mo-
ment when they collect in crowds as they are accus-
tomed to pursue their food. These chases they make
in the greatest order. Besides the implements for
the hunting, the Indians carry two knives. Numerous
as they are, they never commit the least disorder, or
ei•er attempt to make themselves masters of the'vessel:
The Captain chiefly owes this security to the custom
of taking a female Indian of rank on board, whose
presence keeps them all in awe, and whose commands
they. obey with the most unlimited respect;
As, besides this, the Indians do not understand any
of the manceuvres, they would, even if they h.-td
made themselves masters of the ship, not know where
to steer her to. While they are on board, they ate
fed with train oil and a kind of berries, which are
taken in casks froth Norkfolk Sound: When the
chase is about to begib, the Indians divide them-
selves into three divisions: each consisting of fifteen
beats, is accompanied by a sixteenth, which carries .
two Indians arid a Russian Officer. This last keeps
within the half circle. Every Indian carries with
him his bow, quiver, and lance. As soon as they
have uppvoached the otters near enough, evei y one
discharges his arrow, but each has a particular
mark that it may be !mown again. It is taken for
granted, that the arrow which is neatest the animal's
organs of hearing has killed it. The Officer counts
the sea otters killed by each hunter. After their
return, the Governer tries to animate them by -raises
to still greater efforts every one receives imple-
ments for hutting, tobacco, rum, coarse woollen
cloths, and other things for use and ornittnent. ac- •
cording as they have shewn their skill and zeal.—
The produce of the chase is divided in the same
manner, half of which falls to the Governor for lend-
in g the boats.
The most important settlement Of the United
States is ten degrees more southward, on the banks
Of the Columbia. Two Captains from Roston ac-
quired of the natives, some years ago, a leng extent
of coast, by virtue of a contract, which is still in the
hands of several Merchants in Bciston. Soon after
this, several agents to the American North West
Company went from New York to settle there, under
the direction of the
.President, Mr. Aster, and soon
after began a very good trade with the English North
West Company in. Canada, which had for a long
lime carried on a trade in furs.

About this time, the Americans destroyed the Bri,
tish fleet in the Pacific Ocean, which was employed
in the whale fishery. But Captain Porter, who had
prbposed this undertaking, was made prisoner on
board the Exeter, by •the English: Not satisfied
with this, they sent several small vessels to destroy
all the American trading magazines on the Said.
wich Islands, and at the mouth of the Columbia. But
the Americans en the Columbia, informed of these
intentions, by their friends the Canadians, who had
already several settlements on that riv€r, quickly
sold their establishments to them, and all the maga-
tiries which were there; so that the English ships, on
their arrival, found that there was nothing► to rim. -
der, as every thing had become the property of Eng-
lish subjects. The natives, however, were not pleased
with this convention : they affirmed, that it was ne4
cessaty for them to have as many Ships as possible in
the Columbia, as the ♦alue of their fur goods in the
Chinese trade was thus increased. Since this time,
the United States have tried to, form eew settlemmts
in these parts, and the English look With a.jealous
eye on their commercial activity, as well as that of
the Russians. In reality, the Russian settlements in-
crease wonderfully in the east of Asia, as well as in
the west of America. They have followed more li-
beral principles than they did in Kamtschatka and
the adjacent islands: It i& certainly their letention
to make ihemselves masters, as ankh as possible, of
the trade of the North-west of America, and to draw
over to their side the fishermen and bunters of these
parts, to be at last able to supply the Chinese market
exclusively with furs. Without doubt the Itusians
already injure the Americans ; and as the goods in
the Chinese ports become more rare and more in
demand, quarrels between the merchants of these
two nations seem unavoidable; and it will probablT
be decided"without the knowledge and consent .of
their Governments, .who shall yield to the other in
this contest.

The Ituseians have made a regular communication
over Asia, between America and Europe.' From
Edgccombe, in the Norfolk Sound, ships sail to
Ochotsk, from thence the road goes to Jakutsk, up
the Lena to Kiransic, or Katschinsk, and then over
land from Irkutsk, Tomsk, Tobolsk, Tjumen,
Moscow, to Sc. Petersburgh, which is a distance of
about 6520 English miles.
If we may give credit to The NeteYork Spectator
of the 26th of February, Russia has resigned to the
United States all its claims to the countries on the
coast of the Northwest of America which Be to the
south of 56 deg. of northern latitude, and Leglatid
had signed thit treaty for the time, when the ten
years fixed in the last Convention on this country
shall be expired : so that the Uni!ed.Si;uesof Ame-
rica will possess in future an extent of 13 degrees of
.latitude upon the Ocean.-;-;fete Aferstiiy Mag.