The Columbus journal., 1884-11-19

scurvy. engendered BY improper food
and exposure during their long voyage,
and himself failing rapidly in health.
Behring sailed for home without ex-
plorine the discovered land. For
months the vessel wandered aimlessly
about until it vas wrecked upon q
small island of almost barren rock
rising abruptly from the water. Here
the crew passed the winter, subsisting
upon fish and the fur-bearing seals and
other amphibious animals they were
able t capture. On this bleak Isle.
where the roar of the SURF beating
against it's rocky cliffs e ceases, the
spirit of Behring took its flight. he
and many of his afflicted crew
were buried there by their
surviving comrades before q
return of spring and sunshine
gave them renewed vigor and hope.
Constructing then a rude craft from the
timbers of their wrecked vessel, the few
survivors launched it upon the I'M
known waters, and, turning the bow to
the westward, finally reached the Bay
of Ayatscha, from which they had
| started a wear before. With them they
took the skins of the animals they a
slain, using them for clothing n
blankets. These proved to be very val
uable. leading to the dispatch Of several
vessels to the islands of the Aleutian
group i'm search of more. Thus began
the fur trade to the Pacific. The little
sea-girt island is known to the present
day as Behring's Isle. This was FOL
lowed by the establishment OF stations
for the fur trade on the islands n at
various points on the mainland. These
furs were chiefly procured by purchase
from the natives, and were all sent by
vessel to the town of PetropavloVskl,
in K~amtschatka, from which they were
forwarded by dog sledges to lrkutsk. a
distance of 3,450 miles. From there
some were sent south l,30O miles to
Pekip, China. and the others were for
warded across $3.50 miles OF dreary
waste to st. Petersburg. The poorest
nayigatOrs and least scientific explorers
of the Pacific were the Russians and
Spaniards. One English voyage was
worth a dozen such rs they frequently
made. Russians occupied the coasts
and islands of Alaska thirty years. en-,
Pertaining the belief that from Mount
st. Elias westward and nortwcstward
to the coast OF Asia was a vast sea OF
islands: while the Spaniards, after sew
eral VOYAGES from Mexico to Alaska,
were unable to draw a chart OF the
coast line with the least approach tf
ACCURACY. 1t was left for the celebrated
Captain Cook, who was dispatched by
England i'm search of the Straits o
Anian, to demonstrate to the Russians
in l77S that Alaska was 4 vast north
, western projection of the continent
frinped with thousands of islands grea
and small, and to enlighten tn
Spaniards upon the character OF Oh
coast line, though only following tn
course pursued by their own vessels
I few years before.
The Alaskan fur trade was concen
trated in the hands of the Russian
= American Trading Company by roya
charter in 1881, and was eXpande'
gradually until there were forty sta
tons established on the islands an
mainlands, with headquarters at Ne,
Archangel, or Sitka. as it is now called
!, The charter was renewed in 1889, an
? expired finally in 1868, and four year
later Alaska was purchased by tn
United States. In 1870 the Govern
ment leased to the Alaska Commerce;
Company the exclusive privilege
v catching fur seals in the new territor.
n combining them to the two islands OF )
Paul and st. George. and limiting til
number of seals to be killed annual
to loo, 900. This lease was for twent
# years, and has six years yet to ru1
The yearly rental is $4,000 and SGT
upon each seal taken. not enough
# pay in the twenty years the purcha:
a price, though the company has realize
that sum many times over. The Mort
:, west Trading Company has stations
' various points, where are collecte
furs of all kinds, and where they a
largely engaged in packing fish 81
lie manufacturing oil. The fur-beariI
i animals that abound, such as the wol
"a fox, beaver, ermine, marten, otte
II squirrel, bear, and the numberle
Mt multitude of fur seals that swarm abo
a the rocks and islands of the coasts, fu
s nish an annual supply of fur that IS e
ceedingly valuable. 1t was at fr
X feared that the destruction of 1000
ar seals annually would result in the
d practical determination, but observ
,e ton proves the contrary to be the CAS-
h Portland (Or.) West Shore.
Is, -