White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1867-04-18
RUssIAN.AMERTCA.
The Ceded Territory.

will be the most important international
event affecting this continent which has
occurred iu many years. Such an unim-
portant part has Russisn-Amsrica played
iu the affairs Of nations and Of men, thst.
when an offer for it's cession from one
power to another is made known, the an
nouncement conjures mp in the mind Of
nearly every one visions Of . cold. bar
rem and uninhabited region. converging
about Behring's straits. and celebrated
only because Capt. Beechy and Sir John
Fraklin voysged on its coasts. But in
this resuscitstion of school day memo
uies, or even in . casual glance at the
msp Of the continent itself, the most i'm
portant parts of the territory would most
likely escape notice. These are the Pc
ninsula Of Alaska and the srchipelsgoes
known as George Ill. and Prince Of
Wales. rather peculiar names for series
of islands forming Part Of the possessions
Of the Russian Bear. 1t is noticeable.
however. that the Russians know the Is
lands by other names. and the one nam
ed George III. by Vancouver. forming
part OF the archipelago generally known
by the name Of that monarch. is BY them
called Baranoy. These islands are form
ed by inlets of the ocean. and are more
properly q narrow strip Of land extend
ing for nearly four hundred miles along
the coast OF the Pacific. broken by nar.
row causeways aud arms Of the sea ex;en
ding in every direction.
The principal settlements are in these
islands, the largest town being New Arch.
angel. on the island of Sitks. which he,
a population Of only 1000. On the is.
land called George Ill. or Bsrsnoy. il
the seat of the governor of all the estab'
lishments of Russian America. 1t has
governors residence and Notifications
and magazines built Of wood, and on IL
coast is usually feet of two frigsies and
two corvettes. The whole region along
these coasts. including the archipelago o.
Kodiac and the peninsula of Alaska, is
exceedingly mountainous. being q sue
cession of lofty peaks, most of them vol
canic. one of them reaching nearly 15.'
900 feet in height. and another being lit.
tie inferior in altitude. The part of tb.
mainland south of Mt. St. Elias, one o
the volcanic peaks before referred to, and
the loftiest summit on the continent. j,
nowhere more than thirty-three mile,
wide. The islands and coasts Of tn,
mainland have generally been well ex
plored. but the interior Of the country
which looms mp prominently on the map
is almost entirely unknown. The esti
mattel area Of the whole territory is sbou
394 600 square miles. 1t has an aver
age length and breadth of 600 miles
The longest line that can be drawn across
the country. from Cspe Prince of Vale
on Behring's straits through the narrow
strip bordering on British Columbia ant
the Paci6c ocean. to the extreme south
ern point of the Russian possessions, i
1900 miles. But it will be seen from it
average length and breadth that the mas
of the country is tolersbly compac,
From several expeditions that have beer
projected into the interior. it seems ths
the western psrt of the territory is elev a
ted and uneven. while tho part extendin.
along the Arctic ocean is generally fat
The north coast was discovered early il
the present century. Capt Cook havin,
previously. as early as IT'S, penetrate,
as far north as lev cape In 1926 Capt
Beechy reached Point Barrow. and a
the same time the lamented Sir Johr
franklin. then Capt. Franklin. traced
the coast from the mouth of the Mackeu
zie river to Return reef.
The population af Russian America il
about 60. 900. of whom at least 81. .OOC
are Esquimaux. The remsinipg portion
OF the Inhabitants are Russians. Creolcs
Kodiaks and Aleoo's The principal pur
suits and chief dependence Of the inhab
itsnts are the fisheries and fur hunting
Little attention is given to sgriculturs
pursuits: bat to view this vast territory
as wholly forbiddipg and barren is t.
fall into a grave error. For. it's shorei
being washed BY the warm Pacific stresm
which sweeps mp from the China sea snd
breaks nesr the extreme north west poin
of the continent. its atmosphere is toned
down to the sslubrity of points on tn,
Atlantic coast which are many degree,
further from the pole. Far inland ther.
is region Of almost perpetual snow; bp,
on the coast. and as far inland as The
breczes from off the China sea current
may reach anil modify the rigors of the
climate, the land is fruitful and the coun,
try inviting.
The fur product of the country has 70,
many years been made q monopoly BY
the Russian government, but the UNI ed
States and Great Britain succeeded II
obtaining a lease for the territory from
so deg. 40 min. north latitude to So deg
13 min. and the exclusive privilege o
supplying the Russians with agricultural
produce and provisions was granted to
the Hudson's Bay company. The mon.
opoly of-tbe other territory remsins with
the Russian American company.
1t is noticeable that, by the treaties
with the United States and Great Brit.
ain, made in 1924. the late Russian pos.
sessions comprehends all the American
coast of the Pacific. and the sdjaceu. is.
lands north of the parallel Of 81 degrees
40 minutes north latitude. and the whole
of the mainland west of the meridisn oil
14l degrees west longitude. which passes
through Mount st. Elias. This boun-
dary treaty WAS accepted and made bind.
ing 60 long ego - 1924.
Nor PosrED-Tbs Topeka Tribune
gives the following amusing incident.