The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1868-11-18
WHAT WAS GAINED BY THE PURCHASE
OF9ALASKA.

Scientific expedition to Alaska" from the
pen Of Mr.. Ieorge Dasidsen, Of the United
States. Coast survey, The facts stated in
the article were arrived at from personal
examination. aud these all agree 10 The opin.
ion that the region IS highly valuable. The
archipelago is u wonder vi land and water,
and the mountains back from il are gold
producing. The islands reach 4 900 feet
|elevation, and are covered with forests hall
way up. Glaciers come down TO the wa
|ter's edge, SO that ice can be shipped direct
from them. The shore line ofihe srcllipe-
lago comprises seven Thousand eight nun
tlrrd statute miles. wooded 10 tke wafer
with spruce and yellow cedar. from 5ts 8
feetsin diameters and l75to $50 feet high
Il il insalasble 10 California. The waters
are aIiseswith. fish. OF which the salmon is
chief. The hemlock bark Is IN demand tF
tanning. Great mines OF bituminous coal
have been found, and one Of anthracite.
Si,ka, sos' New Archangel, is surrounded by
mountains. andshas ll6 buildings aud Cos
Inhabitants. The hsrbors are easy OF al,.
preach andsgood. II isliwahin three hun
dredl andsnty miles OF the telegraph wires.
The SUBMITS OF The Mount st. Elias range
attain 5000 feet from the sea. while FAIR
weather, Crillon and ST. Elias range fr0m
l2, 900 to 10000 Ice. Coal runs along the
shore Of 'fehugatcheck Gulf for twenty
miles Oiher hafbors have il also. Gold
is found on the kakuey, Suchitna and Sta.
keenrisers. Kadlak and The adjacent islands
breed plump cattle, equal 10 those OF lila.
Eois. st. Paul has good lar5or and 2SS
residents. lliouliouk has 500 inhabitants
and there are SO on the Island, which is
seventy-Rye miles long and has volcano
and a glacier. These Aleutian islands will
be valuable 10 Us as the center Of great
cod-isairg and whaling region and for the
bays and barbors where fish can be cured.
The Aientes number 4.s6s. and are docile.
industrious and ingenious. they have q
Greek priest OF their own race, an engrayer
on copper, and an instrument maker. The
sea otter is found only at these islands.
The total pupulation OF the Russian Amer.
lean Company at the beginning Of 1867 was
9,S98, Of whom 430 we're Russians, and 2
The Koloshian Indians also
uumoer 8 800 aud the Esquimaux $500
Alaska will be valuable 10 US for It's tut,
fisheries, timber minerals. harbors aud geo.
graphical position and confsuratio6. The
eastern part Of Behring's sea Is agnighty
reservoir Of cod, and will be more 10 the
Pacific than Newfoundland has ever been
to- The Atlantic. Not less than. seventy
whslers annually fish in these waters who
can obtain men from the new territory
hereafter, and transfer 10 IL The business
formerly done at the Sandwich Islands, or
small vessels can be kept there ana, per.
manently employed, ard only their eeaish
sent no ne. The American whalers could
sweep away competition. The Cult Of
Alaska has endless stores Of whales food and
countless fish. The sperm whale 10 slso
abundaut SALMON are ore numrfoas
than IN Washington and Oregon. and are
snmetimes stranded in great numbers.
Herring and balibut abound, and WARES
ivory Is found 10 me amount Of ten tons
annually. bringing 70 cents. gold. per
Louad. ga egee tsWls iLa 5ae sBE !.
Tic for trade Il isaIdsd at 81 iooO, 900
gold, annually. Though the lur bearing ami
mails are preserved" BY wise Laws. Gold.
silver, iron, coal, limestone. bismuth, Cop
per and petroleum. besides, spruce. cedar.
and hemlock are the natural riches. The
mean winter.tempersture Of Sitkai il little
higher than Montreal. The mean tempe
ralare is but one and . hsif degrees below
Pnilsdelphia. 40 ocean river ike the Gull
Stream, bat warmer aud more rapid, sweeps
along the Coast At velocity Of 36 miiss .
day in some places. At Cooks Inlet.
however. the mercury has ranged from So
degrees 10 % degrees. 10 1886, at Prince
Williams Sound. il was 30 degrees Tor sir
months, and 20 degrees 10 July and Au'
gust
:. Ma cereals can be raised. Root crops
fruit and berries mature. and so do grasses
4 C.fsfa ard hnUa he liant tfha ~ 80.