370 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



practice of introducing prohibited articles, and especially gunpowder, 

 into the Russian dominions in that quarter, that representations had 

 been repeatedly made to the American Government upon the subject, 

 who had professed to be unable to control their citizens in those distant 

 seas, but had intimated that they should not take in ill-part, whatever 

 measures the Russian Government might deem it expedient to adopt 

 for the protection of their own rights. 



When I found that the Ukase had been already communicated to 

 your Lordship I abstained from entering with Count Nesselrode into 

 any further discussion of it, or inquiring of him upon what grounds 

 the 51st degree of north latitude (which, after the last Treaty between 

 Spain and the United States, rednces the i)OSsessions of Great Britain 

 to 2° of latitude) had been now declared, I believe for the first time, 

 to be the boundary of the Russian dominion upon those coasts, but I 

 have adverted to the novel principle involved in that Regulation of 

 the Decree which dooms to confiscation all foreign vessels which may 

 ai^i^roach within 100 Italian miles of the Russian coasts, and I find that 

 tbis extraordinary pretension has been adopted ft'om, and is supposed 

 to be justified by, tlie Xllth Article of the Treaty of Utrecht. 



I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship, under a sei^arate 

 cover, an English translation of the LTkase, and I at the same time 

 inclose a Map of the north-west coasts of America, and the Aleutian 

 and Kurile Islands, which has been published in the Quarter-Master- 

 General's Department here, and upon which I have marked all the 

 principal Russian Settlements. 



I have, &c. (Signed) Charles Bagot. 



[Inclosure in No. 4.] 



On the original is written in the handwriting of His Imperial Majesty: "Be it 

 accordingly. — Alexander." 

 Kammenoi Ostroef, September 4, 1821. 



Rules estailisfied for the Limits of Navigation and Order of Communication along the 

 Coast of the Eastern Siberia, the North-West Coast of America, and the Aleutian, 

 Kurile, and other Islands. 



§ 1. The pursuits of commerce, whaling, and fishery, and of all other industry on all 

 islands, posts, and gulfs, including the whole of the north-west coast of America, 

 beginning from Behring's Straits to the 51° of northern latitude, also from the Aleutian 

 Islands to the eastern coast of Siberia, as well as along the Kurile Islands from 

 Behring's Straits to the south cape of the Island of llrup, viz., to the 45*^ 50' north 

 latitude, is exclusively granted to Russian subjects. 



ij 2. It is therefore prohil)ited to all foreign vessels, not only to land on the coasts 

 and islands belonging to Russia as stated above, but, also, to approach them 

 6 within less than 100 Italian miles. The transgressor's vessel is subject to con- 



fiscation along with the whole cargo. 



§ 3. An exception to this rule is to be made in favour of vessels carried thither 

 by heavy gales, or real want of provisions, and unable to make any other shore but 

 such as belongs to Russia; in these cases they are obliged to produce convincing 

 proofs of actual reason for such an exception. Ships of friendly Governments, 

 merely on discoveries, are likewise exempt from the foregoing Rule 28. In this 

 case, however, they must be previously provided with passports from the Russian 

 Minister of the Navy. 



^S 4. Foreign merchant-sliips which, for reasons stated in the foregoing rule, touch 

 at any of the above-mentioned coasts, are obliged to endeavour to choose a place 

 where Russians are settled, and to act as hereafter stated. 



^ 5. On the arrival of a foreign merchant-ship, wind and weather permitting, a 

 pilot will meet her to appoint an anchoring place appropriated for the purpose. 



