■' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k A {/ y. .% 1.0 I.I 1125 l^|28 |2.5 |50 "■■ M^^ iU \s. nio 14 11.6 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation aa W^^T MAIN i>TRSIT (/It) 873-4503 m CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadia.1 institute for Historical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 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 checlted below. D D D n D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damageH/ Couverture enJommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pelliculde I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I 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/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Rei\6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause 'shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure serrde peut causer de T'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 dtd film^as. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage sont indiquds ci-dessous. 1 t D D D V D y D D D 1 P f Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolordes, tachetdes ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ddtach^es Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire T si T 3 b< "1 ra I I Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible 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 film^es A nouveau de fa9on d obtenir la meilleure image possible. D Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppldmentaires; This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux de reduction indlquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generoaity of: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed 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- TIIMUED'I, or the symbol V (mean.ng "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too '.«rge 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'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grAce A la ginArosIt* de: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition at de la nettet* de l'exemplaire film«, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture an papier est imprimie sont filmis en commen9ant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmAs en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symboie — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre film^s A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clich<', il est film« A partir de I'angle sup«rieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 f ' i. }l -I . r%-^:'^'-:: ■^|/#: ^/.>?i»^ ■Vv , ■ -.;i(-. ?>■>;' V- €^^i'' .s/M" ' • ■. ■ ■ '^- ' '.iV ■■■'*'■ ■'iV'fJf /•■'-<:{;* -ilt-V-' ' .;-;v,:.f: ■"■*S'.Tl'- v-v 'it r ■\4... i-.'"-!. .■■/: /•i y*' ■v.); ■-'■*•'■''''■'■■. v. J-^ ■ h *■ ^■ ,, \jv 'V -K . ' "1 ^^N the Tsar, f owe of his e Russians tritory in ni From this t /^ ffchants m '9 P-T Z^'i- "Mj^. O. %:■ J, r. - 1 ^^^'W^^fc^— Jr -- H -? KATI.KANS KOI'K AND CASTl.K, SITKA. ALASKA ALEXANDER BARANOF AND THh RUSSIAN COLONICS OF AMERICA BY ARTHrU IXKKliSLKY DErEMHEK S, 1741, in a wretched little hut on the island oft' the coast of Kam- chatka, which still hears his name, the intrej)id exjilorer, Vitus Bering, died. Thouj^h a Dane by birth, he had been for many years in the service the Tsar, and it was on his voyajjes and Ose of his able lieutenant, Chirikof, that e Russians mainly based their claim to PJ'itory in northwestern Ameri<.'a. Fj-om this time forth Russian traders and jfchants made frecjuent expeditions to America in (juest of valuable furs, but they behaved so brutally that even now, at the distance of a century and a half, the memory of their cruelties has not been blotted from the minds of the natives. \'ery various fortunes attended the tradinj^ and exploring; expeditions of those days; some vessels brouf^ht back larjje (juantities of splendid furs, while the crews of others suffered terrible hardshi])S and realized nothinj? in return. .\fter Kadiak and the islands of the Aleu- tian ji;roup had been visited, the imperial jyovernment thoujrht it time to take steps 9 y2ci05 --^ t *.-* >•■' «■( 10 nVERLAXl) MONTHLY I'KINt'K HAKANOFK for the more accurate mapping out of the regions discovered by the Siberian traders. Accordingly several naval officers were de- tailed, on double pay and with increased rank, to accompany the traders, take notes of the resources and productions the country, and make astronomical observations. l>ut the demon of ill-luck seemed to pursue these sj)eeially chosen officers, for though they made gallant efforts to extend their know- ledge, and incurred serious dangers, they ad(ied very little to the information already accjuired by the traders. At this period most of the trading and exploration was done by companies organ- ized for these purposes. The expeditions extended over three, four, five, or more years. On their return the total results were divided into two parts; the projectors of the expedition took one, and the other was divided into shares, of which each sailor and particijjator received one or two. Many of these exploring parties met with disaster at sea, but these were almost wholly due to utter ignorance of the simplest princi- ples of navigation on the part of the adventurers, who were traders, hunt'rs, and trappers, but not sailors. When the game on the .Aleutian islands and the adjoining peninsula began to become scarce, it was decifled to trv to make fresh discoveries on the mainland. The attempts were not successful, the natii offering a brave resistance and rei)ulsing Russians with considerable loss. In 17^| company of Siberian merchants organizeill expedition on a larger scale than any t| had hitherto left the shores of Siberia:' consisted of three shijjs and numbti nearly two hundred men. ( )ne of the ves.^| was called The Three Saints, and was ci' manded by (Irigor Ivanovich Shelikof, wi vvith his crew, wintered on Bering island, ;| then passed on to Copper and other islai'.j A somewhat long stay was made at I' lashka, where they took on fresh waij supplies, and several Aleutian huntt Thence they sailed to the island now call Kadiak, and anchored in Three Saints harl Here they were received with hostility by natives, but, nothing daunted, they begai build houses and to erect fortifications a permanent settlement. The winter v spent at Karluk, where salmon were v plentiful, and where at the present ( several canneries are situated. Shelikof now became very anxious to seci a monopoly of the Russian discoveries a settlements in North .America, and to obtithusiasm, a for his cimipany the exclusive privilege Shelikof s trading in the new colonies. To furtknt just abi his plans, he went back to Siberia, leaving^t many ab command of the colonies a Siberian merchireen the va: named Samoilof,to whom he gave instructii nies and tli which give us a high idea of his wisdom ;.gt to abolis' clear-sightedness. Shelikof directed his \vq whole .Ar tenant to extend the sjjhere of Russian inigingle stroi ence to the eastward and southward, to ktg partner, out foreign traders, to establish statii^tersburg t further and further along the coast of tho manifes American continent, and to set up maicta, and co of Russian occupation as far south as Ca' honor upi fornia. Samoilof was also instructed to stfgg, a deer natives to Siberia to study the language, ^ny exclus mestic life, and customs, of the Russians. anting in tl that on returning to their tribes they mi'.'-olled by tl aid in civilizing their countrymen; to coUif twohundr ores, minerals, and shells, gather articles -othi the i)i native manufacture, make surveys, bii,venty annii block-houses, and establish .schools. In Siberia Shelikof journeyed on to Irkutsk, the ciian who w( ital of Eastern Siberia, where he i)laced Ijs heart uj fore the < !overnor-( leneral, for transmissif KBrgapol to Saint Petersburg, a long account of iom in 174' discoveries, accompanied by maps and phio Moscow, and asked recognition of his work. Thopfi; in l' «4iMM>«aH4H mmm ALEXANDER HAKAXOF 11 A RI'S.SIAN m.dCK llurSK lul. The ul, the nati nd repulsing OSS. In 17^ nts organizei than any of kSiberia and numbt ne of the ves , and was c Shelikof, w ering island, id other isla made at I" )n fresh wat utian hunt and now ca e Saints harl I hostility by d, they begai artifications The winter v mon were v he present ( d. nxious to seci discoveries ;i a, and to obtitJi^if^iasm, and fortunately for the success sive privilege shelikof's schemes, the" Russian govern- is. To furtl»nt just about this time became convinced beria, leavingg^t many abuses existed in the relations be- beruin merchireen the various independent trading com- ave mstructii nies and the natives, and that it would be his wisdom i.^t to abolish the traders' rule, and place iirected his lie whole American traffic in the hands of )t Russian inigjugie strong comi)any. So Slielikof and thward, tobg partner, (iolikof, were invited to Saint ,ablish statii^tersburg to be presented to the Enijiress, 10 coast of tjio manifested great interest in their pro- ' *^*^t up maictg, and conferred gold medals and swords south as (';f honor upon them. On September 2Sth, itructed to stfgg^ a decree was issued, giving the coni- e language, (^y exclusive privileges of trading and ^he Russians, jntiiig in the regions discovered and con- ibes they mi..*olled by them. Besides all this a subsidy men ; tocolltf two hundred thimsand rubles was advanced ther articles -om the i)ublic treasury, to be rei)aid in surveys, buventy annual instalments without interest, 'hools. In Siberia Shelikof looked about him f.)r a kutsk, the c.'ian who wtnild carry out his plans, and set e he placed Ijh heart ujion Alexander I'.aranof, a native )r transmissif Kargapol in eastern Russia. 1 laranof was iccount of iorn in 1747, and from his native place went naps and phio Moscow, where he was a clerk in retail is work. Thopfi; in 1771 he set up in business for him- latter up welf.but dissatisfied with his prositects. he migrated to Siberia in 17M>, and took the management of a glass factory in Irkutsk. Later, he engaged in trading on the Anadir river and in Kamchatka, and did a fair bus- iness. Reing fond of his independence, he at first refused to enter the service of the Shelikof company. So Delarof, a ( Ireek, was appointed in charge of the colony at Kadiak. He behaved with great kindne.ss and justice; but, though visitors of all nationalities jiraised him highly, he was much too lenient and hon- est to suit his unscrujjulous directors. In 17S*) Raranof lost two of his caravan.s, and was rendered bankrupt. Shelikof ap- proached him again, and this time Haranof accei)ted his overtures, and entered the ser- vice of the comjiany in 171K). He was ex- cellently fitted for the work he had to tlo; shrewd, i)olitic. full of courage and energy. I'liotd liy I'lirlriilu*' l\Ti;ill(IH or KI'SSIAN rilllli'll, SITKA. ALASKA 12 OVERLAND MONTHLY careful to avoid disputes, and yet not bur- dened with inconvenient scruples. That he was fond of strong liquor, loose in his rela- tionships with women, and capable of lying whenever occasion seemed to require, did not detract from, but rather increased his usefulness in the post he was called to oc- cupy. Baranof sailed to the scene of his future labors in The Three Saints, but he was not destined to reach Kadiak that year. The ship was wrecked on I'nalashka and went to pieces. Baranof at once showed his readi- post being at the bay of Three Saints, diak. But his domain did not extend ni beyond Kadiak and a few of the adja( islands, as several private trading compa were yet in operation on the Aleutian isl« and Prince William sound. After Bar; had been in power for some little ti 't determined to extend the company's sp! of influence, and to seize the Alexander ai pelago. With these ends in view, Baranof rem( the chief settlement of the company f Three Saints to Saint Paul harbor, bee; :' . ■*-^/'V .■;^,,.;•-. \ ■ y.. . W' V; \ ■■■*"*-'^-*-«w 01,1) KU.SSIAN IlLOCK HOUSE, .SITKA ness of resource by distributing his fifty-two men over the island in search of seals and edible roots, and his energy by helping them to build uniierground huts in which to pass the long and cold winter. Though food often ran short, and many hardships had to be en- dured, Baranof learned much about the habits and customs of the natives that afterwards proved useful to him. In the spring of 17U1 the Russians con- structed three bidarkas, or skin bouts, in which they safely reached Kadiak, making many valuable explorations on the way. I)e- larof was relieved, and Baranof assumed com- mandof alltheforts,stations,andsettlements, of theiShelikof-dolikof company, the principal iranof. At d driven off d-a-half-poi iranof wrot Hows: — Ab for myself, IS torn by a sp J. Being arm dress, but rus d to see that ( er the dan^tei the fearless d jre new recrui more timber for ship-building could be ' Tj-«.,n(.f u. tained near the latter place. He made p_:„„p w; alliance with the chief of a tribe of nativ „„4^- „,^, :, , ,., , . J... le natives 11 and while on an exploring expedition 'i «« h^. recei with an English ship, the captain of wliip ^ hemn gave him a good deal of useful informati.^ ^ . „ p^j. He eff'ected a landing upon Nuchek ishii _ ^'iKp,.;., but was attacked by a large body of -lativ. ^^ ^^^ wearing wooden armor and carrying wooii. .^ i ^ i^ shields strong enough to stop a bullet, iNuITg beina using arrows tipped with flint or ^opp -ij- ^^ The natives fought stubbornly and the ' ,.e(jt«,i (,uai tune of the day was turning against tu -y,yj.^g ^ Russians when some Aleuts in their serv ^ ,^j^j , escaped to a Russian vessel anchored not f falling tr from the battle-field, and brought aid f^j, ^j^j| 18 ree Saints, lot extend rn of the adjjK ading compa Aleutian isl;, After Bar; le little ti >t •mpany's sp \lexander ai }aranof remt company f harbor, bee; Photf) bv Taber SITKA, ALASKA iranof. At last the natives were defeated d driven off, partly by the aid of a one- d-a-half-pounder gun of the Russians, iranof wrote of this battle to Shelikof as Hows: — As for myself, (Jod protected me; though my shirt 18 torn by a spear and the arrows fell thickly around i. Being aroused from a deep sleep, I had no time dress, but rushed out as I was to encoura{;ce the men d to see that our only cannon was moved to wher- er the danger was greatest, (ireat praise is due the fearless demeanor of my men, many of whom jre new recruits. He made ^^^"<^^ ^^d intended to spend the winter ribe of nativ^ Prince William sound, but the hostility of ixuedition n^® natives induced him to return to Kadiak. )tain of wh ^'^ ^^ received instructions from his direct- uHnformatii™'^^ '^*^^'" shipbuilding at once, with the Nuchek isl iM ®^ ''" English ship-builder sent to him odv of 'latiV*** Siberia. But as winter quarters for ^j.j,yj ' is Daen were more pressingly needed than I) a bullet '^^P*' ^^ ^^^ ^^ work to construct them first, int or conii'^®'® being no suitable timber for ship- and the fi'**^^^"^ ^" Kadiak or Afognak islands, he reoted quarters for his ship-carpenters on he ihores of Sunday bay in Prince William chored n t (^^^^ '^"*^ '^'^ through the winter the work "ouffht 'lid '^ '•ll'"K trt^tjs went on. But tar and oak- ^ ira for calking were entirely lacking, and a; ugamst I their serv the necessary iron had to be collected from the wrecks of vessels. Some iron ore was found, and Baranof made many attempts to smelt iron, but he was unsuccessful. Besides all this, food was scarce; and had Baranof not been possessed of indomitable energy and perseverance, the work could never have been accomplished. An last he triumphed over all difficulties, and the first ship built in northwestern .\merica was launched. She was named the l'h(enix and must have been an odd-looking craft. She was seventy-three feet long on the water-line, and seventy- nine feet over all, with a depth of thirteen and one half feet and a beam of twenty- three feet. She was built of spruce timber, and her capacity was about one hundred tons. The sails were made of scraps of canvas raked together from the company's warehouses in Kamchatka and the colonies, and presented a motley appearance. For paint a mixture of tar and whale-oil was used, and as there was not enough even of this to cover the whole vessel, the rest was coated with spruce gum and oil. With great difficulty she made her way to Kadiak, where her appearance was hailed with joy. Being refitted, she made a quick passage to ( )khotsk in Siberia, where she was supplied i.anium; at i'uht kdss, ('AMI'iium \ Helen .1. Smit' with cabins, deckhouses, and new sails and i"iji}j;in;X. The Shelikof company was very proud of their own vessel, built in their own yard, and henceforth she made re<);ular trips between Okhotsk and the American colonies. In lT!>-"> I'aranof l)uilt and launched two more vessels, tlie 1 )oli)hin and the ( )lj>a. It has h id that the Shelikof com- jiany was n« only tradinjj; com])any doinu- business in Russian .\merica. .VbouiS years before Ilaranof took charjji'e of a at Kadiak the Lebedef company had s vessel with thirty-eij^ht men thither, biij aji'ents of the t>helikof company, not wiJ to have their huntin,u;-}iTounds encro,i| ui)on, recommended them to j^o on to l- Inlet, where they established a i)erm;ii settlement, named Saint * leor^'e, consiJ E/i.,^ Ruth Becker 14 SAI.I.V I'dUT AT I'UKT KiiS.s CAMI'dUMA lings prt it huntii otle mori ork was 3lped l)y itive chi astoms ind wou on, in tl leir own cheer fu edef me ame a n ountry, •ithout heir owr ative se Ai-KXAXUHl: l;Al:.\XtiF loji' l»uil(liiiiiiii- i(d' did not wish to inteid'ei'e witliout coni- nunicatin<«- with his chief. So he contented liniself foi' the present with wai'iiinu the nen at Fort Saint Xichohis that he would not jiei-mit any outraues likely to injure trade. In spite of this, quarrels occuri'i'il continually, and attacks and andmscades were almost daily events. Towards the end ML-lfll .1. Mllit merica. Ahou )ok chari^'e of a! comjjany had s. men thither, hu: ompany, not wi,-| UTounds encro;i m to . ^ii^ I: ; RUSSIAN ("HUROH AND BURIAL GROUND AT KADIAK bombardment during the day, but at night, after killing their dogs and strangling their infant children, that no sound might show their purpose, they secretly abandoned the post, which the captors burned. The Russians then set to work to provide permanent quarters for themselves; they constructed three substantial buildings with a stockade having block-houses at each corner; kitchen-gardens were planted and cattle introduced. The name of New Arch- angel was given to the settlement. Part of the stockade separating the Russian quar- ters from the Indian rancherie remained until a recent date. The natives entered into a treaty with the Russians and were presented with cloaks and medals. In the autumn of 180G Haranof returned from New Archangel to Saint Paul, leaving Kuskof in commantl, with orders to build ships and to finish certain structures already begun. During the year ISOM (the year after the capture of Sitka by the natives) Baranof, ever desirous to e>,tend the operations of the company, was pushing forward in the direction of the Spanish colonies, and espe- cially of California. Baranof lent to an American captain named O'Cain twenty bidar- kas and several hunUrs in charge of Shutzof, an employee of the company. Shutzof was in- structed to take careful observations of the inhabitants of the coast of California, ami to look out for new hunting-grounds. The 1!> American vessel left Kadiak at the end of October, 1803, sailed down to San Diego, and thence to the Ray of San Quintin in Lower California, where about a thousand skins were secured. The results of this ex- pedition were so satisfactory that Baranof was induced in 1808 to furnish Captain Ayres, of the ship Mercury from Boston, with twenty-five bidarkas, to hunt in islands not known before. The ship was to be out ten or twelve months, and on her return the pro- ceeds were to be equally divided. On the way south sea-otter and beaver skins were procured by barter from the natives of the Charlotte islands and at the mouth of the Columbia ri'.er. Thence the ship proceeded to San Francisco and San Diego, and came back with more than two thousand skins. Between 180(5 and 1812 Baranof entered into several similar contracts with American captains. In 1808 he sent two vessels to the coast of New Albion, a land of vague extent, the southern limit of which was somewhere between Point Reyes and San Diego. One of these was wrecked at the mouth of (.^uay harbor, and the other, com- manded by Kuskof, returned after an ab- sence of about a year with more than two thousand otter skins, and the information that the coast had many localities suitable for agriculture and ship-building, and that the whole country to the north of San Fran- cisco was unoccupied by any European power. Dv ■n-r 20 OVERLAND MONTHLY Accordingly, Baranof gathered men suitable for an agricultural settlement, skilled in raising stock and tilling fields, and sent them in 1810 to New Albion with orders to make further explorations. On the way the crew was attacked by the Queen Charlotte island- ers, and returned to New Archangel. Next year they started out again, and on this voyage Kuskof selected a spot eighteen miles north of Bodega bay, where he bought some land from the natives. In 1812 the colony was founded and named Ross. But as a place for agriculture and ship-building it was a failure, and the hunting-grounds near it were soon exhausted. The story of Fort Ross has been fully told by Mr. Charles S. Greene in the Overland for July, 1893. Quiet and dull as Sitka now looks under the government of the United States, it was in Baranof s day a very busy place. Bricks for the huge fireplaces in the Russian houses were made there: boats and sailing-vessels were built in a well-equipped shipyard : there were wood-turneries and woolen manufac- tories; and agricultural implements from the foundries were sold all down the Pacific Coast as far as Mexico. Axes and knives were made for bartering with the natives at the trading posts, and almost all the Mis- sion churches from the north of Alaska to Mexico were supplied with bells from the brass-foundries of Sitka. From six hun- dred to eight hundred whites lived in the town in those days; and more than a do7,en sailing vessels were constantly employed in trading. In 1809 a serious plot was formed by some Siberian ex-convicts against Baranof, but it was betrayed to him and promptly crushed. Baranof had for some time been growing anxious to be relieved from his onerous labors as Chief Manager, and the discovery of this plot increased his desire. He re- peatedly requested the directors of the company to appoint a successor, but twice the man selected to relieve him died before reaching his post. In ISlf) the imperial government, in con- junction with the Russian American com- pany, sent out two vessels, the Kutuzof and the Suvarof, under command of Hagemeis- ter, who was authorized to assume control of the affairs of the comj>any in place of Baranof, if upon investigation he thought it necessary to do so. Ilagemeister did not inform Baranof of the extent of his powers, but quietly examined the condition of the company. Baranof was still working ear- nestly in its service, but the intrepid pio- neer's fierce energy was beginning to flicker out. He had always been careless of reli- gion, but now he suddenly conceived a liking for the church, and constantly kept a priest near him. Yanovsky, the first lieutenant of the Suvarof, fell in love with Baranof's daughter, and obtained her father's consent to their marriage. But Hagemeister's con- sent was also necessary, and was only granted on the condition that Lieutenant Yanovsky should stay for two years at New Archangel, and act as representative of the Chief Manager. On January 11, 1818, Hagemeister told Baranof of his instructions, which so sur- prised and prostrated the old man that he never quite recovered from the shock. But it was the work of months to render full accounts, and to turn the affairs of the company over to the company's comm.is- sioner, Klebnikof. The commissioner esti- mated the value of the property at New Archangel, to say nothing of that at the many other stations of the company, at two and one half millions of rubles; and besides this, the Suvarof took furs to the value of two hundred thousand rubles to Europe, and left behind in the storehouses furs worth nine hundred thousand rubles more. The buildings and vessels of the company were in excellent condition, and the accounts in perfect order. In September, 1818, the work was done and the complete statement handed over to Yanovsky. It was now nearly thirty years since Baranof had landed on Kadiak island; he was already seventy- two years old, and had spent himself in the service of the company. Thrown uncere- moniously aside in his old age by the com- pany whose leading spirit he had been, and whose interests he had enormously extended and firmly consolidated, he could not tear himself away at once from the scenes of his labors, dangers, privations, and achieve- ments. He resolved to pay farewell visits to Kadiak and the various settlements he had founded, and then go to live with a brother in Kamchatka. But he was urged to return to Russia, where his advice would be of the highest value to the directors of the company. He decided to do this, and late in November set sail in the Kutusof, which, on her way home, stopped for more : told ALEXANDER BARANOF 21 than a month at the unhealthy port of Ba- tavia. Here Baranof insisted upon going ashore. He was seized with sickness, and died soon after the vessel had set sail again. Like Napoleon, Baranof was a little great man; insignificant in appearance, thin, short of stature, with reddish hair, and a face covered by hardship and exposure with wrinkles. He was an early riser, and ate but one meal a day, and that at no fixed time. He was fond of gayety, and kept round him a little court of reckless spirits, whom he feasted and filled with strong li- quors. Ship-captains who did not drink stood but small chance of doing business with him. Washington Irving, in his "Astoria," des- cribes, with a few touches of exaggeration, but on the whole faithfully, how the ship- masters who visited New Archangel sang and reveled with the ('hief Manager. He was fitful and violent iii temper, but always showed such sincere regret and desire to make amends for outbursts of passion that the women and servants of his house came to look upon them as the precursors of a feast. He was fond of music, and his daughter, to whom he was much attached, could always put him into a good humor by playing on the piano. He treated his daughter with much respect, and used to send her away from the room when he be- gan to feel drunk. One day, finding her (Jerman governess drinking a glass of spirits, he struck her; next day he expressed regret for his act, but vsaid that she mast never let his daughter see her drinking strong liquor. Yet rough as Baranof was, he was kind to people in distress, and generous to his employees. Though he had boundless chances of self-enrichment, he did not avail himself of them. He spent liberally but did not exceed his means. He maintained his wife well at his native ulace, Kargapol, and made many remittances to Russia to help the families of men who had died in the company's service; he also gave part of his shares in the company to supplement the scanty incomes of his lieutenants. Banner and Kuskof. The company's commissioner, Klebnikof, who was thoroughly familiar with the details of Baranof s management, enter- tained the liveliest admiration for him. He wrote a biography of Baranof, which is really, as it could not well help being, a his- tory of the Russian colonies in America. It may be well to say a few words about the finances of the company of which Bar- anof, if not the founder, was at least the controlling spirit. The original capital of the company was about $542,000, afterwards increased to about $925,000. The net earn- ings between 1797 and 1820 were about $5,764,000, of which rather more than half was paid out in dividends, the remain- der being added to the capital. Furs to the value of twelve millions of dollars were sold or exchanged for commodities at Kiakhta, and for more than $2,600,000 at Canton. Yet the yield of furs was by no means so great during the later as in the earlier years of Baranof s administration, the sea-otters falling off very much in numbers, and the competition of American traders, who had no scruples about giving guns and ammuni- tion in barter to the natives, doing the com- pany much harm. The Chief Manager received $5,800 per annum, the chief clerk from $2,250 to $3,000, a priest $450, and a hunter from $45 to $112. Provis- ions had to be purchased at the company's stores, and were often scarce and dear, owing to the failure of ships to arrive. The company's employees frequently had to put up with serious hardships, and lad but little chance of laying up anything for their old age. Many traces of Baranof and his success- ors are still visible at Sitka. Near the water's edge, and overlooking the lovely bay, is Katlean's rock. On this eminence of about eighty feet Baranof built a block- house, which was burned. A later ('hief Manager, Kupreanof, crowned the rock with a spacious residence, which was destroyed by earthquake in 1847. The next structure, generally called the Castle, measured eighty- six by fifty-one feet, and was built of squared cedar logs, riveted by copper bolts to their rocky foundation. It had three stories and was surmounted by a light-house. It n-as handsomely furnished, and there the naval officers who succeeded Baranof lived luxuri- ously, entertaining visitors of all ranks with a lavish and impartial hospitality. When the "Castle" was turned over to the I'nited States by I'rince Demitrius Maksontoff, the only military governor, it was in thorough order, but the American soldiers strip[)ed it of all its furniture and decorations, and it rapidly became ruinous and forlorn. On the arrival of a man-of-war or a revenue cutter some of the large rooms would be furnished 22 OVERLAND MONTHLY up for a dance, after which desolation again reigned. A year or two ago it perished by fire. The ('ustom House, the barracks occupied by the United States marines, and some stout log-built warehouses near the wharf also owe their origin to the Russians. If we cross the grassy parade-ground, where once was the Russian ship-yard, and walk towards the Greek church, we pass on the right a sturdy log structure which was the main office of the Russian American company. Behind the church is a building formerly used as a club- house by the Russian officers. Not far from the club were tea-gardens and a race- course, both now entirely hidden under the mantle of dense vegetation that rapidly covers every deserted spot in the moist climate of southeastern Alaska. The saw- mill with the flume that supplied it with water is still visible, though rapidly falling into decay. Another legacy of the Musco- vite to the American is the walk leading round the curving beach to the woods bor- dering the banks of Indian river. This charming promenade furnishes the resi- dents of Sitka with the chance of obtaining a little pedestrian exercise, a great boon in a country where there are practically no roads. BARCAROLA ^FLOAT on ocean's heaving breast, Rocked by the swelling tide. Or poised upon the breaker's crest, My boat shall gayly ride. The salt spray dashes in my face, - Hark, how the sea birds cry, - l^p with the sail, ho for a race With the white clouds sailing by. The mighty surges madly leap With anf>-ry, sullen roar, Then die away and softly sweep liike lace upon the shore. Oh how I love thee, restless sea, Thy presence stirs my soul, P.low, blow, ye wild winds, blow for me. And roll, ye billows, roll. I'.yiinll Ri'i'il. ■■ t ,^4:\ '^m;^: 1 ll ,^"- ■■',;«.' -■■"..' f '■■■•' t'?^- ily hidden under the itation that rapidly spot in the moist n Alaska. The saw- lat supplied it with ^ ... ough rapidly falling ^■''^^'^■if^^:^^;'---- jgacy of the Musco- / ';:■;'" ■,'!-^ is the walk leading ^j h to the woods bor- Indian river. This furnishes the resi- chance of obtaining rcise, a great boon e are practically no ~-'' ■ ■ ■ ■ .-» .---jlA'.', ; ■. ^ >;i;:.^i*/.J5i •-•■;',, , ■m: ■^V: >*l'? ■^■. ' -, ^> ' 'S . ii-^l '■'*■ ■^ ^. . 5^ • A. -•?• rK ^', - [■■^•1 ■■■I'?' ;'\r- «'•<.*.' r:m •■m \- 1, ;^;,;,^..:i'''^;-A; ~^\ . - ■ , ■ 'r'^-. ---••'■- .»':*'■ '•»'..*.,;* 4: K' t.-^.:^.^..;. 1 ...Ml ri.t-x' '^'V'v ■' 1 • ^J-;^\" /•x:;-- f ' ''A .' ■'- "^ , • " - * ;: ■-2 ¥^n ,.,i«fv,i ''^^-^';^ '-C,':. i^.'*;. KUinU R,;ul.