APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 395 



It would thus seem that M. BaranofF kuew nothing of the extensive Russian Estab- 

 lishments in 48° and 49°, and we may, ■without injustice, regard as wholly gratuitous 

 on the part of M. de Poletica the discovery of the long lost companions of Tchiricoff. 

 We are tempted, moreover, to dwell a moment on the unparalleled increase ascribed 

 to this party. 460 descendants from fifteen men in forty-seven years would afford a 

 duplication of numbers in a little more than nine years, a statement we should not 

 dare to make in the hearing of Mr. Godwin. Btit what has become of these "eight 

 Establishments?" The plain truth is, that in fixing the situation of the eight 

 Establishments, discovered by Captain Haro, M. de Poletica has made the mistake 

 of 10° of latitude. They were actually found in latitude 58° and 59°, instead of 48° 

 and 49°, and distant more than 1,000 miles from the situation assigned them by the 

 Russian Minister. This fact appears, beyond a doubt, from the account ot the voyage 

 of Captain Haro, given by M. Fleurieu, in the "Historical Introduction" before 

 referred to. It is there stated, on the authority of two original letters, the one from 

 San Blass, dated the 30th October, 1788 (a few days after the return of Haro), the 

 other from the City of Mexico, the 28th August, 1789, that Don Haro found, between 

 the latitudes of 58° and 59°, eight Russian Establishments, each composed of between 

 sixteen and twenty families, forming a total of 462 individuals. 



It is added, " that the strangers had succeeded in habituating to their customs and 

 manners 600 of the natives of the country, and received a tribute from them for the 

 Empress of Russia." For this part of the account M. de Poletica has substituted his 

 own speculations concerning the lost companions of Tchiricoff. In a note M. Fleu- 

 rieu remarks, that " in the letter from St. Blass it is mentioned that the Settlements 

 are situated l)etween the latitudes of 48° and 49°, but it is either the fault of the 

 copy, or it is by design, that the latitudes have been improperly indicated." 



M. de Humboldt, in his " Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain," vol. ii, p. 

 320, mentions the voyage of Don Haro, in the St. Carlos, and essentially confirms tlie 

 account already given. As he had access to the manuscript account of the voyage, 

 we presume his authority will not be questioned. Page 339, he says, " No Euro])ean 

 nation has yet formed a solid Establishment on the immense extent of coast from 

 Cape Mendocina (latitude 42°) to the 59th degree of latitude; ieyond this limit the 

 Jtussiaii Factories commence," &c. 



It is perfectly well known to every navigator, Russinn as well as others, who has 

 visited that part of the world, that no Russinn Settlement now exists, or ei-er did exint, 

 between the latitudes of 58° and 42°, except the one so often mentioned at Norfolk 

 Sound. On what, then, rests the Russian claim to any part of the country between 

 those parallels? Simply on the facts that Tchiricoff in 1741 saAv land in 55° 36', and 

 that M. Baranoft" in 1799 made a Settlement at Norfolk Sound, which was 

 30 destroyed in 1802, and re-established in 1804. Such, we conceive, is the j)lain 

 result of an investigation of the very authorities which M. de Poletica himself 

 has adduced. 



We attach no importance to the circumstance of land being seen by Tchiricoff in 

 1741; but if M. de Poletica does, we are perfectly willing to try titles with him on 

 the score of discovery. It is well known that Spain, by the IlIrd Article of tlie 

 Treaty of 1819, ceded to the United States all her rights to the western coast of 

 America north of 42°. It follows that all the discoveries made by her navigators 

 beyond that limit now belong to the United States. It is a "historical fact," and 

 one too well authenticated to admit of doubt; and it is stated by M. de Humboldt, 

 in his "Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain," p. 313, that"i'VrtHCi8co Gali, 

 in his voyage from Macao to Acapulco, discovered in 1582 the north-west coast of 

 America under the 57° 30'." "On correcting the old observations by the new, in 

 places of which the identity is ascertained, we find that Gali coasted part of tlie 

 Archipelago of the Prince of Wales, or that of King George." Here we find that the 

 land was discovered and its shores examined 159 years before the voyage of Tchiricoff', 

 and from 2 degrees farther north than the cape seen by that navigator — a fact that 

 puts the Russian claim to discovery out of the question. As little do we believe in 

 the validity of the claims resulting from the occupation of Norfolk Sound in 1799. 

 This sound was first discovered and examined by the Spanish expedition under 

 Heceta, Ayala, and Quadra in 1775, and received the name of "Bay of Guadalupa." 

 A few years afterwards it was visited for commercial purposes, and abounding in 

 valuable furs, soon becr.me the general resort of all those engaged in that trade. It 

 was frequented by the vessels of Great Britain, France, and the United States several 

 years before the Russians had extended their excursions so far eastward; and it is 

 therefore clear that, at that time, they had no claim on the ground of occupation. If, 

 then, prior to 1799, Russia possessed no rights on this part of the coast but such as 

 were common to and enjoyed by other nations, we confess ourselves unable to per- 

 ceive why the establishing of a few hunters, and mounting some cannon in the 

 corner of Sitka Bay, should give her the right of restraining an intercourse and 

 interdicting a commerce which had hitherto been free. 



