North American, No. 119. R E P () E T ON TUB LOCATION OF THE HRITISII ALASKAN BOUNDARY UNDER THE ANGLO ^aiSSI.VN CONVENTION OF 1825, BT COLONEL n K. CAMERON, R.A., C.M.G. Colonial ( (jfic h, S''fitenilifr 188(i. F TABLE OF CONTENTS. Report on the Location of the British Alaskan Boundary. Page. Subject. 1-21 1 REPORT. .,-3 3-ll> 4-5 5 „-6 6 7 Plan of the report. The houniiiiry defined bv the A'lslo-Rusgian Convention of J^| February 1825. Terms u«td in the Convention in their general acceptation. The Negotiators. Topographical knowledge of the coast line at the date of the Convention. The Watefi Bolsdary. ! i Uecogiiition of the Prince of Wales [."land. I Southernmost p' N. in the Conventions of Ku-ssia with (ireat Britain and the I'uitecl States. PoRTi.A.ND CuAS.VEL — its recognition. VaiK'Ouver's use of both canal and channtt with regard to Portlaud Channel. Russian, French, and Engli>h synonyms. Canal and r/iannil u'ed synonymously by the Russian and British Negotiators. 54' 45' N. mentioned liy the Briti«h Plenijwtentiary as the latitude of the northern side of the ocean entrance to Portland Channel, to the Russian Plenipotentiaries ; the same latitude on Russian Charts of 18U2 and 182(>. 54° 45Y Vancouver's latitude for a point half a mile south of the noithern side of the entrance. United States chart No. 225 corrected to 1882 shows the sanje entrance between 54' 4(5' N. and 54° 45' N., but shows the Ixiundiiry as passing through ()lis( rviilory Inlet and not entering Portland Channel until it reaches about 55' 2' N. latitude. The British chart No. 2431 of ISC'i, upan which the United States chart is professeilly based, does not show any such boundary. United States chart No. 710 agrees with Uidted States ohart 223 in topo- graphical location of the ocean entrance to Portland Channel. Vancouver's references to the channel — its head, mouth and total lenslh — and Sir Charles Ba-jot's meiitinn of the latitude of it» mouth dearly distinguish the channel referred to in the Convention. 13036 IT Page. Subject, 9-1 a The line joining l'rin>;e of Wales Island .'ind I'ortland Channel was not intendo t'liANSEt, — its boundaries. „ I Its inland termination according to the siirMvs i.f Vancouver 1 793 — and oi Pender 1868 ,.-l() A mid-way iuii militn ) line throujrh {jusqii a ce f/n'elle tour/ie la t< rrc I'mne) Portland Channel. to Suggestion for its approximate realisation. 10 Boundaries of Portland Channel : point at which the line running northerly leaves the channel : Ms im[K>rtance ll-iy Misinterfiretations of the .'trd Article of the Convention with regard to the I latitude of tiie head of Portlaml Channel. 1 „ Correct inter[)retation. 12 Origin of the reference to &(y N. latitude. .y-l'A POKTLASK C'H.tNSKI, Tl) TIIE IVUiAl.I.KI, OK 56 N I.ATITIHE. I. '5 The point at which the line, running northward, strikes the parallel of oti N. latitude. „-21 j 5(> N. 1 MITCIIF TO TBI; MKIilHUN HF 111 W. I.iiSillTlDK. ,,-14 Inlanil topography — knowledge of. by the Negotiators of the t'onveution. „-,. Vanrnuver's iiiland delineation was not relie7 67-68 fi9-:2 Probable Cost or Maqkino tub Bbitisii Alaskan Bolndabt. Previous estimsU^s. they were based on enoiteowi views of tlie interpretation of the Anglo-Uussiaii Couveotioo. Partial denuu'caliun. its disadvantages internatiuuaU)' and euooomicall*. 300,000/. now estimateil as the probable cost of completing the work The conditions upon which this estiraete is based. Remarks d.v Views of the Uniied States Governhent witi' BEOAKl' to TUE C()NVENT|i>.N. I " The boundary is supposed to follow a mountain ranye," — remarks ou I The unreliability of inland details on Vtincouver's charts liaviiig been noted by I the Ni'pitiators, and lUalt with by th.m accordingly, enunot \>e us"?d in I !>uppi,rt of an interpretation of the Convention l>a»ed on the itssnmptioa that till' NVgotiators wyre deceived as to the i'eatur 's of the country by those I details. I " There would seem to be pround . . . for supposing that he ( Vancouver) ut cm \ " time regarded Pearse ('anal of Inter geographers as the lower |iart of Port- " lanil Can.il."— does not advi)uale'.y recognise Vancouver's detailed, clejir. and never modified deseripliou of Portland Canal as including the part recently called Pearse Canal. Wales Island, south of the ocean entrance to Portland Channel, is perfectly distinct from Prince of Wales Island ; and sovereignty over Prince of Waler Islaml is not alFected by the course of the boundary ii. the neighbourhood of Wales Island. That a parallel of Utitude boundary between Prince of Wales Irlaod and Port- land Cbaimel was intended, — is not tenable. The assumptioi. tliat the i^rins of the Convention imply that Portland Chanoel extends to ,)G N. latitude is erroneous. The boundary is not shown as in Portland Inlet iii (' nuinauder Pender's Survey. Probable origin of placing the boundary erroneously in the recently called Portland Inlet. Portland Inlet being more navigable than the ocean entrance to Portland Channel did noU influence the Negotiators. The lirst Un^-.^iaii pro[)osal wa-s to (Iniw the line">, and thence not through, the canal, but only so far a,s \v reach the coast mountains. Thiit tlie line — northward from Portland Channel to 56" N. latitude — should be " in continuation of the general trend of the niid-cbnniiel line," — is opposed to the terms of the Convention. Professor Oall's views ns to the interpretation of the Convention. His objection to the line along the mountains bordering the sea : — " I'his would " give us in many places li mere strip of territory, not more than three miles " wide, meandering in every direction." The gcni-ral teiidenci- of Professor Dall's arguments, and its inccasislency with the circumstances of the case. No. APPENDICES. Memorandum of the circumstances which led to the conclusion of the Convention. 3-d4. Oflicial correspondence of the Negotiators of the Convention.— Copies I and extracts from the Record Othce. I .'?5-39. K.i.tracts from Vancouver's Vdtaurs. — K.xplanatory of topography i referred to in the Con^ention. : 40 Uu.ssiun Conventioa with the United States, ,'> April 1H24. 41 Kussian Convention with Great Britain, ^J Februa-y l!!2C. Vmge. Subject. 72-7S 7»-:9 H0-S3 No. 42 43-44 46. 2. Pi'spalrh iif 19 Jnnuary H'^0 from thf I'nitiil .Stali'S Miiiisti'r, traii.s- niittin); Mr. SecreUiry liayanl's instructions ( Waaliinfftoii, 20.11.85.) witli rtgsrd to the bouudary. Kepli'S fniiii the Hy(!ro;;ri])hic l)p(iarttncnt of the Rritish Admiralty iviili regard to tidni, latituiles and loufjitudes, and ciiart nomiri olalure. Extract from Dominion of Canada Sessional Papers, Vol. XI., Is7x, No I'J.), details of projiosed organization and of expenditnre in marking the boundary. LIST OF MAPS Copv of a tracins ."rom Vancouver's Atla.", illustraiiiie, l)y an added rod line, his exploration of Portland Chanuel. .Set Apj)cndix 3o, pp. 62-ti6. Copies of part" of Vancouver's Charts VI(. n-;! XII., superimtKWMil. showing that the inland mountain topojrrapiiy wu'* not ilie result of surrey, ami was intended by him to re[);e9ent men ly a generally mountainous region. Copv of part of VaiiciMiver's Chart VII., meludin;; the Prince of VV'ales'g Arthip«dajjo, Observatory Inlet, and Portland Channel. Copy of [Mirt of a Kussian Chart of IS02. snpposeil to have beer, con- sulted hy the \ei;otiator~ of the Aniilo-Kussian Conviniion of Jl'i.), .showin'' niouiit:iins ahin^ the water's edge. .V(( pp. 1 and 23, anil Appendix No. 2!'. p. Co. Copy of part of a Hu^^sian Chart of \f<'2G. illustratinr; the Itnssiaii interjiTetation of Viineouver's mountain topography. The (hurt, it may he a.-'sunu'l. was |)repare.l from data colketed prior to the Convention. Portland Canal is not named on it. UhservaUiry Inlet is named. 6. Copy of part of a Colonial Ollice nianusi-ript w.np, 18,31, «ho«in<; Kussiaii territory to be limited by ibe western shore lirn' of Portland Ch.iunel from theoeeiin to the Chiiiini-l's head. The islands, except- inj; Kilhnore Isl.ind («<( Map No. 1.5), which was not coloured, being allotted to Uritish territory. 7. Copy of part of a l!ussi;\n Chart of 1^44. sl.owing Portland Channel and UbserMitory Iniot distinctly separate ; and a trading establish- luent — up to lM3o — iit Niisse, and another of the wlnle of Pender's Survey of Observatory Inlet and Port'!.;nd Chuunel. REPORT. No. 1. The fi'llowinc: remarks on the location of the Hrit'sh Alaskan boundary, in respfct of thfir order, follow the sequence indicaied in the Convention hy which the boundary is dcHned ; and in rc-pect ot their matter, are suggested by interpretations of the terms of tlic tnatv opposed to ♦^i'^ intention of its fraineis. 'I"he order adopted, following the northerly course of the line, is : — The water boundary : 1st, from the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island to Portland Channel. 2nd, the course of tlic line through Portland Channel. The land bs'ith the nieiidi^M of l-lT West longitude. ;{rd, from contact with the meridian ot 141 West loniiitiide to the .\rctic Ocean. 'J'he matter aims at a demonstration of the intentions of the fiamers of the Convention, founded upon records of the nej^otiations, maps, charts, and the wording of the treaty itself; and brings into contrast with the conclusions thus arrived at, views inconsistent with them, and based, it is believed, on imperfect information. The 'nt'Toretation of the C;)nvention supiiorted by the arguments now submitted, will be foimd to be hp un'^t'-'ined and na'ural version of the terms of the treaty, consistent in every respect with the inferences to be drawn from the records of the negotiations and not inconsistent in any single point with the geographical features referred to. On the other hand, it is sS.own that the alternati\c interpretations abound with untenable assumptions. improbd)ilities, inconsistencies, and contradictions. These support the view that the treaty description of tiie boundary — in every detail except as regards the meridian line to the Arctic, — is inaccurate, incoinplete, or impracticahle. 'I'he interpretation maintained in this report to Ik? that intended by Russia and Great Britain, is precise and definite ; and, consistently with the attitude of the contracting parties at the date of their Convention, indicates a line easier to be recognised anil marked than any other which could, even now, be described in words. The British .Maskan IJotnulary is defined by the Convention of j" February 1825 Aipcndi.'! between CJrcat Britain and Russia. Xo 4l,p.b9. A general sketch of tlic origin, and of the course of the negotiations which terminated in the Convention, is contained in a Confidential Memoranduni drawn up for the use of Apwndix the Foreign Office in lst;5.5, and reprinted in l!s()H. No 2. y. 29. The Right Hon. Mr. (jeorge Canning was .Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs during the negotiations. Mis Excellency Sir Cha'les Bagot was the British Plenipoten- tiary- who commenced the negotiations at St. Petersburgh. Thev were concluded by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Stratford Canning. Count de Nesselrode, Imperial .Secretary of State, and Monsieur de I'oletica, Iinjierial Councillor of State, were the Russian Plenipotcntiarie-i, and Count de IJeven was the Russian Ambassador throughout. Of the Articles of the Convention, Nos. 15 to 6 inclusive tlone relate to the subject of Appendix this reiwrt. Nci.4l.i).7o. .Sir Stratford Canning — who, as British Plenipotentiary, concluded the Convention — wrote of tile terms in which the agreenien*. was expressed as follows: — "I'he Articles •' of the Convention depend for their force entirely on the general acceptation of the Appendix " terms in which they are expressed." No. .'M.p. t\i. At the datt! of the negotiations there was a fairly accurate knowledge of the ocean topography referred to in ihe .\rticles just S|)ecified. This knowledge, common to the Russian and British authorities conccnud in the negotiations, was chiefly derived from Vancouver's explorations with H.M. ships " Discovery " and "Chatham" in the vears 1793-4. Mr. G. Cannini', when instructing Sir Charles Bagot on the 20th January 1824, refers Appendix him to Vancouver's chart and to a Ru>>ian map pullished in 1822.* No. 9, p.3j. In Humboldt's Political K>say on the Kini^dom of New .Spain, 8vo. ed., 1811, Vol. II., pp. .SMS-J), he refers to a beautiful official Russian chart of 1802, embracing from 40° to 72° N. lat., and from 12."/ to 224'^ lona, (Paris meridian); the names in Russian characters. A Russian chart exac .ly answering the above description, with the erception that longitude is reckoned from Ferro (=18"^ W. long, from Greenwich), is in • It inny stiffly Vw a<.>u. H.p. 43. leinarkcd : " D'apres Ics cartes les plus r(''centes et les meilleures publitk's en Angleterre, " les etablissemens de la Compagnie de la Bale de Hudson ne se rapprochcnt dcs cotes •* «)ue par le .jIV' et le 54™ degr6, et Ton ne saurait prouver que sur aucun point lis " arrixent jusqu'au grand oc»5an." Again, on the f J March 1824, in remarking on Sir Charles Bagot's rejoinder to the Projet just mentioned, the Russian Plenipotentiaries remark : — A'.pcu.lix " Qn'au reste d'apres le temoignuae des cartes les plus recentes publiee? en Angleterre, Nn. 16. p. lo. " il n'existe ancun etablissemcnt Anglais ni sur U cote meine du continent, ni au nord " (In .54 degro do latitude scptcntrionale." Then on the 5th April 1824 Count de Nesselrode, in writing to Coimt de Lieven, remarks : — Apptndix " On ne pent effectivement assez le ropeter, d'apr^s le temoignage des cprtcs les plus No. 17. p. 47. " recentes, r Angleterre ne possode aucun etablisscment ni a la hauteur du Portland •' Canal, ni a bord meme de I'ocean." * * * The maps of .Vrrowsmith, hydrographer to His Roval Highness the Prince of Wales, were noted for their reliability at the time of the Convention ; he made maps for the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Comp.iny placed all their topographical information at his disposal. A map of Xorth America first pat)lish"d in i79-'', but corrected up to 1S14 (now in the library of the Royil Geographical Society), is dedicated by .Arrowsmith to the Hudson's Bay Company in recognition of their liberal communications to him. Mr. Stanford of Long Acre procured trom the late Mr. Arrowsmith, and has now in his possession, m^n}' original sketches and surveys of Hudson Bay Company's territory. But. for the details of the Alaskan coast .Arrowsmith was almost wholly indchtcd to Vancouver. On the other hand, it was probably to Arrowsmith's maps the Russian Plenipotentiaries referred, when they spoke of the position of the Hudson Bay factories, for the title of the map of North .Americi says it includes " all the new discoveries on " the interior parts of North America," and Vancouver's charts are confessedly only coast-line surveys. II. S. Tanner, a leading United States' geographer, who published an .Atlas (now in ihe Roval Geographical .Society's library) of North America, at Washington in 1822 (concctel to 1825) speaks in his preface of" Arrowsmith and of Va'icouver ; " he refers to the former as "the eminent British geographer," and says of his map of 1795, cor- rected to 1814 : " This chart, although the most complete at the period of its first publi- *' cation, is rendered nearly obsolete by the great quantity of charts and other works on " various parts of the American coast which have appeared within a few years." »' As will l)e untlerstowl from what immediately follows, Tanner's depreciatory remark did not apply to the south-west cr)ast of Alaska, but to the interior of th^- I'nited State*, itc, tor hf fi >es on to notice "The Alias to Vancouver's Voynijes," sayini^ : — " 'I'hese rharts, with rhc excepti.n cf a few points" (none of thrbc points aftlect tiie subject of this report ) " to be n'f North America. '^i'he Russian authorities referred during the negotiations to British charts and the British authorities referred to Russian charts. The water boundary is described by the .'Ird Article of the Convention in the Wvtkr following terms: — "La ligne de demarcation entre les Possessions des Hatites Parties H"im'arv. " Contractantes, sur la cote du continent et les lies de rAmerique Nord-Ouest, sera Ap|i,n' of Vancouver s Appondix 4 ,1 N • ^ ., . ., J/. , K;>. 39, p. 67. ■^'-''^^•'- . ,, . . , Map No. 3- One of the earliest inao references to what Vancouver had called " Prince cf W ales's Archipelago" as "Prince of Wales Ig'nnd" is to be found in the Atlas of Tanner, already alluded to, published at Washington in 1822, and improved in 1825. The first record of official use of the name " Prince of VVales Island' appears to be Appomlix in the first Projet submitted in 1824 by tiie Russian Plenipotenitaries, in which the xt"'!^.'^'j name *• I'ile du Prince de G.iUes" occurs; and subsequently the name was adopted by ' "' ''^ the British Plenipotentiary. Vancouver correctly supposed that the lands to which he had given the name " Prince of WalcN's Archipelago," did not form a single island ; but he had not verified his supposition ; and consequently, on his chart, their sub-division into separate islands does not appear. Hence it was natural for the Plenipotentiaries to refer to the Archipelago as an island. TT , T' p -n- >*vo Ed., Vol. IV., pp. 272-3 ,. t. ,, ,,, Vancouver s voyage of Discovery, — r^ . ^r , ,, *^ - — rrw-t^^y^'- — ^'s (the " " 4to hd.. Vol. 11., p. 419 Duke of Clarence's Strait) •' western shore is an extensive tract of land, which (though " not visibly so to us), I have reason to believe is much broken and divided by water, " forming as it were a distinct body in the great archipelago. This 1 have honoured " with the name of" The Prince of Wales's Archipelago.'" The name Prince of Wale-^'s '' hlnnd" appears to have been first adopted on British Apppndix Admiralty charts in 1861, in the case of No. 2,430, Vancouver Island to Cordova Bay, No. 43, p. 79. originally published in 1856; and so introduced from a Russian chart of 1849. ^{"P ^'° '^• The correct recognition of the island has been dwelt upon at some length, because, as * "^ '^ " will hereafter appear, the United States' authorities take the view that " VVales Island" Seep. 23. to thi' north of the entrance to Observatory Inlet is " The Prince of Wales Island "of ^ •*• 1^ , ,, ■ /■ . 1 1- See p. (6 the Convention or 182.3. The commencement of the line is described by the 3rd Article of the Convention as Soijthkhn- bcingat the point " le plus meridional de liledite Prince of Wales, le quel point se trouve ""^ ''^.""' *• sous la paiall^le du 54""' degre, 40 minutes de latitude Nord, et entre le 131""' et le ^^ wVles •' ISS"'" degre de longitude Ouest (Meridien de Creenwich)." And Article IV. further 1sl.\.nd. A 2 A2. .42. Appenilix refers to the line a'^ follows : " 11 est t'otendii, par rapport a la lijine de di'iiiarcation No. 4i,p. "0, .. {letenniiu'v? dans rArticlf protodent ; 1 Que I'lle dite Prince of Wales apparliendra " toute entiore a la Russie." It iDiiv lit once be observed that it is htifhly improbable that the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island or Arcliipelago will be foun.W. by W. from Barren Rock, according to Russian authorities about 24 '• i> s, is situated Cape Chacon or de Chacon, named by Caamano, and forming the '* south-eastern point o.^' Prince of Wales Island. « • * • Fhe outlines of the land " are very differently given by different authorities, but most of them agree in placing it "' !n about latitude 54 42' N., and nearly or quite on the same parallel with Point " Nunez and Cape Muzon.'' Ap|Hii(lix British .\dmiralty charts take the latitude of Cape Chacon from Vancouver's chart as No. 4.!, p. T9. .-j4'^ 42JI N. Appendix A large manuscript map compiled by Mr. L. Hebert, jr., in 1831, in the Colonial Mnp No, fi Office, assigns lat. 54'' 4(1' N. to Cape Chacon ; but there is nothing to indicate its authorit}-, and it is probable that it is based on the latitude recorded in the Convention of 1825. Cape Chacon has generally been considered the southernnlost point of Prince of Wales Island referred to in tlhe Convention ; yet, as noted by the United States' Pacific Coast Pilot, it ditlcrs little, if anything, in latitude from Points Muzon, and Nunez, which, although on islands distinct troin .vhat is now called Prince of Wales I.-,land, are nevertheless 011 oart of the Prince of Wales's Archipelago, called Prince of Wales Island in the Convention of 1S25. • S.K,.=— U. K. C. The latitude of Cape Miizon, tlie south-western point of the Ardiipelago, is subject to similar douljt. It has been seen that while Vancouver's record of the position of Cape Chacon was attributed to hi< own observation by FinJlay's Directory of 1851, Vancouver himself refers to Caamano as his authority. !n Findlay's book of 18.">1 it will be found (Part I., page xxxviii.) that to Cape Muzon is assigned lat. 54'^ 43' N. on the authority of Quadra in l""-"). According to the other authorities already mentioned, the references to Cape Muzon are to the following eflFcct : — Findlay's North Pacific Ocean Directory of 1886 does rot assign a latitude io Cape Muzon. At page 605, it is said " of the coast of Prince of Wales Arciiipelago we know " but very li' tie," and at page 6u6, '• Cape Muzon, the S.E. (S.W. >) point of the " Arciiipelago, is V2 miles to the east," i c. from Port Bazan, but the latitude of Pert Bazan is not given British Admiralty charts show the position of Cape Muzon as given on Vancouver's charts; but Vancouver indicates on the charts themselves tlut he noted Cape Muzon upon .Spanish authority. The United States' Pacific Coact Pilot (18m3). p. 64, mentions that Capes Muzon, Nunez, and Chacon are neaily o .. -.ite on the same parallel, .54^ 42' ; ami, at p. 65, records a determination on the spot .ly Brui.dige, viz., 54" 42' 15' N., and another by M,p>;„. u. reconnaissance with reference to Mowkau village, of which the latitude and longitude, ro o-T-,^ ' '. \» ii/ were determined in 1881 bv Lieuterant-Commandcr Nichols, U.S. X., lo'-i 50 12 \V,, " 54° 41' 4" V giving f-Jo^~Ti~-'^^if' ^ ^h^ position of Cape Muzon. The Colon-'al Office manuscript map of 1831, by Mr. Ilebert, assigns 54^ 45 N. lat. to Cape Muzon, and about 54^ 42J' to Cape Nunez. Russian official charts give the tbllowing latitudes to Capes Muzon and Chacou : — Muzon. Chacon. Chart of 1802, Northern parts of the Pacific Ocean - N. 54° 43' .54° 46' Appi.Mlix. Chart, No. 134.5, of I M44 Do. do. „ 54° 45' 54° 45' Mnp N. . 4 Chatham .Sound to Queen Ciiailotte I.dand, 184!) „54M2' 54" 42i' Map N\. 7. Southern half of the Kolosdiensk Archipelago, 1853 „ 54' 42^' 54° 42.y Mn,', n!! y In no case dues the latitude appear to be given as 54° 4U' except in the Colonial Office manuscript map, which was probably , in this respect, drawn to accord with the latitude mentioned in the Convention, and in Arrowsmith's map of 1795 corrected in 181 1, '18, '19, '20, '24, '33, '39, and 1850. -= The preceding notes make it appear that at the time of the Anglo-Russian Conven- tion of IS25, anl even so lately as ls67, when Alaska was transferred to the United States, the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island had not been authoritatively ascertained and is still undetermined. Similarly the longitude of tlie southernmost point of the island was not definitely determined, and it may therefore be assumed that the mention of latitude and longitude was made use of in order to indicate app-oximately the neighbouriir);)d. That this is the correct interpretation may also be inferred from the construction of the sentence of the Convention (3rd Article) in which the latitude is named, and from several circumstances iluring the negotiations. " A partir du Point le plus meridional de I'ile dii^- Prince of Wales " arc the words which first occur ; and those that follow: " lequel p^int se trouve sous la parallele du " 54™ dcgre. 40 minutes, de latitude Nerd, et euLre le 131""= et le 133"'^' degro de " longitude Ouest," are used merely parenthetically to facilitate reference to ihe geogra- phical feature alluded to. Taking the words as they occur, they are plainly the equivalent of " the line coin- " mencing at the southernmost [)oint of Prince of \V"ales Island, which point we, the " negoiiators, believe to be about latitude 54' 40' N. and between 131' a;id 133" west " longitude." The territory to be assigned and not a latitude or a longitude was the subject matter of the negotiations. The Russian Government had been ready to consider such a division of territory as might be marked out by the parallel of 55" N. lat., but finding this line would leave two comparatively small parts of the supposed island, • .Mso in ,\iTOwsmithV miip of 1M32 (Royal (ieogriiphical Society's Map room, No. 33) gives 54° 40'; but tbe uiup of IT'Jo corrected to 1814 gives 54 ' 42'.— D It.C. 6 Prince of Wales's Arcbipolago, projcctintj on the British side, and would iin necessarily ignore the advantages of natinal geographical features in connexion with international limits, they pressed for the Mtuihcrnmost point of the island as the coinmtnccmeiit of the line. !n their reply to Sir Charles I5agot's first Projct the Russian Plenipote^tiarie.^ remarked : — AliptnJix " I,es propositions faites par les Plenipotentiaires ie out propose (|ue ces deux pointes fussent comprises dans les limites Kusses, " voulant evitcr par la, une division de territoire egalemeiit incommode aux deux patties " interessees. " Pour completer la ligne de demarcation et la rendre aussi distincto que fHJssible, les " Plenipotentiaires de lUiss e ont exprime le desir de lui faire suivre le Portland Canal " jusqu'aux montagnes qui hordcut la cote." .s,.,. 111*... These remarks show witii perfect clearness that the governing idea in the minds of the }:'2' Russian Pieni()Otentiaries, wlien emhodyuig in the Convention the record of latitude and longitude, w;is to indii-ate a houndary by geographical features an.l not to require one to be determined by geodetic measurement. Having first proposed a parallel of latitude bound.iry, they modilied their proposal in order tliat the line might accord with geographical features. Agam, referring to the same subject, in their reply to Sir Charles Ragot's amended AiiLiuloc proposal, the Russi:iu Plenipotentinries recorded at a subsequent conference that, " II N(j. 14,11.43 '• etiiit aussi de kur convenatiee niiituelle de determmer ces limites d'apres les separations " naturelles (|ui i"" degie de iatitiule nord. Ces deux pointes no " pnurraient e're d'aucune utilite a la Cirande Hreta!.'ne, et si neuf-dixi^mes de file du " Prince de (lallcs appartiemient a la Russie il est evidcmment d'un interet rdciproquc " que i'ile hii appartienne tout entierc." Latitiule .")4 40 was mentioned in the .Srd Article of the Convention of 17th .April 18:^4, !)etween Russia and the United State.-, as the line limiting the extension of their lespeetivc n;itit)nalities on the N.W. coast and among its islands. 'l"he negotiations with regard to tlie British Conxentioii were proceeding at the same time as those of the Con\ention with the Cnited States, but in the United States' Convention there was no mention made of Prince of Wales Island. Apwrnlix 1 he U.iited Slates' Conventi.m provided for a geodetic limitation pure and simple, not N.> 40,p.6j< assiiining soxereigiity, but limiting futuie extension. No. 41, p. (59. 'i'hc British C.jnventicn described a line to he determined by geographical featUR-s,— of ore of which the approximate geodetric position was named — to separate sovereign jwssessions. Appendix Asa matter of fact, 54" 40' was noted by Coimt de Nesselrode, in connexion with N'u. 17, p. 46. Prince of Wales Island, in his Despatch of the .jtli April lf*2i, ihe day the Treaty with the United Slates was sii;nence of No. i^, p. 4.'). its connexion with Prince of Wales Island — already accepted by the British. No IT, p 47 Presumption is strongly in favour of the latter view, — for it would appear that the only motive for selecting 54"" 40 N. latitude as a limit to United States extension, — • was the circumstance that, in their negotiations with the British — the Russians had already perseveringly urged a claim to sovereignty over the whole of Prince of ^Vales Island. Ai.p'Tidix Russia and the United States had previously concurred in selecting the parallel of .v. !i, p. .tti 0.-,° ^•. latitude. No I2!p 42! I'roui the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island the line is defined as one which No 17, p. 4b " remonlera au Nord le long de la passe dite Portland Channel, jusqu'au Point de la •VuTLANu " lerre fcrme ou elle atteint le bG"" degre de latitude Nord." Channkl. 'I'lje ordinary English translation of th° words "la passe dite Portland Channel," is Apr hJix .< ^ channel called Portland Channel." >o. 41,p.70. It will be found that Vancouver frequently used the word "canal " as synonymous with "channel." Id. theorijiinal 4to edition, Vol. II., p. 3/1, of his work, and on his folio charts, the name Appendix appears as Portland Canal. No. 3*), p. tw. In the Hvo edition. Vol. IV., p. IQI, Portland Canal has been changed to Portland Appendix Channel. No. 3.3, p. hU In both these cases riuial and r/ninnel arc u>ed as descriptive of a iiarrow inlvt. HAllVt is the word used on Russuan charts ; it is literally and phoneticjlly closely similar to the English and French word ca'iul. Vhc French word tanul is still the svnonvine of both the F-ntjlish words canal and cnaiiiii'l. In the first contre Projet of the Russian rienipotentiaries they speak of the feature as Appendix " le Portland Canal." ^'"- ' -- !'• ^-• In the rejoinder by the British Plenipotentiary it is referred to as " le Canal do Port- Appemiix land." ' No.i.%p.4J. In the Russian reply, the name used is "le Portland Channel." ^" '^''.' ''' While, in answering, the British nei^otiator speaks of the water as "le Portland v'''!rr''^ij Canal." ' Ao.i5.p. h. The entrance to Portland Channel is referred to by '>ir Charles Bagot during his negotiation with the Russian Plenipotentiaries as being in latitude 54' 4."/ N. In reply to the counter project submitted by the Russian negotiators Sir Charles if''*"'^''' , D » Nt>. 13, p 42. Bagot says : — ^ -' il est a remarquer en repon.se a la })roposition faile par les Plenipotcntiaires Russes, <|u'une ligne de demarcation tracee dc I'extremite meridionale de I'ilo dn Prince de Galles jusqu'a rcndiouchure i Canal de Portland, de lii par le milieu de ce canal ******* otcrait a .S,i Majc.^te Britannique la souverainete dc toutes ces anses et de ces petites bales qui se trotivent entre les latitudes .")fj et 54^ 4")' dont plusieurs (a ce qu'il y a tout lieu a croire) coinmuniquent directement aux otablissemens de la Compagnie de Hudson's Bay * * * tandis que de I'autrc cote la Compagnic Russe Amcricaine ne possi'de aucun etablissenient sur la terra ferme entre les deux parallMes sus-mentionnecs." ,. The Russian cnarts of this region published in 1S()2 and 1826 also give the latitude ;vi^L xo'^4. of the month of Portland Canal or Chaimel as 54^ 4.')^'. Map No. .j And Vancouver, by whom the Canal was named, i^see V'ancouver's Voyages Apptmiix Svo Edn.. Vol. IV., p. (()K ., w. j r • . . •, l ■ i.- u .i- No..3ii, p.(ju -,- — ,.^ 1- ,-fi — .y., ) mentions the latitude ot a pomt at its mouth within half a 4to r.■> 2 and passing to the ocean through the mouth of Observatory Inlet. The United States' chart now referred to is based on the British .Admiralty chart, jf ip :w 12. No. 24;U, Cordova Bay to Cross Sound, which, however, does not show the boundary Mip Xo v. line. This British .Admiralty chart is founded on a Russian chart of IS.').'?. The British survey of Observatory Inlet in !8(>8 has been embodied in the United States chart. Since the first publication of these British and United States charts there is indicated a regular interchange of hydrographical information between the two countries. Again, on the United Stetes' chart. No 710, Revilla Gigedo Channel, S.F',. .Alaska, Map Xo. 15. 1885, from surveys in 1883, shows the entrance to Portland Canal as being in the latitude above noted. Thus, at the dates referred to, wc find Russian, United States and British charts agree in the geodetic location of the ocean entrance to Portland Canal. The course of the canal included under the name Portland is minutely detailed by Apinmlix Svo Edn., Vol. IV., pp. 1.32-146, No.,{d,u.»>i. Vancouver (\ ancouver s Voyages l^ii^EdS^V^^^II^pM3(i^344^^• He sums up his notice of it thus : " In the forenoon we reached that arm of the sea, ^vppon.ii.x *• whose examination had occupied our time i'rom the 27th of the preceding to the 2n(l No. .i'S.i). jj. • i.e. Vaufduvcr's Portland CanaJ, m. 8 " of this month (August 179'5)- The di-tancc from it3 entrance to its source is about " 70 iiiiU-s ; wiiich, in honour of the noble family of Bentinck, I numed Portland's ('anal " (4toed., Vol. 11, p. .sri). 'I'he iiitiluilfs unci loiiu'ituiles givcii hv Vancouver as those of the enirance an;! source of the canal, - the iengfli TU miles, — the cli:irt records already reti-rred to. — and Sir (,'harles Bagot's reference to the latitude of the entrance to Portland (.^aiial, all conru; in esta- blisliiiiu; the fact th it Portland (^hanncl as un-.lersiood at the date of the Convention had ci.mniunii'uliun with the oci'aii entinly di^tinet t'rom the entrance to Observatorv Inlet, called — cnilv s nee about ISj;} — Portland Inlet. A""'!'" It has alnvidy been explained that the southerniost point of Prince ot' Wales Island and the Portland Canal as rei^ulating the boundary line, were adopted on the suggesiiun of till Hussian Plenipotentiaries, as well marked geogriifihical features conducinsi to international convenience :i.s compared with a paruUe! of laiitude at first desireti by them; and, as a matter ct fart, it would iippear from the most reliable autiiorities that the southern point of the Prince of Wales Inland and the ocean entrance \o Portland Canal are not on the same parallel. It further appears— frcm the mention in the Convention ( .\rt. Ill ) tliat the --outlieinirost point of the Prince ot' Wales 1-land was supposed to be in atiout latitude ;>! 4i» X,, while Sir Charles Mugot had referred to the entrance to Portland Canal beinu in ."> t I.')' \., — that the negotiators did not suppose these places were on the :-anie parallel oi' latitude. s.e |> -j:, Under these circumstances it follows that the boundarv described by the Convention of l-s'J.") as "a p:irtir di point le plus meridional de Tile lite Prince ot Wales • * * * " la dite ligne reni'>ntera au Nord le long de la p.is-e dite Portland Channel," follows the course ot a gre.it circle between the south of the Prince of Wales island and the centre of the Portland Canal ocean entrance. Such a line is the most direct that can be drawn on the earth's surface between any two named terminal points. All points on it viewed from either extremity appear to be uliat would be pojiuiarly described as in line. It is conseijucntly the simplest. There are numerous rocky islets between Portland Canal and the south of Prince of Wales I.-laiid, and in ca-e ot the great circle line just referred U\ intersecting any of these, it '.voul 1 be plainlv m the spirit of the negotiations which resulted in the Convention of 1 82."). to rule thit in case the great circle line between the southernmost point of the I'nncc of Wa'es bland .md the entrance to Portland Canal l>e fmnd to intersect any island, then the sovcreiLrnty of such isl md shall appertain vholly to that Power to which t'iic great circle aiipnrtitms the larger poiti^n as determine(' by lower water sea-mark line. Tne scjiithein parts of Prirce (-f Wales Island were claimed — on similar grounds, — as appropriately appertainiiii; to Uussian territory. Il is further to l)c noted tint between ihince of Wales Island and Portland Canal the international dividing line passes over open sea — ;nuch more extensive than would, under orditiarv circumstances, have its sovereignty determined iiy a boundary line. Notwithstanding the circumstance thit the (Convention of \s-2'i originated in the British olijec'tion to the Uuss;an I'kase of 1 siof assuming sovereignty over open ocean, there is room to doubt whether the Uussian (lovernuient in concluding the Conventioa of 182.") ma\ not h.ive regarded its terms as implying a consent by the British (ioveru- mcnt to their claim to sovereignty over inter-insuiar sea limited by the line between Prince of Wales Island ami Portland Canal. Such a view would, however, be inconsistent with the claims generally advanced by the United .'^tates with rciiard to the definition of coast territorial waters. From tile British jioint of \iew it is most piol)al)le that the line between Prince of Wales Island and I'ortland Canal was regarded merely as a line limiting land territory ; whereas the Uussi m point of xiew would probably have given it the aspect ot' determining water as well as land sovereignty. The force of these remarks mav be appreciated on pcrusil of the followiuLr extract from a Despatch (No. 'JD of "J 1 .Inly 1824) from Mr. G. Canning lo Sir Charles Bagot : — Alipiiulix " Bv the territorial demarcation agreed to in this Projet, ' (a Preset sent for Sir No :.'."!, (.. 12 Charles Pagot's giidanf'^) '• Rusda will Ijecome possessed in acknjwlcdg-'d soveieignty " of both sides of Behring's Straits." " The Power w hich would think of makini; the Pacifick a mnre chiusum " (this refers to the provisions of the Russian I'kasc of lM2l)"may not minaturally be suppo.sed " capable of a disposition to apply the s unc character to a strait comprehended iK-twcen " two shares of which it hccomes the undispited owner. But the shutting up of " Belli ing's Straits, or the power to shut thein up hcreaftc!' would be a thing n )t to b« " tolerated bv Kntjiand." ♦ ''f * ♦ ♦ » • • • " Riit in some way or other, if not in the form now presciil)ed, the free navigation of Behrinii's Straits, and the seas beyond them, must l)e secured to us." Subsequcntlv on 8th December 1824, Mr. (I. ('annin«r, in instructing Sir S. Canning with regard to Beliring's Straits, gives his reasons for deciding to omit mention ji Behring's Straits in the Convention. Apfx-ndir Sir S. Canning, in Despatch No. 15 of ^ ^" ,'. 1825, when reporting the conclusion of Appendix ^"*'"- ' x\o.31.p..57. the Convention, remarks : — " With resjx'ct to Hehring's Straits, I am happy to have it in my power to assure you, " on the joint authority ot the Russian Plenipotentiaries, that the Emperor of Russia has ■' no intention whatever of maintaining any exclusive claim to the navigation of those ■' straits or of the seas to the north cf them." And there is no a'lusion to Ik'hring's Straits in the Convep'ion itself On the other hand Russi;i, by thf> 6th .\rticle of the (Jonvention, assented to the British claim to navigate the ocean to and from all rivers between Mount St. Klias and Portland Canal, flowing out of British territory. Yet as i)y the recent 'IVeaty of Washington «ith the I'nited States the British claim to navigate rivers, \'C.. within these limits is restricted by consent to navigation of the Stickeen, it is possible tiie United States might contend that they are by the Tref.ty of H(>r with Russia in\csted with territorial rights over all water between the islands on the coast, north of the southernmost post of Prince of Wales Island to (,'upe S|)encer, approximately in lati- tude .58^ 10' X., excepting oidy as regards approach to the Stickeen. Under these circumstances it may be desirable that u definite understanding should be arrived at as to the meaning to be attached to the inter-territorial line from Prince of Wales Island to Portland Canal.* Portland Canal, as described by Vancouver, and as known at the time of the Conven- tion of lS2o was limited on its north and west by the continental shore, and on its east and south respectively by the mainland and islands separating it from Observatory Inlet, which inlet includes the recently named Portland Inlet. There is still some doubt as to the exact position of the northern extremity of the Canal. Vancouver's record is 55^ 45' N. hit., •2Mf (V long. (= 129° 54' W. long.). Recent observations (Commander Pender's .\dmiralty Survey 1868) assign a northerly Mai' ^'"• '^ extension of abr)ut 12 miles (5.'/ 56' N.) to the Canal ; but as the water in the Canal was found by Vancouver to be fresh for 20 miles frons the point he noted as its termi- nation, and it is known that two fresh water streams flow into it at its northern eml, there is room for variety of opinion as to what exact point should be considered the head of the Canal. Hvo. Edn., Vol. IV., p. 1.38 . ,„ or> i i i-r>o .i ■. ■> ,.i u ,. " Vancouver 7 --iTv-\.-rf7~-r.,. *''>*> ^^ '0"-™-. 29 July 1/93, " it the Port- 4to. Edn., \ ol. II., p. MO land Canal) '* was found to terminate in low marshy land," and lie subsequently indi- App.nil!\ cates that he did not stay to examine the locality, since he mentions that two hours No.;(5,p H4 afterwards, on his return journey, he had obseivcd for latitude three miles to the south- ward. When, at 10 a.m. on the 29th July 17f)3. Vancouver reached the head of the Canal it was about dead low water ot spring tides, and four days previously he had Appomlix noted a rise of 20 feet in the Observatory Inlet. Such a rise in the neighbourhood of Nd. ;},',, p. (i2. low iiiarshy land might well account for variety of statement in recording the latitude of No. 44, p. 7!i. the termination of the ('anal. The outline of Portland Canal is such that no difficulty sho'ild arise in coming to an agreement as to the exact po.sition of the international line passing throuLjh it. A few points, however, require preliminary cousideration with a view to clearing the subject. The Russian Plenipotentiaries when asked by Sir Charles Bagot to put their original verbal contre Projct in writing, thus referred to Portland Canal : — " Pour completer la ligne de demarcation et la rendrc aussi distincte que possible les Appendij Plenipotentiaires de Russie out exprimd le desir de lui faire suivre le I'ort land Canal ^<''2,p.4J. jusqii'aux montagiies (jui hordent la cote." Sir Charles Bagot, in replying, commenced by a recapitulation of what he understood the Russian suggcstiim to be, and remarked, " En reponse ii la projiosition fiiite par les Apponriii " Plenipotentiaires Russes, (pi'mie ligne de demarcation tracdc de i'extretiiiie mdiidionaic ^'^'- '"^'I'- " de I'ile du Prince de CJaiics jusqu'a lembcuchure du Canal de Portland, de la par le " milieu de ce canal ju^qu'ii ce qu'elie toucbe la terre ferine; de la jiisqu'aux montagius " qui bordent la c'ote." • III tliis oomicxion. lii.wcM-r, see Count e ecpii-distant on the ves>ers iH'ams. Yet the (letitiition fails to satisfy the problem under the circimstances t)f sudden or angular change of direction or of breadth in the Canal, and requires to be supplemented In the }bll exploratory boat tr.\ck, wliiclk as stated by him, followed the course of the channel he called Portland Canal. V' ji-ir.iv. On the United States' chart, No. llO, ox RcvilU Gigcdo Channel (188.")), the topo- M,>\< N... 15 grap'i"' is delineated on i\ somewhat large scale, and names are allotteil to most of the pruK'iivil geographical features. Tlicic names will inuki' clear the following verbal de>cripti>land. ^ ,.,.iix This course allots to I'nited States' territory a distinct entrance (of a minimum M:it. No I". de])t!) of 1/ fathoms) round the North and Kast of 'I'tmgass Island. The next point attracting attention, and apparently of much importance, is the (leterni'nation of the pl.ice — at the norlhern exticmity of Portland Canal, where the line leaves it. riie head of the t^anal is the nearest route to the ocean for a Hritish region of con- siderable extent to the north and east. .\lilt;Ml <, The .Vdmiralty survey by Connnandcr Pender, R.N., in If 68, is probably the roost Jl:i(. Nil. 17. authtntic available chart of this part of the Canal. The survey shows Silmon River flowing in a south-easterly direction and Bear River in a ♦•outh- westerly direction to conjtmclion at the head of the Canal. '!"he valli-ys of these two rivers are delineated as acutely separated by lofty moun- tains, which, rising precipitously from the water of the Canal, attain elcvaiioos of 2,()0(), 4..'j(K), 5,(H)0, and (),W<^ lftte follow the course of the Canal further than the parallel of .")6'. This interpretation is not. however, the only possible one, and, as will be seen, is incorrect. In English .and Russian charts at the date of the Convention the latitude of the northern extremity of Portland Canal is always shown as .5.")" \h S. as determined by Vancouver, excepting in the Russian chart of 1H02. on which the latitude assigned is appro.timately '>■'> 42^' N. From the date of the Convention until as recently as the App^mlix. survey by CcMimandcr Pender, R.X., in 1S6S. the accepted latituiJo lias been '>b 4.'>' N. Map Nc i;. Commundrr IViider's survey assigns al)out ')'y .")4' to the position where it in:iy l)e assumed \'ancouver considered the Canal to terminate, but this possible approximation to .■^6" N. lat. cannot be con-ideied as affecting the point under discussion in any way. Not onl)' is thi're the evidence of official chtnts, which were prulubly consulted bv the negotiators, showing that Portland Channel did not extend so tar north as .'»'i N. latitude, but there is on record that one of these cliarts was furnished to the Britisli negotin.tor tor the express purpose of the negotiation, and that he consulted \'ancouver's .Vcpiniix chart, for he mentions the latitude given on these charts for the mouth of Portland ^"' !''" ''''-• Channel ; and he gives reasons connected with the head of the < haimel, lor his contention that both shores of it should be British territory. There are also numerous other refer- ences made by both the British and Russian Plenipotentiaries to topographical details of the region, a knowh-tlge of which at the time was obtainable only from Vancouver's charts or others founded on them. Two references were made by the Russian Plenipotentiaries to the latitude of the head of Portland Canal as being !'i6° X., but under circumstances not requiring miiuite precision as regards latitude : — In supporting their contre Projet they submitted nrguments to .Sir Charles Bagot in Apjien.i x March 1S24, remarking, " ("est par ces raisons que les Plenipotentiaires de Russie out No. 1 (, p i.i. " propose pour liniites sur la cote du continent au Sud, /c Porf/artil Chn/inel dont *' ['origin? dans les terrcs est par le .')()"" degre de latitude nord, et a Test * * ." And agiin, " Le pn>jet d'anangement des Plenipotentiaires de Russie laisse ouvert a " I'extension successive des Colonies Anglai.-ea : — i«i^ ********* "2°. Tout le lerritoire silue entre les etablis.-emens Anglais au ot™ et roiijiiie du Apppmiix " Portland Channel qui est au rS'" parallele." ^■<^- '■• r ^3. In the first quotation the lire of Portland Canal is roughly referred to as a southern boundary, whereas it is in fact almost due north and south, and iherefoie an eastern boundary; anil like ul)>ei!ce of preci>ion is attributable to the releience to latitude. Similarly in indicating general limits to another region in the ca-^e of the second quotation, the stretch between Briti.di establishments in lat. .")4 and I'ortlatid Channel lat. .'}(j' is mentioned. Neither latitude i< correct, but both are sutHcieiitly so tor the use made of the reference to them. The reference in this case is plainly to t lading where Fort M'Laughlin, in about ^f2l° N., is noted by .Xrrowsmith. But if these circumstances should possibly leave room lor doutit that the negotiators were under the impression at least that it was probable I'oitland Canal did not extind so far to the north as 5b° N. lat. there is tiie direct and conclusive evidence ot' the Russian Plenipotentiary himself, — Count de Xesselrode who subsequently, on the ."H'l 4 April 1824, in writing instructions to the Rus.«ian Ambassador, remarks : — " * * nous proposions de porter la frontie.e meridiona'.e de nos domaines au .■)4'' 4ii' .Vpjemli.v " de lat'tude et de la faire abouLir sur le rontinent au Portland Canal dont l\nd)ouchure ^" '"■ P ^'' " dans I'ocean e?t a la hauteur de I'ile du Prince de (lalk s et I'origiiie d uis les ter ts cnlre " le ^o" et 'S de latiti'de ;'" and Mr. Canning's d( sci iption of the line, to Sir Charles B igot, Anptn.lix on 12 July IH24. ^o.-M p.5l. B 2 12 Consequently the Plenipoicntiarie* could not have intended the formal declaration of their agreement to he interprett'd as stating in effect that Portland Canal either passed or actually reached so high a latitude as 5(i' N. Apptn.lii 'pjjg origin of the reference in the Convention to 56^ N. latitude iiiry he traced ''^' through another pas«age in the same iK'spatch Crotn t\)unt ('e Nesselrodc to Count dc Lieven ; and in Sir Charles Hagot's Despatch of ^', March 182^ to Mr. (aiming, v" II ^ l{) ^^* Count de Nesstlrode remark.^ •• * * * * lea (iernii^res piopositions dc Sir " Charles Hapot furent ♦ * ■» de stipuler que notr. frontitVe suivrait de '"ctte ile " (I'rince of Wales) "la pas«e dite Dukv of Cbtn-nrp Soitmi et (ju'elio u'aboL rait h la " cote (pi'au dcssus du ."jfi ('e latitude icptentrioiiale." \ppmi()° northward the tops of the mountains ne.xt the sea sliould mark the line. '■^'"''" Reverting again to the suggested interpretation of the Hrd Article of the Convention j^,iJ""„*^'' which Would make it appear that the framers of the Convention supposed Portland o()° N Leiidix In the letter of Sir S. Cannini; of ' ., ,• 1 8*25, coverini' the Convention which he No. :i|.p 57. " 1 March " had just concluded, he says to Mr. G. Canning: — " The second paragraph of the 4th " Article had already appeared parenthetically in the .'ird Article of the I'rojet and the " whole of the tth Article is limited in i's signification and coimected with the Article " immediately preceding it. by the first paragraph." Consecpiently, there are three ret'erences in the 3rd and ith Articles, ail referring to identically the same spot on the parallel of .">() N. latitude : — ((/.) ."Jrd .\rt. — " * * jusqu'au point de la terre fernie oil elle atteint le ")6"" degr6 de latitude nord." (h.) 3rd Art. — " * * de ce dernier point la ligne de demarcation suivra la crete de» montagncs." (i:.) 4tb Art. — " * * la cretc des montagnes qui s'etendent dans une direction parallele a la cote depnis Ic .")6" detrre de latitude nord * *." It is thus clear that the reference (< .) is not an allusion to a point on the Portland Channel, for " la crete des montagnes " cannot be on an ink t. It is equally clear, both from the covering letter of Sir S. Canning and from the language of the Convention itself, that the point alluded to in ('>.) is the same as that named in (c). It is no less clear that the words " ile ve ihrmer point " in (A.) refer to the position descrilied in (fi.) as "jusqu'au point dc la terre ferine ou elle atteint le TifJ""' degre de '• latitude nord." And. consequently, the conclusion is irresistible, that " elle atteint le " ."jfi"'" degre de latitude nord" does not refer to Portland Canal, but to the mainland, attaining Sfi^ north latitude. The mistaken interpretation of the Convention is due to the ambiguity in the use of the personal pronoun "elle" in the words ''jusqu'au point de la terre ferme oil elle '• atteint le .")6' "" degie de latitude." I.v the erroneous interpretation " elle " is made to refer to " la passe dite Portland Canal"; by the correct interpretation "elle" refers to "la terre fer/ne." The acceptance of the word " elle" as referring to " la passe dite Portland Channel " involves grammatical error, confusion of ideas, and redundancy in the sentence. Of the tfiice fi'ininine nomin:itives preceding "elle," viz., " la ligne," "la passe," and " la terre," grammiitieal rule refers the pronoun to the last. The draftsman of the Article has evidently had in his mind's eye, ■\\hen dc.-.cribing the line, a p/oint in movement developing a line over stationary geographical tlL-atures. The line, he proposes, shall t'o to the north along Portland Channel, up to the point of the continent, where it attains the 56th degree of N. latitude; from this point the line shall follow the tops of the mountains, &c. ^ If the words "where it attains" apply to the Canal, the idea of the draftsman has been confused ; for in this case the pt)int developing the line is supposed at first to be moving along a stationary geoiirapiiical fcfitufc, and then without necessity, and in (fircet oppo'ition to the governmg idea of the composition, the draftsman negiect.s the developing point, and sets the geugraiihical feature in movement of development until it reaches the 55' of latitude, then once more reverts to his main idea, and considers the f geographical features stationary, and a point to be moving over them developing a ine. The redundancy in the sentence on the supposition that "elle atteint " reftrsto"la " passe dite I'ortland Channel, ' is still more strikini;. In this case there could be no occasion whatever lor the introduction of the words " ile It fm-f ferrnf." Without these words the sentence stands "la dlle li<;iie remnntcr.i au iiord Ic long do la passe dite " I'ortland Channel jusqu'au point oil elle atteint le .">f)""' de de latitude nord." On the other hand, as the intention was that the line vhould reach r>6 of latitude, and it wns l)elieved that the Channel did not extend so far to the north, the wonis ■' de la ** terre ferme " are not only naturally introduced, hut aid in avoiding ambiguity, iince without them the inference migh'. and probably would be that the line was to reach the parallel of olT on the waters of the Chinjiel ; but with them it is prcscri tK'd that the end Appendix ol the f-ectiou of the line is U> be found on a p<>inf " dc la terre ferme.' No 40, p 7(>. 'I'hat the expressii)n " la terre ferme " may have been here used to indicate a point on the waters f)f l'(jrtland (Channel is further negatived by the reply (already ijuoted), of Sir Charles Bagot to the l{u<«sian contre I'rojet, in which he interprets their proposal to mean a line traced to the mouth of Portland Channel, thence along the middle of the Appendix channel "jusi/ii'n ce ffu'ei/i' {/a /ignr) touc/f In terrr fi-rme." No, l.i, p i2. The ii>regoing remarks show that the Convention of I ■<•,?."), ■when defining the line subseipicnt t J its arrival at the head of I'ortland Channel, requires that the boundary should run to a point on the parallel of h('{ N. lat. and from the same jK)int {dece dernier point) continue onwards. This point of the parallel of .56^ N. lat. is defined in effect to l)e that, at not more ^ N. I-vi. than 1(» marine leagues from the ocean, where the cre>t of the mountains nearest the ["|" ocean may be found, or, failing such mountains, a point en the paralloi at 10 marine leagues from the ocean. Little or nothing was known of the inland topography of Alaska, by the Negotiators of the Convention of 1825. Vancouver's charts showed by conventional signs an unsurveyed mountainous region bordering on the coast ; but both the Itussian and Hritish negotiators, while doubtful as to the intention of the authon> of the charts, conceived t!ie probability of these inland details lieing unreliable, and so framed the 3rd and -1th sections of the Treaty as to provide fur this cimtingency. The Russian Plenipotentiaries offered to secure to the British the unfettered navigation Appnulix of all the rivers ■/iti nlioufis.ienf n Cocran dinis rrtte mi'/>v lisirre. That is to say, they ^ <■'• ' 2, p- •*-■ did not know what rivers there were, but their of^cr extended to any there might t)e. The Russians repeated their proposal to the same effect as follows : — " I.cs I'ienipotentiaires de Sa Majeste Imperiale prt'-voyant menie le cas ou, sur la Appomlix " lisirre de la cote qui appartiendrait a la Russic, il se trouverajt des Heuves au moyen ' "' ' ''' ^ "" " des quels les etablisHemens Anglais pourroient conimuniqucr avec I'ocean, se sout " empresses d'oflrir par une stipulation eventuelle la libre navigation de ces fleuves." Mr. Canning having referred the boundary question to the Hudson's Bay Company, -Vpixiniiv their Crovernnr in replying remarked: "Neither party have any \ery accurate geo- -"^'J- 1^. !'• '*" '• graphical inforinalion with respect to tlie country in the immediate neighbourhood of " the sea, and • • * tl,e mo>t satisfactory maimer of settling this point probably " would be by inserting in any article providing for the boundary on th^ mainland ' the " ' nearest chain of mountains not exceeding a few leagues of the coast.' '" Mr. Canning, in writ'ug to Count de Lieven, refers to " rivers which maii be found to Apj^ndix " empty themselves into the sea withm the Russian frortier." N'<.. 2l'. p. .'.o. Again, in writing to Sir ('harles Bagot, he says : " The seaward base of the mountains App.n.ii\ " is assumed as that " (eastern) "limit. But we have experience that other mountains on ^'^-t-c-'- " the other side of the American continent, which have been assumed in former Treaties as " lines of boundary, are incorrectly laid down in the maps ; and this inaccuracy has given " nse to very troublesome discussions. It is therefore necessary that some otiier secuiity " should be taken that the line of demarcation to be drawn parallel with the coast, as " far .IS .Mount St. Elias, is not carried too far inland. This is done by a ])ro\ iso that " that line shall in ro case (/.e., not in that of the mountains which appear t)y the map " almost to border n»2 coast turning out to be far removed from it) be carried further " to the east than a specified number of leagues from the sea." Then, Count de Lieven in writing to Mr. Canning says : — Appotulix "* * * il ne serait point impossible, vii le peu de certitude des notions geograph- " iques que Ton poss('^Je encore sur ces parages, que les montagnes ile>ignee3 pour limite " s'utcudissent |)ar une pente insensible jusqu'aux bords meine de la c6tc'." 1 14 Appftiilix Impressed by the importance of j»uarding against the possible unintended consequence No 2!). I) r,j of topoiiraphical ignorancn-. Mr Canninjf ai;aiii reverts to the subject in writing to Sir Stratford {.'anninu', and remarks : — *' The inCi»nvenience against which we wished to guard was that which you know and " tan thoroughly explain to the llussiaii I'lenipotcntiaries to i ive existed on the other '' side of the American contmeiit. when mountains laid down m -^ iiiiip as in ii certain " civen position, and a-^sumed in taith of tlic accuracy of that m:ip as u b lunilarv between " the possessi(»ns of Kngland and the L'nited States, turned out to be quile dirterently " situateil, a discovery which bus given rise to the most perplexing discussion. Should " the nuips Ik; no more acciirate as to the western than as to the eastern mountains, we " might be assigning to Russia inunense tracts of inland territory, where we only intended *' to give, and they only intended to a>k, a strip of M-a coast ' " Apjiendu Sir Cli.irles Bagot, in explaining on the ITth March l^Ji to Mr. Canning his reasons No.ll.p. m. for suspending the negotiations, wrote : — "I certainly could not venture to take upon " myself the heavy responsibility of making any further concessions of a territory, " the value and possible local advantages id which 1 had no means of estimating, and " which I believe are as yet imperfectly known." From the foregoing quotations it is plainly evident that the neginiators of the Con- vention — one and all — were ignorant of inland Alaskan topography, and were alive to their ignorance. In the Appendix will be fcHind copies from two distinct charts of Vancouver's Atlas. .Map No'.^'. Ihcsc arc so placed as to facilitate comparison. The cotst lines exactly corresponded :— the conventional mountain markings on the mainland do not correspond. What has l)een misreid as the representation of a mountain range Ht. roughly speaking. It) marine leagues inland, appears in one ot the charts, but not in the other. The coast-line mountains appear in both. In neither is the inland mountain delineation such as to suggest that it was thi- result of detailed observation. The perspective views of the moiiiitaiii scenery given in \'anci)U\ei's Atlas serve to interpret, the conventional signs l)y which the general features are indicated. The text of his history ttirows further light on the Subject. Markings such as are given on Vancouver's charts along the coast of Alaska may also be se»'ti on charts Nos. 'A. 1."), Hi, and 17 of the Atlas of l.a Feroiise's voyage — which preceded V'ancouver's ; anti, on the charts of other atithorities on the Paciiic Coast of North America, prior to Vancouver, will be found the "caterpillar" class of delineations attributed by Mr. Bayard to the poor top>graphic skill of ^'ancouver. .Vppenlix, The weight given to Vancouver's inland mountain topography, by the Russian .MipNo. ■*. authorities, may be very accurately estimated by a comparison of their charts of 18i6 Mii|i N> ■') jj,„j igo2 with any corresponding one of Vancouver's. V '! \!! ■' '^'*'' *" return to the course of the Ixjundary line : — When the two extremities of the section of the boundary between Portland Channel and .')6' N. lat. are found, they should be connected by the arc of a great circle. The marking of such a line will probably lie found to present kss dithcnlties than w.wld the marking of any other line defined without reference to previously verified topographical details. In a elear country an arc of a great circle is, of course, the simplest of all to mark out, since it lies wholly within a veiticai plane. It is, in fact, what in popular language would l>e descrilK'd as a straigiit line were it marked out by poles. Commencing at the highest point of the parallel of 5fv N. lat. in its course over the mountain nearest to the main coast line, the boundary is to run northward along the line of mountain top?, nearest to the ocean, provided these be net more than 10 marine leagues fmra the ocean ; where the non-existen'e of mountams may render the line indeterminate, it is to conform to the windings of the general coast line, but is never to exceed 10 marine leagues from the ocean. It will be convenient heie to (juote the exact words of the Convention, of which it is. submitted that the foregoing is a correct interpretation : — " la ditc ligne remontera au nord \ 'T" n^TO " * * * * jiis()u'au jioiiit de la terrc ferme oil elle atteint le .'jG"'" degre de latitude " Xord; de ce dernier point la ligne de demarcation suivra la crete des montagnes " situees parallelenient a la cote jusqu'au point d'intersectioii du Ifl""' degre de " longitude ouesl *' * * * ." " 11 est entendu, pur rapport a la ligne dc demarcation detormitiec dans r.Artitle pr<»cL'dent ; * * * 2' (jue partout on la cr^le des montagnes qui s'etendent dans une direction parall6le ii la cute depuis le 06"" degre de latitude nor>l au point d'inter- section du 141"" degre de longitude oufst, se trouverait a la distance de |dus dc dix lieues marines de I'ocean, la hinite entre Ics possessions Britanniques, et la iisierc pii.lii IJagot proposed a i)oandary line pa.'-sing through (hathain Straits to the head of L^nn ^'o. ll,p. 3H. (Jannl, thence N'.W to l-lii' W. long., ivc. The Ku!^sians replied verbally by proposing at Irst the parallel of lit. .");")^, but subsequently in writ'iig nioditicd their suggestion and desired a line from the south of I'rince of Wales Island up Portland Channel as far ter la lignc de tlemarcation et la rendre aussi distincte que possible, lea 'hiJ- l'l«;nipoientiairts de llussie onl exprinit- dc di'-sir de lui faire suivre le Portland Canal jusqu'aux inontaijnes qui bordeiit la cote. L)e ce point la iitnite rtmonterait lo long de ces montaj-n* s pitralleU'inent aux sinuosites de la cote, juscjua ia longitude du X.V.f^" niendivn de l.ondres, dcgre dont la ligne de prolongation vers le Nord fornierait la limite ulterieure entrc les Possessions llusses et Atiglaises au Nord, conime a I'Kst.'' It is to \k- noted then that the Russians were the fii"st to propose the mountain fK)un- dary line and descril)ed the mountains to which they referred as those next the sea fqui bordent la cote). In niakini: a rejoinder Sir Charles Hagot, as already mentioned, commenced by re- Appomlis capitulating what he understood the Kussiait amended proposal to Ik-, and referred to it No 13, p. t.'. as recjuiring that the line should pass from the head of the Portland (^anal " jusqu'uux " montagnes <|ui bordent la c6te, et de la, le long dc ces montagnes jusqu'a la longitude " du KJy^-'degrti." .Sir Charles then suggested that the following should be the line : — A west and east line through the channel along the north of Prince of Wales and Duke of York's islands to the maiiil.ind, approximately at the mouth ot the Stikeen Uiver, and " de lii se proloimeant dans la niome direction sur la terre ferine jusqu'a un point distant " de la cote de liix lleiies marines, la ligne remonterait de ce point vers le Nord ouest, Ihid, p. W. " p.irallMement aux sinuosites de la cote, et toujours a la distance de dix lieiies marines " dc livage jusqu'au 110°" degrc de longitude, dont elle suivrait alors le prolongement " jus(ju'a la mer glaciale.'' Here the British Plenipotentiary proposes to diminish the southing of territor}' desired by Kussia, but to increase its breadth. The Hu.ssians had proposed a line marked bv mountains along the windings of" the coast (parallelement aux sinuosites dc la cote). Sir Chailes Hagot rcjdips by suggesting a broader strip of territory, but not extending further to the south than about .")6' M' N. Iat., limited by an eastern boundary following the windings of the coast and alwavs at 10 marine leagues frotn it. Both parties had now ado|)ted in the same sen.se the wonls " parallelement u la cote." 'Hie Russians applied them to a line along mountains, and therefore necessarily irregular in direction. The British Plenipotentiary borrowing the words and their meaning applied tliein to a line conniiencing at 10 marine leagues inland without regard to mountain^, but added " et toujours ii la distance de dix lieues marines du rivage," thus p«)intedly indicating that h>; understoop«>n. 11,1.. .T.» Ap|)eiiilii No. IT, |j. Ki. Appemlix No. 17, p. 47 Apii^iiilix N.I. 17, p. 47 Appenrfit No. H, p. 4S AppiTiilix No. 22, p. .50. Ai>i)«Mulix No. 21,().4!l. Appendix No. 23. p. oO. Appcnilix No. 21. p. 50. Apprmlix M„.2').p. .02. App(?iiii;x >'o. 24. p. r,0. In Sir Charles Bagot's Despatch of ^ J March 1M24, to Mr. ( anninp, will be found a fidl accDunt of the negotiations up to that date. 'V\u> points in di.*pute were communicated b\ Count de Nesselrode to the Russian ,\miMis>ador in London, with instruction* for his guidance in submitting the case to the British liovemment. Count de Nesselrode, in his Despatch dated .'ith April \K'24, writes of the extent of territory on the coast posal, the most " satisfactory manner of settliiig this point probably would In? by inserting in any Article " providing for tne l)oundary on the uuiinland, 'the nearest chain of mountains not *' exceeding a few leagues of the coa.st.' " On the •2\)\.Yi .May 1m21. Mr. Canning, alluding to Count de Nesselrotle's Despatch to the Russian Ambassador, intbrmed Count ile Lieven that he intended to send to Sir t'harles Hagot further instructions, whi-'h he ho{«d would meet the views of the H'ssian Court, and remarked " iSir Charles liagot's discretion will be so far enLirged as to " enable him to admit, with certain qualifications, the terms last proposed by the Russian " (jovernment. " The qualifications will consist chiefly in a more detinite description of the limit to " which the strip of land required by Russia on the continent is to be restricted in the " selection of a somewhat more western degree of longitude as the l)oundary to the " northward of Mount Klias, in precise and positive stipulations for the free use of all " rivers which may be found to empty them.selves into the sea within the Russian " frontier and of ail seas, straits, and wafers which the limits assigned to Russia may " comprehend." On the san'C day Mr. Canning informed Sir Charles Bagot of his correspondence with Count de Lieven, and transmitted copies to him. On the 29th June li«t:i4, .Mr. Canning told Sir Charles Bagot of his intention to furnish him with a draft Convention. On the 12th .July the draft was sent with instructions. Before despatch lo Sir Charles Bagot the draft Convention was submitted to the Russian Amiiassador, who subsequently, on the 24th July 1H24, remarked as follows : — '' Le I'rojet dc Convention redige par le Cabinet Angls's fait courir la limite des " l^)i^sessions Kusses it .Anglaiu-s vur la cote Nord-oucst d'Amerique au sud du Mont " Llie, le long de In base des mnntafrjtes i/ui suivent les ninuosite's de cette cote." " II est a observer qu'cn these generale, lorsqu'une cliaine de inontagnes sert k fixer »' line iiinite (|uelconquc, c'lst toujf.urs la cime de ces montagnes qui forme la ligne de " deir.arcation. Dans le cas dont il s'agit ici, le mot de Ixise par le sens indefini qu'il " presente. et !c plus ou moins d'extension qu'on peut lui donner, ne parait gutire propre " k mettre ia delin;.tation ii I'abri de toutes contestations ulterieures, car li ne serait " point impossible, vu le pen de certitude des notions g^ographiques que Ton possede " encore sur ces parages, (jue les montagnes designees pour limite, s'etendissent par une '• p'nte insensible juBq'aux bords memes de la rdte." It will thus be seen that not merely did the British negotiators stipulate for a boundary along the mountains which are next the sea, but they were plainly and thorougiily understood in this sense by the Russian negotiators. In ilie instructions accDiiipanying the draft I'rojet sent to .Sir Charles Bagot, on the I2th July, 1M24, Mr. Canning .says: — "His Majesty's Government have re&olved to " until' rise \our Kxccilcncy to take as 'he line of demarcation aline * * * * " following the .sinuosities ot the coast along the base of the mountains nearest the sea " to :Moiint Elias and thence * * * * " 1 enclose the draft of a I'rojet of Convention founded upon these principles, whicij your Excellency is authorised to sign previously to your quitting St. Petersburg. 17 " There arc two points which are left to be settled by your Excellency, 1st, in fixing *■ the lourse of the eastern boundary otthe strip of hind to lie occupied by Hiis.'ia on the " coast. The leaward hase of the mountains is nssunied a- that limit. Mut wc have " experience that other mountains on the other side of the A merican continent, which have ■• been as-sunu-d in former Treaties as lines of boundary, are incorrectly laid down in the '■ maps, and this inaccuracy has given rise to very troublesome discussions. It is therefore ■■ necf's-sary that some other sccuritv should l>e tiken tli;it the line of deniarcation to he " drawn parallel with the coast as far as Mount St. Klias is not carried too far inland. " This is done by u provi.so that that line shall in no case (i.e.. not in that of the mountains '• which appear by the map almost to border the coast, tut ninj^ out to Ik; far removed from " it) be carried further to the east than a specified numl)cr of leagues from the sea. The " utmost extent which Her Majesty's Government would be disposed to concede would l)e " a distance often leagues. But it would be der^irable if your Kxeellency were enabled " to obtain a still more narrow limitation. "2ndly • • *...*. In this quotation again occurs the word "parnllfl" applied in the wide sense of " general dirtction." Althedaleofwritintr the IVspatch above quoted Mr. fanning had not received Count de Lieven's note on the adoption of a mountain base line, but he received it on the 24th July I8'24,and on the same day transmitted a copy of it to .Sir Charles Bagot, remarking :^ Aowndix " Your Excellency will observe that there are Init two points which have struck (Jount No.^o, „. -,i. ** Lieven as susceptible of any question ; the first, the assumption of the huse of the " mountains instead of the summit as the line of boundary; ihe second, the extension " of the right of the navigation of the Pacifick to the sea lx;yon(l Behrings Straits." " .\s to the fir>t no great inconvenience can arise from your Exce'lency (if pressed for " that alteration) consenting to substitute the ,!«rnmi7 of the mountains instead of the " seaward base, provided always that the stipulation as to the extreme distance from the " coast to which the lisiere ij in any case to run, be adopted (which distance I have to " repeat to your Excellency should be made as short as possible) and provided a stipulation " be added that no forts shall be established or fortifications erected by either party on the " summit or in the passes of the mountains." Here it should be noted that Mr. Canning in speaking ot a .lummii line instead of a A(Me line plainly refers to one and the same set of mountains, viz., the mountains next .Appindix the sea. He assented to the line being drawn over these mouutaius and not over others ^if"- 29, p. •>■• which might be beyond them. For reasons, one of which refened to the mountain boundiiry line, the draft Convention ApjonuiT did not prove acceptable to the Russian Court, who submitted a contre Proict, and on ^"•-'•'•P •'■'• the 1'2th September 1824, Mr. Canning remarked to Count de Lieven : — " This refusal ' Appendix viz., to conclude the Treaty, " is the more unexpected as the chief alterations made ^o-'-'v-^-- " in the original Projct were introduced here (as your Excellency can bear witness) at " the suggestion of the Russian Plenipotentiaries themselves. I have not yet had time " to give sufficient consideration to the contre Projct now presented on the part of " those Plenipotentiaries lo be enabled to say positively whether it can be accepted in " all its parts." Mr. Canning concludes by desiring that the negotiations may be continued in London instead of at St. Petersburg. Mr. Canning then referred the Russian conire Projet to the Hudson's Bay Company, of which the Go\ernor, in replying, said, •' it docs not appear to me that thf counter Appindix " project of Russia is so essentially diticrent from the one which His Majesty's Ministers >-'''-28, p. is " have considered it ad\isable to propose to Russia, as far as the Hudson's i>ay *' Company arc concerned, to reject it except in the '2nd Art., which should more " accurately define the eastern boundary from the Portland Canal to (U of north " latitude to be the chain of mountains at a ' tres petite distance de la cote,' but that " if the summit of those mountains exceed ten leagues that the distance be substituted '• instead of the mountains." The proposal to continue the negotiations in London instead of at St. Petersburg was not carried into effect. Sir Stratford Canning was instructed to undertake the duty 6^^'.*,n''';'... ot British Plenipotentiary instead of Sir Charle* Bagot, who had left St. Petersburg. " " ■'''•'■ Sir Stratford was fully informed of all previoin proceedings and was furnished with a copy of the last Russian contre Projet. In his instructions to Sir Stratford. Mr. Canning remarks on that contie Projet, and U-id, p. .i5. says: — "The Russian Plenipotentiaries propose to withdraw entirely the limit of the " lisilre on the coast whicli they were themselves the first to propose, viz., t!ie summit ; *' of the mountains which run parallel to the coast, and which appear, according to the ^ O S303C. Q ' 18 " map, to follow all its sinuosities, and to s'lbstitute generally that which we only '■ suj»<;;e9ted as a correction of their first proposition. " We cannot agree to this change. It is quite obvious that the boundary of mountain? " where they exist is the most natural and effectual boundary. The inconvenience " against which we wished to guard was, that which you know and can thoroughly '• expliiin to the IJussian Plenipotentiaries to have existed on the other side of the " American continent, when mountains laid down in a mac as in a certain given position " and as>unied in faith of the accuracy of that map as a boundary l)etwetn the posses- " sions of England and the United States turned out to be quite differently situated. " a discovery which has given rise to the most perplexing discussion. Should the maps " be no more accurate as to the western than as to the eastern mountains, we might " be assigning to Russia inuuense tracts of tctritory where we only intended to give. " and they intended to ask, a strip of sea coast ! " To avoid the chance of this inconvenience we proposed to qualify the general pro- '• position 'that the mountains should be the boundary' with the condition 'if these " • mountains should not be found to extend beyond 10 leagues from the coast.' The " RuL-sian Plenipotentiaries now propose to take the distance invariably as the rule. But '• we cannot consent to this cliangc. The mountains, as I have said, are a more eligible " boundaiy than any imaginary line of demarcation, and this being their own original " proposition tlie Russian Plenipotentiaries cannot reasonably refuse to adhere to it. •' Where the mountains are the boundary, we are content to ti^ke the summit instead " of the ' seaward base ' as the line of demarcation." " A Projet, such as it will stand according to the observations of this Despatch, is " enclosed, whi^h you will understand as a guide for the drawing up of the Convention, '• but not as prescribing the precise form of words, nor fettering your discretion as " to any alterations not varying from the substance of these instructions. if i. it *. * ^ m * " It remains only in recapitulation to remind you of the origin and principles of this " whole negotiation. It is not on our part essentially a negotiation about limits. " It is a demand of the repeal of an offensive and unjustifiable arrogation* of exclusive " jurisdiction ovtr an ocean of unmeasured extent ; but a demand qualified and mifigiited " in its manner, in order that its justice may be acknowledged and satisfied without " soreness or humiliation on the part of Russia. " We negotiate about territory to cover the remonstrance upon principle. " But any attempt to take undue advantage of this voluntary facility wc must oppose. " If the present IProjet is agreeable to Russia, we are ready to conclude and sign the •• Treaty. " If the teiritorial arrangements are not satisfactory we are ready to postpone them. " and to conclude and sign the essential part, that which relates to navigation alone. " adtling an Article stipulating to negotiate about territorial limits hereafter. " But we are not prepared to defer any longer the settlement of that essential part of " the question, and if Russia will neither sign the whole Convention, nor that essential " part of it, f he must not take it amiss that we resort to some mode of recording in the " face of the world our protest against the pretensions of the Ukase of 1821, and " etlcctual'y securing our i.iterests against the possibility of its future operations." Prom the foregoing extracts it will be seen that Sir Stratford Canning had no option left to him with regard to the terms upon which he was to agree to the continental boundary line : and that the terms were, in so far a.s the mountain line is concerned, identical with those contained in the last instructions to Sir Charles Bagot, with the sole exception that Sir Stratfoid Canning was now directed to require "a small extension" of the line of demarcation, from the point where the U.nere on the coast terminates in latitude 59^ to the northward. 'Phe extension required being " fix)m 139° to 141° W. louLr." A|.|^M.liT This point had iKcn signified to Count de Lieven, but Mr. Canning had omitted to No. 2i, p. 50. jaention it to Sir Charles Bagot. Reference is first made to it when Mr. Canning assents to the line passing up Portland Channel. It follows that what has been said as to the sense in which phrases were used while Sir Charles Bagot was British Plenipotentiary applies with equal force to their use while Sir Stratford Canning was acting. 'I'lie .same mountain'-, — those next ;.he sea — are referred to throughout ; the same proba- bility of the distance of the mountains from the coast being found to vary considerably in the I'kiiHi.f 1821.— D.H.C. 19 is expressed, and the same general pamllelism is implied by the words " jiarallcl to the coast " and ' parallelement a la cote." 17 Sir Stratford Canning arrived at St. Petersburg on the ^ Janiary 1825, and on ,, -■ 1825 reported having re-opened negotiations with the Russian Plenipotentiaries, reb. 9 and on February — 1825 mentions having read Mr. Canning's last Projet to the Russian Acptudix 1 3 No. 30, f). .i6. Plenipotentiaries. I? V* 1 ■* Sixteen days suh.sefluently — .. ' - 182^ — he reports having concluded and signed the Apptudix •^ Mar. 1 "^ " No. 3). p..'.," Convei/ion on the previous night, and mentions tlic point.s in which the ('onvention varies from the Projet as originally submitted by him ; stating — " The line of demarcation along the strip of land on the north-west coast ot' America " assigned to Russia is laid down in the Con\cntion agreeably to your directions, notwith- " standing some difficulties rai-sed on this point as well us regards the order of the Articles " bv the Russian Plenipotentiaries." In this pasi'age there is the most direct evidence of the construction to be put upon the provisions of Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention with regard to tiie mountain houndarv line. The line agreed upon was the one described by Mr. Canning, whose meaning had been fully and clearly explained, and was perfectly understood by the Russians. So well did the Russians understand what the British proposal was, that they pointed ADp.Mi.lix out the mountains' base line might be found to coincide with the coast line itself; and ^" -''• I'- '-■ foreseeing difficulty in determining a base line — but onl}" on this account — suggested that the lopi' of the mountains instead of their .^ruwnrd hittoms should be accepted as regu- lating the boundary. In the 4th Article of the Coiivcntion — the Russian coast territory between Portland Cliannel and 141' \V. long., is described as " In ti.sirre de cole," i.e., " till' nidrtriiial .strip of coast." Mr. Canning in acknowledging on 2nd April 182.") the receipt of t'le signed (.'on- .Vpi)fii.!<-. the Treaty in a manner so exactly confornial)le to the in.itrwtu)if< given to him. Passing next to the expression " la cote " occurring in the 2iul and 3rd .\rticles of the Convention, it can easily be shown tnat the general coast line of the continent, exclusive of inlets, creeks, and similar narrow waterways, is the sense in which the words are used. In their reply to Sir Charles Bagot's second proposal, the Russian Plenipotentiaries, .\pi.iMuii> in summing up the effect of their suggestion in respect to British interests, speak of the N'o.u.p. i . extent of coast line and of territory left lo British occupation; and say — l^ Touie la partie de la cote situt5e entre I'embouchure du Port/and CliannrI et le 51"" degrc latitude nord, envisage comme limites des Possessions Russes dans FOiikaze de 4/16 Sept. 1H2I. 2". Tout le t'-rritoire situe entre les etablissemcns .\nglais au 54""' et I'origine du Portland Channel qui est au .")fi""' parallMc. 3'^. Tout le territoire situe derriere la chainc de montagncs • • ?: In these sentences it is apparent that the Russian Plenipotentiaries used tiic word coti' as not embracing the shore lines of Observatory Inlet and of Portland Canal, nor of the extensive inlets upon which is marked bv .\rrowsmith the English trading post Port Map .Vc lo M'Laughlin, approximately in latitude 52.^ N. Sir Charles Bagot, when reporting to Mr. Canning the check which happened in the .'piwn.i'x negotiations, spoke of his proposal "being coupled with the concession of a line of eoist Ni'"-|'- '" " extending ten marine leagues into the interior of the continent." This can hardlv he understood to mean a breadth of ten marine leagues measured ea.st ward from the dead of the inlets. Mr. Canning, when enlarging the discretion of Sir Charles Bagot, wrote, '* It is there- Appomlix " fore necessary that some other security should be taken, that the line of t'einarcation '^'''- -»!!•• ■'• " to l)e drawn parallel with the coast as far as Mount St. Elias is not carried toe conveyed by the words '* la cote." This is periectiv in accord with the wording of the Treaty itself. In the -'lid clause of the 4th .Article provision is made for the case of the mountains being found at more than 10 marine leagues inland, and it is there laid down that the measurement sh dl f.e made, not from inlets, but frnm the ocean. The Convention stipulates, '* Que partout ou la crete des montagnes, qui s'ctcndent " dans une direction parallele h. la cote * * * se trouvcrait a la distance de plus " de dix lieiics marines de I'ocean • • • la limite » • • sera (brmec par une " liijne paralliMe aux sinuositos de la c6te, et qui ne pourra jamais en etre eloignee que '• de ilix lieues marines," The word " ore'un " is wholly inapplicable to inlets. Consequently the line, whether marked by mountains or only by a survey line, has to be drawn without reference to inlets. Had it not been so clearly provideil against by express stipulation in the •2nd clause of the 4lh Article <>f the Conventi.)n, and by the accepted principles of international law, it might, in the case of the absence of mountains, be argued that the breadth of the lisi^re should be nieasurtd from the sea water's edge wherever — in inlet or elsewhere — it out- lined t!ie continent. And that this being the coast line where do mountains exist within 10 leagues, is e(|ually the coast line whence to determine the mountains nearesf to the coast. iiut, as sail! above, inlets in either alternative — the occurrence or non-occurrence of mount lins within 10 leagues, — are not part of the coast line determining the boundary. None of the inlets between I'ortland Channel and the meridian of 14 T W. long, are six miles in width, excepting, perimi»s, a short part of Lynn Canal. Conseijuently, with that possible exception, the width of territory — on the coast assigned under the Convention to Russia, — may not be measured from any point within the mouths of the inlets. Ail the waters within the mouths of the inlets are as much territorial waters, according to an universally admitted international law, as those of fresh-water lake or stream would be under analogous circumstances. • Till" Huilsiiii's liav Ciinipany who, in IS."?!, orecltil buildings for their trade at Nn.-.T liarlioiir, stvled iho post " t'arl Sinipsou," until iis uliiuuUir'.iuiMil in 1H35, and its rcplacemeiit by the prts^nt Fort f>inip,-oii. — •See .\pi*udi^ "is. p. 5.'?, in which n Hiiii^h iindc esUhlishinent at latitude 57' K. i< inenlionid by the (Jovernor of tUt Hudvin's Hay Conipany. and Maps 7, !'. and 10. — D.R.t'. 21 The question of the water being salt or fresh is not one in any way affecting the argument. As tar as non-mountainous country may extend — but within 10 marine leagues of the ocean — the inlets are in fact inrluded by the Convention within lout them, is assigned to (Ireat liritaiii as much as are rivers and lakes in the same regions. Nothing short of an express stipidation to the contrary effect would, it is conceived, serve to maintain the proposition that inland waters in the lisirre igned to Ku>sia is determined by the head waters of its rivers, as that the head ^'"^^^ waters of its creeks and inlets regulate the breadth. j^^^^^ ' From the point where the eastern limit of the lisirre attains 141° W. long., the boundary line follows the meridian to the Arctic Ocean. There is no room for difference of (opinion as to the intention of the Convention in lespcct of this section of the line. Probable Cost of marking the British Alaskan Boundary. No international a-^reement has yet been arrived at with resard to the interpretation of the terms of the Convention detining the British Alaskan boundarv. Under these circumstances no reliable estimate of the cost of effecting the demarcation can l>e lormed. In 1^74-5, when it was anticipated that the demarcation was about to be effected, So« D.imi- detailed estimates of the cost were prepared for Her Majesty's Government and for the "_'<"> "*^ Government of the Cuited States. Those estimates, of \,'hich there were several, varied ^'""!''*' widely, for they were t)ased on the assumption of there being alternative methods, one or papersiSTf*. other of which might have been selected as that to be acted upon. Vol. XI., Kxcliiding the consideration of a line to be determined under fresh conditions to be ^"- ''^•''• agreed upon between the two countries now concerned, the lowest estimate submitted was one providing for the marking of a very few points on the boundary, suggested by the United States (iovernment. The highest estimates provided for the location of the line on the supposition that a large part of it would traverse an cxcoptionallv mountainous region, between the parallel of .'')()' M. latitude and Mount St. Klias, parallel, in an approximately mathematical sense, to the windings of the coast, including in those windings the intricate outlines of all inlets, &c. An examination of the records of the negotiations whicfc resulted in the tre?tv defi- nition of the boundary, has served to show that the extreme difficulties upon which the larger estimates were ba.sed, have not to be met. At the same time it becomes apparent that the adoption of the temporary expedient of marking a few points, regarded at present as prominent, under natural but erroneous views of the terms of the treaty, is not one which it is desirable to follow. The incomplete marking of a boimdary is largely open to the well-founded objections to which total absence of marking is open. It has been asserted that the boundary runs at places through valuable mineral regions. in such a country partial demarcation may bj even more dangerous internationallv than no marking at all, (or from partial marking opposing interests would inevitably 22 draw arguments to justifv occupation, and to support prctonsioni at spots where marking happened to be ahsf.it. '1 he objection to partial demarcation, because inefficient for the object aimed at, i? enhanced by consideration of cost. Interrupted pri)cedure involves repeated outfit and organization, and these entail heavy additional exjienditure. The cost of demarcation of the line, if located as indicated in this Report, would approximately amount to ;UH),0uO/. (=t?l,5(Hi,00i>) on the British side ; and woula entail five years' field work. In the absence of a definite decision as to the principle upon which the Convention i» to be interpreted, it wouli'. be quite useless to enter here into a detailed eyaniination of the probable cost of coi'ipletimj the work. The sum now arri-.ed at, it nuiy be stated, is based upon the following data and considerations ; 1st. 'I'liat before the work is undertaken there sliall be a thorough understanding between the two Goxernments — British and T'nited States — as to the interpretation of the terms of the Convention. 2nd. That the Commissioner.* entrusted with the execution of the work should, l)efore goint; into the field. — confer and ;irrive at agreement as to the details for giving et^leei to the decisions of their (Tovcrnmeiits. .Ai j.. iiJix ;}rd. That on the British side the organization of the expedition shall Ik.' practically .v. 4. p. hu. such as was detailed in the eruimate submitted in 1^75 for marking the line according to the United States suggestion for determining only a few pt)ints, hut making allowance S^r the work takinsj more t'nu', nnd for the sum apportioned to mules, forage, and civilians being available for steam water-transport, boats, and crews, to tlie extent thai it may \ie found desirable to thus apply ir. Uy the arguments presented in this Report it woulil appear that, coMsistently with the terms of the treaty with Russia, the line does not run through tiie interior of the mountainous region iKiueen I'ortlund Channel and Mount St. Klias, i>ut skirts it on the seaward side; and consequently that for thi- portion of the boundary the location of the line mav be approached at all points to withni a few miles by water. On the other hand, there may lie entailed hitherto unforeseen hydrographic survey between I'rince of W'alo' Island and the north-eastward part of Pearse Island, and possibly m the neighbourhood of Lynn Canal. \;M.v.I>'S lli'MAaKS on the Views of the Initko SrATt-s Govkhnment as expressed in the I.NsTRicTioNs of Mr. StcRK.rAitv BwAiU) to M"". PuELi's, Umtko State.s MiNisiEK, of '-.'0th November l^^S.'). and the Letter of Mr. Rheij'S to the Makqiis OK Sai.isbuuv of l!Hh Ja.mar^ 18X(i. , , Mr. Phelps' letter encloses a copy of .Mr. Bayard's instructions; and, essentially, is Vii (•.-' ! . 7'-' limited to a repetition of some of \ir. Bayard's remarks. ''■» These commence by stating that the British .\laskan water boundary, iilthough not a subject of doubt to the United St ites Government, lias been misumlirstood in other ipiarters, and that the land supposed to follow a mountain range is impracticalile of survey, if not ireographically impossible. Mr. Bayard then proceeds to note that it may fairly lie assumed that the negotiators based a theoretical boundary on what they beli vei to be a substantially (xirrect rupre- centation of geographical features on charts before tliein ; anh negotiators explained the meaning of the sentence to the Russian authnrities, anil it Wis so under.stood by the Russians. The French text does uot speak of the line as being m r'.ed out by nne clmiite de moutiifrni's ■•^ititi'f ptini/Zclriiu'iit n In lutr [n 7nount/iin ru/ifff aloiip the must) ; but it individualises and specifies the mountains dcscriomg the line as following Id cn'tf ties mdiitiitrnes nili rV.v jinnillel'inent a bi cote, that is following the line of the tops of the mountains next tlie coast. As previously explained there was a discussion between the Hritish and Russians ■whether the line should be along the seaward base of the mountains or over their tops, and the Russian .Minister pointed out the difficulty in locating a base line referring at the same time to the precedents atl'orded by treaty practice for selecting the top line in^tead ol' il;e bottom line ; but he offered no argument in favour of a general mountain range watershed line ; and no such argument would have been apposite, for the only advantage of a general watershed Ime is facility in determining its location. But this adVant ige was already attained in a higher degree by the coast line mountains being selected, for their location was really lar easier to identify than that of general waterslu'd mountains. Mr. Hayard attributes what he conceives to be errors on the part of the negotiators of the Convention, to inaccuracy in \'ancouver's charts, yet so far as these I'harts War upon t'le \witcr boundary (juestion they are still iiidis[iutahly correct ; but, as regards the topography along the land boundar\ they ne\er professed to be correct, and the negotiator.-! of the treaty fully appreciated their unreliability in this respect. There is no point touched by the Convention, in connexion with the water boundary, which is not thoroughly inte!ligil)le from \'ancouve'''s charts, nor any point which has had additional light thrown upon it by subsequent explorations. Two Russian charts, one of 1802 and another of 182'2, are known to have l)een consulted by the British negotiators ; further, it is known that .Arrowsmith's imips of that date were consulted by the Russians, for they refer to the location of the posts of the Hudson's Bay Compatiy which were to be found only on Arrowsmith's maps, and thcv allude — in records of the negotiations, to tliesv. data as gi\en by the most recent anil reliable Knglislimaps; a remark which could only apply to the work of Airowsmith. fie was the most esteemed British gcogripher at the time. He was hydrographer to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and geographer to the Hudson's Bay Company. But bis maps of the Alaskan coa^t line, as ;ill others, including Ru^-sian and United States, of the same region at that date were based upon \'ancouver's charts. ^'ancouver's i'harts may thus be accepted as having guided the negoti .lors in their definition of the water boimdary ; but cannot be accepted as having determined their descri|)tion of the land boundary in any other sense than that «here the name Portland Channel occurs it is due to Vancouver. On the other hand it is certain that the belief of the negotiators that \'ancouver's inland topography was not reliable led to their defining a line wiiich might have tx* well Ikxm) de>cribed had the map l>efbre them presented only the sea line — on an otherwise blank sheet — from Portland Inlet to .Mt. St. Klias and thence to the .Arctic ( )cean. Both the British and Russian negotiating authorities recorded tiieir sense of the necessity ot describing such a line as should be independent tif the location given to inland fieatures on the maps before them. Nevertheless it is a fact that the negotiators noted on ^'ancouver's, or on some other* map — it matters not by whom made — what they mter|)rcted to imply a mountain ringe closclv bordering on the coast. \'ancouver's Charts slu)w such indications ; in one case closely following the water Appecdi.x. line, in another at some le.igues inland. Chart V 11, shows l)oth ranges. C'hart XII. M'>i' >^o 2 shows only a single range. •^''''' ^'*- •* The Initetl Statis photographic copy of Chart VII. has not reproduced tiie shoreline range with as nmch force as they apjiear in the original, while the iidand range, more decided fi>r gr.ipliical effect, is in consequence of its bordering blank paper still further intensified by compari.son, and has naturally been selected by Mr. Bayard as illustrating the text of the C:onvention. But irrespective of the actual existence of either of tuV * Sfu the Uu^biau m'lp of ltlu2, Xo. I, and of ltf2. 34 uno;n fijr doubt that none of Vancouver's expedition penetrated inland on the Alaskan coast beyond a distance of being within call of their boats on the licach. In reporting the completion of his coast survt y Vancouver writes : — " I am at length able to inform you of our having finally traced and determined the " continental boundaty of North-west America Irom the lati[uen able to i)enetrate beyond the harrier of the lofty " mountains which, covered with eterniil snow, extind nearly in a connected chain along " the western lx)rder of the continent, I believe, to its utmost limits." Many times to*i in his history \'ancouver refers to lofty nioimtuins sloping abruptly and precipitately into the sea itself on the Alaskan water line. The mountains encloshig Portland Channel are now known to attain :^,000, 3,CK)0 and 4,0H() feet in height, and their neighbours beyond ev'.ii ((.(KM) feet. So precipitous are these and so close to ilie water that \'ancou\er's party was driven bv the rising tiile from his camp to his boats; and Commander Pemier's party had a like experience in recent \ears. Such is the character of the features conventionally recorded by Vancouver's water edge marking and involved configuration inl.ind. .Niich is the general character of the C(Ui;;tiy which it is alleged proved Vancouver to he hut a p>j<>r fo/Wiiniftfiir, Vancouver, whose chief duty was to map the coast line, and upon whose Wdrk many of the most reliable maps of the present day are largely ba.-cd, and for many details are even wholly depentlent. A piM)r topographer because he did not accurately delineate the inland i'eatures of a country through which, in supporting another jiomt in his contention, Mr, liayani alleges it would be impracticable to survey a single frontier Ime I Whatever errors may ha\e been committed in reading Vancouver's charts are certainly not attributable to him ; and, as has l)een remarked, with regard to the inland frontier the negotiators, whatever may have been the opinion they ibrmed of Vancouver'., intention, guarded against being led into error 'oy dei)eiiding u[>on his detaiN. Mr. IJayard makes the ([ualitied admission that X'aiicouver may have at one time regarded the Pcarse Canal ot later geographers as the lower part of Portland Canal. App.fiJix The fact that he did so is however clearly on record in his historx . He describes No. 3^, p.62. Portland Canal in detail from its head to its junction witu the ocean, and distiniruishes it from the entrance to Observatory Inlet, and did not subsequently modify his view. Appen.lix Tiie southern and northern points of the entrance now called Portland Inlet, he named Nu. ;io, p..W. Point Ma^'kelync am' Point Wales, ami gives the latitude of tlie southern point. ^o, p.i)(i. ij^, j^ijy gives the latitude of a point of land at the entrance to Portland Channel or (,'rui. " of several small islands :it the south-wrstern extremit}- of Wali:s Isi.wo is in " manifesf coiitratUrfioti wif/t the truiifirx, irhii h provided that the i.sland called Phi.nce " OF Wat.ks's Island shnlt MniiiC irhol/i/ to Kussin." The contenti(>n ap]>'iri'ntly depcnd-s upon the relation of the sujrsiested line to Wales I'j"'' I'- '*>• Island, and on the assumption that Wales Island and Prince of Wales Island are one and the »amp. Hut Wales Island, so called about \Sn'.) firm Wales Point which was named by Vancouver, is between the niouths of Portland f'hiinnel and Observatorv Inlet, and 40 miles to the east of Prince of Wales Island ; nor in the Convention is there any reference whatcvir to Wales Isiiind. In the description given iibove by Mr. Bay;trd of a line suggested by some one, it is not (|uite clear to what particular cliannel riotth-irrs/ir ird from I'nrtbnid Inlet he refers. Appendix There are several channels, ami then' is some indication in Mr. Havard's remarks tiiat a No. »2, p. 75. channel which is not the entrance described In V.incouvt-r, is alluded to. Xo. 35, p. ««>. The siiptrcsted line under iliscussion by Mr. Bavard \* spoken of as deflt'ctin;4 north- wnrd from the tiromi triit'Vx of Diron Knfrnnre, and .Mr. Pavard iivikcs no remi>rk upon its course up to the point of deflection. This silence is only consistent with Mr. Hayard's subse(]uent arguments. ff)unded on the assumption that the treaty prescribes a parallel of latitude line through Di.xon Kntrance. Hut it has Ircen shown in the course of this Report that tiie negotiators did not con- Ante, p. s. template a parallel of latitude line, and there is no allusion to any such line in the Convention. Apart from the evidence Airni.shcd by records of the negotiations of the intention of the frainers of the Convention to connect the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island with the entrance to Portland (Channel by a direct line, there is tlie internal evidence in the Convention itNclt'. When it was intended in the case of the meridian of 111° W. longitude that the boundary should follow a g-er)detic line, it was so explicitly stated, and when it was desired that the line should be determined at any point by geodetic measurement, it was so explicitly stated ; as for example, the inter- section with the parallel of r)6' N. latitude, and again the termination of its westerly course at the meridian of 141° W. longitude. In each of these cases the intention is stated with perfect clearness and decision ; the terms in which the provisions are expressed in the Convention leaving not a shadow of a doubt that geodetic determination governed the location of the line. Under these circumstances and in the absence of any direct statement in the Treaty to support the contention, the assumption that a parallel of latitude wa-; intended to be the course run lietween named terminal geographical features is •::, tenable. Again, Mr. Hayard speaks of the line passing by the nortti-wcst of Pcarsc Island, then turnins: southward affniii of right (nnjles to re-ctiter I'ortlund Jrilet. It is extremely difficult to follow this description utdess, indeed, it be intended to convey the idea that the line on re-entering Portland Inlet is supposed to runup the remainder of Observatory Inlet instead of up Portland Channel as described in the (.'onventioii. Regarding Pearsc Channel, which is a direct continuation of the upper waters of Portland Channel, as merely the lower part of Portland ( 'hannel. it is difficult to discover on wh It principle anyone could have suggested that the line should leave the Portland Channel to re-enter what is now called Portland Inlet at a point where that inlet is admittedly in conjuction with Observatory Inlet. Mr. Hayard indeed desires to dispute the conformity of the suggested unreasonalilc line with the terms of the Convention ; but, in submitting his arguments against it, he assumes details which cannot be assented to. Tlie true ocean entrance to the Portland Channel of the Convention ..: by Fort Apix-niiv Tongass, and the line up the channel allots Wales, Ptarsc, and other islands to Great ^l"!'^'" '•• Britain. Mr. H.iyard interprets the '^n\ Article of the Convention as directly stating that Seep. i:. Portland Channel reaches as far north as o6° N. latitude. At a first reading of the Knglish translation as quoted in the printer.s\ with nlation to a continent, is so exoepfional as to Icail one til conclude that by " if sfrik-fs 5ri" N. latitude," the translator cannot have meant that fill' roiifiiirnt sfrike.i 'tfir" X. lutitude. Hut in the French text t!ie equivalent words arc "«//»■ alteint If .'>'>'" degre de htifude " tion/ ;" and there is nothing in tlie word utfrinf which makes it exceptional to refer it to /'/ terrv ftrme. it may In? mentioned that on the Trench text l)eing submitted to two I'arisian literary pentlenien without coniinent. each of them said that file referred to hi Ir^ne ; but. on it? beinu pointed out that cftfirit appeared in ilie present tense, each of them stated that accoriiintr to strict grammatical rule, el/f as used, referred to /-/ tfrre ffrmv. Neitiier of these gentlemen was aware of the circumstinces of the cise. and had oidy t'je words before tlii-m to go by. If the Kiiglish translation were worded " to the point of the continent where it dttaiius " 56" N. lat.," there wcMild be no room for the sucrtxestion that the tenns of the Convention were inconsistent with the features to which they refeiTed, and with the det:iils of the maps upon which the lernis were based. Atfnins i^ a truer transhition of iiftfiiif, than xtrikis is. And inasmuch as — I'ven in the Knglish translation — if, of two fairly legitimate butditferent renderings, one is consi-tcnt with facts and the other incon- sistent, it is not too much to assume that the consistent rendering is that which should govcni the interpretation. At tiie suine time, it is not admitted that the Knglish translation of the Convention is nuthoritiitivf. The ratification is iti French. Mr. littvunlV Mr. liaj ard having remarked that "there are evident reasons for lielieving " that the Instruction", nmhors of the Anglo- Russian Treaty of 1S:>.") had (or their purpose "the locution of the ['' Ij!' '• natuial boundary line in thf hrondfr r/mnnel c illfd I'ortlnrtil In/ft on tht' Admirfihx " find United States ("oast Survey Charts" nd'ersto " I'oitland Cliamiel, Portland Canal, " or Portland Inlet as it is indifferently styled on the several eluirts." As previously noted, ante p. 7, in the 4to edition of Vanoou\er's History, PortlnndCdUnl is the name applied to what, in the sul)se(|uent 8vo edition, is styled /^rf/itml l'h, pp. ,'59 there be found the name Portland Inlet ; and, when tlurcatter it is found to occur, it is -'52. believed to he invarial>ly limitid to the entrance of ( )bscrvalory Inlet, a totally different Ni., lih", p. 6t>. (.[lannel from that ofPoitland Cmal ;is described by Vancouver, and clearly so indicated No ;i-.'i! 67 "" ''"■ '^""^s'l*" '■'^I'lrt of the souihrrn half of Kolscheiiak Archipelago, IS,");}. ••'••) \'i -J In addition it >■> ill be rememl'cred that .Sir Charles Bagot, one of' the Rrifi-h negotiators, '"' " ' ' clearly marked his knowltflgc of the difference U'twcen Portland Canal ocean entrance -No' I'a, p. 12 ""'^ t^i*" "'"ft" recently styled Portland Inlef, by naming very approximately the latitude of the former. v.\ Ru,^«;»n |( „^yy further be rern.irkcil th;it until the results of the Convention cave special t hart uf atM>at . - ,, tt\ii/.i i i ii/\i t, \>nyo b Mnpi'rt.'uue to Vancouver s i'ortland (. tiatmei, gL-ograplurs regarded ( )t)servatory Inlet Arrowsmith'j ^^ ^\^^, j„,,re iuiport^mt of the two, for on some maps both chaimels were named, but on /'t 1 * *# S OOP ' ■ .ptpd t,.isi4 ethers Portl.ind Channel was delineated without name, while Observatory Inlet was 1! s Taocer's di.tinu'i'ishcd by name. Ix Stun- I hen in subsetiuent years Portland Canal, as the more important channel, appears ( ,i,lj named, while Observatory Inlet is sometime.-, shown without name. Library M»p At hist there was no special iin|iortance attached to Portland Channel ; but Observatorv of Uie\\iirM j„j|.( ^^.j.. „(,t(.J a> the inl< t in which a series of astronomical observations weie taken by """ which the surveys of the neighl)ouring region were finally corrected. So soon, iiowcver, as Portland Channel was understood to be the continental southern limit of Hustian territory, the temporary interest attached to Ohstrvcitory Inlet sank into iiisigiiiticance when compared with the permanent interest now connected with Portland Canal ; aud this change is reflected in the details given by map makers. It is believed that no chart or map by any maker at all can be produccii showing the supposed location of the boundary line as pissing through the entrance of Observatorv .Appoiiiiix Inlet until after th it entrance was styled Portland Inlet. So far as can be traced it would Xo. 12. p. 7J- appear that this name was first applied some time about the year 1853. .Mr. Bayard .\pi>fn.lix a])pears to be under a misapprehension in supposing that Biiti.-h Admiralty Charts or N.'. i;i. p.,9. Sirvevs shew the boundary as passing through Portland ////f/. It is not so shewn on Mnp No. 17. f'oinmaiidei Pender's Sinve\ <>f ISfiH, quoted by .Mr. Bayard, nor on .\dmiraliy Chart No. LM3i, to which a reduction from that Survey has been added. Kven were such a chart produciide it could not have any bearing on the case, unless indeed it were of a character to demonstrate the international understanding between Rusj'a and (jicat Britain arrived at in XS'ib. t7 On the other hand llie sequence of events, the st) ling of ()l)servatory Inlet entraiite Piirti'ind Inli-t. and the location of the boundary through it, a c stronjjly sujigestive of cau>e and effoct. Mr. Bayarl refors to the direct ocean entrance to Observatory Inlet lojn^ more Mr. T5i»y«ril'« navijjiible tlian the direct ocean entrance to \'ancouver's I'ortlaid (.'iii'inel, as a ground 'ri^truction^ for rt^isuining tliat ihc ncsj'otiutors intended the line to pass throujLth the former. ^' ' '' Hut this IS entirely an '•ex post facto " argument, or involves the assumption that the negotiators had niu'le themselves acquainted with the navigability ot the two channels. It is unnecessary to refer iiere again to the declared motives detcrinining the selection .Sr? ante p. t; bv the negotiators of the line of Portland Canal. Navigation was not an element in it. "*^' Bat assuming for the iiioincnt that it was likely to have been so, whence did the \o|*t4 I,.43. negotiators arrive at the knowledge which guided ihcm r \... l«, p. »o. On the chares, \'ancoii\er dots not note soundings. In the details recorded in his -V". I".f>. »"• History could thev alone have hoped to tind the mfurination necessary to guide them to a conclusion which -under the supposed circumstance.^ — !mi>t h.ive impressed them as of over-ruling importance. I?iit, if these geiitieinen referred to \'ancouver'3 History for such deUiils, is it ])08si'ile to conceive that while they were tracing in his text the course of wliat thev called Portland Canal, they were in fact examining his de.Ncription of what he c.dled Ol'servatory Inlet? If such an examination of Vancouver's text, as is here >uppcsed, had actually been mah nationalities. .Sir ^'"•l''; I'- "'■' Charles Hagot pressed upon tin-ir attention that British trade was being carried on aliout * " '''•'• "' latitude .')o\ that is the Nasse River trade tiuough Observatory Inlet. There is every natural reason then to suppose that the line would, by mutual consent of the parties, have been by preference located through ^'anc:)uver's Portland Canal in which neither urijed any existing nredomiiumt claim, than through Observatorv Inkt in which the British had an exceptional interest. It is also to be reuiemi)ercd that the first Russian proposal wa« to draw the line from Appen.lix Prince of Wales Llaiui only to Portland Canal, and thence only so far u|> it as to reach No. li. p i- the mountains bordering the coast. In this there is no suggestion of their aim being to obtain inland navigation, for the impression, a true one, was tint the mountains came close to the water's edge. The extension of the line tiiroughout Portland Canal plainlv originated in a misinterprctatio.i of the Russian original pro|)(>sal, still, however, without Anto, p in. an\- idea of navigation on the part of the British or of the Russian negotiators. The selection of the entrance to the Portland Canal having been thus determined, it is not open now to ccntend in effect that a line more advantageous to the Russians might have been selected, and consequently probably was intended to be described, although as a matter of ' -t not so described. It is furii.r to be noted that such an argument as that, founded on a presumed intent i(m to draw the line along the most navigiilile course, cannot be effectively used bv the I'nited States authorities, for when the (lue.Ntion of .St. Clair Flats Canal was raised some years ago, the I'nilcd States maintained in effect that a line descrilied as to be drawn from the inflow of a navigable >tream into Lake St. Clair, thence to its outtlow from the lake through another na\igatile channel was not necessarily a line along tne most navigable channel, in fact the only natural one, of the stream entering the lake. Mr. Bayard concludes his enumeration of " eviijfuf reasons " for assuming that the negotiators intended to describe a lin. passing through Portland Inlet, that is to say, through the ocean enirance of Oliservatory Inlet, by remarking: — " It is not therefore conceived that this water part of the boundary line, can ever be " called in que-tion l)etween the two (iovernmcnts." Each ot the reasons upon which .Mr. Bayard's conclusion is based has been discussed in more or less detail, with the effect of showing that they are, without exception, due to erroneou-. views. It would therefore appear to be unnecessary now further to extend the examination of them. But notice has to be taken of Mr. Bavard's references to the line between the head of Portlanii Channel and the parallel of 56' N. latitude. • There are no more cliannols in the nci-iliUoiirhood tlian Vai«^)nvor'.s Observn? >i"v Inlot ani! his Hcrt!«n of little importance, for, with the l>etter topographical " kiiowleilge we now possess, wo know tliat i Conveiuional lint-, in rnnfinim/ion ofthf " ficniriil trend of the mid-rhnnnel line, would strike the o6th degree of north latitude " at a distance of saiito. These directly assert that the line, in its northward course, is to leave the parallel ' ''* of TtCi' N. latitude at the preeite sput at which it arrives at the parallel from the southward. The points at which Mr. Bavard would have the line intersect the narallcl of 56° N. latitude exceeds 10 marine leagues from the ocean. •>>• ji'iii'. It has been shown that inlet.'! are tiot included, as supposed by Mr. Hayard. in the I'j' I! -.1 term // '•'•if reirulating the cour^e of the line ; if further confirmation of this were needeii it may be githered frriin the fact tiiat on the opposite assumption it would be impossible to find an\ one point on the parallel of 7n? N, latitude at which the line might arrive from the southward and pass northward without direct contiadicticjn of the language of the Convention. What is now advanced may be realised fiom the following explanation. Part of the piirallel of .jfi' N. latitude is the ehord of an arc of 10 marine leagues radius from the head of Portland Channel. On the supposition that the outline of inlets forms part of la I Ate wlience the breadth of A/ fisirre is to be measured, and that there arc no moun- tains, the boundary line may imt inter>ecl this chord ; for. if it does in its course north of the parallel it must tra\erl>en.). 42,p. 77. quotation from a report by Professor Dull. None, it is believed, of Professor Dall's published accounts of his explorations in Alaska touch the region l>etwecn .Mount St. IMias and Portland Canal ; and there is some uncertainty whether his quoted description of the region is founded on direct personal experience, or merely on reasoning from what he saw in a country somewhat remote from the location of the part of the line under discussion. Accepting the descriptions, however, as correct, Professor Dall's explanations of the difficulties in drawing the alternative lines he alludes to. are in a great measure indis- putable, but there is one line to the demarcation of wiiich he attributes no physical difficulty. Apppii(lix__ '• 'l"he single continuous range being nonexistent, if we attempt to decide on the " 'summit' of tlie mountains we aie at once plunged into a sea of uncertainty." '• .Shall we," he asks, " take the ridge of the hills nearest the beaches ?" And — replying to himself' — continues — •' This would give us, in many places, a mere strip of territory not more than three " miles wide, meandering in every direction." This — excepting the allusion to supposed excessive meandering — happens to he the very line indicated by the Convention, in case the country si'ould be mountainous. No 42.; The breadth of coast it assigns to the United States, acconiing tc Professor Dall, is SertnK, just such as the Uussian IMciiip >tentiaries assumed it migl)t \k' found to do. r*- "'• The "mere .strip n/ tirrifon/" precisely descrilies wh.it the British negotiators reluctantly assenttd to, and what the Russians agreed to. The words used hy Professor Dull are intact almost the exart e(]iiivalent of those used Apppudix by the l{u»^iaiis in iirizinij their claim to at least touch the coiitiiienl. •' Nous l>oriK)ns ^'"- '"■ ('•♦*• ■• nos (leuiandes a celle dune simple lisiere du continent." " *■ * * il nc serait piint impossible, vu le peu de certitude des notions geogra- Appendix " pliiiiues (]ue Ion poss^de encore sur ces parages que Ics montagnes designees pour N"- '-''•. i' j'- '■ liniite s'('-ten(ii^«ent jusqu'nux bords tnOnie de la cote." • '''■^ ' I' ' ' And Mr. Canning, instructing Sir Stratford Cuming, mentions the same Iwrder as what Apj^^ilix " we (I'ritisli) only intended to give and they (Russians) only mtended to ask, a strip of N"-' ('••'■' ■■ sea coast I" 'I'he alternative lines etuimerated by Professor Dall are all based on erroneous interpretation-- of the Convention already dealt -ith. It cannot be expected that the " beacli hilis'" are marked in sitii \)y a rontim/aux ri(/ence ot any certain topogripiiica! information, the negotiators could not po.>>il)ly, it i> thought, have selected a line simpler to recognise ami easier to mark. No sea of mountains has to \h' explored, but from the parallel ol 5() N. latitude to the ni-iglibourh'>od of Mount St. FJias the demarcation u;ay be etfected from a convenient sea base line no where distant from the working parties more than a few miles. Professor Dall's iirgi.ments are directed to ()uestioiiing the advantages — from a .Appenili\ surveyor's point of view — of a mountain Iwundary line. X.-'. I'J, p 4/. The Russian and British negotiators selected a mountain boundary line in consequence " " '"''' of its advaniaiics as an international limit. .>\ geodetic lint — such as Professor Dall desires — is most difticult to mark in a mounrainons region, and is almost wholly liissociated from the objects to be subserved by an iiitern:itional boundary. Statesmen may not limit their view to the c. asiderations of the physical difficulties in marking national boundaries. D. R. C.\M1;R{)N, Colonel R.A. ISSf). No. -2. Memoiianoum of the CiRruMSTANCcs which led to the Conclusion of the Convkntion iKtween (jrkat Britain an" .'iO' of north latitude. All foreign vessels were prihibited, under the penalty of confiscation, from approaching this territory within 1(>0 Italian miles, unless driven by stress of weather, \'C., and even then they were fbroidden to carry on any trade whatever, either with the natives or with the Russian .Vmerican Company. On the publication of the Ukase, the Russian Minister for Foreign .Yffaiis stated to Sir (^harles Bagot that the object t)f it was to prevent the " commerce interlope " of the '•itizens of the United States, who were not only in the habit of resorting to the Russian coasts and islands of the Pacific, for the purpose of interfering in the Russian trade with China in the lucrative sale of sea otter skins, but were also in the constant habit of introducing prohibited articles, and especially gunpowder, into the Russian dominions in that quarter. The Russian Minister also said that representations had l)een repeatedly made upon this subject to the American Government, who had pro- fessed to be unable to control their citizens in those distant seas ; but had intimated that they should not take in ill part any measures which the Russian Government might deem it expedient to adopt for the protection of its own rights. 30 Maron Nicolay cnmmiiniiatcd the Ukase officially to Lord Londonderry, and the (jiiestion was then 8iil)inittcd to the Kini^'s Advocate. Sir Christopher KohniKin repurteil, that the object of Russia appeared to be to obtain indirectly iht aiknowle(l(;n)cnt of territorial rights aniuineci over a portion of sea thai inii:bt U-coiJie of (:reat importance with reterenee to trade, and in coiiscqiicni e ot the discoveries which were niakiiii* in that quarter; that a ri^ht of sosereiifiity over a sea of ^uch extent, merely ln'cause its opposite limits touchcil the pc>sse>tiions of the same Power, was much ,i,'reater than was ordinarily recognised by the j)rinciple9 of the Law of Nati:'n> ; and th.'it it may !« expedient to declare the intention of His Majesty's f iovcrnmen^ to adhere to those established principles, and to deprecate any infri:ii;eiiient of the usual rights of commerce. Lord Londonderry acecrdintrly acquainted Count Lieven that he was directed to make such a provi>ioiial protest against the enactments ot the l'k:ise as w.is necessary in order to savj the rights of His .Majesty's Crown, and of the persons and pr p rty ot His Majests 's subjects ; ttiat tlie British Government were willing to enter into amicable explanations on the cpi.-stion : but that, in the mean time, it c )uld not admit that the intercour^^e whicli hid previously existed in those seas cnuld be deemed to be illicit. even supposing that the vast and imperfectly occupied territories, which were considered as erroneously claimed b^' l{iis«ia, really In-longed to His Imperial .Majesty. Verbal communications alferwards p,.ssed Itetwcen Coimt Lieven and the Duke of Wellington, in London and at \'erona, in consequence of whi'h it was proposed by the former that a nei:otiatinn upon th<' subject should 1/e entered into at St. I'cti rslnirgh. .Sir Charles liagot was inniiedi:itely instructed to open the discussion, and full powers to conclude a treaty were forwarded to him. During the discussions an overture was made by the United States to j>iin in the negotiation, which was accepted by the two I'owers ; and as it was understood that Uussia had waived her extravagant pretension of maritime jurisdiction, there was every prospect of the conclusion of a tripartite convention upon that point. With respect to the territorial question, it was intimated to Sir Charles Ha^ot that the Hritish (jovcniment would prefer a fixed line of demarcation to a joint occupancy, and that a line drawn at the fifty-seventh degree between the Russian and British settlers would be an arrangement satisfactory to His Majesty, and would assign to Russia as much as she could justly claim. Sir Charles Bagot, in conversation with Count Nesselrode, observed that, as the United States could make no pretension to territory so far north as the titty-fiist degree, the (jiiestion of Ixiundary would rest Ivtwcen Russia and Great Britain alone ; that the pretension of (irrat Britain had always extended to the tilty-ninth degree of north latitude, but that his Majesty was disposed to consent to take as the line of demarcation the fifty-seventh degree, to the southward of which it was supposed that Russia had no settlement. The .Vmerican Minister (.Mr. Middleton) at St. Petersburgh, however, soon afterwards received his instructions, from whicli it appeared that the Cniteil States asserted an equal pretension, at least, t') that of either Cireat Britain or Russia, to the whole of the coast as high as the sixty-tirst degree, and an absolute risjht to be parties to any i^ubiiivision of it which might be made This pretension and right were stated to he gruuinied upon the Treatv of is 19, under which the l'lorid;is were ceded to the United Slates by Spain : and it was alleged that the United States, having by that treaty become posses.sed of all rl.iims which belonged to .Spain, to the north of the forty-second degree, and Russia having already disclaimed, in irtX*, iiH interference with the pretensions of .Spain, south of the sixtvfirst degree, any division of the coast between the forty-second and sixty -first degrees ought, in strictness, to be made solely between the United States and Great Britain. The Amcricnn Minister admitted that it was not the intention of his Go\ern[iient to push its pretensions to that extent. The United States were ready to acknowleu^ze that no country had any absolute and exclusive claim to the territory ; but they meant to a.ssert that they, as heirs to the rights of Spain, hud, in fact, the best pretensions to it of either of the three Powers concerned. The American Government proposed that, a divi.sion being made between the three Powers, a joint convention should Ix; entered into, renewable at the pleasure of the parties, for the purpose of mutually granting to each other, for a limited period, the iretiiom of fishery and of trade with the natives, and whatever other advantnges the coasts iiii:;ht afford ; and the American Minister at St. Petersburgh was fu^ai^hed witb lull powers to conclude such a convention. 31 nut Sir Charles Uaffof, whose initructions and powers did not contemplate the putting forward of Muh pretensions by the United Stater<, thought proper to suspend tlie negotiation, sian pletiipoteniiary, su}^ire>ted the 'I'itli decree as the lK)undar\ which Russia Wi u!d desire t;) obtain, and stated that it woul i be Miih extrtiiie relueance that Russia wo..id consent to relintjuish her .■iettlenient at .Sitka, I'v New ArehanLrel. ill conscqurnco of the uncxpecteii prelen-ionn of the United States, Sir ( harlcs Haf;ot wad di^^•(■t(d to ncijofiate only wi.h Russia, l)etween which Power and Ciiiat Britain a satisfactory urranj;enient ini'^ht be anticipated. It was observed by Mr. Canning that the intervention of the United States in the neijotiatioti would obviously ten(i to complicate the question between Russia ami (ireat Brit:iin, and tiiat a fresh agreement between CJreat Britain and the United States was imncce^saiy, because a freedom of intercourse fi.r the subjects of the two I'okvers with the country ciaiiued by either, on the noiih-wctt coast, was already established by treaty. With a view to the conclusion of an arrange rent with Russia, Sir Chailes Bagot was instructed to obtain sonic record of the disavowal by that Power of the extravagant maritime j)reteiisi'ins advanced in the Kmperor's I kase, and to require an eiiu;ta!)le adjustment of the limits, first, by a line of demarcation, to l)e drawn between the soiithernment settlement of Rusbia and the northernmost post of the Norlii-wcst Comp my ; and, secondly, liy another line, to be drawn through the channel which sepaiales from the mainland the islands, upon one of which .Sitka is situateil. The Russian plenijioteiitiaries, on entering upon tiie negotiation, expressed the repugnance of His Iiiij-erial Majesty to renounce pretensi(Mis winch had been advanced in I >(-M) bv the Kniperor I'.iiil, anil which had hitherto been undisputed ; but Sir Charles Bagot suceessfiilly insisted upon maintaining as the bi^is of negotiation tiiat which had alriady lieeii aurecd upon, namely, that the ijueition of strict right should l)e provisionally waived on both sides, lie was not, however, successful as to the limits; lor, although he liad expiessed every disposition to !« accotninodating as to the sea-line, the Russian (Jo\einmtnt l.nd claim lo jiarts of the mainland over which Russia could not possibly have acquired ary right, and which Great Britain, in fact, was partially occupying. Sir Charles Bagut had oircied the .^otli degree as the line of demarcation upon the islands, in o^der to preserve to Biitish subjects uninterrupted access to the Pacific Ocean, and in order to secure to Great Britain the otJth degree of north latitude as the British boundary upon the coast ; but the proposition was rejected by the Russian plenipotentiaries, and Sir Charles, in consecjucncc, deemed it expedient to suspend the negotiation. The (pie^lion bit ween Russia and tl-e United States was shortly afterwards brought to a conclusion by tlie signature of a treaty stipulating that the sui)jects and citizens o'. the two Powers night resort, without restraint, to the Pacitic Ocean and to the points of its coa-ts wliich were not already occupied ; that the Americans should not form anv establistinient to the north of 54^ 40', or the Russians any to the south of that latitude; aiul that the citizens an United States, with a proviso as to the period of 10 years, that, if a more extended term, with respect to the port of New Archangel, should be granted to the subjects of any other Power, the same extension should be granted also to British subjects, the line of demarcation in this project was very nearly the same as that proposed by Sir Charles Bagot. The Russian Government having acquiesced in the project, without any material altera- tion, a treaty was concluded between the plenipotentiaries, the principal stii)ulations of which were, that the subjects of the two Powers might resort, without restraint, to the Pacific Ocean and to such parts of the co;ist thereof as had not been already occupied : that the line of demarcation between the possessions of the two Powers should be drawn, beginning from the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island, in .'>1' 40' north latitude, and between the 13lst and 133rd degrees of west longitude ; thence, northerly, along Portland Channel to the point where it strikes the coast in the .5fith degree; thence by the summit of the mountains along the coast, and within the distance of 10 leagues from that coast to the point where such line intersects the 141st decree of west longitude, and from thence due north to the Frozen Ocean ; that Prince of Wales' Island should belong wholU- to Russia: that neither party should form any establishment within the limits assigned to the other : that British subjects should have free access for ever to the rivers and streams which cross the line of demarcation upon the coast, and f()r 10 years, at least, to the port of New Archangel : and that the subjects of both Powers may frequent all the internal seas, gulfs, havens, and creeks upon the coast. The treaty is silent with res[)ect to Behring's Straits ; but Sir Stratford Canning was assured by the Russiati plenipotentiaries that the Emperor had no intention whatever of maintaining any exclusive claim to the navigation either of those straits or of the seas to the north of them. A copy of each of the treaties above-mentioned, between Russia and the United States and Great Britian, is annexed to this memorandum.* (Signed) L. HERTSLET. Foreign Office, July 1835. • See Appendix 40 auA 41. No. 3. The Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sir CHARLES BAGOT. (Dated February 5, 1823.) (No. 1.) (Extract.) [ avail myself of the opportunity of a Russian courier (of wliose dcj)arture Count Lieven has only just apprized me) to send this note to your Excellency, aid to desire that your Excellency will procecil to open the discussion with ihe Russian minister upon the basis of the Instruction* to the Duke of Wellington. No. 4. Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sir C. BAGOT. (No. 9.) July 12, 182:?. (Extract.) • •••••••• I avail mj-self of this opportunity to write to your Excellency on the several subjects to which I have here adverted, communications and instructions upon which you will find in my accompanying Desp:itch. No. 5. Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sib C. BAGOT. (No. 12.) SlBJECT. July 12, 1823. Delay in consequence of United States proposing to join negotiations : inquires what terms would be ;icccptable to Russia as regards ocean navigation. With regard to mainland boundary Mr. Canning proposes that " a line of demarcation drawn at the " 57th degree between Russian and British settlers would be an arrangement satisfactorv " to us, and would assign to Russia as much as she can pretend to be due to her • *." " The arrangement might be made if more agreeable to Russia for an expirablc period of " 10 to 15 vcars." No. 6. Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sin C. BAGOT. (Private.) Foreign Office. July 25, 1S2.3. Since ray Despatch, No. 12, was written it has occurred tome th&t nn " ejpinif/le period" to a regulation of boundaries might he liable to some objection, as keeping alive a subject of jealously and contest. Tlierefore, in bringing forward the suggestion of a " line of demarcation " (as you are instructed to do) you w ill not yourself propose such a modification, though if proposed you may receive it for consideration. If it should be found impossible at once to agree upon the precise limits, the settlement of them mieht be referred to a Commission. I have, &c. His Excellency Sir Chns. Bagot. (Signed) GEORGE CANNING. • This Inatruetiou vraa foiwardcil to Sir ('. liaput in Despatch No. 5 of December CI, 1822. o UU36. E No. 7. A .Memorandum* in the Record Office, Volume 146 Russia, Domestic, Various. January I.'), iH'it. Mr. Canning will perceive by the enclosed Russian Cliart (copioi Ironi Vancouver's Survfv) that the Russian settlement of .Sitka is on a small island they have so named in the mouth of Norfolk Sound and in latitude 5" 5' X. The great island contiguous to it is named by Vaniimver " King (Jeorge's Archipclatro." and the strait which separates it from another island (.Vdmiralty Island) is named "Chatham Strait"; that Iwtween .\dmiralty Island and the Continent ".Stephen's .Strait " or " I'assagt." It is probable that since the settlement of Sitka, the Russians may have extcndwl their pos>essions to the great adjacent island. I should think there- tore that if latitude ."itJ , which takes in the whole of that island, and the lon;;itU(ic 2'2'>' (or which i-. the same thing 135° west) were assigned as the Russian limits. Chatham Strait, Lynn Canal, and a line running from the h id of tlie latter in the direction of north-west would fonn an unobjectionable boundary. Perhaps a sketch of this part of the chart might accompany Sir C. Bagot's instructions. Docket. January 1.3, 1824. Respecting the Russian and English boundaries on N.W. '•oast of .\merica. No. s. An.MIRALTY to FOREIGN OFFICE. [h.\n SiH, .\dmiralty, January M, lW2t. I THINK the enclosed ■sketch (which may be considered as correct with regard to latitudis and longitudes) ma.' be of service to Sir Chas. Bagot in his negotiations. 1 iK> not know how far the cession of Icy Cape and the whole of Behring's Strait may en-.'yiO Russia to sot up the claim of considering that strait a t/itirr rlnusum bv the pos"sCssinn of both --hores, distant, as they are in the narrowest part. 1.3 sea leagues ; but one would not wish, I think, to concede such a point to her, though practically it might Iw only a deaJ Ictu r. If, however land 1 confess I am sanguine enough to expect it), (""aptain Parry sho.iM ascertain a navij^able passage round Icy Cape, it wo*dd lie of tin utmost possible importance to the North-west Company to transport their furs direct from NIackenzie's River to Ciiina, instead of sending them as now .3,(M10 miles to Mudson- Bay, a few thousand more by sea to England, and lO.iiOO still more thence tot'anton. It may appear ridiculous to entertain a hope that steam vessels will one dav sail from Mackenzie River round Icy Cape, but when it is considered that Franklin met with no obstruction to navigation for .'><»0 miles along the same coast, which runs in one and the same parallel, and that there is an immense bed of coal on the shore of Slave Lake close to that river, we nmst admit that far more wonderful events have happened than this within the la^t .j(P or Ho years. I have, &c. The Right Hon. Geo. Canning. (Signed) JOHN BARROW. Docket. Admiralty, January 14, l'^24. Mr. Barrow. Enclosing a sketch relating to the N.W. coast of America. Ttie sketch was forwarded to Sir Charles Bagot. (Initialled) F. C. (Lord Francis Conyngham.) * Tbis merooruidum is UDsi|{Qed, but is apparently m the tuuidwriting uf Lord FraocU Con^ngbaia. D.R.C. 16 No. 9. UioHT Hon. G. CANNING to Sir C. BAGOT. (No. 2.) Sir, Foreign Office, Januar}- 20, ls24. A LONG time has elapsed since I gave your Excellency reason to expect ad;litionaI iustnictions for vcur conduct in the negotiations respecting the Russian L'kase of l^|•il. That expectation was h.-^ld out in the belief that I should have to instruct you to combine your proceedings with those of the American Minister, and the framing such instructions was of necessity delayed until Mr. Rush should be in possession of the intentions of his {^lovernincnt upon the subject. I'pon receipt of your Excellency's Despatch No. 4."^, reporting the arrival of Mr. Hughes at St. Petersburgh with the instructions of the Government of the rnited States to Mr. Middlcton. I applied to Mr. Rush for information as to the tenor of thL)se instructions. I then found what 1 had not before been led to suspect, that Mr. Rush h.id himself authority to enter into negotiations with us as to the respective claims of Great Britain and the United .^^tatcs on the North-west Coast of Americt, altiiough he does not aiipear to have been instructed to invite such negotiation here if we shou!lil, terminates, it doe.< not seem very uncharitable to suppose that the object of the United States in makin;; a selection otherwise wholly arbitary of these two points of limitation for British dominion was to avoid collision with Russia themselves, and to gratify Russia at the expense of Great Britain. There is obviously no great temptation to call in such an arbiter if the partition between Russia and ourselves can be settled, as no doubt it can, without arbitration. By admitting the United States to our negotiation with Russia we should incur the necessity of discussing the -American claim to latitude .")1" at the same time that we were settling with Russia our respective limits to the northward But the question of the .\nierican claim is for the present merged in the Contention of HI8; and it would l>e a wanton increase of ditficulties to throw that Convention loose, and thus to bring the question, which it has concluded f()r a time, into discussion precisely for the purpose of coincidence as esnbarrassmg as it is obviously unnecessary. If Russia, being a-vare of the disposition of the United States to concede to her the limit of latitude I'^fi". should on that account i)e desirous of a joint negotiation she must recollect that the proposal of the United States extends to a joint occupancy also, for a limited time, of the whole territory belonging to the three powers ; and that the Con- vention now subsistiiitr between us and the United .States gives that joint occupancy reciprocallv in the territory to which we both lay claitn. To this principle it is understood the Russian Government object ; nor, so far as we are coi'ceined, should we be desirous of pressing it upon them ; but as In-tween ourselves and the United States we are not prepared to aliandon it, at least for the term for which the Convention of I8IH has to run ; there would be some awkwardness in a tripartite ne/rotiation which was not to be co'iducted and concluded in all its parts upon an uniform principle. These reasons had induced us to hesitate very much as to the e.xpcdiency of acceding to the proposition of the United States for a common negotiation between the three Powers ; when the arrival of the speech of the President of the United States at the o[)ening of the Congress supplied another reason at once decisive in itself, and susceptible ot being stated to Mr. Rush with more explicitness than those which I have just now detaiUd to your Excellency ; I refer to the principle declared in that speech which pro- liiliits any further attempt by European Powers at colonization in America. I [Km applying to Mr. Riuh for an explanation of this extraordinary doctrine, I found Stephen's ? D.R.C. liim unpro\idcd with any instructions upcn it. He said, indeed, I'lat he had not heard from his (iovernment since the opening of the Congrcsj, and hai! no: even received officially a copy of the President's speech. His conviction, however, was that against whatever Power the Piosident's doctrine was directed, it could not be directed against us. He appealed in support of that conviction to tiie existence of the Convention of I .^ I H, by which we and the United States, hold for a time joint occupancy and common enjoyment of all the territory im the Is'orth» west Coast of America above latitude 42'. It was oiniously the impression on .N[r. Hush's mind that this pretension on the part of his (iovernment was intended as a set-otf against ma^iMme pretension of the Russian Ukase. I do not mean to authorise your Excellency to report this construction at St. Peters- burgh as that of tlie American Minister, but you will have no ditlivulty in stating it as one to which we think the President's speech lial)le; as th.it. indeed, which appears to us to he by far the most probable construction ; as sucli it furnishes a conclusive reason for our not tnixing oui selves in a nesotiation lietween two parties wliose opposite pre- tensions are so extravaeant in their several ways as to be s^ubj 'Ct rot so much of prac- tical adjustment as of reciprocal liisavowal. Mr. Hush is himself so sensible of the new consideration which is introduced into the negotiation by this new principle of the President's that, although he iiad hitherto urged, with becoming pertinacitv, the adoption of the suggestion of bin Cii.;ernment, he has, since the arrival of the I'resident's speech, ceased to combat my dcsir? ■■•j pursue the cour.«e — already begun, of a separate negotiation at St. Petersl>urgli, and lias promised to write by this mess^jnger to Mr. Middteton, to prepare him for your E.iccclleiicy's con- tinuing to act upon your former instructions. It remain-;, therefore, onlv for nie to direct vour Fxcelicncv to resume vour iccotia- tion with the Court of St. Petersburgh at the point at which it was suspended, in conse- quence of the expected accession of the Uniteii States, and to endeavour to bring it as speedily as possible to an amicable and honourable conclusion. The questions at issue between Great Britain and Russia are short and simple. Tiie Russian Ukase contains two objectionable pretensions : first, an extravagant assui-- jiiion of maritime supremacy ; secondly, an unwarranted claim of territorial dominions. As to the first, tlie disavowal of Russia is. in substance, all iliat we could desire. Nothing remains ior negotiation on that head but to clothe that disavowal in precise and satisfactory terms. We would mi;ch rather that those terms should Ijc sui;i;;;sted by Russia herself than have the air of pretending to dictate them; you will therefore request Count Ncsselrode to furnish you with his notion of such a declaration on this point as may be sslisfaetory to your Ciovemment. That declaration may be made the preamble of the Convention of limits. As to the territorial (]uestion, I have already stated that the line of demarcation the most satisfactory to us wouUl be one drawn through the channel separating tiie islands, upon one of which .Sitka is situated, from the mainland. If this cannot be obtained as the lioundary, then the line on the mainland must be drawn to the north of the nortliemmost post of the North-west Company till it strikes the coast, and thence may descend to wliatever latitude may be necessary for taking in the islands, on one of which Sitka stands. It does not appear from your Kxccllcncy's Despatch how fir the line proposed by M. Poletica, to l)e ilrawn at latitude o.')', was intended to run to the eastward. If to the Rocky Mountains, it obviously would be wliolly inadmissible by us, inasmuch as the communication of the North-west Company from Canada, through those mountains with the whole of the north-west country, is in a higher latitude than o,"). Neither has Russia any claim whatever to .my inland territory approaching that lati- tude. She has no occupancy inland. Mr. Pelly's report denies that she has any, iven on the coast, and it is to the coast alone that discovery could, in the nature of things, give any title. It is absolutely essential, therefore, to guard against any unfounded pretension, or any vnTue expectation of Russia, to the Eastward; and for this purpose it i« tiecessiiry that, whatever degree of latitude be assumed, a definite degree of longitude should also l)e assigned as a limit between the territorial rights of the two Powers. If vour Exccllcncv can obtain the strait which separates the islands from the main- land as the boundary, the prolongation of the line drawn through that strait would strike the mainland near Mount Elias, the lowest point of unquestioned Rrssian discovery. But if that were too much to insist upon, the IS.'ith degree of longitude, as suggested by your Excellency, northward from the head of Lynn"? liarbour might suffice. 88 It would, however, in that case be expedient to assign with respect to the mainland, southward of that pe hoped that, on resuming the ntiiotiation, very little time need lie reijuired to bring it to a conclusion. It is extremely important 'o c(/ncludc it as quickly as possible. it being once (lecided not to negotiate jointly with the United States, we must take care to l)e out of the way while tfie discussions between Russia and the l.'nitcd .States are going on, and the example of having come to agreement with us promptlv and amicably on both points ofhtigatiim would perhaps not be less valuable to Russia in her subsecpicnt discussions with the Unitca States, than would have bcf n the tarility which we had in contemplation when we originally proposed that her disavowal el the marititiie principle should be addressed simultaneously to us both. At that time our claim to such disavowal and the claim of the L'nited States were precisely alike. Russia had nothing to plead against eitlicr of us as a compensation for those claims. The principle put forth by the President of the I'niied Stiites has intro- duced a difference between the respective situations of the United States ami (ircat Britain, which did not exist before. In the former state of things it might have been cxjH'dient both for ourselves and tor the United States, as well as* distastetiil to Russia. to return an answer common to us both ; but, as things stand now, Russia might natu- rally wish to qualify her answer ti^ the United States with some reciprocal demand of explanation. ''he only point of view in which the United States could now. insist up..n interfering with, or even taking cognizance of, the negotiation between us and Russia, would U' in order to see that the pretensions on the North-west Coast of .Vmerica, derived to the United States from Spain, through the Treaty of 18ly. were not prejudiced by our separate iiiireemcnt. That object cannot \ie more effectually provided for than by inserting into our Convention with Russia, as a protection for the claims of the I'mted States, that part of the ;. H. .'sir .lolin l)arrow'» letter of 14th January l,s:;4. — D.ll C. 39 I rely confidently on your Excellency's ability and zeal to make the best arrangement that ran In; marl? for the interests of your country to the extent of the most sanguine of the views opcnvd in these enclosures, but I am not willing to instruct vou to break off the negotiations on a demand of greater advantages if you find that you can obtain the terms laid down in my othiT l)e>paich, and that you cannot obtain any improvement of them. I have, &c. Sir Charles Bagnt, (SigDed) GEORGE CANNING. &c. .tc. Ac. No. il. Sib C. BAGOT to Right Hon. G. CANNING. (No. 23.) Siu, St. Petersburgh, March 17/29, IB24. It is with a feeling of considerable disappointment that, after constant negotiation for more than six wi-cks, after having gone to the utmost limit of your instructions, and after having taken upon myself to go even f.r beyond them, I should nevertheless have to acquaint you that I liavc cntirt'ly failed in inducing the Russian Government to accede to what I consider fn \k- a fair and reasonable adjustment of our respective pre- tensions on the north-west co»>t of America, or to the adoption of any line of territorial demarcation which appears to me to be reconcileable under the spirit of your instructions with our legitimate interc.ts in that quarter of the world. In onler ih it I may put you in complete possession of the whole course of my nego- tiation upon this subject, and mav explain the precise grounds upon which I have felt mvself compelled to suspend for the present all further procccdinss in this business, it will I fear be neccs-^ary that I should enter into detail, and that I should load this Despatch w ith several papers which arc now become of importance. It was on the iGih of last month that 1 had my first conference upon this question with the Russian Plenipotentiaries, Count Nesselrode and M. I'oletica. I opened this conference by explaining to the Plciiipvitcntiaries the reasons for which His Majesty had judged it .idvisable to treat separately upon this matter rather than us it had i)ccn originally intended in concert with the Ciovernment of the United States. I then laid before them Count Lievcn's note to you of the 31st January ls23, proposing that the question of strict right should be provi-'ionally waived on both sides, and that the adjust- ment of our nmtual pretensions should l)c made upon the sole principle of the respective convenience of hotli countries. This basis of ncgotiatiun being willingly accepted by all parties, I stated that so far as I under>toiKl the wishes and interests of Russia her principal object must be to secure to herself her fisheries upon the islands and shores of the north-west coasts of North .\merica, and the posts which she might have already established upon them ; that on the other hand our cliitt objects were to secure the posts upon the continent Iwlonging to the HiHls(m s Bay Company, tiie embouchures of such rivers as might afford an outlet tor our fur trade into the I'aeific and the two banks of the Mackenzie River; that iu the belief that sucit were imr respective objects, I would propose as our boundar}' a line drawn through Chatham Straits to the head of Lynn Canal, thence north-west to the 1 Klof longitude west of Greenwich and thence along that degree of longitude to the Polar Seas. This proposal was made by me verbally, and was taken for consideration by the Russian I'lenipotentiaries, who at our nest meeting offered a Contre Projct, which I afterwards requested might l)e reduced to writing, and of which I now enclose a copy marked A.* In offering this Contre Projet Count Nesselrode seemetl to intimate that however disposed the Emperor might be to retract prcfen>ions advanced by himself which might be thought to conflict with the interests of other powers, it would l)e asking too much of the imperial dignity to require that pretensions advanced 2."> years ago by the Emperor Paul, and which had hitherto been undisputed, should be now renounced. I thought it my duty upon an intimation of this kind being made to declare at once that all considerations of such a nature were incompatible with the stipulated basis of our negotiation, and that if the ipiestion of national dignity was to be touched, I, too, should have much to say upon that bead, and should prol)a!)ly find it (juite impossible to make those concessions whicli, upon the aimple (ground of nuitual convenience, I might perhaps without difficulty tlo. Tiiis explicit declaration had its desired ciTect, and the Russian Plenipoicntiurics engaged not to introduce again arguments of this kind into our discussions. As tlir Contre Projet offered in mc apfiearcd to be, generally speaking, entirely inadmisj.il)]e, I drew up such a moflification of mv original proposal as would, I thought, meet the only reasonable objection made to it ^an objection made in conversation by the Russian Plenipotentiaries^, viz., iho inconvenience which Russia might experience by vessels of tlie I'nitcd States iliiming a riirht, under their Convention with (Jreat Britain, to visit tiie waters lying between King (Jeoruc''' .\rchipi'Iago and the Islands and (\intiiient to the eastwavtl of it. and which might in this manner seriously annoy the subjects of Mis Im|XMial MMJesty in their pursuits and occupations upon those shores. This moditiiatiou ri' mv first pioposal will l>e found in the enclosed paper marked R.,* which I deliver, d to the Riis>i:m PIcnipatentiaries at our next conference. Vciu will oliMTve that in making the proposal so nioditleil, I, in fact, exceeded in some degp'e the strict letter of your instructions, by assigning to Russia the islands Iving between Admiralty Island to the rorth, and Duke of York and Prince of Wales Islands to the south, but I entertained sanguine expectations that such a projws.d, coupled with the concession of a line of const extending ten marine leagues into the interior of the continent, would have been con-idercil as amply sufficient tor all the legitimate o'ojects which Russia could have in view, and quite as much as she could pretend to with anv shallow of real c'.iim or justice. .So far, however, from this being the case, my amended proposal was met at our next cocfcrence by observations which I again requested might be reduced to writmg. and which will be found in the enclosed paper marked (.'.t .As in this pa]>er parts of tlie main continent to which Russia cannot by possibility have ever aeipiiied any claim, and of which Great Rritain is at this nion)ent in partial occupation, are offered to His Majesty in the light of concessions, it Wcame necessary for me to reject any such offers as a boon in the most explicit terms, and you will tind that I hiivc nut failed to do so in the enclosed paper marked D.,J with which I replied to the paper in que- tion. As however, I felt stronfily the importance of adjusting this business, if possible, at the pre>cnt moment, and as I felt also that, although the Russian Plenipotentiaries had, in fonsequcnce of my former remaikf, agreed to waive altogether all question of national dignity in discussing it. His Imperial Mnjesty might yet possibly feel an invincible repugnance to retract froni the pretentions advanced by the Emperor Paul in the (.'barter given to the Russian .American Company in 179i> (however uiincknowiedged by other jiowcrs such pretention might have l)een), I thoiii^ht that I should not act in opposition to the spirit, at least, of my instructions if in det'erence to such a sentiment on the part of the J-^inpcror, and witli a view to finish the business quickly, I ventured to make vet one other jjroposition which, while it saved this point of dignity to Russia by giving to her the 55th degree of latitude as her boundary upon the Island^, might preserve also uninterrupted our acei'ss to the Pacific Ocean, and secure to His Majesty the 56th degree of north latitude as the Rritish boundary upon the coast. The proposition by which I had hoped to effect these objects will also be found in the paicr nuirkeil l).,t i" delivering which I gave it clearly to be understood that it contained my ultimate proposition. It WHS not till the day l)efore yesterday, that is nearly ten days after I had given in this paper, that 1 was invited to another confierence, when I was informed that the Imperial Government had, after anxious consideration, talvcn their final decision, and that they must continue to insist upon the demarcation as descrilx;d by them in the first paper marked A. Fmding this to be the caee, I repeated that I had already gone far beyond the utmost limit of my instructions and that I was sorry to say that I must now consider our negotiations as necessarily suspended so far at least as the question of territorial demarcation was concerned. Count Nesselri)de then inquired whether I should object to transmit to mv Court the final decision of himself and M. de Polctica as it is declared in the enclosed paper inatkcd K.,§ and whether I did not think that His Majesty's tiovernment, seeing how slight our disagreement was, might not U- disposed to furnish nic with such further instructions as would enable me to meet the views of the Russian (lovernment, inform- ing me at the same time that it wiis intended to acquaint Count Lieven by the courier •p. 42. tp,42. JP-44. 5p"15. 41 who is to be (iespatcbod to-night to Londoo with the course which the negotiation had taken, and to instruct him to hold some conversation with you u[)on the subject. I told Count Nesselrode that I should of course feel it to be my duty to transmit this and all other papers connected with the negotiation to you without loss of time, but that 1 could not by any means take upon myself to say what might l>e the opinion of His Majesty's Government as to the pretensions so tenaciously adhered to by the Imperial Government further than by saying that certainly they were such as hud never Ixvn contemplated by my Court in the instructions with which ' hail us yet been furnished, and that it a territorial arrangement perfectly satistiictory to both parties could not now be made, it might possibly be thought by u»y (iovernment that our respective pretensions might still remain without any serious inconvenience in the state in which they had before stood, and that it wouiil only be nercss.iry tor the present to confine their attention to the adjustment of the more urgent pomt of the maritime preteusion, a point which would not admit of winai postponement. In reply to this observation. Count NesselnKli- st;ited. to my extreme surprise, that if the territorial arrangement was not completed, he did not see the necessity of making any agreement respecting the maritime rjueslion ; and i found myself most unexpectedly under the necessity of again explaining very distinctly, both to him and to M. Poletica. that the maritime pretension ot Russia was one which, violating as it did the iiist and most established principles of ;dl public maritime law, adimtted nciilaT of explanation nor modification, and that my (iovernment consideied themselves po'Scsscd of a clear engagement on the part of liussia to retract in some way or other a pretension which could neither be justified nor enforced. Here the matter rested, but I ungiit to state that, liotwithstanding this unexpected observation of Count Nesselrode. I do not at all believe that, bad we been able t ) agree upon our southern line of demarocitiDn, we shoidd have found any real difficulty either as regards the retractation of the miiritime pretension, or as reg.irds our western boun- dary, or any other of the minor details which we should have been called upon to adjust ; but the observation was made, and considering what has alreatiy passed upon this subject, both here, in London, and in America, considering also the delicacy with which His Majesty had left it to the Russian Government theni-clvt-s to frame the terms in which their retractation of this prepo.stcrous pretension should be made. His .Majt-sty's Ciovcrn- ment may perhaps think it advisable that Count Licven should be again given clearly to understand that it is a point to which no slight importance is attached by His Majesty, and that the pretc.ision, as it now stands, will admit of no remedy but that of publick, formal, and precise retractation in some shape or another. Such has been the course of my late negotiation upi)n this (juestlon, and such the grounds upon which I have thought it my duty to suspend it fjr the present. I know full well the inconvt-nience of breaking off such a negotiation in si;ch a stage, and upon a point which, judging only by the map, might perhaps ajjpcar of so little real importance to His Majesty's pre.sent interests, but when I consider by how nmch I have already exceeded my instructions, how more than doubtful is the real right of this Government to any part of the tt'riitt)ry in most immediate dispute, ;ind how much more exorbitant are their pretensions nptni the Noith-wesl Continent of America than I had before had reason to suspect, 1 certainly could not venture to take upon inv.si'lf the heavy responsibility of makinir any further a)nces8ions of a territorv, the value and possible local advantages of which I liad no means of estimating, and which I heluve are as yet imperfectly kn<een addies>cd to nr- in ilie midst of our negotiations, asking protection tor a Russian ship to navigate in safety those verv seas and visit those very shores which the Court of Russia has by sucii liigh-hinded decrees declared to be a part of her exclusive dominions and a part too which the other powers of the world are forbidden to approach. I have not yet answered this note, but if I am pressed to do so before I receive the instructions of His Majesty's Government in respect to it I shall certainly grmt ttie certificate required, as was dcme in a former and similar instance bv Lord Cathcart. I have, &c. The Riaht Hon. George Canning. (Signed) CHARI.KS RAGOT. • Not jirinttid. a noit. ]<' 42 No. 1-2. A. CoNTRE PbOJET SlBMITTEn BV Rl S8IAN PlE.MPoTENTIAHIES. LfS propositions f'aites par les IMonipotciitiaircs de Riissic h Sir Charles Bajjot ct que Son Kxcellenco a ctr prii'-e de prendre cii inure consideration, tcndoient ii faire adinettre le .')5" " degro de iatitiKJe septentrionale comnie lijzne de dc'inarcatiun cntrc Ic;^ p)sscssi()n9 respectives sur hi cute X.O. de l"Ameri(iue. Cettc menie liniite a dija I'te assigm't; a!ix possessions liusses par la charte ([uc lEnipcreur I'aid I" accDrda u la Coinpagnie Aniericaine. Conime la [larallMe du .'>""'' de<;r(; coupi' I'ile du Prince de C>;d!es dans son extremity nieridionale, lai^sant en dehors deux poiiites de terre les lMenijM)tentiairc9 de Itnssie ont propost' que ccs deux pointes {n?sent comprises dans les litnitcs liusses voulant dviter par la, u:ie division dc territoire e de loni;itude, c'est que, privee de ce tcrritoire. la Cotnpagnie Kusse AiiK-ricaine n'auroit aueun moyen ile soiitenir scs etablissemens qui seroieut dtis lors suns point d appui ; et qui ne pourroient avoir aueune si)liilite. V.n revanche la Russie sc toroit un devoir d'ouvrir aux sujets de .Sa Majeste Bri- tanniquc la librc- navii;ation de tous les fleuvcs qui aboutisscnt ii I'ocean dans cette mome lisiere. Pour donner une dernir>re preuve de son eniprcssement il aller audevant des voeux du Gouvenienient An la souvcraincte de toutes ces anses et de ces petites baics qui se trouvent entre les latitudes .")6 et r)4 4,") dont plusieurs (k ce qu'il y a tout lieu a croire) communiquent directement aux etablisseruens de la Compagnie de Hudson's Bay, •>t seroient par coiisecjuent d'uiie importance essentielle pour son commerce ; tandis que de I'autre cote la Compagnie Russe A nuVicaint ne possede aucun etablissement sur la terre ferme entre les deux parallelps sus mentionnees, ni mome sur I'ile dc Prince de Galles, ni sur les lies (lui sont situees entre celle ci ci la terre I'erine. En acceptant la proposition faite par Sir Charles Bagot dans sa premiere conference avcc les Plenipotentiaires liusses il n'y auroit (h. ce qu'il paroit) (ju'un seul inconvenient pour la Russie celui i]ui pourroit re.sulter du droit ()ue reclameroient pent etre les Ktats I'nis. en vertu de leur Convention avec la (irande Bretagne de I'annec '.8Is de naviguer librement dans tous les parages entre I'ile du lloi (ieorge, et la terre ferme, et de gener ainsi de quelquc sorte le commerce des sujets de .Sa Majeste Imperiale dans ces eaux. Pour obvier j\ cet inconvenient et pour assurer k la Russie I'enti^re souverainet^ de ces parages, ainsi que toutes les iles et les cotes oil il y a eflfectivemcnt des etablisseniens 43 K>i?sps, li firamlc Brcfaprc proposeroit de prcmlrc pour ligiic de demarcation cntrc les tcrritoiri-s iles deux piiirsancfs line ligne truct'-e do VOtu-st vers I'Kit, par le milieu du ranal (jui separe Ics iles du Prince de Clalles et du Due d'Vork ' le Nf>rd et le N\ la Kussie, il est I'videmment d'un interet recipnxjue que I'ile lui appartieniie tout enti^re. Ce court I'xposii' ouHit pour justifier Ic projet (jue Ics PI('iiip)tentiaires de Sa Majeste periale out rcmis ii Sir Charles liugut et sur la teneur du quel ils ue peuvent qu'in- ' T. J t'sperent du reste que les intentions qui ont dicte ce projet seront apprecitic* tant I'Anibassadeur do Sa Majeste Uritannique (jue par son Gouvernement. C Ini •ister. lis rar 1 No. 15. I). Sib C. Bagot's Objections to tlie Oliservations made by the Kussian Plenipotentiaries on his Amended Proposals, now further nuxiified. l.a D nioins t'onde sur ['opinion reconn'ie des juristes les plu* ce'ebres que sur I'usage universelicment observe cntre les nations. D'apres cc principe Sir (^liarlc!" Bai:ot a constanimen* soutenu dans les conferences qu'il a eu I'honncur d'avoir avec les Plenipotentiaires dc Russie, que Sa Majeste Bri- tannique ne saiiroit admettrc quo Ics droits de la Hus^ie sur la cote Nord Oucst du Continent dWmt'rique puisseiit setendre vers le niidi sur ce continent au de li da point oil la Russie aura actuellem»nt forme des etablissemens. 11 n'a jamais ote affirmepar les Pienipotentiaires de Sa Majeste Imperiale que la Russie possede des etablisseuiens quelconqiies sur la terre ferine au Sud du 6<.>"" ou ."ip"'" dcgr6 de latitude Nord, niais ils ont declare que privee d'line lisiere sur la terre ferme, la Compaguic Russc .'\mericaine n'auroit aucun nioycn de soiitenir ses etablissemens sur les lies, qui scroient dt^s lors sans point d'appui et ne pounoient avoir aucune soVdite. Tout argument fcTide >ur h consideration rle la convenance pratique de la Russie, ne pouvoit etre que du plus grand poids, et Ic Menipotentiaireile Sa Majeste Br iannique u'hesita plus d'abaridonncr, en consequence "" liciirc de longitude, et den proposer une autre qui assureroit a la Russie non seulement i:ne lisiere sur le continent, vis-h-vis de retablissement le phis nieridinna! qu'elle pos-:rde sur les iles. mais qui lui assureroit aussi la posfcssion de toutcs les iles et les eaux qni I'avoisinent, ou qui se trouvent plaeees eiitre cct etablissemenl et la terre ferme, la p>s«ession entin de tout ce qui pourroit devenir, par 1q suite, de quelque utilite. ou pour sa solidite ou pour sa prospt-rite. Mais le Pleiiipottntiaire de Sa Majest«'> Britannique ne peut pas admettre que la Kussie accorderoit ou assureroit a Sn Majeste Britannique un nouvel avantage par Si renoncia- tion il la partie dc la cAte situec cntrc I'emboucluire du Portland Canal et le degro de latitude envisage cotume limite des Pos.sessions Kusscs dans I'Oukaze de 1821, ni ineme par sa renonciation a toutc partie du continent au niidi des etablissemens qui y ont et6 deja formes; car, quand meme .Sa Majeste Britannique cut jamais rccoiinu ce degrd de latitude comine formant la ligne de demarcation en autant qu'il regarde les iles, elle ne pourroit d'apres Ic prmci|io enonco plus haut I'avoir reconnu comme limite sur le conti- nent voisin, sur lequel ia (onipagnie de la Baie de Hudson avait dcji etabli plusieurs de ses postes les plus importants. Cette Compagnie a en olFet, des etablissemens !n«'me pres dc la cote cu Nord du ." '(""■ degre ; Sa Majeste Britannique ne pourroit done sans sacrifier les intdret.s de la compagnie renoncer a ses droits a, la souverainete de la cote et des lies qui la (Impendent immediatcment jusqu'a la hauteur de 5f>° ?.()' de latitude Nord quelque que 60it le degre de latitude que Ion pourra definitivement convenir de prendre pour limite eiitre les deux puissances en autant qu'il conccrne les iles situees plus a I'oucst. L'origine du Portland Canal pent etre corame il y a lieu a croire, I'embouchure de quelque fleu;e qui coule par le milieu du pays occupe par la Compagnie de la Baie de Hudson, et il est par consequent d'une importance niajeure ii la Grande Bretagne d'en posseder la souverainetd des deux rives. 15 t'c flit dam I'cspoir ir ttre acceptees. L'Enipercur charge ses Pienipotentiaires de declarer itorativement a Mons. I'Ambas- sadeur d' Angleterre : Que la possession ile Tile du Prince dc Galles oans une portion de territoire sur la cote situcc vis-a-vis de ccttc ile ne pourroit ctre d'aucune utilite a la Russie. Que tout roiablissenciit Ibrnie sur la dite ile, ou sur celles qui I'environncnt se trouvcroit en queique sorte tournt'-s par li;s etisblisseinens .Vngl;.is de la terrc ferme et compli'tement a la mcrci de ces dciniers. Qu'en consequence im arrangement semblable ne seroit nullement conforme au principe des convenances mututUes. Qu'au rcste d'apres le temoigiiagc des cartes les plus recentcs publiocs en Angleterre il n'existe aueun etablissement Anglais ni sur la cote memc du continent, ni au nord du 54 dcgr»' (le lariiuJe septeiitrioiiale. Qu'ainsi quand les liinites lisees aux possessions Russes par la chnrte de 1799> n'auroient point en leur faveur depuis 25 ans le consentement tacite de toutes les Puissances encore la Russie excrceroit elle sur cette partie de la cote preciscment les menies droits que la (jrande Rretagne, d'oii il rt'sulte que la question devroit toiijours ctre rosolue, non d'apres les intc^rots exclusifs d'un des deux Empires mais de maniere a concilier Icurs interets reciproques. Qu'tnfin quant ;i la navigation des flcuves, la Russit crovait avoir offert a la Grande Bretagne tons les avantages et toutes concessions que celle ci pent desirer : et que dans cet ctat de clioses les Plenipotentiaires de Sa Majeste Imperiale avoient ordrc d'insister sur leurs propositions antorieures, propositions dont ils ont amplement dcveloppe les motifs a Son Excellence Monsieur le Chevalier Bagot. L'Empereur espere que ces motifs seront approcies par le Gouvemement de Sa Majeste Britannique et que Mons. I'Ambassadeur d' Angleterre les fera valoir avec ce desir de rapprocher les opinions respectives qu'il a manifesto dans tout le cours de cette negotiation. Sa Majeste Iniperiale est au regret de ne pas la voir terminer di^s a present, mais Elle St flatte que les resolutions definitives du Cabinet de Londres, enpecheiont sans doutes ces pourparlers de demeurer steriles. • See Appendix No. 39, p. 67. 46 No. 17. COMTE DE NESSELRODE to COMTE DE LIEVEN. Md.Ns. i.E CoMTE, St. l'ctor>l)ourjjr, .\vril 5, 1824. Par nies dcpechcs du 1" de ce mois j'ai fait coniiaitrc a Votre Excellence Ics resultats pcu satist'aisans de nos nr?i;oti;itiiHis avcc Sir Charles nagi>t relatives aux froiitierea qui doivent soparer !cs rossc-sioiis Kusses dos Possessions Anglaises siir la cote Nord Ouest de TAmerique. Aujourd'iuii Mcms. le Comte, je vous developperai les motifs, qui ne nous ont pas pcrniis d'accepter ks propositions de lAmbassadeur d Angletene. Pour ne pr.s cntrer sans lu'cessite dans de trop longs details, je me bonierai a, discuter ici le point de la question sur lequel nous ii'avons pi'i toniber d'accord. L'Oukaze du -1, l6 Septernlire H2I avoit porte ju>(iu'au 51 de latitude septentrionale les limites des doniaines de la Russia sur la cote Nord ( )ucst du continent Aniericain. Cependant I'Enipereur setant convaincu que presque a la ineme epoque la Conipagn'e Aiiglaise de la Baie d'UtuLson avoit fornu- des etablisseuiens par les 51^ et ol" de latitude septentrionale, el q\ie ces etahlissemens netoient merne plus tres eloignes de la cote, nous autorisa a donner des Touvertiire des negociations une preuve de scs intentions conciliantcs en declarant ;i Sir Cliarles Bagot ijue nous nous tiendrons aux limites assignees a nos possessions AnK'ricaines par la charte de I'Enipcreur Paul, qii'eu conseijuence la ligne du .5.5"'" deizie de latitude septentrionale, constitueroit du niidi la frontiere des Etats de Sa Majeste Imperiale que sur le continent et vers I'Est. cette frontiere pourroit courir le long des luontngnes (jue suivent les sinuosites de la cote ius(iu'au Mont Elie, et que de (e point jusqu'a la mer glaci.ile nous tixcrions ics homes des possessions respectives dapri^s la ligne du 140""' degni de Longitude Ouest (nieridien de (jreenwicli). Afin de ne pas couper Pile Prince de G;dles, qui selon cet arrangement devoit rester h la Russie nous proposions de ])orter la fronliore nu-ridionale de nos douiaines au .">1 4(t' de latitude et de la fairc aboutir sur )e continent eu Portland Canal dont I'eniboucluire dans rOcean est a la hauteur de Pile du Prince de (ialles et Porigine dans les terres entve le .5.5 ' et ;56° de lat. Cette proposition no nous assuroit qi 'une etroite lisirre sur la cote ineiiie. et elle laissoit aux etablissemens Anglais tout Tebpace necessaire pour se multiplier et s'etendre. \'ous vcrrez M. le Conitc par les pieces ci-jointes qu'en outre nous annoncions I'ouverture du port de Novo Archangeisk et (jue nous promettions la iibre navigation des Heuves (jui se trouveroient sur notre teriitoire. Apres quelques discussions les dertiieres contre-propositions de Sir (,'harles Bngot, furcnt de coniprendre toutc I'lle de Prin:e de dalles dans les possessions de la Kussie, niais de stipuler que notre frontiere suivrcit de cette ile la passe dite Duke nf C/areiicc's Sdinul, et (ju'eile naboutiroit a la cote qu'au dessus de .56' de latitude septentrionale. Cette ditfureiice si on la considere sur In Carte, paroit insignitiante an premier coup d'dil ; elle est neanmoins si esneiitielle pour nous qu'il nous est absolumeut impossible d'adherer au plan de demarcation trace par le Plenipoientiaire de S;i Majeste Britannique. iSioiis lui avons expose dans notre reponse a la seconde note verbale et dans notre replique du Is Mars, des considerations (jue nous ne pouvons perdre de vue et qui nous senibleiit decisives. L'Empereur vous ch.u'ge Mons. le Comte d'inviter le Cabinet de St. Jaines a les peser avec la plus nu'irc attention, et S^t Majeste se flatte qu a la suite d'lm examen impartial, il s'enipressera lui nienie de reconnoitre combien nos raisons sont graves el. legitimes. En premier lieu aucun I'tat n'a reclame coutre la charte de I'Empereur Paul, et ce silence univt-rsel peut et doit etre envi>ag6 conime une reconnoi>san('e de nos droits. On nous objecte que nous n'avons pas forme d'ectiblissemens stables sur la cote \ord Ouest au dessous de h~° de latitude. C'ela est vrai, mais dans la saison lie la chasse et de la pt'che, la cole et les caux avoisinaiites sont exploitt'-es par notre Compagnie Americaine bieu au delii du 55° et du 54 parallrle. Ce genre d'occupatioii est le seul doiit ces parages soieiit. susceptibles. ou du nioins le scul qui soil neces:iaire lorsqu'un pcu plus nu nord on a fonde et organise des colonies. Nous somnies done pleineinent en droit d'i'isister sur la continuation dun benefice que votre comieercc s'est assure des I'annee \7\>\) '■ landis (jue les Compagnies .\ugl.ii-ei ile la Jlaye d'Hiuison et du Nord Ouest out il peine atieiut (iepui> iroi-. ans le xoisinage de ces hitituiles, tandis iju'elles n'ooeu- pent encore aucun point (iiii touclie a I'oeean et (]u i! est notoire (pie e'est pour Taveiiir seulement qu'tUes clierclient ii s y mC'iuigcr Its profits de la cliasse et Je la pijche. 47 Ainsi nous voulons cnn.terfrr. ct Ics r'ompagnies Aiiplaises veiilcnt nrquirir. Cette seule circonstance suffit {)our justifior nos propositions. Klles ne sunt pas moins c-onfornies aiix principes (ics convenances nmtiielles, qui devoit servir de base a la nt'gociation. Si rile du Prince de Gallcsi nous dcmeure, 11 faut iiu'ellc puisse nous etre de queitjue utility Or d'apn^s le plan de rAiiiba«>t;ulear dc 1' Angletcrre, elk- ne scroit })0ur nous qu'une charge ct prescju'un inconvenient. Ccttc ilc, cti efTct, et les (Jlablisseniens que nous y formerions. se trouveroient cniicrenient isoli'-s, privcs de tout soutien, enveloppcs par Ics douiaines de la (irande iiretai^ne et a la nicrci des etablissemens Anjjlais de la cote. Nous nous t'puiserions en frais de garde et de surveillance dont auciine compensa- tion n'allcgeroit Ic fardeau, I'n arrangement pareii reposemit-il sur le principe del convenances mutuelles '. Nou^ invoquons toutefois ce principe avec d'autant plus de justice que I'Angleterre elle iiiome a prouve par an acte authenticiue, qu'eile rcgardoit coiiune tloutcu.x ses diuits sur le territoire dont clle demande I'abandon. La Convention passoc le :i(i Octobre 1H18 entre la ( 'our de Londres et les Etats Uiiis declare proprieie commune des deux I'uissancos pentcment lacite, mais incontestable, de I'autrc, une exploitation paisible depuis vmgt cinq ans et (|ui peat etre considercecomiViC equivalcnte ;i une oci'upation contiiaie. Si Ton invoque le principe des convenances mutuelles, la Hushie laisse au devcloppe- mcnt progressif des etablissemens Anglois, une vaste etendue de cote et de territoire ; elle leur assure dc libre di bouchcs, die pourvoit aux interets de leur comiuercf , et pour compenser tant d'offres dicti'es par le plus sincere esprit de conciliation, elle se reserve uniquement un point d'appui, sans lecjuel il lui seroit impossible de garder une moitie de ses domaines. De telles vues n'ont bcsoiu que d'etre presentees dans leur vrai jour, pour qu'un Gouvernement comme celui dc la (irande Hretagne sache les a])precier. Douter de son adhesion dans cette circonstance, ce seroit douter de sa justice, et il vous sera facile, I'Empercur se plait h le croire, d'obtenir le consentement dcflniti'' dc rAtigUtcrre k une transaction qui rcmpliroit nos va;u.\ et nos esperances en prevenaiit toute discus^ sion ultericure. Uccevez ^L le Comte, L'assurance, etc. (Signe) NESSELUODt;. 48 No. 18. HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY to FOREIGN OFFICE Hudson's Bay House, London, SiK, April 19, IS2J. I HAVF this morning laid before the Committee of the ihuisun's Bay Company Sir Charles Bagot's Despatch,* and pap<^rs connected uith it, which yoii did me the honour to entrust to me on Saturday morning, and I atn to state that if His Majesty's Govern- ment consider it advisable in other respects to accede to the last proposition made by the Russian Government for the arrangement of a line of demarcation l)et\veen the possessions of Russia and Great Britain on the coast of North America, they see no reason to object to it, as i. will affect their particular interests, and more especially as it appears to secure to them free access to the sea for the purposes of their trade on the wholr coast to the eastward of the 1.'59 degree of longitude. They In-g me, however, to suggest the expediency of some more definite demarcation on the coast than the supposed chain of mountains contiguous to it, and they conceive there can be no difficulty in arranging this point, from the txpression in the propo.sition of the Russian negotiators, "La chaine des montagnes, tjui sont h uiie tres petite distance " des sinuosit^s de la cote." Neither party have any very accurate geographical information with respect to the coimtry in the immediate neighl)ourhood of the sea, and if the intentions of the Russians are fairly to be inferred from tlie words used in their p^ojwsal, the most satisfactory- manner of settling this point probably would l)e by inserting in any article providing for the boundary on the main land the nearest chain of mountains not exceeding a few leagues of the coast. I am desired by the Consmittee further to beg, if these negotiations should be brought to a satisfactory issue, that you would have the gocnlness to state to the Russian Government their great desire to promote a good understanding and a reciprocity of good offices between the subjects of both nations trading in those remote and inhospitable countries. I have, iVc. To the Right Hon. George Canning, (Signed) J. H- i'ELLY. &c. &c. &c. No. 19 Right Hon. G. CANNING to Siu C. BAGOT. (No. 18.) Foreign Office, April 24, 1824. Extract. I will not, however, defer till that opportunity the informing your Excellency that your conduct in suspending the nciiotiations with respect to the North-west Coast of .\merica, when you fuund that the modifications which you judiciously took upon vourseif to make in your instructions were not met by corresponding concessions on the part of the Russian (tovernment, has received His Majesty's gracious approbat' i I have referred the whole (piestion of this negotiation anew to the (lovernors of the Hudson s Bay Company, whose report I expect shortly to receive. 1 have some reason to tliitik tiiat that report will reconunend the policy of closing with the Russian proposals rather than leaving the points in dispute unsettled for an indetuiite time. It will then remain to consider, after I shall have learnt the tenuur of the instructions sent to t ount Lievtn, whether it may be most expedient tor the King's service to carry on the ulterior discussions with the Russian Ambassador here or to authorise your Excellency to resume and conclude the ue,(:tiation. • No. II. p. 39. No. 20. Mr. PELLY (Hldson's Bay Company) to FOREIGN OFFICE. (Private.) Sir, .3, Portman .Square, May 2^, 1S24. If it is intended to conclude any treaty with Russia under the present circum- stances, the copy of the communication which I saw yesterday embraced all the points which appear necessary to secure the objects of the Hudson's Bay Company, with tlie exception of a more particular description of how the mountains range with the sinuosity of the coast, as it is possible that those mountain" represented in the charts as closely Iwrdering on the sea, and described by the Russians as a " tr6s petite distance," may reallj- Ik! at a very considerable distance from the coast ; and to provide for which case the distance ougiit to be limited, as Sir Charles Bagot proposed, to a few leagues, say, not exceeding 10 from the shores. But the copy of the convention l)etween Russia and America seems to have rendered the concessions propofcd to be made by Great Britain (founded on the basis of mutual convenience) quite unnecessary, for by it Russia has bound herself in the .Srd .Article not to form any establishment to the southward of .54^ 40', or Prince of Wales Island, tnd b}' the 4th Article it is covenanted that for ten years all vessels belonging to the two powers may reciprocally frequent all the harbours for the purposes of trade wiih the natives. I am at a loss to understand how the great object of the arrangement (the prevention of the collision of the traders of the different powers) is to be attained by these means, or why Great Britain should rede to Russia the exclusive right to the islands imd the coast from lat. .54" 40" northward to Mount Elias, and to which Russia can have no claim, and knows them only by the English names of George III. and Prince of Wales Archipelago. Russia h^ uithing now to concede in return, the convention with the I'nited States depriving her of the power of forming any establishment to the south- ward. The view which I took of the subject when I had the honour of conferring with you thereon was, that it would l)c more for tlie interest of all parties that the limits of each power should be defined, and that, as far as the British fur trade was concerned, it would be better for Great Britain to surrender to Russia all claim she hail to the Island of Prince of Waies and those to the northward of it, provided Russia surrendered to Great Britain all rights she had to the coasts and islands to the southward ii-om the aforesaid island to the 51° lat. claimed in the tamous Ukase. This would have facilitated the pro- posed arrangement between tireat Britain and the L'nited States of making the Columbia the Ixjundary between them, but it apjiears to me that this convention between Russia and the United States renders it inexpedient for Great Britain to surrender any part of her claims to that coast unless upon a satistactory arrangement vsith the United States as well us witii Russia. I should have to offer my ap logics for the freedom with which I have given my sentiments had not Lord Francis Couynghani informed me it was your wish that I should do so. Believe me, &c. Right Hon. Geo. Canning. (Signed) J. H. PELLY. No. 21. Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sir C. BAGOT. (No. 22.) SiH, Foreign Office, May 29, 1824. I TRANSMIT to youT Exccllency a copy of a letter which I have addressed to Count Lieven* upon the subject-matter of two Despatchesf from Count Nesselrode to Count Lieven which that Amlwssador communicated to me, and copies of which I also enclose. Your Excellency will learn from my letter to Count Lieven that you may expect definitive instructions very shortly both for the conclusion of the negotiation relating to the North-west Coast of America ; * * * * . I hope to despatch a messenger to your Excellency with these instructions in the course of oext week. • No 22, p .W t ^'o- '7, p 46. The atcond has not been traced.— I) R.C. tlust. Q 50 Meantime the enclosed paper will put your Excellency generally in possession of the sentiments of Her Majesty's (iovernment upon these several subjects. But youi Eicel- lcnc> will not take any step upon them until yt)u shall have received my promised instructions. I have, &c. Sir Chas. Bagot. (Signed) GEORGE CANNING. No. 22. The Right H(in. G. Canning to Count Lieve.n. (Extract.^ MoNs. LE CoMTR, Foreign Office, May 29, 1824. Aktkr mature consideration of the two Despatches from f'ount Nt clrode to your Excellency on the .')th ultitno, copies of which your Excellrney had tii gootiness to put into my hands, I have the satisfaction to acquaint your Excellcn.'v that I shall be enal)led shortly to send to Her Majesty's Ambassador at St. I'etersburfih such instruc- tions on the subject-matter of both as shall meet in a great degree the wishes of your court. 1st, As to the line of demarcation to be drawn between Russian and British occupa- tion on the North-west (oast of .\merica : .Sir Charles Bagot's discretion will be so far enlarged as to enable him to admit, with certain i|ualihcations, the terms last pro[M)sed by the Russian Ciovenunent. 'I'he qualification* will consist chiefly in a more definite description of the limit to which the strip of L:n, in precise and po-iitive stipulations for the free use of all rivers which may Ix" found to empty themselves into the sea within the Russian frontier, and of all seas, straits, and water.s which the limits assigned to Russia may comprehend. It can hardly be expected that we shoulil not also put in our eluim for tlie like pri- vileges of trade as are, or may be, stipulated with Rus:iia by any other nation ; and we fake for granted that the exclusive claims of navigation and jurisdiction over the North Pacific ()cean, which were put forward in the I'kaze of September 1821, are to be altogether withdrawn. No. 23. The Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sir C. BAGOT. (No. 24.) Extract. Foreign Office, June 29. 1824. On this latter point* it is my intention to furnish your Excellency with the draft of a Convenlio;: which you may sign liefore your departure from .St. I'etcrbburgh. No. 24. The Right Hon. G. CANNING to Sik C. BAGOT. (No. 26.) Sir, Foreign Office, July 12. 1H24. Afteb full consideration of the motives which are alleged by the Russian Go\erninent for adhering to tliiir last propositions respecting the line of demarcation to be drawn l)ctween British and Russian occupancy on the North-west Coast of America, and of the comparative inconvenience of admitting som«' relaxation in the terms of your Excellency's last instructions, or of leaving the question between the two Ciovernments unscttletl for an indefinite time, Mis NJajesty's Government have resolved to authorise your Excellency to consent to include the south points of Prince of Wales' Island within the Russian fionticrs, and to take, as the line of demarcation, a line drawn from • North-west cout of Americ». 51 the southernmost point of Prince of Wales' Island, from south to north, throusjh Port- land Channel, till it strikes the mainland in latitude oti'' ; thence fullowing the sinuosities of the coast along the base of the mountains nearest the sea to Mount Elias ; and thence along the 139th degree of lonjjitude to the Polar Sea. I enclose the draft* of a Projet of Convention, founded upon these principles, which your Excellency is authorised to sign previously to your quitting St. I'etersburgh. The advantages conceded to Russia by the line of detnurcalion traced out in this Convention are so obvious as to render it quite impossible tliat any objection can reason- ably be offered, on the part of the Russian (iovernmeot, to any of the stipulations in our favour. There are two points which are left to l)e settled by youi* Exceileiicv. First, in fixing the course of the eastern boundary of the strip of laud to be oei.upie(i by Russia on the coast. The seaward base of the mountains is assumed as that limit. But we have experience that other mountains on ihe other side of the American continent, which have been assumed in former treaties as lines of boundar3-, are incorrectly laid down in the maps; and this inaccuracy has gistn rise to very troublesome discussions. It is therefore necessary that some other security should be taken that the line of demarcatu.r to be drawn parallel with the coast, as f.ir as .Mount St. Elias, is not carried too far inland. This is done by a proviso that that line shall in no case {i.e., not in that of the mountains which appear by the map almost to border the coast, turning out to be far removed from it) hv carried further to the east than a .specified nunilwr of leagues from the sea. The utmost extent which His .Majesty's (ioveniment would be disposed to concede wouid be a distancf ot Ml lea:;ues. But it would be desirable if your Excellency were enabled to obtain a still more narrow limitation. Secondly. .Vrticle .") of the Projet is copie(i from .\rticle 4 of the (Convention between Russia and the United States of .\merica. ,'{y the American article the right of visiting respectively, and resorting to each others possessions, is limited to 10 years. This limitation is left blank in the Projet. We should have no objection to agree to the article without any limitation of time; we should pretier a l.)nger period (say, 20 years) to that stipulated by the .•\mericatis. Your Excellency will obtain either of these extensions if you can, but you must not agree to a shorter term than 10 years. Your Excellency will be careful to make it understood that this limitation of time cannot in any case extend to the use by (Jreat Britain of the Harbour of New .\rchangel, still less of the rivers, creeks, ,S{c. on the continent, the u.^e of all which is in the nature of a compensation for the perpetual right ot' territory granted to Russia, and therefore must be alike perpetual. If your ICxcellency shall, as 1 cannot doubt, conclude and sign this Convention befi)n' your de|iarture, you will make it a point to l)riiig with you tne ratification of the Russian Government to be exchanged by Count Lieven against tliat of His Majesty. I am, &c. Sir Chailes Bagot. (Signed) GEORGE CANNING. No. 2J. Right Hon. G. CANNINCJ to Sir C. BAGOT. (No. 2d.) Sir, Foreign Office, July 24. 1824. TuR projet of a Convention whiih is enclosed in my No. 2f> having been com- municated by me to Count Lieven, with a request that his l']xcellency would note an? points in it up^n which he I'onceived any ilitticulty likelv to arise or any explanaticn to be necessary, 1 have received from his Excellency the Memorandum (a copy of which is herewith enclosed). Your Excellency will observe that there are but two points which have struck Count Lieven as susce|itil)le of any question ; the first, the assumption of the/«j*f of' the mountains, instead of tne summit, as the line of InniDdary ; the second, the extension of the right of the navigation of the Pacific to the sea beyond Behrings Straits. .Is to the first, no gre^tt inconvenience can arise from your Excellency (if pressed for that alteration) consenting to substitute the summit of the mountains instead of the seaward base, provided always that the stipulation as to the extreua- distance from th» coast to which the li.^ii're is in any case to run l>c adopted (vshich distan.e I have to rej>eat to your Excellency should be made as short as possible), and proviiied a stipula- • No cupj of lliis draft liu lieen traceJ. — l).tt.C. G 2 52 tion \^e added tliat no forts shall be establisliwl or fortifications erected by either party on the summit or in tlie passes of the mountains. As to the secc)inl point, it is perhaps, us Count Lievcn rema'ks, new. But it is to be remarked in return that the circumstances under which this additional security isreijuired will (h; new also. By the territorial dcn^anatitm agned to in this projet Russia will income poswssed iu acknowledged sovereignty of both sides of Behring's Straits. The power which could think of making the Pacific a mart- ilnusuin may not unnaturallv lie snpp<)sed capable of a dispe (tfn mo/it'iir'if-^ se geiierale lorsqu'une chaine de montagnes sert a fixer une limite queK'on(iue, cVst toujours la clme de ces montagnes qui forme la lig'ie de demarcation. Dans le cas dont il s'agit ici, le mot de base par le sens indcfiai qu'il presente, et le plus ou moins il'extension qu'on peut lui donner, ne parait gucre pr jpre a mettre la delimita- tion a I'abri do toutes contestations ulterieures c.ir il ne serait point impossible, vi'j le f)eu de certitude des notions ^ecgraphiques (jue Ton possede encore sur ces parages, que es moi'tagnes designees pour limite s'otendissent par uiic pjnte iuAensiblc jusqu'aux bords meme de la crtte. Quant a la clause du momc projet, ayant pour l)iit d'assurer aux vaisseaux Anglais I'enlree libre dans la mer glaciale par le detroit dc Behring, il semble en premier lieu, que cette condition entir^rement nouvelle est par la nature etrangi^re a I'objet special de la negociation et les termes genereaux dans lesquels die est con^ue feront peut etre hesiter le (louvernement Imperial h. I'admettre sans en tnodifiT reiionco actuel pour ne point exposer les c6les de ses possessions .Vsiatiqiies dans la mer glaciale aux iuconv6- uiens qui pourraient naitre de la visite des biLtiintng ctrungcrs. No. 27. The RicHT Won. GEO. CANNING to COUNT DE DELIEVEN. (Extract.) MoNs. LE CoMTK, Foreign Office, September 12, 1824. It is with great regret, and I confess with some surprise, that 1 have learnt from Sir Charles Bagot that your Court have declined to conclude the Treaty, the projet of which was sent out by the " Herald." 1 his refusal is the more unexpected, as the chief alterations made in the original projet were introduced here (as your Excellency can bear witness) at the suggestion of the Russian Plenipotentiaries themselves. 53 I have not yet had time to give suflScient considtration to tlie Contie I'rojet now prcsvntwl on the part of ihoso Plenipotentiaries to lie cnableil to say positively whether It can be accepted in ail its parts. But I would fain hojw that the differences hetwecn us may be not insurmountable; and 1 do most i-arnost I \ entreat your Kxcellency to submit to your Court, by your first messenger, the e\pediency of sending to your Excelleiicv iasiructions and full powers to conclude and sign the Treaty here. '• • • • •'» No. 2-<. lUDSON'S B.VY COMPANY to FOREIGN OFFICE. Hudson's Bay House, S)», ()clol>er 20, 1H24. I iiri.Y receivetl Lord Francis ('onynulutni'< letter of the I9th instant, with its enclosures, and it does not appear to me that the counter project ot Russia is so essentially diHrrenl frotu the one which His Maiesty's Ministers have considered it sd\isable to propose to Russia, as fir as the Hudson's Bay Company are concerned,* to reject it, except in the "ind .\rticle, which should more accurately define the eastern Iwundary from the Portland Canal to the HI' of north latitude to Ix" the chain of mountains at a " tres petite distance de la cote," hut that if the summit of those mountains exceed t*n leagues, that the saui distance lie substituted mstead of the mountains. It certandy would have I>eeii a more advisable arrangement had it been practicable to have made the streight between the mainland and the islands, instead of the mountains, the division not only as a more naturai one, t>ut would have prevented the possibiiitv of collision of the traders of the two countries, and if this could be now obtained, re!in(|uishing the proposed licence of visiting and trading with the natives for a term of years, in that part of the territory to which Russia is acknowledged as en'itlcd to the sovereignty, I think it would be a'ivisaiile ; l)Ut if not practicable, we should have the same privile:;es as were granted to the Anericans. On a former iKJcasion I pro- posed the streight as the line of deinarca .n upon the principle of preventing callision, which was not only my idea, but you will recollect was one of the principal reasons stated b}' Russia for proposing a division of territory ; and when it is considered the large tract that is conceded to tiie westward of the i'MJ of lonijituile to whic'i Russia can have no better right than Great Britain, and which it is hoped Captain Franklin may Iw the first European who will explore, auil that the only pretLMision she has to the coast between the .")9" and .")i of latitude is the having made a grant of it to th" Russian Fur Compiny, whicii has iu)t been objected to by any European State (for Russia neither discovered nor has any settlements on it, or on any |)art of the continent within those latitudes, and our ownf extend to the 57' and trade with the natives who come beyond the (Ju ), I do not think it too much to require, at the same time the Committ<'e of the Hudson s Bay l^ompany do not attach so much importance to the object I have jv)inted out, as to stand in the way of concluding the arrangement if in other points His Majesty's Go\ernment consider it desirable. I have. itc. The Right Hon. George Canning, (-Signed) J. H. PELLY. &c. &c. &c. No. 29. Right Hon. G. CANNING to Mr. .S. CANNING. (No. l.-) Sir, Foreign Office, Decenilier 8, 1824. His Majesty having been graciously pleased to name you his Plenipotentiary for concluding and signing with the Russian Ciovcmment a Convention for terminating the discussions which nave arisen out of the promulgation of the Russian Ukase of 1821, and for settling the respective territorial claims of Great Britain and Russia on the North-west Coast of America, I have received His Majesty's commands to direct you • 49 to mike it expedient (?) — I) R.C t This sppareotly refers to the .<l>arph for that purpose, and tJ> furnish you with the necessary instructions for terminating this ii>iii> protracted nepotiation. The correspondence which has already passed upon this subject ha* been submitted to your penisal, and I enclose to you a copy, — First, of the projet which Sir ('harles Hagot was authorised to conchide and si<»n some months ai;o, and which we had everv reason to e.xj)ect would have l)ecn entiri'iy satisfactory to the Russian Government. "indly, of a contre projet* drawn up by the Ilussian I'lenipitcntiaries, and presented to Sir Charles Hagot at their last meeting liefore Sir Charles Bagot's departure from St. Petersburg. 3rdly, of a Dcspatcht from Count Nesselrode accompanying the transmission of the contic projet to Count Lieven. In that Despatch and in certain marginal annocations upon the copy of the projet art assigned the reasons of the alterations pn^jwsed by the Russian I'lenipotentiaries. In considering the expediency of admitting or rejecting the proposed alterations, it will be convenient to follow the articles of the Treaty in the order in which they stand in the Kngiish projet. You will observe, in the first place, that it is propose*! by the Russian Plenipotcn- tiaties entirely to ch.iny the F.mperor Paul in the year InoO, against which it is affirmed that no jiublic remonstrance w.is made, it oecoines us to be exceedingly curcliil that we do not by a similar neglect on the present occasion allow a similar presumption to be raised as to an arquiesence in the L'kaze of 1M21. The right of the subjects of His Majesty to navigate freely in the Pacific cannot be held as matter of iiKlidgcnce from any power. Having once been publicly questioned, it must be publicly acknowlcdi'cii. We do not ilesirc that any distinct reference shouhl l)e made to the l'kaze of 1S21, but we do feci it neces.sarv that the statement of our right should be clear and positive, and that it should stand fii.rth in the Convention in the place whicii properls' belongs to it, as a [)lain and substantive $ti|uilaiion, and not U- brought in as an incidental consequence of ot'ier arrangements to whieh we attach comparatively little imporiance. This stipuliition stands in the front of the (.'onvention concluded between Russia and the l.'ihted -States of Ainerici, and we see no reason why, upon similar claims, we shoc.ld t.ot <.btain exactly the like sati.-faction. • No. 16, p 4-5. t No. 17, p. 46. For reaMng ot the same nature we cannot consent that the liberty of navigation through liehrins^'s Straits should l>e stated in tiif; Tre.ity as a bo )n from Russia The tendency of such a slattin'^nt would be to ^ivc countenance to those claims of exclusive jurisdiction against which we, on our own behalf and on that of the whole civilized world, protest. No sper'licafion of this sort is found in the Convention with the United States of America, and yet it cannot be doubted that the Anu-ricans consider themselves as secured in the right of navigating Hehring's Straits and the sea l)ey(ind tliem. It cannot be ex|>ectcd that England should receive as a boou that which the United States hold as a right so unauestionable as not to be worth recording. Perhaps the simplest course after all will Ik? to substitute for all that part of the projet and contre projet which relates to maritime rights and to navigation, the tirst two articles of the Convention already concludeil i)V tne (,'ourt of .St. Fetersburgh with the United Slates of America, in the oriier in which they stand in that Convention. Uussia cannot mean to give to the United States of .America what she withholds from us, nor to withhold from us anything that she has consented to give to the United States. The uniformity of stipulations, in pari mnlerid, gives clearness and f e to both arrangements, and will establish that footing of eeiiig their own ori^jinal proposition the Russian Plcnipotenliaries cannot reasonably refuse to adhere lo it. Where the mountains arc the boundary we are content to take the xiinimU instead of the " seaward base " as the line of demarcation. 1 omitted in my last instructions to Sir Charles Bagot, though I had sii^uified to Count Lieven, that I intended to require a small extension of the Hue of demarca- tion from the point where the lisicre on the coast terminates in latitude 59^ to the northward. The extension required is from i;?9" to 141^ W. longitude, the latter being the parallel which fjlls more directly on Mount FJias. With regard to the port of Sitki or New Archangel the offer came originally from Russia, but we are not disposed to object to the rcbtriction wiiich she now applies to it. We arc content that the port shall l)c open to us for 10 years, provided on y tliat if any other nation obtains a u)ore extended ter u the like terai shall l>e exiendeJ to us also. We are content also to assign the pcriof I(< years for the reciprocal hbertj of access and coniiuerce wifh each others territories, whicli stipulation may be best staled precisely in the terms of Article 4 of tlie American Convention. These, I think, are the only points in which alterations are rec^uired by Russia, and \ prescribing the precise form of words, nor fettering your di^icreti^)ll as to any alterations, not varying from the substance of these instructions. It will of course strike the Kus-ian Flenipotentiaries that by the adoption of the American article respecting navigation, &c., the provision for an exclusive fishery of two leagues from the coasts of our respective possessions falls to the ground. Hut the omission is in tiuth immaterial. 'i'he law of nations assigns the exclusive sovereignity of one league to each power off its own coasts, without any specified .stipulation, i.nd though Sir (.'harles IJagot was authorised to sign the Cunventicn with the speciric stipulation of two leagues, in ignorance of what had been decided in the .American Convention at the time, yet, after that Con- vention tiaa been soire months l)«.'fore the world, and .af'ter the opportunity of reconsidera- tion has l)een forced upon us by the act of Russia herself, we cannot now consent, in negotiating de noro, to a stipulation which, while it is absolutely unimportant to any- practical good, would appear to establish a contract lietween the L'nited States and us to our disadvantage. Count Nesselrode himself has frankly admitted that it was natural that we should receive at the hands of Russia equal measure in all respects with the Cniled States of .\nserica. It remains oidy in recapitulation to remind you of the origin and principles of this whole negotiation. It is not, on our part, essentially a negotiation al)out limits. It is a demand of the repeal of an offensive and unjustifiable arrogation of exclusive Jurisdiction over an ocean <4' unmeasured extent; but a demand qualitieil and mitigated in its manner, in oriler that its justice n.ay be acknowledged aitd satisfied, without sore- ness or humiliation on the part of Russia. We negotiate about territory to cover the remonstrance upon j)rinciple. But any attempt to take undue advantage ot this voluntary facility we must oppose. If the present projet is agreeable to Russia wc are ready to conclude and sign the Treaty. If the territorial arrangenients are not satisfactory we are ready to postpone them ; and to conclude and sign the essential pan, that which relates to navigation alone ; adding an article stipulating to negotiate about territorial limits hereafter. But we are ntjt prepared to defer any longer the settlement of that essential part of the question, and if Russia will neither sign the whole Convention, nor that essential part of it, she must not take it amiss that we resort to some mode of recording in the face of the world our protest against the pictensions of the Ukaze of 1821, and of effectually securing our interests against the possibility of its future operations, I have, &c. Mr. Stratford Canning, (Signed) G. CANNING. &c. &c. No. 30. Mb. S. CANNING to Right Hon. G. CANNING, (Extract.) St. Petersburgh, February ^'3, 1825. On reading the Projet, some difficulties were started, and some discussion took place; but I hold it unnecessary to trouble )0u with a more particular account of this conference, as the Russian Plenipotentiaries were not then prep.ired to express anv (i( tided opinion as to those parts of the Projet which do not entirely come up to their proposals, and I have expressly reserved to myself the liberty of recording my explanations in an official shape, in the event of their persisting to object to any essential part of its contents. So. 31. Mb. STRATFORD CANNING to Right. Hoy. G. CANNING. (No. 1.5.) Sin, St. I'cterslHirf,'h. February 17 March I, 1«25. By the mcssenpcr I.atrhford I have the honour to .s«nd you the accoiupanyiiig Convention iK-tweon His Majesty and the Emperor of Russia respecting the Pacific Ocean and North-west (oast of .Vnierica, which accordini; to your instructions I concluded and signed last night with the Russian I'lcnipotcntiaiics. Tbc alterations which, at their instance, I have admitted into the projet su.ch as 1 presented it to them at tirst, will he found I conceive to be in strict conformity with th«' spirit and substance of His .Majesty's commands. The order of the two main sidijects of our neiiotiation, as stated in the prt amble of the Convention, is preservcil in the articles of that instrument. The line of demarcation aloni; the strip of land on the North-west Cnus and lilwrrality, .\s two originals of the Convention prepared for His Majestv's Ciovernment are signed by the Pleiii[>otentiaries I propose lo leave one of them with .^Ir. Ward for the Archives of the Embassy. I have, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning, (Signed) .STRATFORD CANNING, &C. &c. &c. No. .32. Right Ho.n. J CANNING to Mr. S. CANNING. (No. 6.) SiB, Foreign Office, .March 15, Is25. Your Despatches to No. 13 inclusive have been received and laid before the King. I enclose to you a copy of a Despatch received from Mr. Addington by which you will see that the Government and Senate of the United States have ratified the Treaty of North-west American Boundaries and Navigation which was negotiated at .St. Petersburgh last year. It is hardly necessary to point out to you the additional force which the conclusion of this transaction gives to that part of your instructions on the same subject which pre- scrifres the demand of this country for terms as favourable as those which have been obtained by the United States. I have, &c. Mr S. Canning. (Signed) GEORGE CANNING o 23086 u 68 No. 33. Rrr.HT Hon. GEORGK CANNING to Mb. S. CANNING. (No. 9.) (Extract.) Sib, Forcipn Office, April 2, 1825. Voir Despatches by the me«senger I.atchfonI were n-ccived here on the 2 1st of March and that of the l-'th of March by the post on the 2"e sufficiently secured l)y the Convention which, under your instructions. I have signed during my residence here in concert with the Russian Plenipotentiaries. With rcs{)cct to the right of fishing, no explanation whatever took place between the Plenipotentiaries and myself in the course of our negotiations. As no objection was started by them to the article which I offered in obedience to your instructions, I thought It inadvisable to raise a discussion on the question, and the distance from the coast at whicii tlie right of fishing is to i)e exercised in common passed without specification, and consequently rests on the law of nations as generally received. Conceiving, however, at a later period that you might possil>ly wish to declare the law of nat'ons thereon jointly witli the Court of Russia in some ostensible shape, I broached the matter anew to Count Nesselrode, and suggested that he should authorise Count Lievcn, on your invitation, to exchange notes with you declaratory of the law as fixing the distance at one- marine league )Vuadav. afttr the Astronomer Rival ; it is situated in latitude .^4' J2.y snd longitude 22!) •I.'i', "'"'> -'"• and o(\' it lie two rocky islets, and to the south ot it a small i.slaiid close to the shore. The apparent extent of this inlet did not answer my expectations from the description that had been given of it. Its entrance is not more than two miles and a half across, and this, at the distance <.f a tew miles, seemed to be materially contracted. If this bo the same branch described by the natives, which is much to be (juestioned. especially as some of Mr. Brown's gentlemen considci'ed the opening meant by those peoplt to be further to the westward, it is called \>\ them Ewen Nass. The word Kwen we understood to signify great or powcriiil. as Ewen Smoket, a great chief, but ihe word Nass was completelv unknown to Mr. Brown and all of his party. The divided country we had now examined from the (brty-seventh degree of north latitude to this station, and the information derived from Mr. Brown rendered it highly probable that the continental shore still continued to have extensive islands lying between it and the ocean, to a very considerable distance further north. The length of time which, as Mr. Brown understood, occupied these people in making so distant a journey may be accounted for by their tirdy mode of travelling through each others dominions, or in passing throui;h the various windings and crooked shallow channels, many of which, thouuh suflRcient for their canoes, were very probably untit for the navigation of shipping. I have ever found it extremely hard, almost impossible, indeed, to make the inhabitants of these remote parts, and even the .Sandwich islanders, with whose laiitruage we are much better ac(]uainted, comprehend the kind of passage, that is required for ships to pa«s through, or the kind of port or opening in the land that is capable of affording them safe and convenient shelter, in addition to which ditliculty selfish or sinister views too frequently regulate them in the iiiforin;Uion they communicate. Ik' this as it may, it was our bu'^iness now to determine the question, and embracing the favourablo opportunity of a fair wind, we steered up the inlet, and were joined by Mr. Whidbey in the cutter, who had traced the continental sliore to Point .Maskelyne, where, on its becoming broken, he had desisted from any further examination until a future opportunity. From Point Maskelyne, the two clusters of low rocks and breakers before noticed lie, the northernmost S. 29" W. eight miles and the suiitliernmosi S. 33' W. distant ten miles and a half; these in the day time and in clear weather are easily avoided, as there are always some of them above the surface of the water, but in dark nights or foggy weather they must render the na\igatian of the sound very dangerous. After passing between the northern cluster of these rocks and the continental shore, with whicii they form a channel about a mile in width, we had ab fathoms of line until 10 at night, when the Prince \ic Boo, having reached the contracted part of the inlet, made the signal for having soimdinirs and ancliorage. Wc arrived at this station alxiut 11, and anchored in 3.) fathoms water, soft bottom, after passing two openings on the eastern -.ihore, besides that immediately round Point Maskelyne, where Mr. Brown had had his dispute with the natives. • Sec also 410 cditioD. 1798, p. 327 II -J .. — ,.i -.^. j> i~.. - - .. ..^ _ „ -»:i-^Jnz-.:-.' 60 Monday, We fdund our station next morning, Monday the 22n(l, to he off the north-west part 22iidJnly. of an island l\-ing near the rastern shore, and further up the inlet than those in the sloop had yet been ; no information from them culd therefore be any longer of use, though a continuation of their services would have been very acceptable. This made me regret that we had not one or two vessels of thirty (»r forty tons burthen, cideulated as well for rowing as for sailing, to assist us in this intricate investigation, by which means nnich despatcli would have been given to our survey, and our labours would have been carried on with much less danger and lumhdiip thun we had constantly endured. 1 intended to proceed up this inlet uiuil I should see sufficient employment for two boat parties, which 1 was conrinri'd the surrounding region would soon aHbrd, and also to seek a convenient situation \'-!iere the vessels might remain; and, whilst this service was executing, to embrace the oi'portuiiity for making such astronomical observations as might be procured, and which were become necessary tor correcting our survey, and ascertaining with precision the situation of the several parts of the l)roken region through which we had passed in the vessels and in the boats from Restoration (\)ve to this inlet. Pursuant to this determination we weighed about 7 in tlic morning, and the Prince lee Boo returned to the Putter\«^orth. At our anchorage, lying from point Maskelyne N. 24 E. distant six miles, the width of the inlet was scarcely half a league. ( )n the western shore a small opening appeared to branch off in different directions. North of the island the breadth of the inlet increased again to about two or three miles, trending \. 39 E. In pursuing this line about four miles we passed the south point of an opening on the eastern shore two miles wide, appearing to ^livide itself into several arms, but the western shore seemed to be compact from the opening opposite the anchorage until we arrived abreast of an opening, about two miles wide at its entrance, on the western shore, seemingly divided into two or three branches, taking a direction about N. 1"^ \V. The observed latitude at this time was 54° .Of*, longitude 2.30 .3'. The t)ranch of the inlet we were now navigating was not of greater width, nor did it appear likely to become more extensive, than that to the westward of us just discovered. This made it uncertain which to consider as the main branch. Eour other openings had l)een passed on the eastern shore whose extent had not yet been ascertaineii, and although I was nuich inclined to follow the ncrth-westerly branch, \et I was apprehensive that by so douig we might be led too far from the continent, and by that means cause additional labour and loss of time. Our route was for this season continued to the N.N.E., and another division of the inlet stretching to the eastward was soon discovered. In the event of a convenient situation being found in this branch I intended to stop the vessels there, and made the Chatham's signal, who had preceded us during the forenoon, to steer for the eastern opening, and shortened sail for the puipose of sending a boat Vicfore us to sound. Whilst we lay to wait the bo.it's return a few of the natives visited the sliip in five or six canoes, they brought little to dispose of, yet appeared to be anxious that we should remain in their neighbourhood. Several inquiries were made for Ewen Nass, but these people seemed to be totally ignorant of the phrase until it had been repeated several times, and we had poiiued in various directions ; upon which some of them repeated the words, and imitated our motions, giving some amongst us reason to imagine that they meant that Ewen Nass was up this identical branch of the inlet ; though in all other respects we remained totally ignorant of their language. The appearance and direction of this opening, however, by no means favoured the opinion that it was an extensive channel communicating with the ocean to the north. The water tiiat flowed from it remained without nuxing on the surface of the water of the inlet. The upper water was nearly fresh, of a lightish colour, interspersed with thick muddy sheets, indicating it to have flowed from a small river whose source was not very remote. At 3 oVIork the cutter returned with a very unfavourable account of the place so far as their examination had gone, especially ou the northern side of the opening, from wliencc a shallow Hat extended some distance, on which there was not more thaa from one to three fathoms water. Tlie latter depth suddenly increased to 30, and, at the distance of a cable's length from the edge of the bank, lo oO and Ho fathoms. This shallow flat made the communication with the shore very unpleasant, and appeared to tie continued all round, 'i'o those in the cutter the opirning seemed to be nothing more than a deep bay with very shallow water, excepting in its north-east part, where a branch from which the muddy water flowed seen)ed to extend into the country. Across this branch they hud also sounded, and found shallow water. As it did not, from this report, ''cent likely to answer our purpose, we proceeded rouiul its north point of entrance and a^ain niad>; sail up the inlet, which, beyond this bay, was in general about half a league 61 wide. The shores on both sides were near'y straight and compact, in this pursuit our progress was greatly retarded by a counter tide or undertow, and, notwithstanding that we had a fresh jrale from the south-ea>-t, the strength of this repelling current was such that the wind had no influence whatever, though in other situations the vessel with such a gale would have gone five or s-ix kn( ts per hour. On this occasion the ship became totally unmanageable ; the wind was sometimes a-liead, at others a-stern, a-broadside, and in every ether direction ; and .re were drifting from side to side in tne most unpleasant situation imaginable f>r two hours and a half, when the force of the wind pre- vailing, we advanced slowly up the inlet until aliout 11 at night. The distance of its shores had now again increased and the country Ijecainc less elevated. A small cove was discovered nn the eastern shore, where we anchored in M) fiithoms \\ ter. This place, however, not appearing likely to suit our purpose, Mr. Whidbey was despatched early the next morning in quest of a more convenient situation, which the adja- Tiios.lay. cent shores promised to afford, particularly in the northern quarter, where the land was 2;(r'l JaU. moderately elevated, and seemed to be much broken. 'l"he interior country was, iiov,-- ever, still composed of lefty, barren and snowy mountains. In the forenoon Mr, Whidbey returne), having examined two or three cov-es, of which the most eligible appeared to be one that we had passed in the dark the preceding evening on the western shore, not more than a mile from our actual station. This afforded good anchorage, with every other convenience that we required. Havmg a moderate breeze from liie southward we lost no time in proceeding thither, where we anchored in 3i and .3.") fathoms water, muddy and small stony bottom. The points o1 the cove bore by compass N.N.E. and S. by Iv, the nearest «horc W. by .S. about a cable and a half (listant, and the opposite shore ot'the inlet E.N.E. one mile distant. On going on shore we foiiiui a small canoe with three of the natives, who were employed in taking salmon, which were in great abundance up a very fine run of fresh watt-r that flowed into the cove. .Sonu' of the.sc tish were })urchascd with looking-glasses and other trinkets. They were small, insipid, of a very inferior kind, and partaking in no degree of the flavour of European 'almon. In the afternoon tlie tents, observatory, chronometers, and instruments were sent on shore under the diiections of^Mr. Whidbey; and Mr. Johnstone in the Chatham's cutter, accompanied by Mr. Harrie in the " Discovery's" small cutter, and supplied with ten days' provisions, departed for the puipo'^e of recommencing the survey of the conti- nental shore northward from Point Maskelyne. 'Ihe account I had receiveil ot this taiiious inl-^ from Mr. Brown inducing me to undertake the principal examination of it myself, the " Discovery's " yawl and launch were equipped ivith supplies lor a fortnight, being as much as they could possibly stow ; Lieu- tenant Swaine was directed to attend me in the latter, and Mr. I'ugct. with Mr. Mcnzies, accompanied me in the yawl. 1 he appi.'arance of the coimtry on the wc.>tern side of this inlet ielt me little doubt of its being the continent, and we departed in full expecta- tion that duriuii this excursion we should finally determine the reality of tlie disco\eries attriliuted to the labours of .\dmiral de Fonte. With Mr. Whidbey I left the ctiaue of the observatory, with orders to make all neces- sary observations for correcting the errors and ascertaining the rate of the chronometers; and the more completely to efleet the former. 1 desired that Mr. Baker, and some others of the gentlemen, would assi-st in making as many observations as the circumstances would admit of for determining the true position of the station we had taken. Chaptkr V. Matters 'neing all adjusted and arranged we departed at ,j o'clock on Wednesday WidntHiav, morning, the 2Uh, ni thick, rainy, unfavourable weather, which continu;'d until the fore- 2itli .Inly' noon, when it became fair and pleasant. Our course was first directed along the (-astern shore, which, from our anchorage on the night of the 'Jt'2nd, took a direction N. 11 E. for six mile.s. Wc passed an island to the west of us. two miles long and hilf a iMile broad, lying nearly in the same direction about three fourths of a mile fi'om the eastern shore, and having reached tliis extent we entered a narrow arm, ie.iving to the west a coast apparently muih brol en and divided by water. As we rapidly advanced up this arm, with a southerly wind and a flood tide in our favour, its width increased to about a mile, and taking a winding course to the E.X.E. it was terminated by a low border of land in latitude o5 ' 'jG', longiln-le 230 ;}G'. V\ e stopped to dine about a mile short of the low 'oorder of land which composed the head of the arm. Here we were visited by seven of the natives, wiio approached us in a cauoe with nmch caiition, and landed some of their party at a Uttle distance, whilst the 62 others advanced, seemingly with no small suspicion of our friendly intentions; this, how- ever, was soon removed by the distribution of some trivial presents amongst them, and their reception liein<» made known to their companions who had landed, these without the least hesitation joined our party also. Thty were well prepared with arms, consisting of !ong spears, l)ows and arrows, together with an iron dagger that each man wore about his neck or wrist. The chief of this party was soon pointed out, who, by means of signs easily understood, desired to partake of our repast. He was given some bread anc! dried fish, and afterwards a glass of brandy, all of which were much relished by himself and two or three ot his friends. These people differed very little from the generality of the circunijacent natives, and rather seemed to l)e an exception to the trivial differences pointed out in those few inhabitants who visited us in Fishmonger's Cove. Their language appeared to be similar in some respects to that spoken at Queen Charlotte's Islands, at least a few common plioe expressions of that language were understood by thc-sc people. They made use of these, with many signs, to solicit us to visit their habitations, pointing out their situation to be on the low land at the head of the arm ; but a? it was out of our route we declined their invitations, and, with a fiivourable ebb tide, returned towards the entrance of the arm, being accompanied by these tmr new acquaintances, who were soon joined bv another party from the village in a smaller canoe. On finding, however, that we :> '-^'2', longitude 2'M} UV. Our expectations of discovering the extensive inland navigation, distinguished l.>y the name ofKwenNass, were here a little disappointed, still, however, we entertp.med hopes of succeeding by the appearance of the losv lami on the western shore, and >ve returned in tlie afternoon to prosicnti- its examination. It was found to be a compact siiore. much indented with siuall b lys and coves, and abounding in some places with sunken rocks. Ill the siiiith-westerninost of these coves, which is the deepest, we halted for the night, and although a situation t<)r our tents Wi s fixed upon 'mongst the pine trees, at least 20 feet above the siiifice of the water at our landing, and as we thought sufficiently without Kriiiay. the rcach of the tide, yet about 2 in the morning of Friday the 2tiih it flowed into the ■J6tli .Iiilj tents, and we were oliliged to retire to our boats. .\t daylight we pursucil the western shore of the inlet towards the ships, where we arrived about noon. I now entertained no doubt ot this being the continental shore, and it was equally evident to me that i' extended itself far up that branch which we had passed in the afternoon of the 22nd leading to the N.N.W. Having tiierefore determined to prosecute my researches in that (jiiartcr our sto('k ot' pnni'-ions was recruited, and after dining on board we recommenced our examination along the western shore of the inlet, and re>ied tor the night in a small cove about 12 miles tt) the southward of the shi|). 'I'he afternoon and night were very rainy and unpleasant, but early the nex' .NituiIiT, ipcniing, Saturdav the 27th, we set out with fair weather, and having a rapid tide in our 27tl) Julv favour soon reached the east point of entrance into the N.N.W. branch, which, after .Mr. Kamsden, the optician, I called Point Hamsdeii, lying in latitude .'it .">".)', longitude 230 2. i . Off this point are some dangerous rocks that are visible only at low tide ; from hence we directeil our course N.W. three miles to a low point on the larboard shore, where we found this arm to communicate with another,* lending in a S W. and N.N.F.. direction, and being in general about half a league in width. Atter breakfast we pursued the latter direction, and steered for the eastern or continental shore. Tlus extends first from Point Kamsden N. 21 W. six miles, and takes a N.N.E. course. The dcscrip'.ion iif I'milmnl ('lumncl commence.'- liTi Sn .Mnp No I — 1) R. C. 63 As we advanced we were joined by a party of fifteen natives in two canoes. A smoke had l)efore been observed aniunjrst tJie trees on the eastern shore, but we then saw no appearand' of any habitations. 'I'hese people approached us without much hesitation, and in t' r countenances was expressed a degree of savaj^e ferocity infinitely surpassing anything of the sort I had before observed in the various trilx-s that had fallen under my notice. Many of those we had before seen had their feces painted in various modes; but these had contrived so to dispose of the red, white, and black as to reiid'T the natural ugliness of their countenances more horribly hideous. This frightful appearance did not seem to be a new fa.'thion among them, but to ha\e been long adopted bv their naturally ferocious disposition, and was correspondent to the stern and savage deportment thev took so much pains to exhibit. I offered them such presents as we had t)een accustomed to make on similar occasions, but they were rejected by some with disdain, whilst the few who deigned to take anything received our gifts with a stern and cool indifference. Amongst tlse paity was a woman who was additionally disfigured by one of those extraordmary h'p ornaments ; this did not a little augment her froward, shrewish aspect. 1 offered her a looking-glass with some trinkets, but at the instance itors. Hut all was to no effect ; they refu.sed to accept any more presente, whilst those who had condescended to receive any made signs that we should go to their place of abode, which we had by this time passed, and freipiently made use of the words " Ilium*' ini/frr,'' signifying to stop and trade, pro'ucing at the same time some very indifferent sea otter skms. Uecollccting the avidity with which all the inhabitants of the^e parts enter into comujercial intercourse I thonijht their uncourteous behaviour might liave arisen from our backwardness m following the same pur^uit, imd ho[)ed by otl'eiing to trade with them we should l)e able to obtain their friendship. iur reach to purchase them. Whilst we remained together on shore their behaviour was more civil, and we seemed to part on much better terms than we had met. 1 hey remained at the point and we proceeded up the arm. Their absence, however, was not of long duration, as they shortly followed us, waving their skins, and exposing tliem for sale ; and it was not a little extraordinary that tliey sh<'uld now exchange their skins and other articles of traffic for the very ideiilica commodities which they had betoie rejected with ho much contempt. It was not easy to account for the singular appearance and rude lK'ha\ iour of this tribe, so very different from what we had hitherto experienced, .^ome amongst us suggested tiiat these people might probably l>clong to that party on whom Mr. Hiown had recently been obliged to fire in ihis neighbourhood, and at no great distance fro;n our actual station, but it appeared to me far more likely that their resentment had bi en excited by our perfect indifflreuce to their commodities l-rought tor sale, an I tiir havini; declined their in\ itations to the place of their abode. This opinion was soon confirmed by their siil)s<.'(jucnt conduct , on being now ortered blue cloth for their skins the\' beean a song that continued until they came close to us, when I observed that their arms and wur garments were all laid aside, and, ha\ ing disposed of such things as they bad for sale, they began to betray a somewhat thievish disposition. I endeavoured to maki' them sensible of my disapproljatioij of this conduct, and made signs that they should depart, with which they reluctantly complied. I did not observe that these people differed from the generality of ihe Xorth-west Americans, otherwise than in the ferocity of their countenances. I'heii Aveapons seemed v/e!l adapted to their condition ; their spears, about sixteen feel long, weie pointed with iron, wrought in several simple forms, ainonsst -.vhic!" some weri' bailved. Their Imiws were well constructed, and their arrows, with which they were plentifully supplied, ap- Siiiiila\ 64 piarcil l)ut nule, and were pointed with bone or iron. Karh man was provided with an iron dagger, suspended from his neck in a leather sheath, seemintjly intended ti> Im* use If]', longitude 2:lt> ■<'. Near this point ue rested for the night. From hence the arm took a direction N. I.") W. continuing m general about the same width. Het^vi-en .is and the opposite shore was a small island nearlv in mid-channel. The weather In-ing fair and pleasant we started earl v the next morning, .Sundav the 2'!th. continuing our researches up this branch. At noon the oijserved latitude on the eastern shore was .'>.") '2^ , longitude 23n ."i , from hence it took a more northerly direction, and M..nd«». then trended a little t > the eastward ot north, where by l(t in the forenoon of .Monday "■''■"^' the "iiJth it was found to terminate in low mar>ihy land in latitude ."ij ' t.5'. lon>,'itude 2.'«i <)' The shores of this inlet were nearly straight, and in general little more than a mile astmder, composed mostly of high rocky cliffs covered with pine trees to a con- .siderable height ; but the more nuerior country was a compact body of biffh barren mountains covered with snow. .Vs we pursued this branch salmon in great pjentv were leapnig in all diri-ctions. .Seals and sea .>, longitude 22ir 4" ; the inlet still continum" in the same direction. ( )n the western shore. atM)ut half a league to the southward of this station, we entered a small opening not more than a cable's length in width stretchine to the northward : up this we had made a little progress, when the launch, which bad preceded u.- and had reached its extremity, was met on her return. .Mr. Swaine in- formed nie that its termination was about a league from its entrance, and that its width was from a qu.irter to halt a leaL'ue. \N'e stopped tor the iiiirpose oi (lining, and were visited by a canoe, in which were three persons ; they a]i|)roaehed us with little hesitation, and seemed well plea.sed at receivine a lew triviiil present.s. 'I'hev earnestly solicited our return to the head of this little arm, where it appear* d their chief resided, and who had abundance of furs to barter tor our comiiKxlities ; but as it was out of our way we declined tluir proposal, at which thev seemed hurt and ilisappointed, but retired in perfect good humour. AiVT dinner we attempted to lelurii by the way we had come, but on approaebinT the entrance the rajiidity of the flood tide prevented our advancing against it until near high w.aer, about (i in the evening. Many of the small trees at the place where we had dined had been cut down with an axe, an implement not yet in use wiih these people, who on all such occasions prtfir any kind of chisel. The trees appeared io have been felleil for the purpose of gaining convenient access to the run of water hard by, and this gave rise to an opiiiion that our dining place had lately liecii the resort of other civilized people. .list .l>ll\ 65 Having ai^ain reached the arm leadinp to the S.S.W. we proceeded in that direction, and passed two small rocky islets ulioiit a mile to the soutli of the last-mentioned small arm. Finding the main eiianiiel ni w reguljriy decreasitig to halt' a mile in width, and havinsj a strong southerly breeze, we did not proceed more than three miles l)ei'ore we rested for the night. Tlie narrowness ot' the channel and the appearance ot its termina- tion het'oreus would have induced me to have reiinijuished all thoimhis ot a loniniuiiication with the ccean l)v this route hid it not heen for the indications presenteil '.)\ the shores on either side. These gradually decreasing in height, with a verv uneven surtiice, were entirely covered with i)ine trees, and as such appearance<« had, in most instances, been found to attenii the hroken !)aris of the country immediately along tlie sea coast I was cncournged to persevere in this pursuit. We had no' Ik-i n long landed iK-fbre the natives who had visited us at dinner time made their appearance again, accompanied by a large canoe, in which was the chief of their fjarty. I directed them to Irmd at a s!n:ill distance from our Ixiats. with which they readily complied. 'I'he chief received some jiresents, and in return gave rue two or three sea otters' tails, 'lliis intercourse seeincii, by our sitrns and such words as we h-ul picked up, to Ik* an assurance of a goxl iin seen paddlimi towards us. On this a pistol wa.s tired in the air, which had the <»or)d etfcct ot showing that wc were upon our guard, and prevented rheir giving us any further disturbance. .■\s soon as it was daylight in the morning of Thursilay, the 1st of Aui;ust, these Tluir^iiix. people, accompained bv another canw, were with us according to ap|);)intment the '»' Aignsi. f (receding evening. 'Ihey ott'eicd (or sale the skins of the sea otter, and a large Idack lear that seemei! to have Urn killed by a spear in the course of the night. I was not backward in complying with our part ot tiie ;igrcernent ; but, like those whom we had seen on Saturday, tln'se rejected every article we had with ns for the piirpost- <• "barter; and. except inu tiiearins and nnnnunition, which were not oRered to them, we lot discover on what their inclinations were placed. Ihey followed us, h.)we\. vo miles, persisting in desiring we would " W'innee W'atter," until at length tiru .ig no other iirtides weie tendered iliem than those they had before declined they retired, exclaiming '• Pusee " and '• I'eshack," which couUl not Ik: ini«^iipderstood as terms of disapprobation. This party, including one woman with a lip ornament, consisted of 16 or IS perst.ns. who in ciiaracter, much resenililed (though I think tlicy weie not quite so h.'rcciou.«) those we had seen tlie preceding Saturday. 'I'his woiikui, as well as the other we had seen on the 27th, steered the call!),'. She appeared to be a ni.ist excessive scold and to posses^ great authority. She had nuicli to say respecting the whole of their transac- tions, and exacted the most ready iilndiince to her commands, which were given in a very surlv manner, parti'-ularly in one instance to a man in the bow of the canoe, who, in compliance to lier dire< tions, immediately ma le a different disposition of the spear-. Thesf had all lain on one side of him, just pointed oxer the bow of the cano<.', with several things lying carelessly over them, but on his receiving her conimands the outer ends were projected further, their inner en-is cleared of the lumlier that was over ihem, and the whole, amounting to about a dozen, were equally divided and regularly laid on each side of him. Ftoni tin- place at which we had slept this channel took a direction S. 12 W. about a league and a halt to a point in latitude .'>! 4"*', longitude 229' '-^Ul , fiom whence the con- tinental shore takes a direction N. 2'> W. about a league through a narrow chamiel not a fourth of a mile in breadth, having in it several islets and rocks. In order to niake sure of keeping the continental shore on lM)ard, we pursued this and left the south- westerlv channel whose width had increased to about a mile, and whose shores appeared to l)e much brok- n, as if admitting several passages to the sea. .\t the north end of this narrow ciiannel we came to a larger one extending N. .'55 K. and S. 35 W. 'I'he fi'rmcr first attracted our notice; this by noon w.is found to end in latitude .'il" i'tHh', longitude '22!)° 10', not in low marshy land, as had heen generally the case in the interior parts of our survey, but by low, though steep, r.-cky shores, forming many little bays and covis abounding with rocks and rocky islets. Here were seen an immense iiuiiiIhm of sea otters. and amongst them some tew seals, but more of the fori);er than I had _\et noticed. Having dineil we pursued the examination of the continent in a south wc:terly direction, which brought lis by tiie evening to its end in that t 48^', longitiule 2'i9" ."51 .i', fiom hence the clianncl extended ti) the S.S.K. and met that which we had Il30ts. I 66 quitted in the morning, making the land which formed the western shore and that before U9 to the eastward an island alnmt ten miles in circuit. The shores, that had been ncarlv straight and compact since we had quitted the rocky arm above mentioned, became again mdented with bays and coves, lK>undeoint I discovered her endeavouring, as I supposer], to pass a most tremendous fail of water; the evening at this time was nearly closing in, and {)eing now about high tide the fall appeared to be adverse to their proceeding, but finding tluy continued to advance I hailed and waved them to desist. On our meeting 1 found they had possessed but sufficient strength and time to extricate themsehcs from a very alarming situation. The direction of tlie fall was in a contrary line to what they hail expected, as the water was rushing with great impetuosity through a narrow rocky channel, and falling into a basin whose surface appeared to lie grcitly ix'neath the level of the chatinel we were navigating . on tiieir perceiving this their utmost exertions were required for a short time to prevent the boat from l)eiiig drawn within its vortical influence. About a mile from the above point nearly in a somh direction we brought to for the night. Friday. In the morning of IViday the Jiid we set out early, and passed through a labyrinth of 2ijd Augu-t. sniall islets and rocks along the continental shore; this, taking now a winding course to the south-west and west, showed the MMith-eastern side of the channel to be much broken, througli which wa? a passage leuling S.S.K. towards the ocean. W'c passe-d this in the hope of finding a more northern and \(e>terly conunuiiication. in which we were not disappointed, as the channel we were then pursuing was soon found to communicate also with the sea, making the lanii to the south of us one or more i>lands. From the north- west pt>int of this land, situated in latitude ." \ 4'>f,', longitude 'iiO' "i"^', the Pacific was evidently sci'n between N. 8>< W. and S. .^1 \V. (jff the point, at a little distance from the mainland, was an island alwut half a niiie Vom us ; the opposite or continental shore lying north-east, not quite half a mile distant. Between this and the westernmost land in sight the shores appeared to be nmch divided, with small rocky islets and breakers in most directions. *The outermost lies nearly south-east about two miles and a half from the point seen the former niorning; and statetl to be the ncrtli point of the passage leading towards the ocean. No. 36. VANCOUVER'S VOYAGES. Extract from 8vo Edition, ISOl.f Vol. IV., Chap, v., p. 191. loth August Iti the forenoon we reached that arm of the sea, whose examination had occupied our time from the 2"th of the preceding to the "Jnd of this month. The distance from its entrance to its source is alK)ut /*> miles ; which, in honour of the noble family of Ilentinck. 1 named Portland's Channel. J No. 37. VANCOUVER'S VOYAGES. Extract, 8vo Edition, .801.§ Vol. IV., Chap, v., page 19«. loili Atigtist. Nothing of any note iiaving occurred during my absence I shall conclude this chapter bv the insertion of the astronomical and nautical observations made at this place ; and, in consequence of our Iiaving been so fortunate as to be able to obtain those that were • 1*. 149 of 8vo edition ; p. .146 of 4to edition. t See also 4to Edition, 179H, p 371. I la 4to Edition, 1798, this ii called Portland's Canal. § See aUo 4to Edition, 170H, p. 375, 67 essential for correcting our former survey, and for our future regulation in that respect, this branch ohtaine*! the name of ObscrTatory Inlet ; and the cove, where the vessels were stationed, that of Salmon Cove, from the abundance of that kind of fish that were there taken. No. 38. VANCOUVER'S VOYAGES. ExTB.vcT, 8vo Edition, 1801.* Vol. IV., Chap. VI., p. 204. A want of wind, and the flood tiky, (irand Cro>s of t!'c Order oi St. Wladimir of the Eirst Class, Knight of that of the VVhite Eagle ot Poland, Grand Cross of the Older of St. Stephen of Hungary, Knight of the Ordeis of the Holy Ghost and of St. Michael, and • See also 4t» Eilition, 1798, p. 379 t See nlso 4to Edition, 17!IS, p. 410. I IJuko 1)1 Clnrcnct's Stri'it. § Canal, in 4to E'lition, 17!;8. 68 Grand Cross of the Lejjion of Honour of France, Knipht (>rJD(l Cross of the Orders of the Hlack and of the Red Kaglc of Prussia, of the Annunciation of Sardinia, of Charles III. of Spain, of St. I'erdinnnd and of Mtrit of Naples, of the I'.lcpliant of Dennmrk, of the Polar Star of Sweden, of the Crown of \V'irtenii)eri(. of the (iuelphs of II, mover, of the Ik'lgic Lion, of Fidelity of Baden, and of St. Constaniine of Parma : and Pierre de Poiitica. Actual Counsellor of State, Knight of the Order of St. .Vnne of the First Class, and (Jniiid Cross of the Order nf St. Wladiinir of the Second: who, after huvin:; e.\cliaii<:cd their full powers, found in good and due form, have airretd upon and signed iIil- following stipidations : I. It is agreed, that in any part of the Great Ocean, cnmmonly called the Pacific Ocean, or South Sea, the respective citizens or suhjects of tlu iiigh contractin;,' powers shall Ix* neither disturbed nor restrained, either in navigation cr in fishing, or in the power of resorting to the coasts, upon points which may nut a'ready Ihive l>ceii occupied, ti)r the purpose of trading witli the natives; saving alw.iys the restri-tions and conditions deter- mined by the following articles. II. With the view of preventing tiie rights of navigation iiiid of fishing exercised upon the great ocean by the citizens and subjects of tiie high contractinij powers, troin becom- ing the pretext for an illicit trade, it is agreed that the citizen.s of the L'liited States shall not res!);t to any point where there is a Uussian estaiilishiiicnf, without the permission of the governor or cimmaiuier; and that, reciprocally, the subjects of Uussi-i iiall not resort, without jierrnission. to any estai>lishii)eii: of the I'nited States upon uie north-west co;ist. III. It is moreover agreed th:it, hereafter, there shall not l)c formed i>y the citizens of the United States, or under tlie authority of the said States, any estaolishmeiit upon the North-west Coast of America, nor in asiy of tiie islands adjacent, to the north of fifty-fur (it grees and forty inmutes of !ii>rtii latitude; anil that, in the same manner, there shall be nunc formed by Russian subjects, or under the authority of Russia, south of the same parallel. (V. It is, nevertheless, understood, that, during a term often years, coimting from the siiinuture of the present Convention, the shi|>, ot' both powers, or which U'lontf to their citizens or subjects, respectively, m;iy reciprojaliy frequent, wiilxiut any hindrance; what- ever, the interior seas, gulls, harbours, and creek-, upon tiie coast meniioiied in the pre- ei'ding article, for the purpose of fishing and trading with tlie natives of the country. \ . All spiritut)us liquois, fire-arms, other arms, powdei, and munitions of war of every kin>i, are always e.vcepted from tiiis same commerce permitted by the preceding article; and tliC two powers engage leciprocalh'. ncitiu'r io sell, or sutfer them to be sold to the natives by their respe-clive citizens and suijects, nor by any person who may Ik:> under their authority. It is likewise stipulated, that this restriction shall never adbrd a pre- text, nor bv advanced, in anv' case, to authorise either searcii or detention of the vessels, seizure of the merchandi:-e. or, in tine, anv meisures of constraint whatever towards the merchants or the crew> who m:iy carry on liiis cominer,.c : tlu' hiiih contracting powers rec'jjidcally reserving! ♦hemsclves to determine upon the penaliies to be inciirr -d, and to inflict the pimishii . m ease of the contiavontion of this article, by their respective citizens or subjects. VI. When this convention shall have been duly ratified by the President of the United States, with the advice and cuisenr of the Senate on the one part, and oa the other by lli^- Majesty the Kniperor of ail the Russias, the ratifications shall be exchanged at \\ ashington in the space of ten months from the date below, or sooner, if possible. In faitli whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this convention, and thereto aff'.xed the seals of their arms. Done at St. Petersburg, the I" .> April of the year of (irace 1*^24. HKNRY MIDDLETON. Ui; CoMTE CHARLES DE NESSELRODE. PIERRE DL POl.ETICA. 69 No. 41. Convention bftweeu Great Britain and Russia, signed at St. Petersburgh, rebruarv ;-,. lf*2o. - lb {Presented to Parliament, May l6, If "i.'j.) In the name of the Most Holy and L'lidi- vidi'd 'f'rinity. {Trnnslatiiin.) His Majesty the King of the United Kinjriloin t)t'(irettt Bi-iiaiii and Frcianil, and Hi> MajcNty the Kmpcrorof all the Hiissius, hc-iiig desirous of drawinij still closer the .\u noiu de la Iris Sninte et Indivisible Trinite. Sa Majeste le Roi di. Hoyauinc Uni de lii Grande Brctaifne et de rirhmde, et Sa Miijestc TKnipereiir de loiites les Hussies, desirant resserrer les liens de honiie intelli- ties of good iiiulerstandiriir and fiicndship tjenee et daniitie cpii Irs uiiissent,.-iu inoven dun accord qui retrli'icit. d'apres le prin- cipe des ."onvenances reciproqiies, divers points relatifs au con.nierce, ;i la navigation, ft aiix pecheiies de Icurs sujcts sur r( )cean l'acifi(jue, aiii>i ijue Ics limltcs de Iturs po^si.'ssions res|)ectivts sur la Cute Xord- tiuest de r Anieri(iiK-. out nuninii- des I'leni- potentiaires pour conclun- une Convention u cet vtfet. savoir : — Sa .Majistc' le Roi du Royaume I ni de li Grande Breta^ne et de rirlaiide, ie Tres Hoiioriihle Stratford Can- ning, Cuiiseiller de Si dite M.ijeste en .Sou Conseil I'rive, &c. Kt .*'"a Ma]este IKni- pereur tie loutes les Russics, le SicurCharles Robert Cointe de Xessflrode, Son Conseiiler I'rive uctuel, lutinlier ilu ('oiiscil ile lEm- pire, Sccretaiivd'Ktiit dirigeant le Ministrre des Atlairt'S Iiiriiingeres, &c. ; ct le Sieur Pierre de Polctica, Son Conseiiler d'Erat actuel, fiC. Lesqurls RltMupoteniiiiires, aprt's s'l'trc C()iiinuuii(]ue Iturs Bieinpou- voirs rcspectifs, troavt's en iwnne ct due forme, ont arretc it siguij les Articles suivans : — which unite them, by nie.iiis of an agree- ment which may settle, upon the basis of reciprocal convenience, different points con- neit'-d with tiie commerce, navigation, and fisheries of their subiccts on the Pacific Ocean, as well as the limits of their re- spective possessions on the North-west Coast of America, liavc named Plenipoten- tiaries to conclude a Convention for this purpose, that is to s;iy : — His Majesty the King of the Cniied Kingdom ot' Great Britain and irclat'd, the Riifht Honourable Stratford Caiuiing, a member of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, &c. And His .Majesty the Kmperor of all the Russias. tlie Sieur Charles Robert Count de Nesselrode, His Imperial Ma- jesty's Privy C^ounciilor. a member of the Council of the I'mpire, Secretary of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs, tVc, and the .Sieur Pierre de i'olctica. His Im- perial Majesty's Councillor of State, &c. Who, alter having cfvniiuunicatcd to each other their rcspcciive full powers, t'ouiid in good and due tbrm, have agreetl upon and signed the following .Articles: — I. It is agreed that the respective sub- jects of the high contracting parties shall not be troubled or molested, in ;iuy part of the ocean, commonly culled the Pacific Ocean, either in navigating the same, in fishing therein, or in landing at such parts ol'tlie coast as shall .lot have been already occu]>ied, in ouler to trade with ti.c natives, under the restrictions and conditions speci- fied in the follo\'ing Articles. II. In order to prevent the right of naviiiating and fishing exercised upi>n the ocean by the subjects of the high contract- I. II est convenii que d;ins auciine partie du Gitmd Ocean, appele coMununcinent (Jct'-an I'aeifique, les -njets rcspoclifs des Hautes Puissances contraetantes nc seront ni troubles ni 5:6111% soit dans la navigation, soit dans I'cxploiration de la peclie, soit dans la laculte d'aborder aux cotes sur des points qui ne scraient pasdeja occupi'-~, at'n dy faire le commerce avec les Indiirents, sauf toutefois les restrictions ct conditions detcrminces par les Articles qui suivcnt. II. Dans la vue d'empecher (|ue les droits de navigation et dc pi-che cxerce-i sur le grand ocean par les sujets des Hautes ing parties, from l)ecoming tlie pretext for Parties contractantes, ne deviennent le pre- an illicit commerce, it is agreed that the subjects of His Britannick .Majesty shall nut land at any place where ttiey ma\- be a Russian establishment without the p^T- inis.sion of the Governor or Commandant ; and, on the other hand, that Russian sub- jects shall not land without permission at texte d'un commerce illiiite, il est ronvenu que les sujets de Sa Majeste B!itanni()ue n'aborderont a aucun point 011 il se trouve iin etablissement R isse, sans la permission du Gouverneur ou Commandant ; et (jue reciproquement, les sujcts Russes ne poiir- ront aboidcr sans p<"rmiss'on, a aucun 70 any Rritish cslablishtnent on the \orth-wcst Coast. III. The line of dtmiircation i)ctwecn tlie possessions of the hijih contracting,' parties upon the co»st of the continent and the islaiuis of America to the north-west, shall he lirawn in tite intnncr following : — Coniniencini; from the ■••outhermnost point of the island called Prince of Wales Island, wiiieli point lies in tlic parallel of til degrees lit minutes north latit\idc, and between the 131st and the l;5;!d degree of west lonijitudc (meridian of (ireeuwich), the ^aid line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portl;ind Channel, us far a^ the })oint of the continent where it strikes tlic jdth deiiree of north latitude: from this last-mcntioiied point, the line of demarca- tion shall follow the summit of the moun- tains situated f.arallel to the coast, as liir as the point of iiiteiHCtioii of the I list degree of wrst lonijitude (of the same meridian I ; and, finally, from the said point of intersection, the saiil meridian line of the I list degree, in its prolongation as far as the frozen ocean, shall form the limit lic- twceii the i{u-^>ian and British possessions on the Continent of America to the north- west. 1\'. With reference to the line of demar- cation laid down in the preceding .Vrticlc, it IS understood ; 1st. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall hclong wholly to Russia. 2nd. That wherever the siiiuinit of the mountains which extend in a direction parallel to the coa>t, from the .'){itli degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of the 1 list degree of west longitude, shall prove to be at the distance of more than ten marine leagues from the icean, the limit between the Hriti>li pos'^c-^sions and the line of coait which is to )jeioug to Uns>ia. as above mentioned, sluJl he formed by a line parallel to the windings of the cojst, and which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom. V. It is moreover .agreed that no estab- lishment shall be formed by either of the two parties within the limits assigned by the two preceding Articles to the po>sessions of the other; consequently Ihitish subjects shall not lormany estahlislmunt either upon the coast or upon the bor ler of the continent comprised within the limits of the Uu«sian possessions, as designated in tiie two pre- ceding .Articles; ami, in like manner, no otablishiiunt shall lie fomieil by Russian subji.'cls b.'yoiid the said limits. VI. It is understood that tlie subjects of liis Ibitannick Majesty, l'i\>m whatever quarter they may arrive, whether fiom the • K-vtin or fro'u the interior of the continent, etablisscment liritanniquc gur la cote Nord-oue.st. III. La ligne de demarration cntre let possessions des Ilautes Paitics contrac- lantes, sur ia cote du ("ontmtnt ct les iles de r.^mrrique Nord-( )iiest, seratrace-eainsi qu'il suit : — .\ partir du pomt le phis meridional I'ik dite I'rinre of ll'tili-s, lecpicl point se trouve sous la parallele du o line degrc, K) minutes de latitude .N'ord, et entrc le i;ilmc ct le l.'^.ime degrd de longitude l)uc>t (meridien de (ireenwieh) la dite liirne remontera au nord le long de 'a passe dite Portland ('Im/iiirl jusqu'au {Kiint de la terre ferme oil e'le atteint le dfime degre de latitude Nord ; de ce i! - nier point la ligne de demarcation suivra ia cret(! des montagnes situees paralh'lement a la cote, jusqu'au point d'intersection du I -I I me degn- de longitude (3uest (meme meridien) et tinalemcnt, du dit point d'inter- section, la meme ligne meridienne du NIme dcgro formcra dans son prolonge- mcnt jusqu'ii la inorGIaciale, la liinite entre les possessions Kusses et Brittaniques sur Ic (Jontineut de r.Vmeriquc Nord-Oucst. IV. II est cntendu. par rapport h la ligne de dt-marcation determinee dans l'.\rticle precedent ; I. que I'islc dite Prince of IVnles appar- tiendra tout«' entiere a. la Uussic. :.'. que partout oil la crete des montagnes qui s'etendent (lan> une direction parallele i' la cote depuis le .")()ine degre de latitude nord au point d'intersection du 141 me degre de longitude ouest, se trouveroit ii la distance de plus de dix lieues marines de Toiean. 1 1 liniite entre les possessions Bri- tanoiques ct la lisiere de cote mentionnec cidessus, coinme devant appartenir i la ){uf British sul)jects for the spicc of ten years from the date of the exclrmire of the ratifications of the present Convi luion. In the event of an e.\tcnsion of this t( rni of ten years being granted to any other power, the like extension shall be {^ranted als > to Great Britain. JX. The above-mentioned liboity of commerce shall not apply to the tni le in spirituous liquors, in firearms or other :ti nis, gunpowder or other warlike stores ; the high contracting parties reciprocally en- gaging not to permit the above-mentioned articles to be sold or deliv(red, in any manner whatever, to the natives of the country. X. Every British or Russian vessel navi- gating the Pacific Ocean, which may be compelled b\' storms or by a -oident to take shelter in the ports of the respective parties, ahall be at liberty to retit tlierein, to provide itself with all necessary sfores, and to put to sea again, without payin • itty other than port and lighthouse dues, wi.iih shall be the same as those paid by nntiun <] vessels. In case, however, the master n! such vessel should l)e under the neces'^ity of disposing of a part of his merchandise in order to defray his expenses, he shall conform him- self to the regulations and taritfs of the place where he may have landed. XI. In every case of complaint on account of the infraction of the Articles of the present Convention the civil and military authorities of the high contracting parties, without previously acting or taking any forcible measure, shall make an exact and circum- stantial report of the matter to their respec- tive Courts, who engage to settle the same iu a friendly manner and according to the principles of justice. XII. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be ex- de naviguer librcmcnt et sans entrave quel- conque sur tons le? tleuves et rivieres qui dans Icurs tours vers la mer Pacifitiue, tra- verseront la ligne .Ic dt'-marcation sur la lisi^re de !a cote indiquee dans I'Article 3 de la presente Convention. VII. II est ans^i entcndu que pendant I'espace de dix ans a dater do la signature de cette Conventim, les vaisseaux des doux Puissances ou ceux appartenans i\ Icurs sujets respectifs, pourront reci])roquement frequenter, sans ontrave quelconque, toiites les mers inlt'rieures, les golfes. havres. et criciues sur !a cute mentionnee dans I'Ar- ticic 3, aHn d'y faire la prdee a queliiiie autre Puissance, la memc p' 'longation sera egalemcnt accor- dee a la Grande Brctugne. IX. La sa^dite lil)erte de commerce no s'appli(|uera point au tratic des liqueurs spirit ueuse<, des arincs k feu, des armes blanches, de la poudre h. eanon, ou d'autres munitions de guerre ; les Hautes Parties contractantcs s'cngngeant r6ciproquement h. ne laisser ni vendre, 'li livrer, de quelque maniere que se pui.- - etre, aux indigenes du pays, les Articles ci lessus mentionnes. X. Tout vaisseaa Britannique ou Russe naviguant sur I'Oct^an Pacifivjue, qui sera force par des tempete<, on par quelque accident, de se refugier dans les ports des parties respectives, aura la libcrte de s'y radouber. de s'y pourvoir de tous les ohjets qui lui seront n<5cessaires, et de se reroettre en mer, sans payer d'autres droits que ceux de port et de fanaux, lesquels seront pour lui les memos que pour les bi\timens na- tionaux. Si cependaut, le patron d'un tel navire se trouvoit dans la necessite de se defaire d'une partie de ses marchandises pour subvenir a ses dt5penses, il sera tenu de se conformer aux ordonaances et aux tarifs de I'endroit ou il aura aborde. XI. Dans tci;s les cas de pluintes rela- tives k I'infractiou des Articles de la presente Convention, les autoriN's civiles et militaires des deux hautes partie- contractantcs, sans se perniettre au prcalable ni voie de fait, ni mesurc de force, seront tenues de faire un rapport exact de I'affaire et de ses circon- stances a leurs Clours respectives, lesquelles s'engagenl a la regler ii I'amiable, et d'apres les pnucipcs d'une parfaite justice. XII. La presente Convention sera ratifiee, et les ratifications en seront echangecs a 72 rfaaogcd at I^ondon wilbin thf space of six Londres dant IVspice de six semaines, ou weeks, or tooner if pocsibic. plutot si faire se peut. In witnes!« whereof the respective pleni- Kii foi de quoi in plenipotentiaires reipec- potiutiiiries liavc signed the same and have tifs i'oni signee, et _v ont apposlS le cachet alhxtd thereto the seal of their aria». de Icurs armes. Done at St. Petersburgh, the "^^^^ Fait ii St. PtHersbourg. le "'"'^i'i* Fevrler. day of FeUiiiary, in the year of our Lord de I'an de Grace mil huit cent vingt-cinq. one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five. (t..s.) STRATFORD CANNING. (l.s.) STRATFORD CANNING. (L.s.) TllK COINT DENES- (l.s.) LE COMTE DE NESSEL- SKLRODE. UUDE. (I..S.) I'iERRE DE POLETICA. (i..s.) I'IKRRE DE I'OLETICA. NoTH. — The ratifications were exchanj^cd h}- the Right Hon. George Cannini? and Count de Lieveu in London on 9th April 18-'5. No. 4-2. Mb. FHELPS to the MARQUIS OF SALISBURY. (Received January 20.) T.egctioD of the L'nitcd States', London. .My Lobo, January 19, 1S86. RrFEimiNG to the conversation held witli your Lordship ou the I2th instant, relative to the boundary between the British possessions in North .\mericu :ii;d the tcrritor}' of Alaiika, I have the honour to transirit herewith a copy of the statement of the facts contained in the ii.structions sent me by my Government, together with copies of the maps therein refcrrc.i to. I think your LortKhip wii! Hnd in these documents tlic confirmati'n of the statements I made Id the conversation above mentioned. In ihc tr> iity hciween the United States and the Emperor of Russia, of the 30th Marcli l^Gr, whtTel»y the territory of Alaska was ceded to the L^nited States, the casiern boumiary of that terrif iry, which divides it from the North American possession?, of Her Mujesty, is designated by embcKiying in the treaty, in terms, the langua-ic of Articles III. and IV. ot the Convention bttwcen Great Britaui and fluisia, ot the iiSth I'Vlii uarv 1 x-J-">. whereby that Ix)undary is established. These .\ nicies arc as follows : — •' ( onirnciiting Jrcm the southernmost point nf the island called Prince of Wales' Island, wliich point lies in the parallel of .")4° 40' north latitude, and between the t3lst dcLTce and the 133rd degree of west longitude (meridian of Green *rich), tlie said line shall ascend to the north along the '"hanuel called Portland Channel, as far as the point of the continent where it strikes tiie o6th degree of north latitude ; from this last- uicntioned point, the line of demarcation slinll fi)Uovv the summit of the mount.i.iris situa- ted parallel to the coast as far as the point (>f intersection of ttic 14l8t d^'gree of west longitude (of the same meridian), and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as {' n.oiinla'ns lippaiently contiinidi.s and >hiirply deh'ncd. runninir paniili-l with, tho coast ;ihout In marine ien{jn(>i inland, (ioni the "ifJtIi degree of north latitude to their intersection with the I I ! ^t di litic o( west lonuitadc, and t'orniing anauiral and pl.iinly obvious permanent boundary. And pr('i>ably the mountains, a» seen from the sea, prestnt that apptarance to the eye. Hut recent explorations ^in(•c the coun'ry h'ls beunn to be occupieil, show that no such boundary a.-* that descriiied in these tre.iti;'S exists within the limits above mentioned, or is capable of U'lng ditcrmincd. And that the monuments by uhiih it is indicated in the treat its tend only to contusion and uncertainty. Instcail ot a ciintinnons range nt inouritains along the summit oi' which a tangible and reasonably direct Ime can be run, tlie whole region proves to he broken into a sea of mount. dns, with spurs running in various directions, covering laterally a very 'ride surface. H\ no criterion, either of height, direction, or continuity, can a iine be laid down thar Ci-uld \k' n gurded as " Inllowing the sunuiiit of the mountain-," and any approximation that should !« attempted, to the line procrihed in the treaties, would i>e no nearer than various other approximations that minht t)e rnacie, and whicli would be widely ditl'erent from each other. The only other indication of this part of the botmdary contained in the treaties, the limit of 1(1 marine leagues from the .iccan, eipially f.uls of practicitble location. The Coa>t proves upon survey to be so cxtivnu-ly irrt guiar and indented, with such and so many projections and iniets, that it is not p')-sibic, except at iinmen-e expanse of time and money, to nin a line th.it shall be parallel with it, and if such a line should \k' sur- veyed it wruld Ik? so confused, iirctrular. and inconsistent that it would In.- imjiossible of practical recognition, and would differ must m iterially from the clear and substantially straight line contemplate 1 in the treaties. The result of the whole matter is, that these treaties, which were intended and under- stood to estahlish a proper boundary, easy to observe a'.id be maintained, really give no bouiidary at all >o far as this pi)ition of the territory is concerned. A further ditficidty is di-closd by the recent surveys in respect to this line. It is found that I'ortlaiiii (,'hannel does not extt'uil so fjir tiorth as the .^(Jth degree of north latitude. This, however, can prol)ably be easily rectitied upon proper survey by extending the general line of I'ortiand Channel some four or five miles further to tlie north. I'nder these cirCiinistances I am instructed by my tJuverninent to propose, through vour Lordship, to Her Majesty s (lovernment, tliat a commission be agreed on bv the Govenmients of the I'nited .States and uf Her Majesty, to be composed of commissioners to be appointed by each, who -hall, under such instructions and conditions as may be mutuallv concurred in and upon such surveys and examination^ as may be found necessary and practicable, either designate and est,d>lish the beundary hne in question or rcpoit to the respective (>overn!i:eir,s such fict^, data, and recommendations as mav afford a basis tor its est'iblishinent by Convention bet\ een them. In addition to the statement of facts above mentioned, I have the honour to send herewith copies of the maps therein referred to. The book called " United .'itate^' Pacific Coa>t I'ilot " I must ask your Lordship to have the ki.uiness to return at your convenience, as I have no other copy. But sliould you desire it, I shall he happy to send to the United States for a copy for tlie use of Her Majtst.'s (jovernment. And I shall he much obliged if your Lordship will cause copies to be sent me of the British and Canadian official maps mentioned in the statement. In the conversation with your Lordship before alluded to, reference was made to the time within which my Ciovernment nmst apply to Congress for the appropriation necessary for the expenses of the Con.'nnssion on its part if sent out this year. 1 have since informetl myself ou that point by telegraphic communication with the Department of, .State, and learn that if an agreement should be reached between the (iovernments by' the 1st April, the appropriation can probably be obtained. I venture to suggest, however, iu view of the reasons which will readily occur to your Lordship, for as early an adjustment of this boundary as may be found practicable; that ' as such an expedition can only make progress in the •summer, and as some time must I necessarily be occupied in it.s appointment, outfit, and arrangentents, it will doubtless ; \ n a»036. K I ] .z^ssBs^a^mSssamitm^uMtijmMmiiam 74 be for the mutual interests of the Govcrnuients that a decision in regard to it should be made as soon as may bj conoisteiit. I have, &c. (Signed) E. J. FHKLPS. Enclosures. 1. Stiitement froai Instruction No. ill of the 2()th Novemt)er l!*f^^> from Mr. Hayard to Mr. I'hcips. '2. Vancouver's Chart No. 7 ( photojiraphi-d) 3. I nitcd States" Coast .Survey Chart ot' Alaska No. %0. 1884. A. rnitcii States' Coast Survev Chart No. 71'l, Ucvilla Gigedo Channel, IB^^S. 5. " United States' I'acitic C^oast Pilot," .Ahisiva, Part I., 1S83. 6. Treaty l)elweeu the I'nited States and Russia tor the cession of Alaska, 30th March, 1867. Enclosure I in No. 3. Mr. H.AVARu to Mr. Pi'.i:i.ps. Department of State, Washingto^i, Sir, November 20, 18b5. SnoRri,v after assi ■ g the duties of this Office, my attention was drawn to the circumstance that thee.xuting boundary line between the territory of Alaska and her Majesty's jwssession of British Columbia, is not only open to doubt in certain quarters, although not in doubt so far as this (Government is concerned, in reypect of the water- boundary from Prince of Wales' Island and through the Portland ('h.tr.nel, but that it ij, els(., with rctiurd to the iulanil frontier, which is supposed to iollow a mountain range, an impracticable one to survey, if not a geographical impossibility. The territory of Alaska was acquired l)y the United States from Russia, subject to the existing demarcation of the eastern frontier-line i)etw(>(n Ru'^sia .Vmerica and Hriti'-h America, under the C'onvention between (ireat Britain and Russia of the l6th ("iSth) February, 1><'25, and tlie description of the lii)e contained in .\rlicles III ;md IV of that Convention was incorpor.itcd literally — as to the English text tlierei'f — in the 1st .\rtiele of the IVcaly l)Ltwecn the United States and Russia concluded on the 30th March, 18(J7- Copies of the latter Treaty are hereby annexed for your intbrnuition. I am not awure that any (juistion concerning tiie true locration of tlie line so stipulated ever rose at any between (jreat Britain and Russia prior to the cession .if Alaska to the United Slates If any such ijue>tion bad ari>en. and vvas pending at the tinie of the cession, the United Stales would naturally have succeeded to the Russian interest therein just as to any other right of Russia affecting the ceded territory. i his Govern- ment, however, liad no intimation then, and has had none since, irom Her Majesty's Government, that any such ijuestion c.xistei,!. It is not thought likely, however, '.hat question in this re^-ard could have existed, as the inlet, and the countrj' through which the boundary line of 1825 ran, were in ls(i7 still practically imexplored. The boundary was then, as it is still, a theoretical one, based, as it is fair to be presumed, on the charts which tho negotiators had before tliem in 1S25, and which they doubtless assumed to be a substantially correct expression of geograpiiical facts. It is certain thai iKj (juest ion lias arisen since 18(i7 iietween the (jovernmcnts of the United States and (Jreat Britain in regard to this boundary. The ascertainment of liie true line of demarcation under the .Anglo-Russian Treaty would, however, appear to have been the subject of informal consultation soon after Russian Alaska ])assed to the United States, but no record of any official correspondence between the two Ciovernments is found. In his annual message to Congress, l)cceml)er 2, 18/2, President Grant, after leferring to the then recent settlement of the San Juan Island dispute, said : — "Experience of the diiiiculiies attending the determination of our admitted line of boundary, after the occupation of the territorv and its settlemeiit by those owing allegiance lo the respective (iovernments, points to the importance of establishing, bv natural objects or other momifnents, the actual line between the territory actiuired by purchase irom Russia, and the adjoining possessions of Her Britannic M-ijciy. The region is now so sparsely occupied that no coiillicting interests "*' i-wbvidual.s or of jurisdiction are likely to interlerc to the delay or embarrassment of the actual location of the line. If deterred un'.i! popuhitioii shall enter and occupy the territory, some trivial 76 contest (.f neigbboip. ifay again tiriav the two iJovemmcnts in iintagonism. I therefore rcfomtnend the appointment vf a Coiniiiissioii, to act jointly with one that may be appointed on the part of (in at Hritiiiii to determine the line hetweeu our territory of Ala>ka and the coterniinons possessions of (Jreiit Britain." An estimate of the probable tost and time of a survey of the Al.ukan boundary h'ne on ttie part ot this Government, then ma le, tixed the cost at about 1,50(1,000 dollars, and the time required as in'ne years in tlic field, an 1 at leist one year mote for mapping the results ; which ilhistratcs the innifnitiide of the i.iboiir. 1 he suggestion of President (Jraiil was not tlieii acted upon by the Congress, and does not appear to have l)cei) since revived liefore that bjdy. Since that time the condilicn of iiicreasiiig seUli'm''iit a|iprehended by I'rcsident Grant has assumed maiked proportions. A territorial (loverninent has been organised for Alaska, and enterprise and capital are slowly, hut steadily, making their way toward those (iistant shores. In the judgment of tlie I'resident, the time ha.s now come lor an understanding l)etween the (jovernment of the United .Stiitcs Mud that of Her IJritaiinic Majesty, looking to t' e speedy and certaiti establi--!imcnt of the boundary line t)etweeii Alaska and British Columbia. And tins necessity is lulieved to be the more urgent, inasnuich as the trcj:tv line is found to be of uncertain, if iu)t impossible, location for a great part of its length. In the first place, the water boundarv line, from the southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island to the r>(ith deiiree of north latitu'ie, is not foinid uniformly located on the charts of difTerent modern geoaraphc.?. On a majority of such charts, as, for example, those of Stafl'-Coininandcr 1). I'eniiis' "^^ Survev for the .Ad.niralty in lS()t^, aivi those of the Geological Survey of Canada, recently puljlishcd, the boundary follows the central line of the main chatniel. known as Portlard Inlet, while in other charts prepareil by British geogri.i)hcrs, the line deflects to the northward froin the broad waters of Dixon Kntrance, and passes through a narrow and intricate chaimel lying north-westward from Portland Inlet, known on the United Statei' Coast Survey ("ban of 18^*5 as Pearse Channel, until it suddenlv (leflccts southward again at right tmgles, to re-enter Portland Inlet, thc-eby appearing to make British territory of Pearse and Wales Islands, and tiirowing doubt on the nationality of several small islands at the south-western extremit}' of Waits Island. This latter construction is at the outset in ncmifest contradiction with the treaties, whi'.h provided "that the island called Piinceo! Wales' Island shall beloi'g wholly to Ru-sia " (now, by cession, in IS()7, to tiie I'nited States). There w id seetn to be ground, in the text ot \'aiicouver, the original explorer and geo<;ra_ihi of the region, for supposing tiiat lie at one time regarded Pearse Canal f of later geographeis as the lower part of Portland Canal. But there are very evident reasons for l)elieving that this was not the construction intended by the authors of the Anglo-Uussian Treaiy of IS:^.",, and that their ],uipose was t'a' location of the natural boundarv line in the broadi'r channel called Portland Inlet on the .Admiralty and the United States' Coast Survey Charts. For a clear understanding of the suliject. Chart No. 7 of Vancouver's Atlas; the British Admiralty Chart, No. '2, ^.■< I, corrected to Jimc 1SS2, or any later edition; the Ljiited Suites' Coast ourvev (?hart. No. 710, of 18S") ; and the charts of the Coast Pilot of Alaska, recently issiicil bv the United States' Coast Survey, should bv consulted. Of these, photogiaphic cc^pies of V'ancoa\er's Atlas Chart No. 7. and copies of »he (,'oast Survey publication-, are herewith sent you. Vou can doubtless obtain copies of the British .Admiralty Chart by applicition m the proper quarter. The language of the treaties is : — "Commencing from the soiithernnio?t point ot the Island called Prince of Wales' Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54° 10' north latitude, and between the I3!st and the i:$.Srd degree of west longitude imeridian of (irecnwich), the said line shall ascend to the north ahmg tiie channel called Portland Channel, as tar as the po' ■ .!i''!ie continent where it strikes the oflth .leuree of noith iatitude." So far the treaties relate to the water- boundiu-y, and it is to bi' remembered, as already remarked, that the line so described was intended to leave Prince of Wales' Island Russian territory in 1825, and a possession of the United States in 1867. No record has been found in print, or otherwise so far as sought, of the circumstances attending the drawing up of the .Anglo-Hussian Convention of 1825, which would ihrow light on the understanding of the negotiators on this point ; but it may be assumed with confidence that the charts employed in the iiegotiitiim were tiiose of Vancouver. They • IViulers(?').— l>lf.<'. t 1 iiirsf Ciimil tiilcs its nRini' frcmi I'l'ars,' I~l;\nil, .<<. caltio liy Captain PeuikT, U.N'., in 1868, aftjr an officer in t)u> United States jcrviw. — 1». H. ('. K 2 .i^RT 76 wiTP in;idc by a Hritisli officer iimlor the direction of the Hiitish (Tovernnient, and would therefore he acci'ptuble as a .-tandani by tluit party to the Convention. They were tht most recent charts than ext^tnt, nnd for lialf a century they remained the only authentic charts of tiiat reicion. the Kiissians hiivin'.; at that linie made no ori-iinal surveys of iniportaiH-e in tliis district. Moreover. l!ie wording of the rodvention of 1S2.t ii found to be in com plete accord with the feature^ presented by \'ahcouver s chart, and especially with Chart No. ~ in the atlas :icco niianyini;' the narrative of his voy.ige. The descrip- tion in tile convention seems to l»e a thithtul reproduction of the picture actuallv present 10 the eves of the negotiators in that chart. The tirrt dis(rtpan>y that meets us is, that neitiier on Vancouver's nor on any other I'hnrt known, (iiics ilie v.ater-way of I'ortlaiul Channel strike "the ."'fkh degree ot north l.ititude." On A ancouver'- ('hurt No. 7 it ends in a cul-t/f-sur about 1.") miles heti,'ie the .')t>th dc:;re<" is re;iched. This, however, is of little importance, t'oi, with tiie better toposiraphical knowledge we nosv possess, «e know that a conventional line, in continua- tion of the general trend of the mid-channel line, would strike the otith degree of north latitude at a distance of siine 4 or •") miles inland. Wb.ile I'nrtland ChaTmcl, i'l^rtland Caiiai, or Portland Inlet, .-is it is indifferently styled on the several charts, is, and has long been, n-adily identitied as the main passage inland from the southernmost pnitit ol Prince of W'ides' Island, the intricate and n.irrow passage separatinir Pearse Island from the mainland is practically unsurveyed. It does not appear at all on the Pender Admiraitv Charts of IStiH. In the United States' Co.ist Survey Charts it is coniecturally maiked by dotted lines. The fact that tlie parallel of .51 Id', by the most recent surveys, enters the mouth of Portlanii Inlet, tliat tlie mo't n.ivigahle chatmcl trends thence diiei tly inland in an almost straigiif line, that Prince of Wales' Island is in term- cicluiied Iron Hntish ten itory. and that the name used in the .•\nglo-Kiissian Convention of ls2.j is touud on all existing maps, possessing authority, applied to Portland Inlet or Chaimel, anri not to Peurse C'hannel, lend reason and force to thf^ conviction that it was the intcn'ion of the nego- tiators that the l)oundary line should directly t'ollow the broad aiK; n.itur.il channel mid- way b(tw''en the shores, and extend, if neeti were, inland in ttie san)e general direction until the range of hilK, hereafter to be considered, should be reached (as appears in Vancouver's Chan) at or near the .5Gth parallel. It is not. therefore, conceived that this water part of the boundary line can ever be called in question l)etwt longitude ( ot' the sam>> ineri;e in (pu'stiou, and were the featuix's ol Vancouver's (,'hart a correct representation of the topi> ws : — " We have no good topographical maps of this part of Alaska ; but, having been engaged nearly nine ^'ears exploring and surveying the territory, I assert, without fear of contradiction, that nothin;; of the sort " (depicted by Vancouver) " exi^ts. We have, instead, what has been apt'y called a ' sea of mumt.iins,' composed of short ranges with endless ramitications, their general trend being jiarallel with the general curve of Ncjith- wcstern .America, but, so tar as their locil pans are c )nccrne(l, invgular, broken, and tunmltuous to the last degree. In certain pi u'cs, as from < 'ape Speucer to Vakutat Bay, we have the nearest apprnitch to such a range ; but even here there are broad vaileys, penetrating an unknown distance, and lateral spurs given olf in many directions. These Alps rise conspicuuu>ly ai>. 'Ve their fellov s ; but to tlie eastward another peculiarity of the tupograpliy is that ti.e hiil.< or summits are nearly uniform u) height, vithout dommating crests and tew liigiu-r ])e;;ks. " The smgle continuous rantie being non-existent, if we attempt to decide on the • summit ' of the mountains we are ar once plunged into a sea of uncertainty. Shall we take the ridge of the hill nearest the beaches { This would give us, in many ])laces, a mere strij) of territory not more tli.m ihree miles wide, meandering in every direction Shall we take the highest su umiss of the ixcneral uias^ of tise coasr ranues '. Then we must dettrmine ttie hiiuht t.f many thousiinds ot scatteied peak<, after which the question will arise oetween every pair of eipial height and those neart'st to them. .Shall we skip this way or that, wiih our zig/ag, impossible to survey except at fabulous expense and half a century of labour. Thcsr peaks are densely clothed with trees and deep soft moss and tliorny undert)rush, as impenetrable and luxuriant as the savannahs of I'an.am;!. " In short, the ' sun uiit of the nr)inUains ' is wholly impr.icticahle. We may then fall back on the ' line paraliei with the windings of the coast.' Li-t any one, with a jiair ol drawing compasses, having one leg a pencil point, dr.iw this line on 'he I'nited States' Coast Purvey Ma]) of Alaska (No. OBO of iH.st-t). The result is sutticiciit to condein?i it. Such a line conid not be surveyed ; it crosses itself in m:iny piacs, and indulges in myriads of knots and taniiles. 'i'he line actually drawn as the boimdary on that map omits the intciracics. mid is intcniled merely as an apjiioximaiion. It would be tiubject to aliiKist in-iljiciahle ditficidtie- lor ti;e surveyor, simnlitied as it is, and the survey would cost more than the whole territory cost origintiily. These are the false geo- graphical assumjrtions on which the language of the treaty was based, and the ditViiulties they olfer tvhen it is propi^scd to realise, by survey, the verl)al ijoundaiy.'' The words of Mr. Dall are those of a practical man, conver.sant with the region, anil experienced in tiic class of dith.'uhiis in the v,ay of an actual deinar.'-ation of tlie Conventional frontier. 'I'hc line traced upon the Coast Survey Map of Alaska, No. !) mile- distant from the gcnc.al contour of the coast. The line is a winding one. with no salient landmarks o"" points of latitude and longi'ude to determine its po>itiori at any point. Ii is, in t;tct. siu-h a line as is next to impossihli' to survey ihrougli a mountainous region ; and ii> actual location there, by a Survesing Co'.uuisfiou. would bo neirly as mucii a matter of conjecture as tracing it oi; paper with a pair of dividers. 7« It" the coast anil intcnor dnintry from Dixon Kntrancc to Mount Si. Klias were Mlrt'ud}' accuriitciv survcveci, its t()pogr;i|)liy cliaitcd. ami the hi-itrhi-; of all ii.s " summits " (letcrmint'd, 't wmilii even then Ik- iinpossihlf, cxii-pt In ''oiivtiitional compromise, to locate sucii a line us t'lf trcitics prc'^crthc. To illustrate this, a case nearer home niav l>e supp;iscil. Kxanuiie, tor instance, an ()r.liiance Purvey Ma(i ot" S^-otlan.!, liiiJ attempt to mark out upon it a line whic^. startin:; from the " intersection " of the mid-chaimel line of the Kirtli of Solway ami the ofjih parallel, shall thence follow the " summit oi the moim- tains" iiortiiwarii. as far as the ."i^^ih parallel, aiie more than •' 10 uiarin.* leagues " from she Atlantic- coast, -liall toiiow the • winding " theri'of If the tracinir of such a line on puper. whei 'Very matcriil tact of" contour and altitude is precisely known, were found to otfer liiHicuIty, tiic tacies to the deliniita- tion of an actual trontier, witli luniinarks and niinuments, throut^h a wholly unexpioreci Country, much more liroken tiian Scoll.ind is, and with a sea-coast scarcely less intricate, coulii not fail to 1r' many fold j;reater. As a rule, a theoretical frontiei. Im'^td oi> the assumed contour of mountain chains, is more difficult to (leleiiuine with a •curacy thiu one tollawiuu known watercourses or hounded i)y rijilit lines liavin;; j^eodeiic termini. l{ude and inaiiei-sihle as is tlie " sea of mountains " of South-eastern Alaska, and torliiddinj; as it may appear for ordinart purposes of inland seitlcment, it should l)e remeiiibered that it is a mineralheariii" roLjion, the jjeoloLjical continuation of the gold and silver Ik-U of < 'alifornia and Nevada, and may at any time spring into an importance not now c.dculahie. It is t)f evident adxantatre to l>oth louniries to agree u|).jn some houndiiry line capaliie ot survey at a reasonal)le cost, oi' so jjrccisely and practically descriln-d that in case of need any given point tiiereon may Ik- readiiy determined in advance of a general survey, and to do this while the wiiole question of local values is in abeyance. • •••»• I am, lice. (Signed) T. F. Bayaso. Arriii»im)i tinenl'i.'* 1. \'ancouver's Chart, No. 7 ( I'ln if i graphed.) •J. I'nitcd States' Coast Survey (^hart of .\I iska, No '.()(», Is,s4. 'A. Tnited States' Coast Survey Chart, No. 7I<', IJevilla (ligcdo Channel. 188.5. ■I, " I'liited States' Piicitic Coa.st Pilot," Alaska. I'art 1., iss:}. ."). Treatv between the I'nited States an 1 Hut\ the I^MI'KHolt of .Xl.I, IIIK III SSIAS tO tllC InITEI) .StATKS OF Ami.uha. I onciuded, March ;{it, 1H)7. Kafified by the Unite-l Stutes, May 2H, 1867- Kxchangcil, June -i'-K 18<>7- I'roclaimed b\ tin; I'nited States. June 20. 1867. Bv the President of the United States of America. No. \:\. ( LXTBACT. ) Hvdrographic Department, .Admiralty, March -JC, 18fe6. Ukpijks to QiESTioNS Contained in Coi.oMAr. Ofuck I>KTrRf; of '20th March 1886 relating to the BolMlAUV of At.ASKA. • • • • • I'he latitmk- and longitude — at presi nt adopted on th. itish charts, of the southern point of Prince ot Wales Island (or Archipelago) Cape dc Chacon, is latitude 54" 42^' Arcomjianimeiits and euclosnrps not reprinted. — D.U C. 79 N.. lon£^ifinle MT 5t' W. the latitude kini^ taken from Vancouver's chart publishe-il in Lonilon, May 1st, 17!!'^; the loii^ituiic being that of X'ancouver (KU" l.'i' W.) adapted to the Aclniiralty chart?. The most recent detenninafion of the latitude and longitude of this point is by the Anieriran ("on>t Survey. A ciiart* published by the I'nited States fJoverninent " Keeonnjiissance of the Sliores of Tlevak and coniicetinij Straits from (^aj)e Muzon to Tlevak narrows, — Alaska," — issued January H^<3, shows that the latitude and loni^itude were iletermined, of a po-ition in Loni; Island — Uowkon Village, — which, bv Vancouver's chart (based on Spanish authorities, but which still remains as the only source ol informa- tion we possess* is !■< minutes of lonu;itii(ic west of Cape de (,'hacon, and 7i minutes of latitude north. This will give the position of Cape de Chacon as latitude ;)4' 42' ()•)" N., aud loni^itude 13'i' "2 1:2' W. The name. Prince of Wales Islnml, appeared first on tiio Admiralty chart cntitltd Vancouver s Island to ( 'ordova May, No. 2t;>(> : published in Juiit- l-^.VI'l, in about the year Hf)l. The name appears to have Iwen a|)pl ed from the Russian chart of 18iy, and as U'ing 8yii-ii>ymoiis with the i'rince of Wales .Archipelago of \'ancouver. The name of " Wales Island " appears to have been fira applied to the Admiralty chart ' (^iicen Charlotte Island and adjacent coasts,' — on its publication in .March 18;">;5; and to hive been perpetuated therefrom (m other Admiralty chart.^ to the present day. No authority is known t'or this. In all probability the want of a name for the island at the entrance of this large tiord, by wliich reterence could be made to it, prompted the <'xten>.ion of Vancouver's name for the south point to the whole island. This practice is of daily occurrence in lompiling cliarts in the Hydrcgraphic ( ilHce. The most authentic record of the latitude and longitude of Point Wales (or Wales Poir* of modern charts), tlic southern point of Wales Island mentioned in answer 5, U latitude .^)4'^ Vl ■2\)' N., loimitude l.io' 2s' \{)" W. It was determined in tlie Admiraitv sur\ ey of those parts in I s^Jx, by triangulation from a station at Port Simpson, fixed by astronomical observation. The name Portland Iiilft first apfiears in the .\dmiralty chart, " Queen Charlotte Island and adjacent coasts," published iu .March Is.'j.'i; and has been perpetuated theio- froin on other Admiralty charts to the present day. No authority can be traced for bestowing this name. This chart was, on the publication of No. 2430 in iH.^fi, removed from the plate in onler to insert other plans in its place. No copy has been retained at tiie .Admiraitv During these opcratioiis {i.e., the survey of Portland Canal and Observatory Inlet in I8f.s) the lower part of Portland Canal, which lies west of the island tertned Pearse Island by the surveyors in l-^Os, was not examined, and is therefore shown as a dotted linv, which was also reproduced on the e.iiisting plate. No. 44. C.^iTAiN 1). PKNDEK, ll.N., to Coi.onei, I). H. CA.MKRON (KXTBACT.) Hydrographic Department, July s, issfi. Taking h'gb water on 2(>tli .Inly 171)3 at about 2 a.m. (which would agree fairly with the "estabbshment " of our Survey (H.W., Nasse Ih. ,5m., Portland Canal Ih. 30m.)) It would have been II.W. on the 29th at about 4. .30 a.m.. and consequently low water on that (lay about 10 a.m. at head of Portian(i C.inal. That vtould have been some days after spring tides. By the Nautical .Mmanac for 1793 it was full moon on .Inly 22nd • See Appendix Map No. l.'i. so (Extrnct Dominion of Can«da Sessional Tapers, 1S7S. Vol. XL. N<>. 12.5. No. 4:>. APl'ENniX I. The proposed strength anti pay of the staff of the Commission are as follows ;— Strenoth and Distribltto.n. lieal-quarters. I commissioner. 1 secretary ■2 clerks. ' 2 servants. 'i <;roonis. 2 c(H>ks. 6 Iwjiitmen. I camp foienian. t Indian^. I Hirncon. I assistant. I veterinary surgeon. 1 assistant. 1 geologist and botanist. 1 „ assistant. 5 pl.otourraphers. 4 servants. ■1 cooVs. () packers. 6 boatmen. Note.— The above details were revised after the manuscript from which the Sessional Vnnei was printed had been submitted. — D. U. (J. Oni Astronomical I'jrty. •> othccrs. I comjjutsr. 1 scrtrcant in charije of woik. 2 chaninion. 1 instiumcnt man 2 ivm picket men 2 rear I topoi^raphei . 2 servants. "2 cooks. 4 axemen. 1 pack master. i:i packers. 7 boatmen. I herder. Two. (2.) Surveying Parties. Each. I officer 1 sergeant in charge of work. I compass man. 1 instrument man 2 ch.iinmen. 2 picket men. 2 topographers. 1 servant. 2 cooks. 4 axemen. 1 pack master. 1 1 packers. 7 boatmen. 1 herder. Commissariat Department. 1 commissary 1 quirter-master-scrgeant .'^ (icpot men. 3 V>utcher.s, ^ packmastef 20 packers. 2 herders. 81 1 sergeant in charge. ID axemen. 1 cook. Four. (1.) Trail-making Parties. 1 park master. 2 packers. 1 blacksmith. 1 carpenter. 1 saddler. Artificers. 1 tailor. 1 hlioeinaker. 1 cook. SOMMARV OK DlSTHIBlTlOX. Officer,.!. Non-( oni. ,, ,.„. r»npper«. ()nii;ers. ' • C'ivilii tiidiac H<^il-quarters a 4 .18 4 Astronomicftl party - 2 1 }» so Two Burvcyiiij; [liirths 2 2 16 54 Kour trail inski'if; parties — 1 — 50 t'oii',miS!?ariat 1 1 .16 Four ilppot iiarties - — ■>') 4 __ Casual lies - - . . — — t> 5 — Total 10 : 'i .}5 226 1 Si MMAKV O I KsTlMATKS 01 (Jfficers. Pav. Dollars. 1 commissioner - - - - 4,867 1 secretary - - . - 1 ,.582 1 astronomer - - - - 2,922 1 assistant astro lomer - • - - 1,948 1 surgeon - - - - - 2.oon 1 geologist and botanist - . - - 2,000 1 veterinary sur geon - - - - 1 ,800 1 commissary - ■ - - 2,000 2 surveyors, 1,1 f3l dollars Roy each al Engineers. Per anniir - 2,922 n 22,044 Dollars. I sergeant-majo - . . 2-00 1 quartcr-mastei -sergeant - - - - 2-00 3 sergeants, Sl'f 13', each ■ - - . 5oO 4 corporals, S 1 ( ifi'rj each - . • _ {j-m% 4 2nd corporals, i^l-,")0 lach - , - 6-00 8 lance-corporah >,e?i-3:i', each - . lO-BGii 39 sappers, 8\lH i each Per day 4.5-50 87><-Z^l • isasfi 82 Details of Pat of Civilians for One Month. l*»riv. bcrvmnta. s 1 < d |1 i < M < 11 1 Mi ^ 1^ 1 1 |5 1 1 < ^HSronoBirni 2 t m ^ t V • 1 » ! 125 1 115 19 60 7*) tfl SurTfrji.-lt I w 9l> ( «> i''iU i a ,ian 2 1» \ 2»l K (W 1.32U ^^\ Trail parties - - - » 441 ll>l M <5 ij«a 4 lU S«10 < 91 48C '♦) iK'pfttJi - 4 «i liXI - - - - -1 - - - t^omrotiMriai - - - - - - „ - 3 la 3T5 I* m i.ioo llAjU-^tiArierA ij M itu >i Vl 21.1 - - - - - . «o *» Hfi'i-iiutirit'rs Aasistnnttt. S Ou l* Clprkj. -. 1S> tll*-tl. 1 40 t'.ti f^noniH. 40 W) _ Trill partitjs ~ _ - - - 3 ft) IHl) - - - - - - ra^ualtiea - - - - - — - — - - - 5 ou JOO ToUU - - ! :;,so - - ■JM - _ iMO - 1J90 - 4.440 {rontiiintil. ) PirtT 1 c 1 1 1' 1 s |i J i i < 1 1 t % Total. A-tlronomu-tl 1 30 7 40 .« — ~ « _ _ _ • 1 M.-) (21 Surveyinic s 30 (*' Trail parties - - - - - - - - - - - 19411 (ftl DepAtf - - - - - - - - - _ - - liiO romtmsnrmt 9 30 6.. - - - " CO vm 3 40 I*! •1230 HM'i-quait«*rs - - _ 1-J *1 4.. - - - - - 1,1L'II HrtMi-.luiirteri - - _ - - - " - - - - 47l> Trill t>ar;ic« - - - - - - - - - - - ISfi CiuiuaUics - ~ - — - — ~ -■ - - 300 Totals - - v.. - - LtJO -- - 4«0 - l-ii 11. MO Sr.M.MAHV of Estimate oi" Expenditlre in tlie Field for three years. Dullars. Pay cf officers, civil and military - . . . (56,129 „ (.ictacliment, lloyal Engineers .... 8."), 7/6 civilians - - - - - - 4;5(),200 Purchase (.f mules ...... S0,000 Winter quarters ...-.- 60,000 Outfit, including purchase of instruments - - - 34,548 Provisions ....-■ 103,689 I'orage ..----. 1 12,560 Transport of Royai Engineer detachment and instruments from England vui Victoi'a to Port Simpson - - . 14,155 Transport of provision.', tools, camp sundries, &c. from San Eiancisco to Fort Simj, on . - - - . 10,000 Sundries and contingencies .; ----- 36,240 Total i?l.(J63,297 Of the above sum 480,000 dollars would be Vquired in the first year. 83 APPENDIX II Estimate of Expenditlue. H<«d of Kx|>eDditure. Annual pov of officer** „ Uoyal Engineers - ,, civiliiiii!' Annual cost of provisions - - . ,, for ape „ transport • Annual sundries and contingencies 50 p>. V * ■ V %'^>-' ->--*, i listf ^ -j^i'^-w 'C:t3' * - ^ ^ ■^- -^^ /*^-A». .i. '•^ 'I M ^pOi J 2 FROM Vancouvers Atlas.- Part of Chart N9 XII. ovcNTOanotK f^^^ FROM Vancouvers Atlas. __Part of Chart VII. it.iii. 1i<'Vi:K Kl'i *'*A vr-yAT*^ DitNCEitriELP LiT». J2. HcDf o«o '■.' Covr ■*-' Cinof ■« tX636 M.,i,.Y>IV Part of Kai'ta MOPCKllXh OIKPN I 111 PoCCIIK Kll Mil Morr./l.tUi 11/ h'IMIf I ii\()>ri,H .\i:.u)iiM[()Ari, Moi'/fxi, /(/. I'.lill/J\l. /(UIA/. ^ '////// /////J \J. M I'll I OI.C I ;-, \ IliliiM I. Va'o llMihir.vioPCKAK) Br Unix iHA .\ ' lit K \r I !> <. o'iiiiif'H U ;!i/' , M(>|;.-.vO,\ll.t)U!. liM II " .ii i.. *.- ,|,i II 1 jiaiiiiptxwuia liio*-;- lo.vi. Note The i*rttitnnl fnnn which ffiiA Muft Hiis rrtfirtt u m thr ptmjtrjt^'u-n »>f thf //yiin**frri/>hn- Ik-fmrlnient tUttinh Ufnumttx: J'n the fucf vf ihr l^riqinttl iherf apptu.tJV irt MnnttMTt4tt ■ — V // rhf HiiMtiang cfoim fhr Oiittt I'f Amrriat o^ fur tiA fhr rfftnimt fH.rf ta mnrknl ' Ami iwt thr tmrk fhari rf thi- S.K pnt-i rf HuMmtt ,ojni the riaim of thr ftu.i(i>/t' ' ' ' ' ■■ . ■fry. V,/y^.T //'tf .-'»-*>' •^.U 140- 135 Mnpy'^y. Amnit, V f) Lit ■ 2c. ^tu*'0«o S' • u*i-«T G*f'*., ^0 /;., ^'i- ^^'/i '0^1»>- •'*"'r .>A SB S7 r ■--:;;■ <- '^,. ■*/(/ /"««««^ '"x-.,, vfe *»• J^MCCMf >ELO L'TH 22. BcgronD S^ Covimt Camobm i7&36 Map N" til. PART OF JSJiTTA. M HkOCTO'lll.VI O OKI- >\1IA CtM'ltUtUw'Ua *■"<• H4'tiritU4UU.V'«i 4MM. It'll HI. I II 1.1'ftl I'A't-iritl KOMb YKIIAI'TAMIIITI. .ti»i'<'KAr«> MiiiiiirT>;rrTii.i. IHH JW 1,146. ^**r '■ 0*"ccRFri.c L -H 22. 3ec'op.d 5*^ Coveht Garocn f C • PAirf ivi .) JjK:AiPTA 'Jicbi . 4 |vr an/ #^6 rt(^ KArrA ^ ^ IX ^ .\t„f, X" nil D*NCfnriEL-vLiTH.?? EcorowD S''Covct*T C*(iDCN. f2SiS 10 I h Map mmegSS rf" 149.-! ZO Part or Mepjcatopckajt Kapta R)HfHOH uciommbi K0.10UlEHCIL\rO Apxhreliata . 11 I'PAHIIPOHAILA. Bb niJPOI-PAfiriErhOM'bJEllAI'TAMEHTli ^ '« MOPCKATO MHHIlCTKPCTnA ]8o3 . Frf"i* Ij.^n^■■^f^^' -1 Lith ■Jrajiher ■■'i-lf^ 10 Map .V^J 1 / •< J*' iinr f f rifurt/ Ifini"!) Jrmi-'* ■ JuiA iOLo tc. ' nm' Tr> f^r^ IfidtiicnuaJ Lines, h-buitbr (AiuuiLan UttutaJ Hup 1 f" fuir p' f^ttdJ •'in/T /■-•«;■'* 2 ti« ff ffqmil annu.it Mnin Temp" v 3 v* Ltur H niiml frnfrt- Tmp'^ 4 rt* t'lfual mniwcl Mmt Ttm;'" f. Jc ii/i^ .■t'.:,i..iJ Wititft Trmp" 8 h'tiiimriut it' I inr of r^ual Wmtrr Trmf' ft "Wi' r fc'i|IU)l 3NnMi^' " '.jrr fnnf '' Id Ufrh, D H :-■. Ji^-t.il Ii* ^•^•■" f IS N^tfcfrr «» in Eng-lisK Sqiiji<' Milrs Budxriw iifi^ Crmii' Chnrirrrti Tanton , ^ liuptn.', Lnnii I i tr.qLinti rf WaUs ..- 57 HI^ liustio in t.urvpe .. ^i2<^ .''.•'7 -'V.'^^^ -v / n ^ Mr^ Iflr- -^/ ■*"V*'<», J( y '■^.'.v ^J A'ootfca •■( *l SB r^/DorA tfTrti Sprts nprejrtit Ihr •lory pf thar OiarUrrd Trrrtbrv, } Paut of MAP OF nJUTlSH Dnnnk Vrv J. Amn>niutili IM». 'i fv / .4^ to » 132- S^**' STRAIT ^:^ y,»i-'ttr' 1^ \ \ O "S E S T R A 5 C E j^ I isri -. r^-r -4?"c«* .V////> N" XI LW" 125>° • -«« > ■. ,■2814 13V >^ ^ ..,.rt: . ■,, .., r.,„.. ... rtt- n..m, f.'"!. ...i f„l.t , J .,!././,../ '. t'u ..• ■ v»*,.y .".,. ,,.■■.,* fft^m,,*.-' ■ htU-t *••-•• . .^ J.in... ..ti, ti. ,-, . , J\~. /jv «*•.■.. .., /*...r.<. *Al. ,/(•'•»'> •" ■''•'•• '*-.J •/■..) -/•.<* . <. .4.>I • >■• //.. • •tit* '«»•* t^<- •' •«• uu/wa^M/VIt A..r4* * .•• .«■.•(•<>-' I'l-j '/ ..- /;...;; /K-rf.'WV (<-"'""•>' I'.r^l.iH.I i.,n.,' ...,.- ■! •>>■ L.f.. •../*, v. M..<-hMj.^i..i/t>.' .. <.. ' •• *•-.•/ •.«*»../.. I.. V.^ .. i«^lt4 .^tn/i. / fc.M -tHit '^, ■ iota In f.. ' A.f«i..' <•• 'it .»i .vi. •-, H,i^ »,..( .^,in<>n<>f At •>MfV '.'•« v-.i'ii/"* ''-' i- r (:. 1 T».. K "W If .,4^«>./ (■■ >/tf M*'»t/ .'»/.. •<»»...»,. /<¥ /».*' ../■.■.«,.«.//«<.#...» ,. .J/.,/ ./,. ...«'».;.w,f ' . I-.*' ■- ' <.... /■ .*.* 4. ./,...,>!;« .. »......; » . .. ,j., . .ittn*m^ttn ■<,.•• II. .1 . '■,- ' I, ff<.'..' .^. iif/,.' ri >_ I fi. •> * »A- -., - . , .,.»,. .... ,^ ,^ »., *./„.... . ,.r , '. Hy'tr- -.'.■/•hi. I'f^. , . ■ t/t, ^j/* -I .. ^*,»... »».. Zdr*.' ^ ft) ">U-, (♦ • ••■*,-.; •.';« V. Map SK British Admiralty Chart NO 2*3 I ((IICINIVA KAY 1X» t ISOSS S«>I'.VI» ItUi-f I'liii f Urn.'' li'J/itll LiO' v:^ 4 .«. .^'^■"^ '•~'' I •"" V'f/-i^kfc.. 'A m MonlattJt^ ^1 I ;i '1 * jS«^. 7^rn2mj(>n (kr Jf ^ *' -S^/ *'^-,'S^'^i-i^' ..Va»^« .J ^ A-^ .v^i<."J (^,.'„,C ^--v*,' POHTLAMI *■ OBSEKVAirtKY INLETS «<» NuU'l'nMB^IVKlrrii Suirqr. 1068. L_ ISO t!»«ti'»».rto tirn a tJiQfonc S* icvctt 0*KDr i* I2l1is 1 ILKVAI FROM I-ii-ui. IJKCONXAISSANCi; (U" IIIK SIIOKKS (»K TLKVAK AM) coNXKc Ti\(; STHAITS FKOM CAl'K MlZONn.TI.KVAK NAHHOU'S ALASKA Hy tli>' ii.'U'tv iJtiili'i' the i.oiiiiiiMiirl of I,i,-ui.('..in.lr. II.K.N'irhols.r.S.X., Assist .('.if < '..S. 1«»1 yautiral Miles •l* fnlti' Mu/oii SAirj-NC. DIHKCr Avoif/ Kf'lfi. lii' >>rt f/ntirrf /itr liilnl i-tirrt'tils. /'/,v.v krvn titf tf-strrrt .slii>f<- n/utimi ti> nvi'id t'ovk tiwrtsli m-. httW mile S.K. t'mtn Ihuiff Pint' F.slnmi a course \.l\' 4 /til//' n tni/f I'/' Si/linn- l.s/nftif lnuirini^ E.S.K. thefjcf X. ust^rii . iv/trn n <-i)ii/:\>' .V.lt'jl U' iniiili' iftuui Av/^/.v c/i'i Thi- SUnkt'H flK'k ti.h'./iiK.'Jh'./ri'rN Rt'c/' I'oint { fiiii wi-sf /'rum t/ii's conr.ff f carx'/'ii/Zv avciil J'levttfi \n/'f'Oll',*{ sliKii/t/ bf t'nterr''/ M'f.tt /rnni f/iis isl'iiu/ a/u/ Turn /'uiiil until two fiil>h-s post Tiirr w/xicii f^vtentli imr-t/t /'rn /xti/t .'iii/fs of' tJtf c/iu rii'ff'ssi/v I'l' in-fiil raiitin/i in ntniiiufintJ l/iis sti'nit . -.•stwiii-il t'fDtii (7umnt'l lsliinni (hn isftt/tii.s. — h'titni n fnii/it orir ' /ftiiln fletJT' i>t' i>l>sli'iii:lii)ri.s In tvifhin 'hvS. until 'Siniil/f Is/it/ii/ /»'ii/:s S.I']. of (ill oh.striirfi,,ri.s til T/rvtik .\'«irn)»'s. 1)1 Kt'ifi in \iiiiifr) li''.-i >' "/' '/ inih' lock Islam I kt>ftti nil iiiiihviiv ln-lwfi-ii *t>int thii.-< rloiit'iiiii a tvft' iiith Kflft ttcl, riot vet i/ivf.slujiiti'il f i/iiliiiUr tjif Ohst-rvjtlic XI Siiot : l.ongitud.' i:j<;";.ii I2'w: Part of United States Ch/ StM'TIl WKST COAST OF 131 •y^JlJ^^i i<*MiuiU.iv •Q'^V'^'z-rffiw* -:,^. ' "T / J!) ■^ !• _<:,. 'if ifunif* !'_.-. ^tt^''.' •ft.'^ ..V .N^* iNiTED States Chart N? 225 ;«.V ivrr<\1e(i to IHH" rEST COAST OF ALASKA. Hup N' XIV. 1 11° {"'^ ^'J»Viilk,-,M Cm e '/|--..>*v^ ^^«^;mH /i^^'^^^ • "^^ ^^ ■<■■ ■i ^^„-i''_ _ *?mB. «l«BCM /?tf/ff \o ',Ut PNirC 3ft Cf MTS ,- \ t^ •^" " .1 nil V. >^^. ^•^^' ^J t .'■ ■>' n IVr«7 •<% Il4^mi,f nmf \ 1 I, I. A C. F. 1) I) I. ^■' #-" ,4vf'>' i^*^ i g^noiMtoif^ ut ^ Y -V. •■ -'V^vXh M^ IL .\ S S I, k h ►• %■ *#*^i-:^ »^<5yvi_ Ixntivi 1^ ^^/ jl S 1. A iL. $> M^ i>t r*/^ I S I. A N U B^Fl r .. X. ^ i. ^t> */ ****"" -J ^"f"" '^ ■^ll.—l,rllm/ ->--. r 1^ HKAiLLA (;i(;i^ s.i: A Srnl. OfjAcjT-a Mt l.i^ll.-,/ Mnr, h IHH.- .1 K I ■■..;/.,/ ( >• lliililrll,-. 1.81 Ci.'./ /y Z.l«'' i'vniUi I fh,i ",iii,lr ( M ,'ff \ . < * ^^-W -M la^M' :n() ciiANNKi. LASKA r -Jim .11.1) nnr, II L MM J W Ii H^ /;//.(. \lt/) Si,iu;-inl. 11,1, ,il I F. \'uh.,U. I ■- V Hs.M.M ,11. IIIIIJ ■/■>.V lh,lr,',ir,i/i>iii /ns/'r,','t 'WnnM F K A U S Ei '*^., MtiGHTs ift rctT KCOUCCD TO MCAN LOM WITCK ^•r> ••>,..( Ai>' ho ?■•««- 1 .' ' '»'t ' ■ i.l r:n ll«»in ;l«. h... i: V. ;i3 ^', Ha'. 1 : .>% 12 91 . MtM 1 *^p1rr 11- ^». i:' V. rcintfk* Hart»l V • .' W«J ■. f-r S^J . ♦■♦"■ *»* . *' . hi,. ■*x . '••>• ^W IVv.t It I . V- 't^H.ual.i Hfi ( up- \oriliuiiifnuiiiiiiK. -.J •*'*, V"*^-' J Vi4 B«T-r»Ti I ■f ^rv«ii»w H IM K l>-'\il li.M'k ( , M. tullouBk H. . * n Round HJl(3ki; Ml' ^,A / t^ it- loT'' IftlKila 2i> -A. :fc .>.k • i \ Vnarled Idt* (ittniis - R'nk- S<7 X . N.W. AMERICA. BRITISH COLUMBIA. VAUT OK Portland Canal From Utr 4^1dtiuraUx SrtJ'vqy of ififJfi. /r H F AC/, '"ir? Spruiffs mnffd 23 tc 27 fi^ei (Kh.al Hnitl '>l Inlel \l.irt,(fUiulr t30 0,'{' 27 W" I lujifificn "7" J() E. S SaulicMi / G • 1 True /* J • '/^,/A Afcr«* — *- \ 1 \ 1 1 ' (h^ •v ^fa„N"y^'l n»N»i-, ciD i.TH i/ Wf t^> ..--,1. /:*h'.3*f 3i /(.. Mapjfrjixm, M'.ht it; in ■/s'mi .„ N?XI. N.W.AMEllICA. British Columbia Observatory Inlet. from the Admiralty Survey, of - — 1868 — Spriiuf Rntuff '23 ft Xcap R^n^e I? It H.W.F&C. IH? 05'?. LtUitudi' ,'i°4 . S9 . ik.tX. ^ NaAS Bay, LonyiUule 179 S 7., 36 »'. VariaJion, 27. ^,7 E. Tfii Titfi.s III VU\n*itii n liiht fii< I'ti niniiiliii- tillil fi' \..j-\iiiii Irrn Scale %44S Inc I Xnau'r MUe.ol' (i08(i Ff .* O 2 3 4 J 10 CabUs E 2 1 XtuiticMtUs. Soundings in Fathc .is. Obst^y-atory Inltt wtis trixinfiiiJiitf^l I'rom the <,-ide Xorth /" ^ to nne tifipcsite on H'f.irftn .S'hori' tnjivn from the phut o/' Aorfrf Bay ■ *niM (lutrt W a .-Uni^ i f 4!)T!!i „i,J, I XiiUn Milf, fumy u, m/iu-tDti u hiiJ/ the sraJt vt't/ie OnifiiuJ Survry D R ftnttrrvn CoUmei . 0*.tCIi*» .f.-mt,,-, u '..>r ru,i ,.t nhnt r«».,...iiv. .,///, ,/ Olw-i'ritilirx Inlti >ni.s ff/.i,,/ iron, at, Ailituml i\ I., it ,i IHS,,'. /,i nhi:s, iitithfiiiv thus fui/rif Hii.v f/riilutf 1/1 ilniHi/if) rluii riiitit i.\ i I /./iimri Th,' rum,, H'iii4:'.- ,!/>/. hi, I i,. //„• /.,/„/„/ ,,t Ih, ,-rit '/'<• ,'l Ofix; ixiif.'rv hiirt , ,,, l',>i(l,iiul U,Ui Ki'W .,.. .tiJtt.l Ih, ..,.,, It, ,,'ifil ff iif',./, l'„„,,,.,i,.,- „,,„,.,{ ■/',,,„, h,i/4.v , ,itU'r ,t t/ifn/f I It. VI ,if,i„;ij.^ II, .in .l,h„,ti,.\ 0,.,rr i,„l,i,.\h,;l it, IH'„i .V'l lUUhirin (.!• hn.'Hi, flu ttii.s „,„l ti,i «),,. iitlu, i.; ih. s,,),,. „, ■,■„,..„, ri„ , li'ii/n,// i ' / hhujii-ri llMii r,. . 'r" -■ / y § ■ 11/ 1 IJO" fndiitn VttJn^e S f ■ m ■•' III "111^ V ' M \ ^ J^'i-^'r X 'A / / * ' J .. / ^ / - ' ' i<. • " / * / ■ 1 •• ' 7' <^ ' V .<« ; / ** ' ^' ' ' ^. / -j-9 ^zSK ^' Oll^.t 1I0NS F0» THE Na^ ■I S.itliHi- l^iik on .f-uth .rl ^r . in<,v. /i- .,tijiii,. j" .< nl'i.i.- ri ii rruiiiritthlr Sh^irp l\-i»kmtytt m Sr* ttV.-i< it/i.-iil ;'<..' •iniiini laml lUul tlun .vb#*'/ < ■' /. «^» '•nth vAi.jv .,■/»./ .i •iirr If inr / '/ii HJiiH/"»>fy''iiJ.-' <'n/ t . '■ thf fhli ttiii .>ri.^ i ■• f,,rp •ilii'UI-! ■lit <-\> I'ri III .^imith •'/■■■'f lit ■' ihrntAt ti I'init, I llKnk .iirUn f" .'I .\'.>»v/(| >-fc. r. /■,-, • '..r/l /" '; ■ ;..•;//■ .» < // '.V/, i/i,-\ /■' liin lui ifiA,li',l S!,-lii\ '»///.../> n.rt.'i .til. ■ i.ii.uiil iiiUf^i ■^iiti'Uf' /'i Ah-iif 'liii larli'i^y I'l l.TY Sri lit' J 1868. I M.,>.\' mi. — — I r:---:^' Nass River . r I ' ifi.ii .>l.inj .i.r. *.flir F,Tt /" jtivr i/ii.' /'«• ntiy 'I'tviirih mitt rt ii'n..-;'U*u/i».i r,uinv a Ut/ttJ inrr lo .Vi'rtJ, .^Ti.ii i infu'i,/ tnhlf.t I t't 'Ha nurt}, .th/rr luiut ,ihr^) l'i"lH'Vn fj<>' A*<'M;v /'I'Witi •/ '"hi/ui 1 intli iii-r,il ,xiiii,,iih. //. I i ->>.// /Ku'.ft'i/ tht' HTtirlpfi'l Jt'i'iks f firl.l n-lh ■! -Vtlftl,- ? ■». A I I'm, I -f Our: .' Iivrt,r tl th xlifrtslii I'fl .'.. (iv/x ,,J'. ,ini /ia.f,ii/uf ulunt ii niMc ■hi ri- iili/'iifj ffiA.vtnti rUkW tr rhj> .>,**//>i44 iirti nt n /g'H' .tatoMfiy • fr.'ni .Viivj/fi/- / iij> '/>•■ riirr i,> thr .)/(././.'<■ /J i«* •! ^••niH'f"US 'rf* frviTL ihi MttKUi- hi.iU. ,i tnitt rji,itiit»-l 14 ii^v* f.-r-/ *#» I? I'r» 1 . 4 .u I 1) 1 X O X . v->' .v" E X r U A X (' K -^ •^ i«i J^:^ S ■^^iii ;;v^^ ^-1^' ^^ .» .«■ B-"> /;■/ I .\illrlK Iji'irMn I f'T''"- W/- ^ Ljg^ ^ ' : ■ ^-.-^rr^^;:n^::;;:?gat|gf^^ ;*Sivil6'' (■ ; .ffrjafp ! WKfc^t;<^ 'jjg,\i ^^a£ i 8-mtff y s-.&fcSwS'SsSBaassaKSS^ Vff^H;\ll,ll. kll.ll.- 4. 1868. Liiniulr .ri'.U/..:/ X hnmiUiiJe ltOJf,i?,i H'r' .!■; n' Er H W F4il', iin .; .'.?;.» .. ,/„ i\'9.ii.rA •'" \'7:i.i ,//■ n,, — Sctiir I '■>■• /•" in I Xiiiilu Ml, .Vi ,i/f ,f' Mft iiiitiii ol'liiinitit front Axtriinitnurjil j>o.viiuin.s 4.\,in U li tt h'liici tiili iihUiuwii hy ./ ili'uhli- nUliiiif utuii'V n,i vi t-v t'tivoinJiie i-irrinw '-'.".v «(• raiinul t'l' »/f/«"/i rhitinnnu'fvr Xn.\.\ h'nt'r tihirvf Sfuirii I't'ti/i- i.t f'rmn ti rt^-,mJiajjftitwe^ '' "-'' tri^ni tnjiruiultttiiit\ ,f /.* nitiiriiy mitt'i'iiriul iliinni] thi',\-Minim't nuiiiitts bvihv fnishfiix iL "" thi- ri\vr Tilt' ih'*'ii lUljini' !}<•- Hiirrr fi.,iiii.\ I, liill '/«/»!. v//,ir< A' jftir II H'., hiu at f. Mr tli-'n a mi intrrxnl ot I l.\ iiiti'ily iiiifiiu tiriiJili' tnr liny liiit tiiv .tnt\iiUi:vl , V//.t.f ul' Ma>.i»" '/ I'liinhoni muhi iii,, Itii- b.wl liiiu- u-iii/ii hrmili ilw hi.o liuW nl' thf f lnoil , }ml ifr.'tU ■mil n xx nt aJI tiini-x ihiitiiiil fiii.v ti t'i;t III I. H'. Ill,- ViJIiimw, ii' in iiutnht^ nmtini iiinntf Stifl Intuihifnji Ciihlut 10 -I — - — -I- * ThtM Chilli- I ft (hxuvti. U' a- ■McrUi n/uf nin./r IT w '.'.' l',-,-l .\'iu4>.> III >,■ I'.' I'lvt . iff I 0,1 th */.V iinturfmn .//• iin*-*u-hnn ./<' tt/iit'rtiiiit tun t-rtt^ttt f»JMoms 1 Xiiuii. Milf * .' .f k'liucltth /.Yii.t.\ Hnv/tl /< ]}ir l.iiinitjlf ,l'X>i.t.>ltltu/r Him ,ififU'l f>r lit'fH'fti/f-J lU'f"! fi'httlt'u mili> lli,' /-'>ntfttinU' tv it fii'fAfl •" 'n,ituifiliitiiiri Thi' '!"•• nt' H H'' ijf .Wi.M lJfl4it/<' L* iny 'iiiiti-uitn . Till' thu'il liilf M- ritil ti'll iihinf thp .Vluiillr Hiutk .ll .V/■ /* tr I" .'{<> "" /n^hre the wutvr /.< «'«.i W rixr The Xiixs ■ lit ii'ulii ml piKk\il'ty qvt iii> »t I, H' it n ii rrr .i/.v<'i"iirW««<<»;i.../r\' U tiJi tirrif.! nitv.y.xary Tht' Auff titi' ihf MuliHf i'>tliiii> »/i Mtil lntitihir,irtt.^ .\uu ,>f (um Fi \ -L t NnuUcittnt ihh hi4iuj ti iTfiujtJii n fi' hr iSitiJi rf fJu OiUfuml i^ititr\ l> Ik fiuiurcit ■■■■feHHIl m *t Mop y Xi7/u NASS BAY ^ tmu N?XI. n.w.america. British Columbia Observatory Inlet, from. Am Admiralty Survey, of 1868; Sprin/f Range 23 ft. Xeap Rxvtufe 12 ft. H.W.F&C. IH? OS"?. LiiUiiide 54 . 59 . 76.4 X. ^ Naas Bay, Longxtuaf 129. S7. sis w. Varieuien, 27. 3S E. "Die Tulrg III (>h^rr>iitiiy Jii/rt ore iny iiirifiilnJ- niul n' Mityiiifi /irn '49225 ~"~ Scale m^ff IncK, - 1 JVantic Mile, of 6086 F*'* CahU, ^ Kmttie itiles . SOUNDINGS IN Fathoms. Obeervatnry Ifdet-woji tricjipulittfd.froin tht fidf, ATorth /*,' ,ai tn one of^o^ite on. Western Short, tnJi-im. from, the plan of A'a^x Bny . * *Thi» Chart tg dro*m. to a. ■vn/r rf 43225 utrh -I Jfi.u/ir Mtlt, htitig tu raAutitm, to half the «QoJe of^w Original Surtry D. P Cameron.. • . Colmel'. t CftRCt.XCLC -..I- ij ClO*^*.: J -3.l»t N? X N.W. AMF.Hir.V. British Columbia Portland Ct Admiralty Surve 1868. H. W F SC 1.30 Sfrruuf,? ranffeS3 W '.'7 i Laiitiute S5 S6 f'.V OB ,11 Haul of Inlet < LfmfliUuUf IM 'h') '■^ Vcu'tution 27. •'(> c 1 - iz^ J - ■» .^f" ScaJc 1.003 Ins =- I NaiUic MiU ofCdfU'eet * SounotMGS in pATHOmS. Thu Chart is ilraun tn n .>cole of O'SOtJt in. •/^'I'mji MiJi' hmu % the ,\rt,le <>f the orvfuuil survey \tic Mtii*. Ln/ ,«17«. rr«i><« .V I fei't Mitt>. f't-tittj jM*».fcr,»^c r.- , ^. f-,»..j-i _ w,,i»i