The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-31

The vessels concerned are all small cfdlt
and no interest is attached 20 them except
Cor the issues involved. The Black Diamond
and the Triumph are only two-masted
schooners; the revenue cutter Richard Rush
is l6l feet long, 20 feet broad, Az feet deep,
3O5 tons burden and was built in 1874 In
Boston. She carries four guns. The schooner
Minnie and the Pathfinder, both Of which
were seized after the Black Diamond and the
Triumph, were sent 10 Sitka. The interests
involved are national, and Mt this time some
thing about the sealing ground will he of
interest
Z In l72j under the commission OF Peter the
Great, an expedition was organized crossed
the continent from St Petersburg 10 KAN
chatka. where vessel was constructed,
and in July, 1923, sailed for explorations to
north and east. That vessel was the Gabriel,
and her master was Vitus Behring. On the
expedition Behring crossed the waters Of the
Sea of Kamchatka, and discovered and
named tho island St. Lawrence. In 1883
second expedition was organized under the
auspices OF the government and the commis-
sion of Queen Anne and with Behrlng, raised
10 the rank Of admiral, at its head, repeated
the journey across Siberia, and in June, l14l,
sailed for new discoveries In July OF that
year Behring sighted the American CONT
nent, some authorities claim at the fifty
eighth degree of north latitude, others at the
fftieth degree. The latter is probably cor
rect, las it rests on the authority Of Stellar,
who accompanied the expedition, and Behr-
ing undoubtedly sailed as far south along
the American coast as the forty-fifth paral-
lei, In accordance with his instructions. lie
discovered several Of the Aleutian islands
and the Komanderof group or couplet On
the larger Of this couplet, which bears his
name, he died on Dec. 49, l74l, after having
suffered shipwreck.
Behring's discoveries started an interest in
the new region, and in l743, l7i5, l7i1 and
1740 Cossack sergeant named Bossof made
four consecutive voyages from the mainland
Of Kamchatka to the Behring and Copper ISL
ands in vessels Of his own construction. In
l745 "A sailor named Nevidchinof, who had
served under Behring, crossed the channel
which connects the North Pacific ocean with
the Behring sea and discovered the islands
Of Attoo and Agatoo, the former of which Is
now Il boundary mark In l74i a small Rus
sian merchant vessel reached the island Of
Atka and some Of the smaller islands sur
rounding it.
Ten years later Glottoff advanced rs far as
the island of Ounak, and subsequently dis
covered Ounalaska and the whole of that
group of the Aleutian chain known as the
Fox Islands. He made map Of his explora-
tons, which includes eight islands east of
Ounalasia.
In l7G0 Russian merchant, Adreian Toll
styk, landed on the island Of Adak, explored
it and some of the surrounding islands and
made Il report Of his discoveries to the Rus
sian crown. This group was named after
him. tho Adreian Islands Tho next year a
ship belonging to Russian merchant named
Bechevin made the coast of the Alirska pc
ninsula, and in the autumn of l762 Glottoff,
who discovered Ounalaska and the Fox
group, reached the island Of Kodiak. In l7GS
two captains Of the imperial navy, Krenitzen
and Levashoff, sailed from Kamchatka in
two government vessels and the former
passed the succeeding winter at Kodiak and
the latter at Ounalaska. Twenty-Five years
succeeding the death Of Behring the Russian
ensign waved along the entire Aleuhan chain,
from Behrng Island to the mainland of the
North American continent
Then came the seal fisheries. Expeditions,
stimulated by the large remuneration of the
fur traffic, were constantly fitted out ut the
ports along the shores of the Sea of Okotsk
and the mouth Of the hmoor river for voy-
ages Of trade and exploration In the new
country. In l172 there were not less than
twenty five companies, employing u consider
able fleet Of small vessels. Under the aus
pices of one of these companies Shekeloff, a
merchant Of Bylsk, founded the first perma-
nent settlement on the Island of Kodiak in
1854. From this point exploring expeditions
were sent out, one of which crossed the strait
between Kodiak and the mainland which
bears Shekelof's name, and explored the coast
Of the mainland as far as Cooks Inlet, upon
the shores of which, in 1856. n settlement was
established.