^ ■'^> ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ..■^ 1.0 I.I l^|2B |2.5 |J0 "^™ ■■■ 110 2.2 20 1.8 L25 iU IIII1I.6 0^ '/ ■/(^^ Hiotegiaphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 .5;^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Mickoreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiquea Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur6e et/ou pelliculAe Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with c :her material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int6rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas M filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires: L'institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6ti possible de se procurer. Les ddtails de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiquis ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ D Pages restaurdes et/ou peiiicuides Pages discoloured, stained or foxe< Pages d6color6es, tachet^es ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible I I Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ r~\ Showthrough/ l~~{ Quality of print varies/ r~~| Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmies A nouveau de fagon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. Tl to Tl P< o1 fll O b< th si( 01 fll Si( or Jt sh Tl wl M dij en be "8 re( m( This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmi au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 12X 16X aox 7 24X 26X 30X 28X 32X 9 Stalls s du lodifier r une Image The copy filmad hara has baan raproducad thanks to tha ganarosity of: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast quality possibia considaring tha condition and laglbility of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filnrting contract spacifications. Original copias in printad papar covars are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printad or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaira film* fut reproduit grAce A la gAnArosit* de: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia Les images suivantas ont At* reproduites avac la plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition at de la nattet* de l'exemplaira film*, at an conformity avac les conditions du contrat de fiPmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimie sont filmAs en commenyant par la premier plat et en terminant soit par la darniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impressior ou d'illustration, soit par la second plat, salon le cas Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiimAs en commengant par la piemiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impressirn cu d'illustration et en terminant par la derniAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la darniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, it est filmA A partir de tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. rrata to pelure, n A □ 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 6 170 HARPEU'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE OUR NSW NORTHWEST. WHEN, only a few years ago, the iTy was "14° 40' for our iiortliern lioiiniiary or liglit, and, in spite of the cry, the Government yieltleil anil tixeil the northern bonndary of the United States on the I'acitic side at 49°, cer- tainly it was not cx)ie('ted that so soon we shoidd require by jmrchase 11 vast territory whose southern bonndary should be 54" 40', and whose northern extremity should reach to 73° ; but the deed has been signed and sealed, and the parties are preparing for the payment of the money and the delivery of the land. Most of uH have already seen what was Hus- sian America on the map, and need not be told that it begins at 04° 40' north latitude, and runs along the coast with a width of about thirty miles, till it reaches Mount St. Elias, in latitude about (!0° north, that the lino then runs north- ward to the Arctic Ocean, leaving on the west a large territory, which terminates on the south in the peninsula of Alaska, on the west in Cape Prince of Wales, which extends into Behring Strait, and on the north extends to the Arctic Ocean. We know that there are numerous islands along the coast from .">r 40' to >rount St. Eli- .18 ; that Kodiak is a lari; • island so'.ith of Alas- ka; thivi at the end of Alaska the Aleutian Isl- ands, some iifty in number, form an arc of a circle reaching nearly to Asia, and inclosing Behring Sea, otherwise named the Sea of Kamt- chatka. These boundaries many can give now who a few weeks ago only knew that there was a part of the continent somewhere north tliat belonged to Russia. When the United States own it her citizens study again their Geogra- phies, and with new zeal learn of a land which they can call their own. Our Geographies and Encyclopaidins help ns little more than to bound this territory and to estimate the number of its inhabitants. It is only after a considerable search among books of all kinds and in varioils languages, and con- versations with some of the few persons now in the States who have visited this territory, that we feel at all satisfied with the imperfect knowl- edge we can obtain of this country. It is our object in this paper to throw together such in- formation as we h'lvo obtained from various sources in regard to this territory ; to satisfy, ns we can, the desire of those who wish to know more of what the United States has 1 ought for seven millions of dollars in gold. The extent of this territory, including the islands, is about r)ri0,000 scjuure miles. The general coast-line, ns measured on a line with- out following the smaller indentations of the coast, is about 4000 miles, while the const-line ns it runs into the bays nnd around tlie islands is about 11,270 miles. The title of Russia to lier possessions in America was the title of the discoverer. Though it was known in the early part of tlie Inst cen- tury that America and Asia were se])ai'ated by a wide ocean at the south, it was not known that they were not united at the north, and the C'/ar Peter the Great, being curious to know whether his possessions were bounded on the cast by water or land, sent Vitus Behring, then Captain, with his vessels to see if Asia and America were contiguous, or separnted by a clianiu'l. When Behiing found thnt they were separnted liy a strait, wliid. now bears his name, he returned home with his report, and in 1741 was sent out on another cxpeditiim, with the rank of Commodore, to discover a i)assage to the frozen sea. t.'rossing in the latitude of the Aleutian Islands, the two ships of the expedi- tion were sejiarated, and Cnptnin Tschirikow readied the coast on the Ifiih <,f .luly, at about .'itr north latitude, while the Commodore, three days Inter, got sight of the continent in latitude M'-' 28' north. Ai this time Behring saw a high mounfnin, nnd it being St. Elins day he called it Mount St. Elias. Behring never lived to return to Russia, luit died of scurvy in the next winter on the American coast, in what was afterward called Behring Bny, a bay just south of Mount St. Elins. The cnstern const of the continent lind been discovered nnd occupied alrendy by the English, who did not cling to the const, but imshed inlnnd. It was the policy of Great Britain to allow to her companies large troets of land, which they occu])ied. The Russinns, however, discovered nnd occupied the const only, and thnt for 'lie carrying ont of the fur- trade nhme. When, in 182.'>, Grent Britain and Russia by treaty fixed a boundary line between their possessions in Amcrlcn, this boundary line did not run near the centre of the conti- nent, but for nearly five degrees of latitude gave Russiir only n width of thirty miles, and then ran north into territory which was an unknown land to each party. This same boundary line now feparates the territory of the United States from that of (ireat Britain. Not long after the return of the expedition of Dehring the Russian American Fur Compa- ny was chartered, and established itself on the islands around the continent ; but they did not settle on the main land, nor did they penetrnte into the interior. Since Behring's voyages va- rious nations have sent exploring expeditions to this coast, and in what we write hereafter we shall give information collected from the narrative of the Russian exneditions of Beh- ring, Billings, Lisiausky and Golowin, nnd the English expeditions of Cook, Vancouver, Simp- son, nnd Belcher. Admiral Wilkes went no further north tlinn Paget Sound, nnd no expedition has ever been mnde into this country by the United States, if we except the expeditiims mnde by privnte individiinls seeking to find the best route for the Russian Aniericon telegroph. »Vith this -K. OUR NKW NOUTHWKST. 171 ^1 I L last expedition seveml assistants of the Stnith- soni'.ii Institute were conni otcd, and by tI:oir lal)ors thcrti is now at the Smithsonian Institute a great amount of interesting information in regard to tlii.t territory. To the kindness of Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian, and Mr. Bannister, wlio was with tlie expedition, and spent a winter nt St. Sli- clmels, on the coast nortli of tlie Kwii'li])nk. we are indehted for several of our engravings, which are drawn from specimens in their col- lection, and for many facts in regard to the character of the country and its inliahifants. From hK' 40' to Mount St. Klias there are n ar.^^rvi 172 IIAKI'KK'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZIXK. MK'i'CSsioii cil' isliiiuls, unit liiick nf tlifsc isliiiul.s tlic cuiist to l\n' lioiimlary lino is but the slojie uf II inoiintain raiiKe. 'I'Ik; islands have nut lieeri cxiilDi't'il, inul oviMi llie interior of Sitka is unknown to tlie inhabitants of New ArrhauKfl, whieli is at the iiead of a snuill sound on the island, and is tlie ]>rinei|)al station of the Hiis- siun (iiivernor. Tliis coast, with the neijjli- horing isianiis, is generally well wooded iniite down to the water. The islands are monntain- oiis, and the general eharacter of the shore is steep and rocky. Very little is known of the country hack from the shore, and, with the ex- ception of those who have gone into ISritish ("olumbia by the Stichin, which Hows into the I'acitic in the latitiule of Silka, it is not proba- ble that the Russians or any whites have crossed tlie imrro .• strip of thirty miles. What we have said of the cxjiloration of the coast to Mount St. Elias will api)ly generally to the whole coast. The Kussians have ascended the Copiier Hiver for some distance, and on the Kwickpak they have established a post at the distance of about four hundred miles from the mouth. J!ut it was reserved for the citizens of the United States to navigate this river for one thousand miles, and to jiut — for what on a m»|) before mc dated 18G5 appears as " unexplored" — a clear line, which on all future mai)s will show that the Youkon flows into the Kwickiiak. Most that is known of the interior of this country luis been obtained from the natives, who have come to the coast to trade their furs, or have gone to the Russian post on the Kwicki)ak for the same l)urpose. From them wo learn that south ede trav- el. Raspberry bushes and dwarf willows are also common. L'p to a considerable height the ' mountains arc covered with a rich turf, but their toiis — some of which are 2000 feet high — ] exhibit nothing save the bare slate rocks, slrijis of perpetual snow, and here ami there a \\;\y isolate I ]ilaiits. The snow line is by no means regular, owing to the broken surfac; of the ! crlh '. latitude, thus warming the whole coast to Blount St. Elias, and then curving along to the ]icnin- , snia of Alaska and the Aleutian islands. The ■ temperature of the Aleutian Islands and of the ! coast to r>4° 40' is very much the same in the i winter, and for the month of Jainuiry is about ' 32", which is much higher than that of the same latitude in the interior. The Janiu\ry isothermal line of the Aleutian Islands runs thrrmgh Sitka, riiiladclpbia, Amsterdam, and ' I'ekin. The clinuitc there in winter is not too , severe 1 > su]iport a large popnialion. Above the Aleutian Islands, on the continent, the .Jan- luiry isothermal runs nccrly jiarallel with the parallel of latitude, a; the coast there is not warmed by the ocean currents. In the sum- ' mer we find ipiite a change in the climate of Silka and of the Aleutian Islands, Tlie Aleu- tian Islands are cooled by the cold winds that come from the north, and the masses of ice j which float down through Uchring Strait, while Silka is protected from the mirthern winds, and is not reached by the nuisses of ice. The July isothermal of Sitka jiasses near Quebec. That of the Aleutian Islands I'uns norlh near I the iriouth of the Kwickjiak, through North Lab- ' rador, Iceland, and Northern Norway. The [ warmth of the interior of Russian America, as compared with that of the Aleutian Islands, re- sidts from its protection from the winds of the north. The average tempcrntui'e of the Aleutian Islands is about .""lO ' Fabr., nearly the same as that of Albany, Dublin, and Jeddo. From re- ports obtained from the Sniithsimian Institute wo extract the following, showing the range of the thermometer at various points : S|)riiiK. Rummer. Auiumn. rWiiilerTn Vf/ir, J St. .Mirh»cl», latitude U:)" 'Js' N 2S-7S 14°22 i«l°(i5 'j:i'°(i'7 411° 12 47°S4 Wl°«7 4(1 ''!t2 6a°;i7 4s'°'ft7 (i;!'76 7l°ii5 27''IKI ilt)°(» 43=S0 ii:i°'ft5 4.V7.'S t*°79 2.'t°S0 a2"30 21°R2 a2°32 2T"4S 1« '.12 24^.7 42° 12 B5»7a 2(i"40 42^7S 61 'S2 l''ort Youkon, latitude 1(7° N Ikoiniit, liititade fil° 4T'N Hitkn, latitude 67" a' N Nain, Labrador, latitude uf Sitka I'orllnnd, Maine, iatittwic 4:1'' iW N Fort Ilaniliton, New York, latitude 40" 37' N OVn NFAV NOKTHWEST. i! '•' '"■• '^l:!. *l| llll' 'l m'tk:"i Ilil^ tf'-'M I 174 IIAUI'KU'S NKW MONTHLY MAOAZINK. Frnm this tnbic wc spo thnt the ?iiinnior in ' tlie iutiriiii', iit T'ort YdiiIvdii, llidiigli M'veriil di'^rffs t'lirllii'i- niii'tli, i.H iiiiuli wmiiier lliiin lit St. Mirlincls, wlilili is on tlie const, wliilc tin; winter at Fort Ydiikmi ,i.s iiiiicli I'liliier. U_v i'oni|>iM'iiiK Niiiii luij Silkii wo sco tlio lUrt'eruiit tciii|iLTiiture at the varidiis seasons on tiii; ii|i- positc si(l< s of tliu conliiKMit, but in tlic same ialitiidf. Tlie avera(,'o tc'ni|ieruturc at 8iti;a (loos not ilill'er luiu'li from tliut of rortliiiul ; Imt its sumiiRTs arc cooler and its winters are as wiinii as tliose of WasliiiiKton. It must not lie tiiounlit friiin the iiicturc we give of New Arciiannol, taiten from ii recent Hussian work, tliat tlic inniintain to]is tliere arc contiinuilly covcred witli snow ; for tlie sketcli was taken us early as May, and after tlial time no snow is seen on the mountains. At the Kwiekpak and on Xorton Sound the winter he^iiis ahout the l.ist of September, and snow ncnurally falls about the first of October, tlioagh it doi:s not always remain on the K>'<)uiid. The small rivers and |poiuls frec/.e before the miildle of October, while the large rivers and the harbors about Alaska cbise al>out the 1st of November. The temiierature of the winter at St. Michaels is <|uite uniform, though occa- sionally the snow melts, aiul it even rains, and ag. in come days when the temperature can only be measured by the spirit thermometer, which descends sometimes to sixty degrees be- low zero. In February tiie snow begins to disappear, atid by the end of the month there is considerable bare ground. March and Ap-il arc comparatively mild, and in early May the ice is pouring out of the Kwiekpak;* after which vegetation soon niipears, and the birds return. The sen-ice does not disajipear till two or three weeks later. The winter nt St. Michiie'.s iicrmits men to be out of doors, un- less the weather is stormy. Some of Major Kinniciitt's jmrty wci'c engaged in sledging sup- plies into the interior, some two hundred miles from St. Michael.*!, and slejit in open camp with no great inconvenience. The sun during the winter is above the horizon only u few hours each day, and only a short distance, .so that its influence is very little. IJehring found the win- ter severe at liehring Bay. At the Aleutians the winters are not very cold, but they are long, as also nt the Sitka. Lisiausky sjient the winter of 1804 at St. Paul, one of the Uiissiun American jiosts on tli3 island Kodiak, south of Alaska. He went into port November l(>, and was ready for tea by the middle of April. lie says : "Daring the month of neccmber, thongh the winds blow from the iiortli, the weather was t()ieral)ly mild. The thermometer wns not lower lliun its" Fahrenheit till the '.'4th, when it sunk to liC. The grouiiil was thcu covered with enow, and icmuiiied so several mouths. The winter was not, however, supposed to set in till tlie benlnnlnt; of January. During its con- tinuance, B few days excepted in Feliruary, tiie air was dry and clear, and the winds blow from points between • The ice in the Penobscot, Maine, broke up this year April 19. the wo=* and Bonlliwcst. 'Vtc fpv('rT''t fr""t wn" nn thi)'J-'d of ilaiinary, when the thermomeler fell lu zco. The last days nt Kebriiury and the lii'^'lnnliu: of .March were also HO cold thai the mercury ofi en hIoikI lictwct'ii 111" and 14". During this iiorlod I purposely nR■a^nred the thickness of the ice In tlie ponds iii'iirthe sittle- nienl, and found it to be eii^hteen Inches. In the mouth of March coiuiuencvd the return uf s|iriug."* This winter on the coast, as he elsewhere states, seems to have liccn an exce]itioiial one in the number of clear day.s, and was wanner than the average winters of Sitka; but gener- ally the winters of Sitka and Kodiak arc very much alike. At each of these places the de- posit of ni' isture during the year is very large, and larger ]irobably at Silkn than at Kodiak. The siibjoinei'. table will show the unnmil dejios- it at various places in inches : , Sitkn I Astoria ] San I''rnncisco. . . Washington, ».f tD 1 s c e ■2 .3 « V. Vi > Is.llVi 1.'>.T.'. :i'.'.lo ; -J.'.. 77 -IP.M i(i.4;i 4.s'i •.'1.77 +l.lft s7.'.'(i ii.iir> li.liti •.i.il'.i i;f.4;i ■.".'.wi : lu.4t< in.sii 111.11 lll.(H) 41.'J4 At Sitkn during Inst year there wore only nbout sixty clear days. The great amount of rain there is caused by the cvaporntion from the warm current of the ocean being suddenly con- densed when coming in contact with the cold mountains of the coast. At Astoria, near the mouth of the C^olnmbia, it will be seen that there is also n very large dejiosit. All the navign- tors on this coast speak of the great number of rainy and foggy days. AIkhU the Aleutian Isl- ands there is also during the .sjiring months n great amount of fog, which extends u]) into IJehring Sen. Ill regard to the ngricultnnil products of this I territoiy, we know that nt St. Rlichaels lettuce, imrsnips, turnijis, and n few vegetables of this I description nrc raised by sowing thom in beds : though the ground only thaws t'j a depth of about two feet. At Fort Y'oukon, some degrees further north, they raise even |iotatoes, and the ground thaws much deeper, ns is shown from tlio large trees which grow there, some of them being a linndred feet in height. We even hear that n party coming down the river in the sum- mer of 18(iG sntl'ered from the heat. All the rejiorts of exploration sjieak of the great ipianti- ties of currants, blackberries, raspberries, straw- berries, nnd mulberries which are to be found in the Aleutian Islands, nnd on the coast, and on various islands from AInskn down to 54' 40'. The wnnt of sunlight jirevents the successful raising of such vegetnbles as we should exjiect from the nverage temperature. On the Aleu- tian Islands they raise very little; though most navigntors think they might raise more, and the luxuriant grass shows it. On Kodiak barley nnd ))(rtntoes nre raised. On Sitka, though warmer, they can rai.sc no more, and the jiola- toes are smnll ; though on some of the islands • It is from the Island of Kadyak and the coast op- posite thnt the supply of Ice for Sau Francisco is ob- I talned. OUR NKAV NOUTHWICST. 17.'. i7n IIAIIPBRWIIEW MONTHLY MACAZINK. near Sirkii llii\v mine very liirm? imiIiiIocs, imuI tlio liuliaiiK (III (^iioi'ii (lluirlottc's hliiiid wi>ro ih'CIIsIiiiikmI, iit'lLT the Hii|i|ily nl' I'lim hiul Ix't'li oxiiiiiisifd ilii're, to rai-o |poiaiiit'!<, wliiili llicv cinilil 'rail(! fur furs to llic Indians mi tlio main land. 'I'lio nalivi's liavo vi'iv littld dcHiro Cur till- tViiits (pftlio I'artli, auci mi ni'iu'rally pay llt- tU' atliMilion to tint cidlivation of the ground. Ai'ofiiid llut posts of till! Unssian Anicriraii Com- pany tliL'i'u ai'O jjardrlis, but tlii'V do not piytond to raisL' tlicMi' own siipplios. JJsiansky, who spent part of tliu summer tliero, says: "The cllmiilP of tluvc lHlnii(ls(Sllkn iind Kotilnk) Is mull :iH III my oplidiai wnulil fiiYnr Ilic niltlvatioii of Imilcy, oats, aiiil all siirts of Knrupcaii I'riiltH and vci;- claMi'H. TIk' sumiiuT Is warm, andcxli'iids to Itu'ciid of August. The winter dinVrs from onr aatiinni In tills only that llifrc are fre(Hii'iit fulls of snow." In the early days of the C'oiii]mny tlicy had a station at Ross, on tho then Mexican coast, at wliicli they raised wheat, etc., for their [losts in the north. For ii )icriod of some ten years till 18K> they received their supiilies from the Hud- son Bay ('oinpany iit Vancouver, who raised them on their own lands or lion^lit them of the settlors in Orejron Territory. Now they pro- cure them from San Francisco. It is proliahlu that much more could ho got from the soil than has liecn. An cn;;ravinK in j tho work of Kittletz >;ivcs Bomo idea of tho i variety of the forests and undergrowth nt Sitka, j and shows that the soil is rich and aide to sup- I port even luxuriant vegetation. Tho moistiiro of the atmosphere causes all varieties of trees and shrulis to grow luxuriantly, and nuked rocks exhibiting no traces of vegetable mould are covered with woody vegetation. This en- graving was made to show tlie variety of tho. forests; and so well lias it been done that the varieties can be distingiiisliod. The principal forest trees are pine, larch, and cedar. There aro also lir and alder. Tlio timber grows to tho water, as will bo seen in tho engraving of New Archangel, whore tho forest still runs down to the settlement, and tho woods have never felt tho stroke of tho nxe. Sjioaking of this settle- ment Lisiausky says: "Tho woods will yield a handsome reveniio when tho Kiissian coinmorco with China .shall bo established." Near (Cop- per River the forests aro tho nan, 3. iiillings got a number of line spars there. Pojdar, ce- d:ir, and birch abound at Kodiak, but jiine is found there only in a few places. These forests will soon, if not at once, be very valuable ; for before the acquisition of this ter- ritory there was no snp]ily of pine timber with- in the possession of tho United States on the Pacific coast. There is very little timber in California; and though there is considerable timber land in Oregon and Washington Terri- tories, yet it is not generally convenient for shipping, as there aro only two or three harbors from San Francisco to Paget Sound. The tim- ber of this new territory is better and more ac- cessible than at any other point on our Pacific const. The popuhiti'iu . These csiinialo. are made from no very satisfactory data. Nearly all (d' the reports of tho exploring expeditions s|icak (d' the native popiilaliiui as iliniinisbing, Mr. lianri'ster thinks all their estiniales iire K'O large, since the tribes in the interior are no- madic, and may liavo been coiintcd several times. Some of the early voyagers arrived at lignres very similar to those given iibovo by coiinling the niimbc of liiiiilmii or l>oHts bcloiig- ing to the natives, .iiid from that they estimate the number of the inhabitanls. I'Voiii iil to' to Mount St. Klins and on the neighboring ishimls livu the Kidoschians, who ar-! Indians, and number some L'0,000. Tlicy speal; three or four different languages. Vtov.i Mount St. ICIias to the Itay of Keiiai are other Indians — the Kenaians — sjieaking ii dialect of tho Athabascan language, which is spoken by tho tribes who live on the Yoiikon, and who in- habit British America, thence eastward to Hud- son Jiiiy. Along the remaining ]iart of the shore the Ks(piiinanx live. They inhabit the shore from the month of the Copper Hiver wcst- wardly and northerly to the shores of Behring Strait, and then oastwardly along the Arclir Ocean till they unite with their ciuigeners id" Jiritish America, J,abmdor, and (ireenland. These Esquimaux speak varieties of the same lai.guagc. Tho Aleutians, who inhabit flit; Aleutian Islands and s]ieak tho language of Unalaska, aro also Ksqiiimaiix, but yet alto- gether different from tho Ksipiimaux of tin! co.ist. The Koloschians aro of a middling stature, and very active. Their hair is lank, strong, and of a jet-black color; the face round, iho KOUIBOUIAN Llf-UHNA9IENT8. Ot tl t\ a iv OrU NF.W XOUTIIWEST. 177 OKOI'JWIJUK MAHk. liliH tliick, nnd tlic oom)ilcxion copper color. They piiint tlicir faces with white and l)hicic ]miiit, mid nt times wenr grotesque tniisks niiidu of wood. The men wear various ornnincnts iu llkAlll-UKAll MASK. their curs anil noses ; the women, wlien nhont twelve years of age, insert a piece of ivory in a slit made in tlie under lip ; a larger piece of ivory . or wood is inserted from year to year, DANOINU MAUK. and in soiiut cases it is fmir inches wide, niul pnijectH IViini Hide to side six iiKlic". Tliu larger this onmiiieiit the more iiupdilant the woman is ccmsidereil. 'I'lie flesh grows out with the woiid, and lln! appearance of these wo- men is very disgusting. They furnierly dressed allogethvr in skins, hut now wear hijiiiki'ts or else u sort of skirt made of course cjdth or skins. The rich wear lino hiankets niiide hy their own women ; hut iiKPSt of the < luih wurii is produced from traders in exchange li.r furs. Their weapons were formerly sjicnrs niul ar- rows, which appear to have liecn tipped with iron and copjicr. Even when they were first visited hy Kuropeans as early as iMl.'i tlicy were generally armed with muskets. 'J'hcy cut oft' the heads of those they kill, and iiuike slaves of the jirisoners. They live in villages near the shore in houses made of ]daiik, with no w in- dow and only n low door; in the middle is a hole for the Hrc, the smoke from wliiih escapes through an opening in the roof. Sometimes their houses arc partitioned off, hut cominoidy they have only one room. In the summer they leave their houses and scatter along the const in search of fish. They have a strong lielief in, nnd a distinct idea of, the right tojn-operty, and the earliest visitors f'nund that they were very anxicpiis to trade, and that nothing could he ob- tained from them willujut giving them some- thing in return. They are very fond of trading, and keen at a bargain, nnd frcipieutly become enraged willi those who will not trade with them. They procure ftirs from the Indians of the interior, and trade them with the Unssinn Company, in addition to the skins of the otter and other nninuils which they tlieinselves kill on the coast, 'i'he rich have, nt the jiresent time, various dishes, jilates, nnd the like, which they kcc]) on shelves in their houses. The poor have wooden bowls and spoons of wood or horn. They have considerable skill in sculpture niul paint- ing, and one might snji|)ose many Jif their masks, images, and implements made of wood, to be the work of a people greatly advanced in civilization. Their boats are dug out from n single trunk. Those of the ordinary size, which they use for fishing, are thirty feet long, and carry a dozen men ; while the larger ones, used for war, nnd for trnns])orling whole families, will carry sixty men, and are nearly fifty feet long. Kvery one who has seen these boats describe them as very beautifully modeled. To move them they use the single paddle, though when making a long voyage they Hse a square sail sometimes, having four masts in one canoe. Formerly their sails were of a coarse matting made by themselves ; but now they have cloth sails, stone adze. 178 iiAiiri'.u'.s m;\v Mt»Ni"iii,v .MA MY KOI.OItUMIAN ISIIIAN8. mill with such siiiln thoy frcinu'iillv visit Vic- toria lit the hnvcr cml nt' Vaiicoiivi-r I.sjaiiii, which iii some eight iiundrcd miles from their iioinc. Their food during the siimiiicr consists of ditVcrent kinds of hurries, frcsli lisli, and the flesh of ain|i1iihiuiis animals, and during the winter they live on dried salmon, train oil, and the spawn of fish, especially herrings. As yet they have not learned to enltivato the jtroiind or acquired a taste for vegetable food ; hut they arc so fond nf triidu that it is not improliahie that when the supply of fur-hearing animals shall he diminislied they may hecoine fnrm- ers, as did the Indians of the same race on Queen Chiirlotte'a Island under Bimilar circum- stances. The women are cruelly treated, do most of the work, and arc not so fine-looking as the men. Polygamy exists, and the marriage re- lation is not much regarded. As soon as the children can walk they are hathed everyday in the sea whatever he the weather. In tliis way mutiy infants perish, and the tri!)e do not in- crease rapidly ; hut those that survive make the strong, vigorous, and enduring men and women that we find them. The Kolosehians generally burn their dead, and dcp'jsit the aslies nnd nnconsumed bones in wooden boxes raised on pillars. On some oc- casions slaves are burned with their masters. Forrunately for the Uussinns the Indians fight witli each other, and have not conibined against them. Their wars with each other jirevent ihcm from increasing in nninhors, nnd varinus diseases, |iarticnlarly the smull-i)o.\, sweejiuway many of them. Tlie Kiissians cstnhlishcd the post of Arcli- niigel, on the Islaiul of Sitkn, in the year lUdO, which, in two years afterward, was attacked by a party of six hundred Kolosehians armed with muskets, who destroyed the fort and butchered the garrison. When (!a|itAin Lisiausky visited the island in 1804 he, at the re(|uest of the (iovcnior, assisted in making another settle meiit, the jiresent New Archangel, 'i'he In- dians had erected a fort, and were j)reiiaied to resist the liussians in their attein)it to nuike a ])crinanent settlement. The Kussians had three or four vessels, from which they landed several cannon, and attein])ted to carry the fort by a land attack, hut were repulsed, and woidj have been destroyed if they had not been luotccted by a heavy fire from the shijis. On the next day the fort was commanded from the ships, and nt night the Sitkans sued for jicacc, offer- ing to give hostages. For two or three days negotiations were car- ried on, when otie morning it was fouml tliat the Indians had escaped, ijaving only two old women and n little hoy in the fort, which was found to he nn irregular square with its longest side looking toward ^c e.i. It was construct- ed of wood, and ; ■ l' ' '\ and so strong that the shots from the sdij't ili'l uot penetrate it at the short distance of a cul.it's hngth. On the side toward the sea v.ere 1,..! s for catinon, and in the rtjar were g.it» ■>. Within were fourteen OIU NKW NOinilNVKST. 171 tiAmcK, in whirh n Inrgo qnnntity nt' dried tisli jlltd ollu'l' |ll'(lvi^il)llH lliiil Ik'i'II rollci'li'cl, iilld, liniii ii|i|>(>iiriiii(>'K, tli(^ I'lii't iiiii'tt liii\i' ciiiituiiicil III IcnHt vin\n liiiiidi't'd iniili! iiiliiiliitiiiitx, wlio liinl nliJiiidiMR'd it licniuKt! llic)' >voi'u Hliort tit' iiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiii. 'I'lii't iiiridcnt hIiiiwk tlio uiirlikc liiitiiii- nt' llii'so Iiidiiiiis sixty yi'iiiH 11^0, mid tlirv luivc II"' I'liiiiixod siiiri'. They liiivit Hnvt-ial liiiie.t iiiiacki'il till* t'lii't cstiiljiiiiliud liy LiitiuuMky, uvuii n* lull' n* l^Ti/i. 'I'lio lliidxMi Uiiy (Niiiipiiiiy liad 11 K'unc fnim tilt' Uiisitiuii (!iiiii|iiiiiy of tliu I'tiust 1I.4 I'ai I. Ii a:t Miiiiiil Nt. ICIia.t, anil fstaliliitliod tun tratiii' lioiis aiiKiMK tl>i3 Knliisi'liiaiiH ; liiit tlioy t'oiiiii tlii'iii Hii titiiiliU'soim! tliat llit-y were ti ' \ '■'' wiiliiir.iw, mid al'tt'i'wartl traili'il iiiiniv I'li! cirns' with a Htirm icr, wliiili wiw tifiit«ii' at curliiin seasons, mill wliosu trailing was always ]a'ott'tl- I'd with lio.iriliiif; netliii^. Tlu'si' Iinliuns std- doiii visit Vani'onvtT I^lalld iiiiil I'lijji'rs Klaiid williont cai-ryiiiK liark wiili tli(!Mi tlit: head ol a wliilt! iiiaii, lanil. From what we have li'arned tl.eie eaii I'l: no iloiilit liiit that thi-^i' KoloKchiaim arc hotter alilo to resist the white* thnii nny Indians on tho continent hnvo ever lieeii. The KiiiiiiaiiH, ulio livt) lieyoiid Mount St. Kliiis, on Cook's liili'l, have hreii in a niiisiil- eralile extent Kiilijetltil to tht^ Kiis.-iiins. On the iliiy al'ler ilist'oviM'iliK Mount Si. ICIIas lieli- rin^ sent a hoat ashore 10 ret oiiiiniin', 'I'liev found at an islaiul some eiii|iiy liiils whiili ihu iiihahitaiitN of the ninlineiit iisetl for lishiiiK. 'i'lit se lints Were formed of smoolh hoiirils, stJinu of wliieli were enrioiisly iiirved. In the lints lit) found a small hox inaile of |ii>|ihir; a hollow earthen hall, in wliitli were a sloin. rallleil lik« a toy for cliihlren, ami a whetsto.ie, on wliieh It a|i)ieared thai i'o|iper knives hail heen sharp- ened, lie found a lelhir, and in it a siore of retl siilnitin. 'I'liert^ lay in it also ropes anti all kiiiils nf hoiiseliolil furniture, iiK'I'iilin^' a wootl- eii iiisirnment for proiiirlnn (ire, whiil^ is thus il.;serihed : "A lioanl with a hole in it ami a sliik, tilt' one eml of wliiili is put into llie liole.s mill lh(! other tnrnctl about swiftly hetweeii tho hamls till the wootl within the holes lie-ins to hiirii i then there is tiiukr ready, lo wliieh eiililies the tire anil eommniiieales it fiirlher." These Indian 1 me v-y jieucefnl, ami are skill- ful tishers and hunturii. MALI OOSTCMK. rKMALK OOSTimX. 180 IIAHI'KUS NKW MONTHLY JIAOAZINK. The Kodiaks are ]ih_vsic'nlly somowlmt like th J Ki)loscliiiins. Tlie ('n>;niviuK of the Kodiak man is tVoiii Caiitiiiu Hillings 's report, hihI was taken in 1 ~'M. They liress in skin frocks fast- oneil around the waist with a pirdle. Tlieir heads are covoicd with a ca]) made of the skin of sea-l)irds, or with a hat jilatted of the fine roots of trees. Hoth tlie women and tlic men have, to u ^rcat extent, ji;iven iij) the use of ornaments in tlie nose and lips. Tlieir food in the Slimmer eoiisists of tish of various kinds ; but they do not provide dried fish for the win- ter. On the arrival of the lliissiaiis they be- lieved alike in good and bad spirits, but made tJieir offerings to the last only, considering the lirst to be inca])able of doing injii-y. Many of them in the year 180."), and more now, ])rofess to be Christians of the Greek Chiirdi, but only ' from p(Jicy; and some of them, for the sake of getting a shirt or handkerchief, are baptized two or three times. I They dress the dead in their best a]iparel, and bury with the hiiiilers their arrows and harpoons, anil jilace the frame of their boat over them. Their boats {hauiin-a) arc lightly cnii- structed of wood fastened together wiih whale- bone, and covered over with seal -skins, the seams of which are so well sewed that not a i drop of water can get tliroiigli. Tlicy carry (me, two, or three per-niis. The hatchway- cloths arc fastened tightly under the arms of the rower, and no water gets into the boat. The large leathern boats which the Kodiaks formerly used, and which would carry seventy persons, were taken from them by the Russians. Their houses are very much like those of the Koloscliians. The engravings representing a man and a woman of Unalaska, as seen by Captain Kill- ings, make it unnecessary to describe the Aleu- tians jiarticiilarly. The dresses are of skins, and the ninn's helmet is of wood. Their in- struments and utensils are all made with aina/.- ing beauty and the exactest symmetry. They use needles made of the wing-bone of i the pull, and thread made of the sinews of the seal, of all si/.es, from the fineness of a liair to the strength of a moderate cord. They have darts ]iarticidarly adapted for killing animals, birds, and seals. Tlieir boats are dcscriiied as iutinitely su]icrior to those of any other Ks(|uiniaux. <'aptaiii IJillings says: " If jierfcct symmetry, smoothness, and ))ro- Iiortiou constitute beauty, they are beautiful to me. They a]i)iear so beyond any thing that I ever beheld." 'J'hey are traiis|]areiit as oil- ]ui]]er, about eighteen feet long, and can be carried with one hand even when sodden with water. They row them in smooth water about ten miles an hour, and keej) the sea in a gale of wind, going into the breakers until the waters reach their breast. The )iaddles arc double, and about se\tn or eight feet long. The wrmien are very skillful with the needle. In winter they warm their houses— which are very niiicli like those of the Kodiaks — with hot stones. In summer they enjoy a hot bath, which they take by throwing water n])on the heated stones. They obtain fire by striking a spark with a tliiit on native sul|phiir sprinkled on straw. Their dead they embalm and bury in boxes. Of the Ks(piimaux who live along the coast little need be said, excejit that they are very much like the Aleutians. 'I'hey are very fond of trade, and always liave been traders. They trade with the Indians of the interior, with the IJussian Americnn Company, with the whalers who touch oil the coast, and even cross Ueliriiig Strait in winter and summer, by way of lich- riug Island, and trade with the Es(iiiiinaiix and Tchiiktchi on the y the inliu- enee of the Kussiuii i\ merioan Comjiany : " The ' Creoles' are t'enernlly tlie children of Rnsplnn men nnil Aleutian wonu'n, sometinK's of Uusxiaiis and Koloschiim wonieu.aiid less m San Francisco to fish for cod. The cod banks are said to extend along the shore soitth of Kodiak, and the fish are very large and abund- ant. There are also banks which have been fished over on the Asiatic coasts. At present the i)opnlation of the Pacific coast do not con- sume a great quantity of salt fish, but if the sup- ply is increased the demand will increase. The whaling ground is mostly above Ik-hriiig Strait in the Arctic Ocean, thougli whales abound aliove the Aleutian Islands. Tlie whalers win- ter at the Sandwich Islands, and jiass up througii the Strait in the early sjiring, returning in the fall. By the treaty of 182.">, between the United States and Russia, it was agreed "That in any part of the great ocean, commnnly called the PaciHc Ocean, or South 8ea, the rei^pectivo oltizena or subjects of the high contracting powers shall be neither disturbed nor restrained, either in navigation or In flching, or In the power of resorting to the coasts upon points which may not already have been occupied for the purpose of trading with the un- tlves, saving always the restrictions and conditions determined by the following articles." One of which provided that the citizens of the United States should not resort to tiny point where there was a Russian establishment without the permission of the governor or com- niiinder. It might seem ns if this treaty gave to the citizens of the United States all the facilities for fishing on the Russian coast which they require ; l)Ut it did not. The Russian (Jovernor con- strued this treaty in such a way that our ves- sels were not allowed to fish either for whales or codfish in certain parts of the coast wl ere these fish abound, and the negotiations which lirotight about tlie recent treaty originated in the desire of tlio Pacific coast to have additional privileges for fishing. The use of the h.-irbor on the coast will not be of much advantage to our fisl-.ermen ; for I whalers do not frequent harbors .md carry their ! su]ijilies with, them, neither woii'.d it be well for i them to winter in them, for nl"lcr a summer's I whaling they require to be lelittod, and the dani]) nttnospbere of this climate is very uii- i suitable for tightening rigging. 1 The cod fishery can never be carried on siic- ' cessfully from this coast, for the fish must bo cur- OUR NEW NORTHWEST. 188 ried down the const to Piiget Sound or Snn Francisco before tlicy can be dried, ns there is too much ruin on tiie const nnd islands soiitli of Ahiska to dry the fich properly. Such is the statement made by our citizens who have been there. But, on the other hand, we have the statement that the Indians of this coast live to a Rreat extent in the winter ujion ilriid fish. In the early history of the New Eu^land fisheries it was thought very important that ou" citizens should have a right to dry their fish upon the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfound- land, but now they dry no fish there. And the cod fishermen of Marbleliend, who fish on these banks, commonly make two voyages to the banks and bring their fish home to dry. As soon ns the fish are caught they are split and salted in the hold of the vessel, and in this way brought home, where they are unloosed and dried while the vessel returns to the banks. In the same way the fishermen from Sun Francisco can make three trips each year. Salmon are very abundant in all the rivers, and arc more caught than the cod by the na- ti»'es. There arc also many salmon in the Sacramento and Columbia rivers, and probably the supply from these rivers is quite sutficient for the present popiilation of the Pacific coast. The Hudson Bay Compa.:y formerly sent many salt salmon taken in the f "oinmbia to the Sand- wich Islands. But now that market has failed on account of the poverty of the natives, who were the chief consumers. In regard to the herring of this coast it need only be said that the natives catch them by ! means of nails driven into a pole, nnd each nail brings out n herring. A friend who docs not ', tell fish stories, says he has seen them in such schools that he could not row his bo.it through ' them. Lapcepcdc -egards the herring as "uni- de ces prndiirtions dont Fe.mplo'i d&ide de In dcs- , tine'e dc.i cm/iircs ;" and the great Ouvier has re- corded that the government of all nations pos- j sessed of any sea-coast wliere that fish is known j has given special attention and encouragement to its capture, regarding such occupation as the i finest nursery for the formation of robust men, ' intrepid sailors, and skillful navigators, nnd so of the highest consequence toward the nttuin- ; mcnt of maritime greatness. j Up to the present time furs h.ive been the ^ chief product of this country, and all the occu- ' pation tb .t has ever been made upon it has been ' made by the Russian American Company, which ; was vested with tiic exclusive right to trade ; with the natives for furs. This Company has | some fifteen or twenty different tradiug-|)osts, of which New Archangel, Kodiak, St. Micliaels, and Unalaskn are the chief. At these jiosts they not only buy what furs are brought to them, but the natives, especially the Aleutians, are hired as servants, nnd employed as hunters nn- ! der the direction of an officer of the Company. In the cnrly history of this (Company furs | were more easily obtained than now. but for j the la:it twenty years the supjily has been very I constant. ' Sir George Simpson gives the fol- lowing as the Company's receipts for 1841 : lO.OOO fur seals, 1000 sea-otters, 12,000 beavers, 2,500 land-otters, 20,000 sen-horse teeth. Since 1841 the Compnny hnve established posts in the interior and obtain a greater variety of skins. The following table shows the value of the various skins at Now Archang'il dur'ug the lust year : Sen-otter $5'i W Marten (Aniericau siible) 4 00 Uenver y 50 H<^ar 4 50 HIack fiix .WJM) Silver fi)X 40 00 Odss fi)X 'J5 fKt Kcd fox '2 00 The Hudson Bay Company have a post in this territory, which is situated near where the Youkon flows into the Kwickpak, and is called Fort Youkon. The Company find this one of the most profitable of their posts, and have not iiad any difficulty with the Russian Company in regard to its occupatior. ; for nlthough it is be- yond the boundary lii e, yet it is so far in the in- terior that it does n' t to any considerable ex- tent interfere with the ti.ide on the coast. The chief market for the furs obtained by the Russian Compnny is China, where they exchange tliem for tciis. The furs from Fort Youkon nre packed across the continen,' to York Factory on Hudson Bay, and from theie sent to London, where they are sold to be scattered over the world. If these Companies can find it profitable to e!)tablisli trading-posts whose supplies they must bring across continents, nnd whose products must return the same way, certainly we can carry on the same trade from Snn Francisco, which IS within ten days' sail by steam of the mouth of the Kwickpak. The Government will not i)robably grant a monopoly of this trade, and it will be left free to all. The eftect of this will be that, for a few years, the nundjer of furs obtained will be largely increased; but that afterward the sujiply will be considerably di- minished, on account of the indiscriminate kill- ing of nil fur-bearing animals— old and ynuiig, male and female. Chartered companies, where they have had the exclusive control, have in vari- ous ways prevented the killing of the female and young animals, and so the i)rices bav. not been brought down, nor has the number of fur- bearing animals diminished. But when the trade shall be open to nil, the Indians will kill every thing which they can sell to traders, who will be anxious to buy whatever they can sell at n profit, without regard to the future sujiidy. It does not njipear th; the Russian Ciunpany have been so successful in the nuinagement of the fur -trade as the Hudson Bay Compnny hnve been, and considerable complaint has been made in Russia in regard to their manage- ment. But this complaint does not seem to be so much that tlie Compnny hns not managed its own interests well, as that it has done little or nothing to improve the country, and to make it valuiible to Russia. Tlie Kussiiin' Company has been umler tiie protection of tlic Emperor, iind some of its ottieers liave been np|K)inted from the army aiiJ navy, witii tlie a>?reenient tiiat tlieir years of service in tlie Company siiall count as years of service in tlie army or navy. Many of its servants are also from the army ; but while connected with the Company they wear no uniform, though from previous service they arc ready to resist any attack from the natives. We have now seen that our new territory is large j has a great extent of sea-coast; Is not very cold in winter, nor very vvarm in summer ; is populated by Indians wlio are fierce and war- like, and by Esiiuimatix who are peaceful and already subjected ; is already known to bo rich in certain minerals, ami is ])robably rich in others ; is capable of producing various grains in the south ; and can at once be made of value by its coal, its ice, its fish, its timber, and its furs. Two questions remain to be considered : "Has the United States acquired a territory free and unincumbered ?" and, " What is the best way to govern their purchase?" We have seen it intimated In some quarters that the United States has acquirQ«l this terri- tory, subject to certain rights of Great Britain ; but we think such is not the ca«e. By tlie treaty of 1825 between Uiissia and Great Brit- ain it was agreed that British vessels should forever enjoy the right of navigating freely, and without any hindrance whatever, all the rivers and streams which, In their course toward the Pacific Ocean, cross the line of demarkatlon between the two countries. The principal rivers which were included in this agreement are the Youkon or Kwickjiak and the Stlchin. The Youkon rises near the centre of British America, from which point it runs northerly till it joins the Kwlckpak. The Stichin rises in British Columbia, and emiities Into the Pa- cific in about 5.")° 30' north latitude. The navigation of the Youkon has not yet become valuable to Great Britain ; but she already uses the Stichlii to a considerable extent to reach gold mines which have been discovered near its source. There appeared in a newspaper, published at Victoria, Vancouver's Island, some few years ago, an article which declared that England must have the mouth of the Stichin for her own, and that the simide right to navigate this river was not enough ; for she could not suffer a Russian town to grow up at its mouth, which town would owe all Its importance to the trade of the interior. The article is a very violent one, and sets forth clf^arly the value of the mouth of this river, and even advocates the taking forcible jiossession of it. The mouth of this river now belongs to the United States, and Great Britain will hardly take it by foiv,. But another question arises: Has England still the right to navigate it freely? The trcatv of 1825 was coniimted bv the treaty of 1813; and when, as that treaty had been abrogated by the war, it became necessary in 1850 to make a new treaty — the treatv of 1825 was again continued. The treaty of 185!) provided, in regard to its own continuance, that it should remain in force for ten years from the date of the exchange of ratification ; and fur- ther, until the exjilratlon of twelve months after either of the high contracting jiarties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the same, each of the high con- tracting parties reserving to itself the right of giving such notice to the other at the expira- tion of the first nine years, or at any time after- ward. Ili've we now become parties to the treaty of 1825? or, in other words, Does the right which Russia gave to England of navigating certain rivers run with the land ? — The better opinion is that it does not. It must be noticed that even the parties to the treaty of 1 825 did not consider that it was to be perpetual ; for by the treaty of 18+3 they ex])re3sly continued it. That "forever" with them meant "until restricted" is also shown hy the fact that this treaty wos embodied in the treaty of 185'J, which is terminable on notice. The right to navigate these livers was then by the parties themselves considered to be only a personal right, and one which did not neces- sarily continue even if the ownership did not change. This right of free navigation was a mere license given for no consideration, which expired with the change of ownership. If it was given for consideration we are not bound to grant it, for we bought land which, in the treaty, is declared to be free and unincumbered, and Russia must see that it is so. But if It is considered that wo are subrogated to the rights of Russia as existing under the treaty of 1825, it must be further held that we are subiogated to those rights as modified by the tieaty of 185!), which would permit us to give notice to Great Britain in January next that, after a ; ■"•• from that date, English vessels can no loi.gi;» enjoy the free navigation of the Youkon and Stichin. Let it not be supposed that we are urging that the United States should not allow British vessels to navigate these rivers as they now do ; we only mean to be understood as saying that, if we do allow this, we allow as a favor what w-e have a righti to prevent ; for we have ac- quired the possession of lands free and unin- cumbered. The question of the best method of govern- ing this colony is not an easy one. At the present time it has no population which can be made to feel and appreciate the peculiar ad- vantages of our government. The laws which are to govern it must be made by Congress, or else the whole matter must be intrusted to a Governor, or to a Governoi and Council, who must have regard not only to the present but to the future condition of the country. When Mr. Golowin made his report he THE 'iUULY ItUUAL. ISS thought tlint ccrtiiin tlmiiges bIiouUI bo iniiilc by Russia in tlio government. lie thought it best tlint tlie Governor should be apjiointcd by tlic Crown from onniliJivtes offered by tlie Com- pany, and that the' Comjiuny should have the power of demanding his removal if they could show that his continuance in office would be in- jurious to tlio colony ; that his powers should be limited by fixed laws, but he should be sub- ject to the Crown alone, to whom he sliould make his report j that the officers appointed nnder him should report to him, and in no case should they use harsh measures against the na- tives or colonists ; that the Governor should in- spect the vario\i!> ])osts each year, and should protect himself and the colonists from any at- tack, for which ])urpose he would need only the cruisers cmjjloyed by the Company ; that the colonists — in which number ho includes the Creoles — should be governed by rulers of their own selection ; tliat the natives who are sub- jected, as the Aleutians, should continue to be governed by their own officers, and enjoy the right of ownership in all lands occupied by them, and all disputes among them should, in the iirst instance, be settled by their own magis- trates, and only referred to the Governor upon the request of tho parties; that missions and schools should be encouraged, and more ntten* tion sliould be paid to tho development of the mines and to agriculture. Mr. Golowin desired that tho pcojile should to .-em themselves as much as ])ossible ; and lie seems to think th.it they are able to do so with the su])crvision of a Governor. Let us act on his hints. At first we shall find more difficulty in gf verning them than the llussians have cx- poienced ; for neither llussian, Creoles, nor n.i- tives will be able to speak or understand our language. It seems best that they should have gome ])art in the government ; and no better mode seems to present itself than tluit some of them should be appointed by tho Governor, who, with others — in all not more than ten — should constitute a Council to the Governor. Let the Governor and Secretary be appointed at Wasliington. Let them both bo men who from tlieir own experience are acquainted with the various methods of managing Indians. It may be well at first to send one or two companies of infantry with them, which, if not actually needed, will servo to impress ui)on the natives tlie power of the United States. An armed vessel should also be ordered to cruise along the coast for the same purpose, whicii can be used in case of necessity to destroy the villages of the Koh)Bchians who live along tho shore, and wlio are tho only Indians who will give trouble. Many people think that tho United States have liouglit what is of no value ; and if we liavc in this sketch done any thing to show that this territory is a valuable acquisition we ure satisfied. We have not sjioken of the political advantages of this territory, for those are appar- ent. Edward Winslow, in his narrative of the Vol. XXXV.— No. 1!0C.— N 1 "Tnio Grounds and Causes (;f the First I'lant- ing of New England," relates an interview be- tween James I. and the agents of the Puritans I who went over to England from Lcydcn in lOlC I to solicit his consent to tlitir going to America. The King asked them, "What jirofit might arise?" They answered, "Fishing." The I Puritans came to this continent and landed j when the season was more severe than tlie win- ! tor on a great part of the const of Uussian America, and where the mean temperature is nearly tho same. They came for fishing; and what have not their descendants gained therc- I by ? We have bought territory whose harbors and bays are new fishing groimds ; and what may we not expect in two hundred years ?