The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-09
.H.,,a. t,,e.yoy.r,rss ssnyofR Russian America.

Considering the largo number OF adventurous
VOYAGES ground tho world, and tho by no means
few books ue navisators which treat OF our new
Russian possessions tho sum OF lnlofnStiot iates
published concerning them is surprisingly meagre
Tho Senate which ratified the treaty OF purchase
in nine days after was first hroached, appears TO
have acted upon tho theory that any acquisition of
entirely safe TO 'go it blind on any scheme invov-
ing nm expansion Of our boundaries. We are not
without hopes that tho experiment may IN tins m
stance be justified b. thu results. Inc ultctlor
ends which doubtless influenced i'll large measure
the decision of the Senate have been little consld-
cred rs yet. but bore undoubtedlya close relatlo1
to the ultimate acquisition of British America, and
the absorption by tho United States OF tho whole
North American continent, Mexico excepted:
The pen;nsular portion Of Russian America was
first discovered in 1733, BY tho Russian Comman,
der Behring, whose name has boon lmmorta!izea
by the strait of icE waters ~nca scpnla.es AieI
ica from Asia In tho century and 4 quarter which
has since elapsed, the regions lying on the Ameri,
cnn side of behring's Strait have been visited and
eaboratcly described by many navlSatoIs. Com-
maner Billings visited t!em @ N iiol vancouver oHe
Zotzcbne in 1S15-1S and again in 1S23-2G, Wcan-
re in 1928 Lutkc in 1S26-29, Klttitz at tho same
period, and Ermaun in 1S29-SO. All these were
russian voyasers aud tho full account which tho
chronicles of their voyages yield of the posses
sions now to become our own, are due TO the en-
torprsc, sagacity and int .igence OF the Russian
Government
Besides these Russian navigators, Captain Cook
visited the Aeutian Islands and the American
coast ut Sitka in his last i1-fated voyage to the
paciic in 1776-S0; Cochran another Englishrnan,
visited Russian America during pedestrian tour
to Siberia in 1S2U23; Captain Beoehy sport sonae ae
weeks there in his crcunlpolar voyage OF lS25-2o;
Sir Edward Belcher stopped there on his yoyage
round the world, performed in H. NJ. 5. Sulphur,
during the years 1862; and Sir George simpson
whose entertaining Overland Journey k9und i INC
World" was published at London and Phiiaiel-
| II LII
| ISL and again In the summer Of lS2.
1t i. to the work last mentioned that we are IN
tlebtcd for the following particulars ABOUT coun-
try concerning which there is just now much spec
uiation, but little exact knowledge. Sir George
simpson held tho Office OF Governor,n-Cnlel o.
| the Hudson Bay territories under tae Driash ~
| Crown. He was shrewd and Well-Intormed on
| server, man OF catholic mind and hearty hutnal
sympathies, and appears to have honestly recordea
what he saw, without prejudice on the one hand,
! or favor upSn the other. ,,o ~
1t was in the month OF September, 1910, that
sir George and his fcLow-travelers first came III
| sight of tho Russian-A American Company's estab-
Isnment of New Archangel. They louno Lne
coast euyelopcd in fog, which is stated to be tho
| predominant feature Of the weather during the
greater part of tho yoar, but which to our Enghsh.
men need not seem q very serious hardship. Yet
| wa find Sir George complaining, In all my eSpe-
rience, I have never seen any tthing 30 miserable
| as the almost constant damp, fog and rain OF tne
| last three weeks. These fogs arc so dense as not
ony TO render observations impractlcable, but oron
| to prevent one from seeing to- the dlstalico OF
| hundred yards. During our four days at Sitka,
there was one continued fal OF rain, with tho OK
| ception of part of day.
Russian American Company" trading corpora
tion, similar to the Hudson Bay Company but far
| less wealthy and powerful, whose valuable irsn,
chse. from the Russian Government, guaranteed
in the treaties OF between Russia and Great
| Britain, and the former Power and the Uniteu
States have but recently expired. Slr ucorgo
Simpson describes, firo posts" OF this company
on the mainland, each tho nucleus OF small settle
ments and says that 1t has also -eltheT toits W
living parties in tho Aeutinn and kurilo Islands.
Tho principle business OF the company is uo
scribed as the fur trade-beaver and fur-seals tr-
nishing the larger portion of their commerce. i.
"In the rapnth of May, with the regularity oa VI
nm almanac, the fur-seals make their appearance
at tho Island OF ST. paul, ono OF the Aeutan group
| EacI, old male brings herd of fcmalos undor MS
protection ranging in number according 10 MS SIZE
and strength. The weaker brethren arc oDuSca
to contont themselves with half dozen wives,
| willie some or tho sturdicr aud hercer fellows
| urosidc over harems TINT are two hundred strong.
Tie summer season s devoted by these frisky
byperboreans to rearing their young and tie an
| nal hunt begins whom the pielimlnarles OF this
nrocess ere well over AS many as ton thousand
fnr.seals are slain in single season, ana tnelr
skins shipped to st. Petersburg or to Cahlor-
MIA. III, ,
are q very prominent article OF export from nus
sian America These teeth weigh, on an average,
ono pound each. AS tho animal produces Only
two aud tho annual exports amounts TO twenty
thonsaud. il will he seen that ten thousand huge
walruses are slaughtered evcry year, to secure tns
species Of ivory.
The natives Of Russian America are described in
not very flattering terms: "rhe Stkaguonays, OF
people of Sitka," says Sir George simpson, are 9
the most wretched Indians in appearance nee tlas
have ever seen, being bedaubed with hth anu
paint, and covered with the scars Of syphilis Pre-
yiously to the formation of the present establish
ment Of New Archangel, the savages had destroy,
edtwo forts in this neghborhood, and ontcnefed
the un0rtu ate gaIrsons4 Of bsd WSsov
is universal, tho Russian American Company giv-
ing as an excuse for furnishing it to the In hans,
that ssthe Yankees" (mcaning an occasional whale
shipl had been beforehand with then them III employ
ing this powerful instrument OF trade.
ssThe good folks of New Archangel appear 70
live well. Tho surrounding country abounds IN
the cherrenl, tho finest meat that ever ate with
the single exception of moose, while hallous' co.,
herrings, founders and many other sorts OF hsh,
are always to be had for the taking. in unlimited
quantities Salmon 80 plentiful that they hto-
rally cmbarrass the movement Of canal. About
a hundred thousand Of the latter fish are annually
sated for the use OF tho establishments but arc 30
inferior in ricsn,s Of flavor that they arc not
adapted to exportation." ~.
In September, Sir George found fresh fallen
snow, swhitening the green ice that filled the
ravines of the mountains; ana IN tne aoioMLag
April ho entered Norfolk Sound, near tho harbor
tof Sitla, in the midst Of o heavy squaI OF snow,
rendering it impossible to see quarter OF nno
from the vessel.
s'On tho Friday after our landing the Bishop OF
Sitka returned from Kodiok, distant about SIX
hundred miles, after o run OF about five days. His
outward VOYAGE however, had occupied precisely
four weeks. This prelates diocese is,. perhaps,
the most extensive III existence comprising, as 1t
does. not only tho whole Of Russian America, but
also the Sea Of Othotsk, Kamschatka and tho Aleu-
tian Archipelagoes He looks: as II intended by
nature for the >biehopric of two worlds, being q
man Of herculean franc, and tho specimen OF hls
travels which have just mentioned shows that hc
is likely to need all his constitution for his Episco-
"Of ali the dirty and wretched places that
have ever seen, Stitka is e-elnincntly the most
wretched and the most dirty. Inc common
together wthout order or design, in nasty alleys,
the hot-beds Of such odors as are sufficient to
breed all sorts Of fevers.'
Sir George found n ore inviting region ut somo
hot springs about twenty miles north from Now
Archangels Here was fine bay, sheltered by an
archipelago Of islands, and III the rear barrier OF
rugged mountains. In the vicinity was e luxu-
/ RANT yerdure presenting green oasis with va
rounding wilderness, Gll as dead as cold could
make it, still wore it's mantle OF snow. Here,
moreover, were found plants that grow nowhere
eise Oh the coast, as also many raro birds, even
the humming-bird, that lover OF tho werner anu
sunnior climes of the South. altogether, writes
Sir George, ''this is spot on which the senses
may rest with pleasure, when weary OF the savage
monotony Of the rocks and forests Of the COAST
Tie means of livirg were also abundant, the wa-
tiers being alive with fish and fowl, and the land
teeming with deer and game.
| Florida Items.
General Sprague, commanding the District OF
Florida, left this city on Monday last for Atlanta,
Georgia, where, by agreement, he is to confer
! with Maior General Pope upon matters connected
with reconstruction. From Atlanta he proceeds to
4 Tallahas zee to meet his EXcellencv, Governor