The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-02-01
Alaska or Russianu.

81 little il known about the ncwly-acquired
Russian possessions of the United States. that the
following facts relating to them which we have
learned from Mr.. Alex. Smith, who was recently
connected with the L. ;. revenue cutter Lincoln,
viii be OF interest to our readers. The vessel
was one of several despatched by the American
Government in July to take formal possession of
the new territory. The cDast north Of Vancouy-
er's Island, is lined with an almost continuous
chain Of islands, which make n sound or enclosed
passage along the shore, varying in width, but
a~ffordIng a safe and pleasant route for steamers.
The Lincoln took this inner route.
The town and port of Sitka are on an island of
the same name. The harbor is small, and APP
pears to have been selected on account of it's con-
vcnicnt location for trading with tie Indians.
The climate is exceedingly unpleasant, rains and
fugs prevailing almost constantly. During three
months that the Lincoln was there, the sun. ap-
pcarcd only ON eleven days.
The country is very heavily wooded with large
pine and other trees suitable for ship building
and lumber. These trees grow down to the very
waters edge along the shore of the sound, and so
dense IS the shrubbcry that it is next to impos-
siblc to find a place to land. Along the coast,
the country is cold and inhospitable, but miners
and Othcrs who have been IN the interior repre-
sent il there NJ much milder, and more pleasant.
KOdiack Island, which lies about five hundred
miles due west from Sitka, has n very different
climate. 1t is IS miles long by 80 miles vide.
Here vegetation OF all kinds hourishcs, Iasturage
abounds for cattle and horses, and any of the
vegetables grown in temperate regions thrive.
Port Constantine has u most excellent harbor,
.-I = -...rI "A r.s-. ,..I. =. -t~..w ,avaI Gr,-
ton, for which, owing to it's milder climate, it
will undoubtedly be preferred to Sitka.
Kodiack Island being located in the center of
the fishing banks, where cod and other fish
abound, must one day become of some i'm
portance. Whales also abound here and along
the islands which skirt the shores of the Peninsu-
In of Alaska. While near Onolaska Island
(Which is of Cape Alnska) twenty-eight whales
were counted in one day. As a whaling ground
Mr.. Smith thinks this sea and the neighboring
islands will be more frequented than formerly,
when the Russians strictly forbade whalcrs coming
near the shores, and the Indians from trading
with them. Potatoes and all kinds of vegetables
as also beef and mutton, being obtainable in
abundance at Port Constantine, this will be an
other inducement for whalcrs to cruise in that
neighborhoOd.
Coal abounds along the shores of Alaska. On
a small island near the east shore of tie pen
insula of Alaska, n Russian steamer procured
over thirty tons of good fuel, with no other inn
plements than the rude picks and crowbars they
had with them. On Sitka also, a valuable vein
of coal, seven feet thick, has been discovered,
and the probability is that it abounds along the
entire coast. This Will give an impetus to steam
navigation along the northwest coast.
Kodiack Island lies due north from Hawaii
about thirty-eight degrees of latitude, and proba-
bly, the passage from Honolulu to it can be made
in about the average time required to run to San
Francisco. Ii will not be many years before
business relations will be opened between Homo
and KOdiack.
There can he no doubt that copper abounds in
the mountains of the late Russian possession, and
the mining of it will soon be COM
The ore Is said to be unusually rich
and abundant. If so, this alone will create n
ommerc and traffic with that coun-
try. Now that it is open to American enterprise,
if there is wealth in Its mountains and waters, it
will not be long before it is developed.