The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-04-20
Information
Russian America.

The cession of Russian North America to tn,
United States, if cnnsuInmated, will be the mos
important International event effecting this con
tinent which has occurred in many years. Sue!
an unimportant part has Russian America played
in the affairs of nations and of meE that when al
offer for its cession from one power to another L
made known, the announcement conjures up IL
the mind OF nearly every one visions OF a cold
barren and uninhabited region, converging abou
Behring's straits, and celebrated only becaus
Capt Beechy and Sir John Franklin voyaget
its coasts. But in this resuscitation OF school
day memories, or even in a casual glance at thu
map of the continent itself, the most important
parts of the territory would most likely escape
notice These are the peninsula of Alaska and
the arcbipelagoes known as George ILL.,, and
Prince of Wales, rather peculiar names for
series of islands forming part of the possession OF
the Russian Bear. 1t is noticeable, however, that
the Russians know the islands by other names,
and the one named George I'LL, by Vancouver,
forming part of the archipelago generally known
by the name of that monarch, is by them called
Baranov These islands are formed by inlets OF
the ocean, and are more properly narrow strip
of land extending for nearly 400 miles along the
coast of the Pacific, broken by narrow causeways
and arms of the sea extending in every direction.
The principal settlements are in these islands,
the largest town being New Archangel, on the
island of Sitka, which has population of 900.
On the island called George I'LL, or Baranov, is
the seat of the governor of all the establishments
of Russian America. 1t has agovernors residence
and Notifications, and magazines built of wood,
and on its coast is usually feet of two frigates
and two corvettes. The whole region along these
coasts, including the archipelago of Kodiac and
the peninsula of Alaska,is exceedingly mountain
Gus, being "A succession Of lofty peaks, most Of
them volcanic, one of them reaching nearly TO-.
900 feet in height, and another being little infer
ior in altitude The part Of the mainland south of
Mt st. Elias, one of the volcanic peaks before re-
ferred to, and the Hottest summit on the COnti-
nent, is nowhere more than 81 miles wide. The
islands and coasts of the mainland have gener-
ally been we'll explored, but the interior Of the
country, which looms up prominently on the map,
is almost entirely unknown. The estimated area
Of the whole territory is about 304, OW square
miles. 1t has an average length and breadth of
6O0 miles, The longest line that can be drawn
on Behring's straits through the narrow strip
bordering on British Columbia and the Pacific
ocean, to the extreme southern point of the Rus
sian possessions, is 1900 miles. But it will be
seen from its average length and breadth that
the mass Of the country is tolersbly compact
From several expeditions that have been project
ed into the interior it seems that the western
part of the territory is elevated and uneven, while
the part extending along the Arctic ocean is gen.
orally fat. The north coast was discovered early
in the present century, Capt. Cook having previ-
ously, early as IT'S, penetrated far north as
Icy Cape. In 1926 Capt. Beechy reached Point
Barrow, and at the same time the lamented Sir
John Franklin, then Capt. Franklin, traced the
coast from the mouth of the Mackenzie river to
Return reef.
The population of Russian America is about
10000, of whom at least $4,000 are Esquimaux.
The remaining portion of the inhabitants are
Russians, Creoles, Kodiaks and Aleoots The
principal pursuits and chief dependence Of the
inhabitants are the fisheries and fur-hunting.-
Little attention is given to agricultural pursuits
but to view this vast territory on wholly forbid
ding and barren is to fall into grave error. For,
its shores being washed by the warm Pacific
stream, which sweeps u. from the China sea and
breaks near the extreme northwest point of the
continent its atmosphere is toned down to the
salubrity of points on the Atlantic coast which
are many degrees farther from the pole Far in.
land there is a region of almost perpetual snow;
but the coast, and as far inland as the breezes
from off the China sea current may reach and
modify the rgors of the climate the land is fruit
fnl and the country inviting. The fur product
OF the country has for many years been made
monopoly by the Russian government, but the
United States and Great Britain succeeded in OBJ
tanning a lease for the territory from 30 deg 40
min. north latitude to 50 deg. 13min. and tho
exclusive privilege of supplying the Russians
with agricultural produce and provisions was
was granted to the Hudsons Bay company The
monopoly of the other territory remains with the
Russian American company.
It is noticeable that, by the treaties with the
United States and Great Britain, made in 1924,
the late Russian possessions comprehend sill the
American coast Of the Pacific, and the adjacent
islands north Of the parallel of "a deg. 40 min
north latitude, and the whole Of the mainland
west of the meridian Of 14l deg. west longitude
which passes through Mount St. Elias. This
boundry treaty was accepted and made binding
40 long 400 "a 1924 80