Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-25
OUR RUSSIAN TERRITORY.


acquired possession on the extreme
Northern Pacific Coast
" The Climate and Temperature of
the coast from Prince of Wales Island
to the entrance of Behring's Straits,
during the winter months, is about
the same as at the City of Washing
ton. There is little snow and much
rain. During the summer months
heavy fogs prevail.
" Iinlber.-The whole country, well
up to the northern coast, is heavily
timbered-chiefy hard pine forests
the small trees extending down to
the very shores. Some of the is
lands, also, are heavily timbered
with pine forests and dense under
growth. Others of them are desti-
tute of timber, but covered with
grass of luxuriant growth.
The Soa.-On the west coast the
soil produces excellent barley, and
roots such as radishes and turnips,
and esculents such as lettuce, cab.
bage. &c.
animals. - Furred animals,
such as sea otter, river otter, sable,
furred seal, mink. black, silver and
red foxes, are found in great num-
bers red deer ON the south, and
reindeer on the north
Fish. Herring, salmon, halibut
and Goldfish abound in exhaustless
numbers. In Behring's Straits and
to the northward great whales are
very numerous"
Mr. Collins, who sought the high
est sources of knowledge in regard
to the physical and typographical
condition of the northwestern limb
of our continent, in the course of his
Investigations to determine the route
of the Russian-American Telegraph,
says:
"The fisheries along the coast and
islands will build up a population
and commerce there which at no dis
tant day will rival Newfoundland
and the coast of the Atlantic east of
Cape Cod. The shoals and banks
along the islands of Russian Ameri-
Ca are the resort of myriads of cod
fish unsurpassed for size and delicacy.
Once give us lodgment, these fish
ing towns will soon spring into ex-
istence, giving for our Pacific coast
nursery for first class seamen,
which, in the growing commerce of
the Pacific, will be just what we
want there in the future in order to
give us the supremacy of that ocean.
The fisheries alone are worth more
than the whole cost of the country,
and will repay us in the future amply
for the investment. The immense
population of Asia and the islands
of the Pacific will be good custom
ers for our surplus fish, and will read
lily take all we have to spare. Tim
Der for building purposes is abund-
ant and convenient saw-mills will
soon make the lumber trade source
of great profit, not only for domes-
tic use, but for export to Asia and
the more southern islands. Boat and
ship building can be carried on
proftably where good timber is SO
abundant and easily procured.
"The acquisition is also valuable
on account of several deposits of
coal along the coast and islands. AT
Zodiac the Russian-American Com
pany have worked a coal vein for
some years past, and have used it in
their forges and workshops, as we'll
as in their steamers employed in car
rying on their commerce with Califor-
MIA and Asia.
Nor is the country to be counted
as nothing in an agricultural point
Of view. Wheat, barley and oats
can be produced as far north as sixty
degrees gardens flourish along the
coast in the Russian settlements,
producing all the vegetables requis.
ite for domestic use
1t must always be remembered
that the Pacific coast is much warm
er than the Atlantic coast of equal
degrees. The isothermsl line of Sit
ka New Archangel) is equal to New
founlland or St. Petersburg That
is about 40 to As degrees Fahrenheit;
and the mean of the thermometer is
ascertained to be 40 deg. min.
winter, "a deg. min, summer, So
deg Z min.
Taking it, then, as "a whole, the
country Of Russian America cannot
be considered, as some would have
it, a dreary waste of glaciers, ice
bergs, white bears and walrus, and
only fit for the Esquimaux and drink
ers of train OIL
Zone more article of commerce
must not be lost sight of-that is,
ice. On the islands there are many
fresh water lakes which afford an in
exhaustible supply of very pure ice.
The trade in ice so far has been con-
Quoted either by the Russian-Ameri-
can Company or under their permit,
consequently the ice trade has not
been developed to any great extent.
The trade in the hands of Americans
would soon grow to wonderful pro.
portions, for the reason that these
lakes in Russian America supply the
only ice suitable for shipment on the
Pacific north of the equator. did
not mention in order, when speaking
of tue fisheries, that all the way
north from Zodiac to the Arctic
whales are found in great abundance
Zodiac and Bristol Bay are all whal
ing grounds, and many New Eng
land town owes it's wealth to tht
large catch of whales in Russian
American waters. Walrus are a.
plentiful at and about Behring's Strai
as blackberries are with us in Au
gust. With American fishing settle