The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-05-16

well wooded and IN every respect bet
ter adapted than the other Tor the sus-
tenance of both manand beast More
over, tho soil and climate improve
rapidly on. the American shore as ono
descends, and at Cooks Jnlet(in 60 de-
grees north latitude) potatoes may be
raised with case, though they hardly
ripen in any part of Kamschatka,
which extends nearly 10 degrees fur
ther south. AS, in addition to the
advantages of cultivation, deer, fish,
game and hay are abundant, the Rus
sian Fur Compny eontemplates the
formation of settlement there for the
reception of its own servants" Ofthe
many large rivers which flow through
Russian America, none Of them have
been explored to their sources; but tho
Colville, the Stil1ine, tile Youkan or
KwichpQck, and the Kuskokwin, are
supposed to run a course of upwards
of 1000 miles, and to be nayigable for
considerable distances. The Colvllle
is two miles wide at its mouth IN the
ArUic Sea. The Stikine enters the
Pacific IN 56 deg. 80 sec. N, latitude,
where II is three miles wide, and at a
distance of thirty miles from the sea
has a width of Que mile; but it's source
is in the British territory. The Yon.
don or Kwichpack rises TO the west of
the Rocky Mountains, not far from the
Union Of the Francis and Lewis, which
form the Pelly, flows first to the north,
and. after receiving a large tributary
called the Porcupinc, to the westward,
falls into Behring's Sea in GG deg N.
latitude aud l47ideg. w. longitude,
which is about ono thousand miles
from its mouth; it is, according to Sir
J. Richardson, one mile and quarter
wide. Some idea of The value ofthe fur
trade of the region may be formed
from the fact that the Russian Fur
Company maintain about 60 establish
monts among the islands, along the
coasts, upon the mainland itself, and
in the Fox, Aleutian and Knule Islands,
which stretch across TO tho coast OF
Japan, and that Tho Tchullcbe of ST.
boria cross Behring's Straits to trade
with the JGsquimaux, and with the
Russian posts rcccntlyplanted in that
quarter, for furs and fossil ivory. The
trade of Sitsa, the capital, in 1S42, was
estimated at 10000 fur seals, 1000
sea ottors, $1,000 beavers, $500 land
offers, aud 10000 sea-horse teeth, be-
sides foxes and martins, and the pro
pucc octhe salmon, sturgeon, and
turbot fisheries, and ofth neighporlng
forests, Sable and ermine are also
obtained in the territory. 1t is be-
lievcd that Russian America will be
found hereafter TO possess far greater
riches IN its minerals and ores than in
ITS furs or fisheries. Several valuable
minerals, such as fine Jasper porcelain
clay, semi opal, plumbRgo, gypsum,
various coIored ochers, amber, sulpher,
petroleum, galena, porphyry, yarie-
| gated marble, and also iron ore have
already been discovered in many parts
of the territorya Coal is found in a.
bundancc in all parts of tho immense
region, when will prove ofgreat value
in facilitating mining operations A
brief study OF the above facts in rela-
tion to Russian America, which have
been mainly obtained from a work
published ia 1855 by the Literary and
Historic Society Of Quebec, and which
may therefore be deemed authentic,
viii tend TO show that, independently
Of any political purposes which the
! Americans may have kept in view in
acquireing the territory, the develop,
ment OF It's varied resources IS an object
worthy ofthcir skull and enterprise,
and likely in their hands 60 prove a
new and valuable source of national
wealth : -ees cdI 9.- ~. .,.'g d.