Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-05-16
Rwssicu .ssrrioa.

Probably the best description TO b.
found Of the vast territory reoontl,
purchased from Russia by our Gov
ernment is given in a pamphlet pub
lished in 1858, by Mr.. A. r. Roche, o
Quebec. This pamphlet ("Russiar
America and the present War; wal
written with a view of urging th,
British Government to aid in fittina
out an expedition for the conquest O
Russian America, and its annexation
to the British possessions, but the wal
with Russia came TO a close in the
following year, and the project, il
ever seriously entertained in England
wy Of course no longer thought Of
We quote from the pamphlet de-
scrption Of some features of the terri.
tory just ceded in the United States
"With coast upon the Pacific OF
some fifteen hundred miles in length
indented by numerous sounds and
capacious harbors, and studded with
many large islands of considerable
resources, it extends back, for about
one thousand miles of that coast to a
distence Of nine hundred miles, and
for the remaining five hundred miles
OF the coast, to thirty miles, the latter
being the portion in front of our pos
sessions which it cuts off from the
Pacific while the Peninsula of Alas
ka, about fifty miles in breadth, stretch.
es out in the Pacific for upwards of
three hundred miles, the whole terri
tory comprising surface of nine hun
dred thousand square miles. 1t is
thus about sixteen times the size of
England. 1t contains many noun
tain ranges of great height, and fine
valleys, magnificently watered and
fertilized by large lakes and rivers !;
the mountain ranges in the upper and
broader portion of the territory, hav-
ing transverse direction, and there
fore sheltering the valleys from north
erly winds, which in that quarter are
cold winds in summer, while, extra
ordinary as it may appear 10 many,
in winter they invariably cause rise
in the thermometer. At both these
seasons southerly winds produce ef-
feots directly opposite to the former,
being warm winds in summer and
cold winds in winter. A great por-
ton Of this vast region (in some pla-
ces to within a short distance Of the
Arctic Circle), is covered with forests
Of the largest and most valuable trees.
Even upon some of the islands of
Prince Williams Sound, in 81 degrees,
north latitude, where it might be ex-
pcoted that the influence OF the wind
and sea would prevent or retard the
growth of trees, Cook found the Can
adian and spruce pine of large size /;
and Of the country adjacent to Nor
ton Sound, lying in GA degrees and
So minutes north latitude, he says /:
From the elevated spot on which Mr..
King surveyed the sound, he could
distinguish many extensive valleys,
with rivers running through them,
well wooded, and bounded by hills of
a gentle ascent, and moderate height.
One of these rivers appeared to be of
considerable size. Some of the peo-
pie, who penetrated beyond this into
the country, found the trees larger
the farther they advanced In speak
ing of the resources of Russian Amer
lea, Sir John Richardson, in his work
upon the Arctic searching expedi-
tion,' quotes Songard with regard to
one portion of it, who says that the
hill of Westevoi, near Norfolk sound,
in north latitude So degrees, which
is 5000 feet, French measure, in
height, is clothed TO its SUNNI. by a
dense forest of pines and spruces,
some of which acquire circumference
Of twenty-one feet, and the prodigious
length of one hundred and sixty feet,
and that the hollow trunk of one of
these trees, made into a canoe is able
to contain thirty men with all their
household effects. Sir John Richard
son adds The climate of Sitka,' (the
name of the bay as well as the island
upon which is situated New Arch
angel, the chief port of the Russian
company, lying in 81 degrees north
latitude lis very much milder than
that of Europe on the same parallel,
the cold of winter being neither severe
nor of long continuance. The humid
ity OF the atmosphere gives astonish-
ing vigor to the vegetation, but al !
though the forest, nourished by very |
moist atmosphere and comparatively |
high mean temperature, is equal to
that of the richest wood lands of the
Northern United States, yet corn
does not ripen there. This humidity of
the atmosphere, which is occasioned !
by the surrounding sea, is doubtless
the cause OF corn not coming 10 per-
fection at Sitka; for some distance in
the interior Of the continent, as far
east as the Mackenzie, in the territory
occupied by the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny, the cereals are successfully culti-
vated up 10 go degrees north latitude,
and occasionally in some spots situa-
led five degrees further north. In
The neighborhood of the Mackenzie,
Sir John Richardson says that Fort
Laird of the sixtieth parallel, may be
considered as the northern limit of
The economical of wheat, as in the
interior Of Russian America the eli
mate must be of dryer nature than
upon the seaboard, and probably more
in the extreme, that is, colder in win
ter and warmer in summer, much Of
the interior may be well adapted for
growth of the cereals, although they |
cannot be successfully cultivated at