, 1857-01-02

4
Far Companies.
r The Russian American Fur Company's
territory includes all the Pacific coast and
Islands, north of 81 deg. 40 min. and the
| whole continent west of lll deg, the is
5 lands Of the kur.le group to the south point
in As deg. 80 min. This extensive territory
, has been granted to Russian American
Fur Company which was established under
charter from the Emperor Paul, Sjh July
1899, with power to occupy and bring un-
, der the dominion of Russia, all territories
, north or south Of 50 deg, not previously
occupied and placed under subsection OF an.
other nation. The Russian Company and
Il Hudson Bay Company were brought into
, collision, and the latter experienced couSid-
, cradle loss in their endeavors TO prevent
British territory and the adjacent regions
being occupied by the Muscoyites. In
. 1884, the Hudson Bay Company expended
several thousand pounds in an expedition
to establish trading stations on the large
river Stickinc, in Sc deg. 90 min. The
Russians resented by force this procedure
of the Company, although England claimed
the privilege of navigating the rivers flow
ing from the interior OF the continent to the
Pacific, across the line of boundary estab,
lished under the treaty Of 1925. The
British Government required redress for
this iniracton of the treaty; and after ne
gotiaiOns between the two Governments,
and the two chartered companies, it was
agreed in 1889, that from June lst, lS40
the Hudson Bay Company, should enjoy
for ten years the exclusive use of the cont-
nent assigned to Russia, by Mr.. Canning
in 1925, aud extending from 81 deg. 40
min. north, to Cape Spenser, near So deg
north, in consideration Of the annual pay
ment Of :, 900 otter skins to the Russian
Americap Company, whose headquarters
are at Sitka. The charter Of the Russian
Company, was renewed in 1889, when they
had thrty.six hunting and fishing establish
ments. Their stock bears high premium
Stka, or New Archangel, founded in
1905, is o military station, aud the chief
post Of the Russian Fur Company. The
fort mounts sixteen and for'y.two nine
Founders, and there are about three hun
dred officers and men. Most os the men,
and all the officers, although in the employ
Of the Company, receive pay and promotion
from the Russian Government, while at
tached to the Company, in which the Em-
peror is q shareholder. The Company have
twelve vessels, varying from one hundred
to four hundred tons each, mounting ten
guns Of different calibre
About twelve Of the Company's officers
dine daily at the table of the Governor,
which is Sumptuously served. Their is u
Greek Bishop, with several priests and dea-
cons, and also a Lutheran minister. There
are schools for the children Of Europeans,
and half.breeds.
Subordinate to Sitka, there is smaller
establishment Of the same kind at Alaska
which supplies one post in Bristol Bay, and
three posts in Cooks Inlet all connected
with minor stations in the interior. Anoth-
er station in Norton Sound has its own in
land dependencies.
The Russian Company has also perma-
nent forts or flying posts in the Aleutian
and kurlle Islands, and a chain Of agencies
from Ochoisk, in Kamschaika, to s.. Pc
terSburgh, for the Transmission OF goods,
etc. The distances are nearly thus, III geo
graphical miles: ST. Petersburgh-to Mos
COW, 400; to robolsk, 800; to lrkutSh,
1900; to Yakusk, 1900; TO Ochotsk, 500;
thence to Petropaulowski, and the Bay OF
Avatchu, 300 miles.
AThe whole of the territories is divided
into six agencies, each controlled by the
Governor-General who resides at Stka.
The inhabitants Of the Aleutiau ami
Kurle Islands, aud those OF the large Is
land Of Kodiak are regarded as the nnne-
diate servants of the Russian Company, in
whose service each man between IL aud
} 80 may be required to pass at least three
J years. The natives Of the country adja-
cent to the two great bays called Cook S
Inlet and Prince Williams Sound are also
under the control Of the company aud obll-
ged TO pay au annual tax in turs aud skins.
, The other aborigines in the Russian terri
tories are not allowed to trade with any
people but those of the Russian Company.
In 1889, the number of Russians in the
territories OF the Company was 1S0; Of
native su6jests, l44O creoles; aud about
900 aborigInes Of the Kurlle, Aleutian
and Kodiak Island.
When Sir q. simpson visited S;tka, in
} 1912, the operations OF the Company were
becoming more extensive than they had
} hitherto been; the exclusive license oil trade
, had been extended Tor u further term oil
twenty yearS-the direction was about to be
remodeled, aud generally an improved or
der OF things was in progress. Tue Russian
: trade in furs is considerable, not only for
: the supply OF Russia itself, but also for
barter with the Chinese at Kiachta, on the
frontiers OF Tartary.
The trade OF Sitka, in 1912, was esti-
4. mated at 10, 900 fur seals, 1000 sea offers,
n 1000 beavers, 1900 land otters, foxes,
l martens and 10000 sea horse teeth.
v Formerly the Russians killed the seal
= young or old, aud at all times, to the num-
!, Der OF 200,0 900 year, now they follw the
T example of the Hudson's Bay Company
: and kill only such a limited number o.
malps as have attained full growth g..