Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-04-11
The New Territory.

Britain, in 1024-25, comprehends all the
American coast of the Pacific and the adj
iacent islands north Of the parallel fifty de-
grees and forty minutes north latitude, and
the whole of the main land west of the me-
ridian Of one hundred and forty-one de-
grees west longitude, which passes through
Mount st. Elias. 1t is bounded north by
the Arctic Ocean, east by British America,
south by the Pacific, and west by the Pa
cific and Arctic Oceans and Behring's
Strait, which separate it from the Russian
possessions in Asia, the distance across
from Cape Prince of Wales to East Cape
being only thirty-six miles. With the ex-
ception of the narrow strip extendil in a
southeast direction along the coast nearly
400 miles, and the remarkable peninsula of
Alaska, it forms tolerably compact mass,
with an average length and breadth of
about 900 miles each. Its greatest length
north and south, from the southern eX-
tremity of Alaska to Point Barrow, is
about ], LOO miles; greatest breadth, meas
ured on the Arctic Circle, which passes
through Cape Prince of. Wales, is about
S06 miles; the longest line that can be
drawn across the country is from Cape
Prince of Wales to it's southern extremity,
latitude fifty-four degrees forty minutes, a
distance Of 1000 miles. Estimated area,
$4,000 square miles The part of the
main land south of Mount st. Elias con-
sists of narrow belt, which is continued
along mountain ridge parallel to the
coasts, and has nowhere a greater width
than about thirty three miles. The interior
Of the country is very little known; but
from several expeditions it appears that
throughout its west part, it is elevated and
Ia
Attic Ocean is invariably flat, with the eX-
ception of small portion lying between
al degrees and 152 degrees west longitude.
The coasts of the mainland and the islands
have almost all been carefully explored.
The north coast was first discovered in the
course of the present century. Captain
Cook, in 177S, during his last voyage,
reached Icy Cape, latitude seventy degrees
twenty minutes north, and one hundred
and sixty-one degrees forty minutes west
and it was supposed from the large masses
of ice there met with, even in summer, that
further progress was impossible. In 1866
however, Capt. Beechy proceeded east as fa1
as North Cape, or Point Barrow, latitude
seventy-one degrees twenty-three .min-
utes, thlrty-One seconds north, longitude
one hundred and fifty-six degrees TWEEN
ty-one minutes thirty-tWo seconds west
while at the same time the lamented
Sir John Franklin, then Captain Franklin
traced the coast west from the mouth OF
the Mackenzie to Return Reef, latitude sew.
enty degrees and twenty six minutes north
longitude one hundred and forty-five de.
grees fifty-two minutes west. The inter
vening space between Point Barrow and
Return Reef was first explored in 1887, by
Dease and Simpson, officers Of the Hudson's
Bay Company.
The whole of the north coast of Rus
sian America, from Demarcation Point
| west, to Point Barrow, it's northerlnost ex-
| tremity, stretches with tolerable regularity
in west-northwest direction, and is, with
the exception of small part in the east,
a dead fiat, often nearly on level with the
sea, and never more than from ten to TWEEN
ty feet above it. From Point Barrow the
| coast takes a uniform direction, from north
east to southwest, rising gradually towards
Cape Lisburn, which is $50 feet high 1t
here turns south, forming, between the two
large inlets of Kotzebue Sound and N orion
Sound, the remarkable Peninsula of Prince
of Wales, which projects into Behring's
Strait, and terminates in an elevated prom
ontory, forming the most western point of
North America. From Norton Sound it
turns first southwest, then south-southeast,
becoming indented by several large bays,
including those Of Bristol Bay and Cook
Inlet, on the opposite side of the long and
narrow peninsula of Aliaska and is lined
| almost throughout by several groups of
large islands, of which the most important
belong to the Aleutian, Kodiak, and King
George III. Archipelagoes. The greater
part of the coast last described is very bold,
presenting a succession of lofty volcanic
peaks, two of which, ON the west coast of
Cooks Inlet, have the respective heights of
1870 feet, and 1906 feet. The climate
of Russian America is not so cold as either
the east parts of the same continent, or the
east part of the continent of Asia, under
the same ATTITUDES. 1t is, however, far too
rigorous to admit of agricultural opera
tons; and the whole value of the territory
is derived from the products Of its fisher
les or of the chase. The latter have been
placed under rigid monopoly by the Rus
sian Government, which has confelre the
sole privilege of trafficing in them ON the
Russian American Company. This has led
to circumstances on the part both of the
United States and Great Britain, which
have been so far successful that lease has
been granted to the Hudson Bay Com
pany, granting them the exclusive posses
sion of the mainland of Russian America,
from fifty degrees forty minutes north, to
Cape Spencer, in latitude fifty eight de-
grees thirteen minutes north, and the ex-
elusive privilege of supplying the Russians
with agricultural produce and provisions.
The principal settlement is New Arch