New-York tribune., 1867-04-01
THE CEpED TERRITORY.

The cession of Russian North America to the United
States consummated, win be the most important inter
national affecting this continent which has oc-
Cured in many years Such an unimportant part
indeed has America played in the affairs Of ma
ons and Of men that when offer for Its cessOn from
Power ~ another s male knowD the announcement
coniures up in the mind Of ne"Ii5 every one visions o
cold, barren, and uninhabted region convergng ABOUT
Behring's Straits, and celebrated only because Capt.
Beechy and sir John Franklin m yoyaged on or,a. It's
in casual glance at the map OF the continent IT
self the important parts OF the territory would most
likely escape notice These the Peninsula OF Alaska
and the archpelagoes known as george III ana frhSe
OF Wales rather peculiar names for series OF Islands
forming part OF the Of the Russian Bear 1t
is noticeable however that the Russians know the Islands
couver forming part OF the archipelago generally known
by the name OF that monarch by them called Baranov
more properly narrow strip Of land extending for nearly
400 miles along the coast Of the Pacific broken by narrow
esuseways and arms Of the sea eAtenng IN every uec
The principal settlements are in these Islands, the
Which has population OF only iOcO the island called
George ILL., Baranov is the seat OF the Governor OF all
nor residence and fortications and magazines built OF
wood and on s coasts il usually fleet OF two frgates
ncdng the archipelago Of Kodiac and the peninsula Of
Alaska Is exceedingly mountainous, being succession
them i' reaching nearly 1900 feet N hight. and
another being little inferior IN altitude @ Inc me
Volcanic peaks before referred and the ofest summit
on the continent s nowhere more than 50 miles Wide
been well explored but the interior OF the country when
looms up prominently on the map s smSst entirely u
known. The estimated area OF the Whole 'ert9y s "a
breadth OF 600 miles The longest nne tna can pe
across the country Cape Prnceof Wales on Behring's
Straits through the narrow strp oordering on b.tsn
Columbia and Pacific Ocean, 10 the extreme soutner
point OF the Russian possessions, 600 miles bu ~
will be seen from tits average length ana DreIln tae
the mass OF thecountry is toleraby compact From sew
eral expeditions that have been projected INTO lne Ine
ror ID seems thathe western part OF the territory rs ee
waited and uneven, while the part extendng aons Wne
Arctic Ocpan ia gem
covered early the present century Capt COOK nsSn
previously early l7Ts, penetrated as Tar h9sn s
Icy Cape In 1926 Capt Beeehy rsasns s ohn Frankp
then Cant Franklin traced tho coast from the mo" Va
the Mackenzie River TO Return Reef . ,,. ~ ooo =,
uiom ~ least so 900 are Esq uimaux The remaining
noron OF the inhabitants are Russians Creoes koaaks
Alecos The principal pursuits ana Lit
lie Attention la given agricultural pursuits butto view
this vast territory wholly orbiddng and barren 70
INTO se sSvs sream Which sweeps up from the China Sea
and breaks near the extreme north point OF tne CONF
nent s atmosphere is toned down to the saluDry OF
noinfa on the Atlantic which many degrees iu
ther from the pole Far inland there Is region OF almost
erpeal snow the coast and as far inad As the
breefes from off the China Sea current may rescn ana
modify the rgors OF the climate the land utiui ana
S r product the country has many years been
made monopoly by the Russian government, put sne
lease for the territory from 500 tv north LATITUDE 70 os
and the exclusive privilege Of supplying the Russians
with agricultural produce and Tas ran other
tcrritory remains with the Russian American Company
IL s noticeable that, by the treaties with the Untea
oomprhend all tho American o the
Pacific the adjacent islands north OF the OF
$40 20 north latitude sna 'ne whD,S aeSne which passes
y. shronSb o Mount ar Elias This boundary treaty was
accepted and made binding so long ago ss ioat