The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-08-11
THE BOUNDARY OF ALASKA.

such as a parallel of latitude or
still worse, a meridian of longitude
or line supposed to be drawn al
a certain distance from such an
other line or spot, there is sure to
be difficulty in determining that
boundary to the common satisfac-
ton of both parties concerned.
Perhaps the worst boundary ever
devised by man is that agreed upon
as the boundary between British
and Russian America. This line,
starting from the shores of the Are
tic Ocean, runs due south, on the
141st meridian of west longitude
till it strikes Mount st. Elias, near
the Behring Sea, and thence fol-
lows, at thirty miles distance, all
the bends and sinuosities of a Pc
culiarly Irregular coast line until it
strikes the Simpson river, where it
flows into the Pacific Ocean 400
miles from the mountain.
When Russian America was pur-
chased by the United States, the
boundary remained unchanged, so
the above description is now that
of the line between Canada and
Alaska.
Such theoretic boundary, never
ascertained, running in straight
line through 800 miles of unex-
plored arctic country, and then
through 400 miles more of scarcely
less arctic, and scarcely better
known mountainous coast, cannot
be surveyed without an enormous
expenditure of money, time, and
probably of life.
Between the 141st meridian and
the mouths of the Mackenzie, on
the both meridian, and scattered |
about the space further up the
country, between the Mackenzie
and the boundary, are sundry old
established Hudson Bay Posts,
which are visited every year by
the company's servants, who pro-
vision the posts for the winter
hunting and take away the furs
collected. 1t is important, there
fore, that it should be known on
whose territory these posts or forts
stand, and to whom the hunting
grounds belong.
The Premier of British Columbia
is urging the Canadian Government
to negotiate the settlement of the
boundary without delay. The cost
Of the survey is estimated at
81 100000. Even then he says
lit will be impossible to fix the
boundary following the seacoast at
IN actual distance of thirty miles .
rom it. He proposes a compro-
Mise under which the United
states is to take slice of
canadian territory. He does
lot indicate the whereabouts
If the Slice in return for
he surrender of the narrow strip,
rom the Sc deg. north latitude
o point of intersection with the
Al deg. west longitude.
But this is exactly the strip of
cast thirty miles wide from Mt. :
Vt. Elias to the Simpson, with the
numerous islands just off the coast, ,
nd it includes Sitka itself and the 6
'tickeen river the only portions of
Alaska hitherto of any mercantile
alue. So 1t is scarcely likely that {
he United States will part with !
his piece of coast for any slice the !
canadian or Imperial Government t
re likely to offer. '
The British Columbian Premier
wishes the dominion, through the :
imperial Government, to invite the t
United States to join in an inter-
ational commission, and mean !
Thile Canadian survey party is t
0 take a preliminary look over" /
he ground this season. !
To trace a meridian of longitude :
rom seventy to sixty degrees north I
J no easy undertaking, and the :
of line thirty miles in :
md from a difficult coast is little I
asier. c
Some modus vivendi must be 7
greed on by which both parties
hall agree that no new permanent s
ost or fort or settlement shall be
within a certain dis I
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