APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 423 



we fislied for wliales. I answered, frequently within 3 sea. leagnes. Mr. 

 IMtt said lie could not ask for snch a short distance from the Spanish 

 Coloines ou the coast of the Pacitic Ocean, where all their most valu- 

 able g'old and silver mines are placed, as they would be great objects 

 for illicit trade, and that Sjiain was very jealous of any foreign inter- 

 course with their most valuable Colonies. Mr. Pitt said he believed 

 Spain would be satisfied with a boundary-line of 10 sea leagues from 

 the coast, which I acceded to in behalf of the adventurers in the whale 

 fishery. 



As I conclude that a boundary-line of waters in the North Pacific 

 Ocean will be agreed to between Great Britain and Russia, I hope I 

 may be pardoned suggesting that there ought not to be any boundary- 

 line in entering into l>ehring's Straits for the purpose of fishing or of 

 attempting to find a passage through. Behring's Straits are very nar- 

 row in all parts, and it would be almost impossible to fish in those straits 

 without being daily within 5 or G leagues from the liussian Colonies ou 

 the eastern coast of the straits. 



All I ask is that we may be protected in all our fair pursuits and 

 enterprizes in killing whales, seals, and other amphibious animals, and 

 in ex])loring and navigating the most distant and unknown parts of 

 the oceans in search of islands not colonized without control from any 

 foreign Power. 



I have, &c. (Signed) Sam. Enderby. 



No. 39. 

 Sir G. Bagot to Mr. G. Gioinijifj. — {Received Ajiril 13.) 



No. 23.] St. Peterseurgh, March 17 {2.9), 1S21. 



Sir: It is with a feeling of consi<lerable disappointment that, after 

 a constant negotiation for more than six weeks, after having gone to 

 the utmost limit of your instructions — and after having taken upon 

 myself to go even far beyond them — T should nevertheless have to 

 acquaint you that I have entirely failed in inducing the liussian Gov- 

 ernment to accede to what I consider to be a fair and reasonable adjust- 

 ment of our resj)ective pretensions on the north-west coasts of North 

 America, or to the ado]>tion of any line of territorial demarcation which 

 appears to me to be reconcileable, under the spirit of your instructions, 

 with our legitimate interests in that quarter of the world. 



In order that I may put you in complete possession of the whole 

 course of my negotiation upon this subject, and may explain the precise 

 grounds upon which I have felt myself compelled to suspend, 

 53 for the present, all further ])roceedings in this business, it will, 

 I fear, be necessary that I should enter into a detail of some 

 length, and that I should load this despatch with several papers which 

 are now become of importance. 



It was on the KJth of last month that I had my first conference upon 

 this question with the liussian Plenipotentiaries, Count Nesselrode and 

 M. Poletica. I opened this conference by explaining to thePleni])oten- 

 tiaries the reasons for which His Majesty had judged it advisable to 

 treat separately upon this nmtter, rather than, as it had been originally 

 intended, in concert with the Government of the United States. I then 

 laid before them Count Lieven's note to you of the 31st January, 1823, 



