The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-26
OUR NEW NORTHWEST.
RUSSIAN AMERICA.
BY OTTO sTRoL.NsKI.

BY OTTO sTRoL.NsK1.
The discovery and early history of the Rus
sian Possessions in America, until the late ao-
t;on of Congress, attracted but little attention;
but with prospect of its becoming part Of
our national domain every fact connected with
~ becomes interesting. The object of this
Dsrer is not to describe the country as it at
nresept exists, but to go back to the beginning
and show how it was discovered, and by whom.
Orr chief sources of information are found in
.tAn Account of the Russian Discoveries be-
go Asia and America" by the Rev. VIII
Hon Coxe. and "a History OF Russian Dis
aoy-ories - bv Gerard Frederick Muller, written
~ GaU,,,o,, Int translated into French and
EnoIisb. and both of these works as quoted by
Ca1tain James Burney, OF the British Navy,
in his meteorological History OF Northeastern
Voyages of Discovery, ana OF the Early East
ary Naviqations of the Russians" published
=, London in 1919. We are indebted also to
tbe "Voyage Round the World" by Otto Won
Kotzebue, of the Russian Navy.
The desire to discover a northeast passage
from Europe to Asia was early expressed by
tbe Russians; and this desire was very ma
tnral. first, on account of the benefit that
would accrue to that empire from an easy pas
SAGE round their coasts from the European to
the Indian ocean; and, secondly, on account
of the greater facilities possessed by them,
especially the inhabitants Of Siberia, aud from
their being Injured to the hardships of an
arctic climate.
AS early as 1858 the Cars of Muscovy as
sumed the title of Lords of Siberia, including
all the northern portions of Asia. The con-
ouests of the Russians over the nations of
Siberia and Tartary opened the way for the
advance of venturers and fur hunters, and in
the early part of the eighteenth century these
Russian adventuers began to push their way
eastward across the continent for the pur-
poses of trade. These traders were called
Promyschleni, and their great object was to
gather up the rich furs which everywhere
abounded and the teeth of the sea-horse,
which were in great demand. Forming them
selves into independent companies, they
gradually gained possession of the whole of
Eastern Siberia.
1t was not until the year 1916 that the first
voyage was undertaken from the Asiatic coast,
by a company of PrOmyschleni, under the
direction of a man named Isai lgnatiew.
Without chart or compass they sailed from
port in the sea of OchOtsk, rounded the point
of Kamtschatka, and passed towards the
north. They disem barlled on a point of land,
placed their merchandise on the strand, and
Tetreated; the natives then approached and
took what they pleased leaving in return
sea-horse teeth, both whole and in carved
pieces. The success of this voyage induced
others, and in June 1647, four vessels de-
parted from the same port, ON board of one
of which we find the Cossack, Semoen
Deschnew, who afterwards became famous as
avoyager; but the ice proving too great an OBJ
stacle, the enterprise was abandoned.
The next year Deschnew ventured to make
another attempt in behalf of the crown, and in
1648 fleet of seven vessels sailed from the
same port. Four of these vessels returned
but the ether three continued on their course.
The course of these vessels was along the
coasts of Kamtschatka; but on account OF their
small size, when the wind was strong, driving
the ice in towards the shore, they were COM
PEELED to take refuge in the entrances to rivers
and creeks, and could only proceed when the
south wind drove the ice to sea again. Desch-
new has left journal of this voyage,
which is preserved among the archives
of the Russian Government at st. Peters
burg, which was examined and part
published by Miller in his ''Dscoveries." 1t
is not necessary to enter into the particulars
of this voyage, as their only discoveries were
upon the Asiatic shore.
During the succeeding five or six years,
DeschneW and another Russian named Du-
Chail Staduchim made various voyages, but
with little success worth recording. From
this time until 1897 little was accomplished in
the way of discovery, but in that year Wolo-
dinner Atlassow, a Cossack officer, headed an
expedition under the direction of the Siberian
government, for the purpose of conquering
Kamtschatka for the Russian crown. This
expedition was made overland. Near the
coast they found villages of Russians, having
formerly been in Kamtschatka. 1t was a kind
of traditional report among the natives thai
strangers had arrived among them who hac
married women of the country and settled
there. These were, no doubt, traces of the
expeditions sent out early in the century.
Up to this time the Russian Government il
Europe had taken but little interest in tn
q affairs of this remote region; but after tn
beginning of the eighteenth century, Pete
the Great sent directions to the Governor @
Iakutsk, the capital of Siberia, to prosecut
the discovery Of new lands in the Arctic Sea
but little seems to have resulted from thi
order. Passing by the numerous Independent
voyages undertaken during the next twent
wears, which are devoid of special interest, W
strike upon the name of one whose discoverie
were highly important-Captain Vitus Berine
Dane by birth, but in the service of tn
Russian Gear. Towards the close of tn
reign of Peter the Great, the question whic
had eagerly engaged the attention {
navigators, whether the continents of Asi
and America were united or separate
by water again arose. In order to ascel
tain this point, Peter, who entered warml
into the question, drew up with his oW
hands set of instructions, which he delivere
to Captain Bering, who assumed the comman
of the projected expedition. But the frs
attempt was unsuccessful one of the vessel
employed being disabled by the ice, and tn
other was never heard of after her departure
1t was only few daYs after the departure {