St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-08-16
The Fur Trade Of Alaska.

For years Spain, by her possession Of
Mexico and Central America, dominated
the Pacific and enriched herself with
the commerce of the Indies. In vain
England and other powers sought tor
some other route into the Pacific than
the long and dangerous one around
Cane Horn. There existed at that time
. general belief among geographers
that from Hudson's Bay or the North
Sea, as the Arctic Ocean was then
called, and which was considered easily
accessible from the Atlantic, there
must be 8 passage into the Pacific.
which was known rs the Straits OF
Anian. Diligent search on the Allan
tic side, and occasional voyages in the
Pacific, failed to reveal such q geo.
graphical feature. At last, in 1928, a
Russian expedition under Behring
sailed through the straits which now
bear his name, without being aware
that they were out of the open sea.
In 17i1 Behring, after long voyage
in search of the American coast, sighted
the snowy crest of this giant peak. the
first glimpse the great explorer had OF
the continent of America, and named 1t
St. Elias. With his crew afflicted with
scurvy, engendered by improper food
and exposure during their long voyage,
and himself failing rapidly in health,
Behring sailed for home without ex-
ploring the discovered land. For
months the vessel wandered aimlessly
about until it was wrecked upon a
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 to capture. On this bleak isle,
where the roar of the surf beating
against its rocky cliffs never ceases, the
| spirit of Behring took its flight. He
and many of his afflicted crew
were buried there by their
surviving comrades before the
return of spring and sunshine
gave them renewed vigor and hope.
Constructing then rude craft from the
| timbers of their wrecked vessel, the few
survivors launched it upon the un-
known waters, and, turning the bow TO
the westward, finally reached the Bay
| of Ayatscha, from which they had
started 3 year before. With them they
| took the skins of the animals they had
slain, using them for clothing and
blankets. These proved to be very val
liable, leading to the dispatch of several
vessels to the islands of the Aleutian
group in 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 and al
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 Petropavlovski,
in Kamtschatka, from which they wer.
forwarded by dog sledges to 1rkutsk, I
distance of $3.50 miles. From there
some were sent south 1,3OO miles II
Pekir, China, and the others were for
warded across $3.50 miles OF dreary
waste to st. Petersburg. The pOOres
navigators and least scientific explorer:
of the Pacific were the Russians ant
Spaniards. One English voyage wa
worth a dozen such rs they frequently
made. Russians occupied the coast
and islands of Alaska thirty years, en-
tertaining the belief that frem Noun
St. Elias westward and nOrtwestwart
to the coast of Asia was a vast sea o
islands; while the Spaniards, after sew
eral VOYAGES from Mexico to Alaska
were unable to draw chart OF th'
, coast line with the least approach II
accuracy. 1t was left for the celebrated
Captain Cook, who was dispatched b.
England in search of the Straits
, Anian, to demonstrate to the Russian
in 1778 that Alaska was vast north
, western projection of the continent
fringcd with thousands of islands grea
, and small, and to enlighten tn
Spaniards upon the character of on
coast line, though only following tn
course pursued by their own vessels
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
tions established on the islands an
, mainlands, with headquarters at Ney
. 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 Commercia
Company the exclusive privilege q
:. catching fur seals in the new territory
combining them to the two islands OF s.
Paul and St. George, and limiting tn
: number of seals to be killed annual
TO 100000. This lease was for twent
years, and has six years yet to r'ir
9 The yearly rental is S55,O00 and % Ia
L upon each seal taken, not enough
S pay in the twenty years the purchas
e price. though the company has realize
p that sum many times over. The Norti
n west Trading Company has stations
various points, where are collecte
s furs of ali kinds, and where they al
d largely engaged in packing fish an
t manufacturing oil. The fur-hearin
!. animals that abound, such rs the vol
d fox, beaver, ermine, marten. otte
n squirrel, bear, and the numberle
t multitude of fur seals that swarm abo'
the rocks and islands of the coasts. fu
- nish an annual supply Of fur that is e
= ceediugly valuable. 1t was at fir
: feared that the destruction of lOO,0'
: seals annually would result in the
e practical determination, but observ
' ton proves the contrary to be the cas-