CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 61 



year tbe Russian sloopofw ar '• Apollou " also arrived, 



with instructions that all trade with foreigners should 



cease. This interdict remained in force for two years, 



and seriously interfered with the profits of the Company. 



In this year also tlie llussian sloopsof-war "Kreisser"' i^"''P-^*°- 



and "Ladoji'a" arrived to enforce the provisions of the 



Ukase and remained for two years. 



An exploratory expedition, which remained absent two ibw., p.546. 

 years, was dispatched from Sitka to the eastern shore of 

 Behriug Sea. 



In 1823, a famine was feared at Sitka and on the coast, ibid., pp. 536- 

 and the ''Rurik" and an American vessel which had been''"^''" 

 jjurchased, were sent to California and the Sandwich Islands 

 for supplies. 



Referring to this incident, Bancroft writes: 



As in this instance, tbe Colonies had frequently been relieved ibid., p. 538. 

 78 from want by trade with foreigners; and, indeed this was too 

 often the only means of averting starvation. Even between 

 1818 and 1822, when supplies were comparatively abundant, goods, 

 consisting mainly of provisions, were obtained by tratiic Avitb Ameri- 

 can and English coasters to the value of more than 300,000 roubles 

 in scrip. 



In the same year, the " Rob Roy," from Boston, is known xorth-west 

 to have been on the north-west coast. F"'"^*' vol. i, p. 



In 1824, Kotzebue, in the " Predpriatie," called at Sitka. Ai.iska, p. 540. 

 About this time the shareholders of the Russian Company ibid., p. 541. 

 protested against the interdict of foreign trade, and Sitka 

 was, in consecpience, again opened to such trade. 



Acting under the authority of the Ukase of 1821, the DaUs Alaska, 

 United States brig "Pearl,'' when on a voyage from lioston pp-^^-*. 234. 

 to Sitka, had been in the year 1822 seized by the Russian 

 slooi) "Apollon.'' Count Nesselrode, in his des])atch to 

 Count Lieven (2Gth June, 1823), when communicating the see Appendix, 

 suspension of the Ukase of 1821, says the advices to this y'^^-gg.' ^"'^ ^' 

 efl'ect were sent from St. Petersburg in August of 1823, 

 and that the officer of the "Apollon" could not receive 

 them before September, 1824, and that, therefore, he could 

 not have known of them at the " time of the occurrence 

 of the incident reported by the American press," 



In 1824, the "Pearl" was released, and compensation was ,,^ ^ , J',° ^^^ 



. , ' 1 1 i. i.- "Pearl," see S. 



paid lor her arrest and detention. Canning to g. 



Caunin<r, April 

 23, 1823. Appendix, vol. ii. Part I, No. 24. 



In the same year four vessels are recorded as having Northwest 

 visited the north-west coast, and some of them are known ^4""^*' ''^^' ^' ^' 

 to have repeated their visits in later years. ^^^?^^' p- ^^s- 



^ •' Ibid., p. 544. 



In 1825, the "Elena" arrived at Sitka with supplies. Northwest 

 Kotzebue also again called at Sitka. 3^^*' ''°^- '' ^■ 



Remonstrances were addressed by the Russian- American ^las^a, p. 582. 

 Company to the Russian Government as to the effect of 

 the Conventions of 1824 and 1825. The name of but one 

 vessel trading on the north-west coast has been preserved 

 in this year. 



In 182«>, Chistiakof wrote to the Directors of the Com- ^^e^tlf/jf/p^XZc 

 pany asking that an experienced whalingmaster should be and Behriug 

 sent out. In July of this year Her iMajesty's ship "Bios- ^83i'\ohTi;^''p: 

 som," under Captain Beechey, sailed through Behriug Sea 335.' 

 into the Arctic Ocean. 



