The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-11
Russian Acknowledgements Of the Country

Since a treaty, made between this country
and Russia, by the terms of which the latter
cedes to the United States, for the sum of ST.
100000, all her possessions in North Western
America, has been ratified by the senate tby
a vote of 81 to q our readers mast feel an
interest in knowing something of the charac
ter ofthe territory in question. With view
to afford them information ON the subject
we republish the following, taken from Lip
pencott's Gazetteer of the World, published
in 1866: s.--...r
Russian America, according to the treaties
with the United States and Great Britain, in
1915, comprehends all the American
coast of the Pacific, and the ajacent islands
north of the parallel of fifty degrees forty
minutes north latitude, and the whole of the
mainland west of the meridian of one hun
dred and forty-one degrees ives longitude,
which passes through Mount St. Elias. 1t is
bounded north by the Arctic Ocean, east by
British America, south by the Pacific, and
west by the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and
Behring's Straits, which separate it from the
Russian possessions in Asia, the distance
across from Cape Prince of Wales to East
Cape, being only thirty-six miles. With the
exception of the narrow strip extending in a
southeast direction along the coast nearly
four hundred miles, and the remarkable pen
insula7of Alaska, it forms telerable com
pact mass, with an average length and
breadth of about six hundred miles each.
In its greatest length north and south, from
the southern extremity of Alaska to Point
Barrow, is about LOO miles; greatest
breadth measured on the Arctic Circle, which
+Ero,rb prinoa nf Wnlac 20
about eight hundred miles; the longest line
that can be drawn across the country from
Cape Prince of Wales to its southern extrem-
ity, latitude fifty-four degrees forty minutes,
distance of about 1000 miles. Estimated
area, $4,000 square miles. The part of the
mainland south of Mount st. Elias consists
of narrow belt which is continued along a
mountain ridge parallel to the coast, and has
nowhere a greater width than about thirty,
three miles. The interior of the country is
very little known, but from several expedi-
tons it appears that throughout its west part
it is elevated and uneven, while the part ex-
tending along the Arctic Ocean is invariably
fat, with the exception of a small portion ly.
ing between one hundred and forty-one de-
grees and one hundred and ffty-two degrees
west longitude. The coasts of the mainland
and the islands have almost all been carefully
explored. The north coast was first discov-
cred in the course of the present century.
Captain Cook, in 1878, during his last voy-
age, reached Icy Cape, latitude seventy de-
grees twenty minutes north and one hundred
| and sixty-one degrees forty minutes west ;
| and it was supposed from the larger masses
of ice there met with, even in summer, that
| further progress was impossible.
In 1926, however, Captain Beechy pro-
| ooadoI aact for 90 Moth Copa or Dr.
Barrow, latitude seventy-one degrees twenty
three minutes thirty. one seconds north, long
itude on hundred and fifty-six degrees TWEEN
ty-one minutes thirty-seconds west while at
| the same time the lamented Sir John Frank
| lin, then Captain Franklin, traced the coast
west from the mouth of the Mackenzie to
Return Reef, latitude seventy degrees. TWEEN
ty.six minutes north, longitude one hundred
and fort-fve degrees ffty-two minutes west
The Intervening space between Point Barrow
and Return Reef was first explored in 1887
by Dease and Simpson, officers of the sHud-
sons Bay Company.
The whole of the north coast of Russian
America, from Demarcation Point west to
Point Barrow, its northermost extremity
stretches with tolerable regularity in a west
| northwest direction, and is, with the excep-
ton of small part in the east, dead fat,
often nearly on level with the sea, and new.
| er more than from 10 to 20 feet above it
From Point Barrow the coast takes a uni
form direction from the northeast to south
| west, rising gradually toward Cape Lisburn,
| which is $50 feet high.
1t here turns south, forming, between the
two large inlets of Kotzebue Sound and Nor.
| ton Sound, the remarkable peninsula of
Prince of Wales, which projects into Beh-
| rings Straits, and terminates in an elevated
promontory, forming the most western point
| OF north America. From Norton Sound it
turns first southwest, then southeast, becom-
| ing indented with several large bays, includ-
ing those of Bristol Bay and Cooks Inlet, on
the opposite side of the long and narrow
| peninsula of Alaska, and is lined almost
throughout by several groups of large is
lands, of which the most important belong
to the Alentian, Kodiak and King George
the III. archipelagos. The greater part of
| the coast last described is very bold, present.
ing succession of volcanic peaks, two of
| which, of the west coast of Cook Inlet, have
the respective heights of 1870 feet and
l2,066 feet. The climate of the Russian