ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR CHARLES RUSSELL, Q. C. M. P. 97 



stations from Kodiak to the Alexander Archipelago, now known as Southeastern 

 Alaska — one at Three Saints Harbour, one at St. Paul Island, one on the island of 

 Kodiak, one oft" Af()<;nak Island, one at the entrance of Cook's Inlet, three on the 

 coast of the inh^t, two on Prince William Sound, one at Cape St. Elias, two on 

 Kautat Bay, and one at New Archangel, on the Bay of Sitka. 



836 Along the Coast. 



After the death of Baranofi", in 1819, his successor in charge of the affairs of the 

 Company, Lieutenant Yanovsky, made extensive explorations of the coast and 

 mainland above the Alaska Peninsula. One expedition explored and made a pre- 

 liminary survey of the coast from Bristol Bay as far as tlie mouth of the Kuskovim 

 River, discovering and locating that stream and also the Island of Nuniv^ak, on 

 parallel 60th degree, in Behriug's Sea. Another passed beyond the mouth of the 

 Yukon to Norton's Sound, and another entered the Nushegak River just above 

 Bristol Bay, pushed into the interior, and crossed the mountains and tundras into 

 the valley of the Kuskovim. Following these, in 1824 and 182(5, were the explo- 

 rations and surveys of Etholin and Luedke, further north on the coast of the 

 mainland. 



In 1824 that eminent divine of the Greek Church, Bishop Veniaminoif, visited 

 the coast between Bristol Bay and the Kuskovim, establishing missions, chapels, 

 and churches. Previous to this time, in 1815, Lieutenant Kotzebue, under the 

 patronage of Count Rumiantzo, had discovered and surveyed Kotzebue Sound and 

 the Arctic coast of America as far as Cape Lisburue. Lieutenant Tebenkof, of the 

 navy, in 1835, established missions and redoubts at St. Michael's, on the Norton 

 Sound, and in 1838, an expedition fitted out by him located Point Barrow. Mean- 

 while, exjieditions had penetrated into the interior. Glazunof ascended the Yukon 

 as far as Nulato, and made the first portage between that river and the Kuskovim 

 in 1836, while Malakof reached the same point from the redoubt established by 

 Veniaminofl' on the Nushegak, by way of that river and the Kuskovim. 



They were folloAved bj' Lieutenant Zagoskin, of the Imperial Navy, who in 

 1842-3 with five assistants made extensive explorations of basins of the Yukon and 

 Kuskovim, a voluminous journal of which is now in print. 



Unbroken Possession. 



This brings us to the close of the first century of Russian discoveries and occu- 

 pation in North America. It is needless to follow further, as the twenty-five years 

 intervening between 1842 and the date of the treaty of the United States are but a 

 continuation and repetition of Russian occupation and supremacy of this territory. 

 That possession was never changed or broken until it jiassed to the United States 

 under the Treaty of 1867. The archi\ es of Russia will further show that the 

 Imperial Government itself not only fostered these discoveries, but from the earliest 

 period has asserted and exercised dominion over the North American possessions. 



The discoveries of Behring in 1728-1741 were under Royal Commission. In 

 1766 Tolstyk, after his discover^' of the Adreian group of the Aleutian chain, was 

 granted special privileges in the new possessions by an Edict of Catherine II. The 

 expedition of Kreutzen, of the Imperial Navy, to Ouuimak Island in 1758 was 

 under commission of the same Sovereign. Upon the Report of the Committee of 

 Commerce and the recommendation of the Governor-General of Sil)eria in 1768, 

 Shelikof was granted a credit from the Public Treasury of 200,000 roubles to carry 

 forward his enterprises in North America. By a Ukase of Catlierine II in 1793 

 Missions of the Greek Church were established in the new dominion, and a Colony 

 was also founded in Kodiak under Royal Edict. 



'ITie Russian Amei'ican Company. 



The Charter of the Russian American Company issued in 1799 declares Russia's 

 dominion in the following language: " By the right of discovery in past times by 

 Russian navigators of the Northwestern part of America, beginning from the .55th 

 degree of North latitude and the chain of islands extending Irom Kamchatka to 

 America and Southward to .Japan, graciously permit the Company to have the use of 

 all hunting grounds and establishments now existing on the Northwestern 



837 coasts of America, from the above-mentioned 55th degree to Bering Strait, and 

 on the same on the Aleutian Kurile Islands situated on the Northeastern Ocean." 



In conclusion, the Charter enjoins : "All military and civil authorities in the above 

 mentioned localities not only not to prevent the company from enjoying to the iullest 

 extent the privileges granted but in case of need to protect them with all their 

 power from loss or injury, and render them, upon aijplication of the comx>any, all aid, 

 assistance and jirotectiou." 



B S, PT XIII 7 



