[white] RUSSIAN AMERICA (ALASKA)— TREATY OF 1825 69 



Sir Charles Bagot to Mr. George Canning 



St. Petersburgh 



October 29th, 1823 

 Private, By Messenger Walsh. 



"Who am I to side with ? That seems to be in point of fact, the question 

 to which Mr. Middleton's new instructions have given rise. Am I to side with 

 America, and deny all claims of Russia to any part of the N.W. Coast South of 

 the 61st degree of North Latitude ? or am I to side with Russia, and deny all 

 claim of the United States to any part of the coast north (for example) of the 

 mouth of The Columbia river ? or am I to side with neither — to admit that we 

 have all three equal pretensions — and to give it to be understood that we would 

 consent to divide the whole coast between the 42d and 61st degrees as well 

 as we can, and according to our respective conveniences ? 



These are questions much too important in their consequences for me to 

 give an opinion upon, even if I could form one in my own mind, which I can 

 not, until I know more accurately than I do whether our principal object is 

 to secure the fur trade on the continent for the Hudson's Bay Company, or to 

 secure to ourselves a share in the Sea otter trade with China — or to secure 

 both. 



The pretensions of the United States are in the true spirit of their usual 

 encroachment; and as there is something plausible in their argument, they may 

 I think contrive to make this a troublesome business. The object of the United 

 States is, I know, to obtain a boundary which shall give them both banks and 

 the exclusive navigation of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Stony 

 Mountains,^ and, to secure this, they would desire a line drawn from about 

 Widbegs^ harbour, in something more than 46°N. Latitude (I use the map 

 yoiTsent me from the office) to the most northern bend of the river in something 

 more than 51 °N. Latitude: but I think, from a few words which Mr. Middleton 

 let fall that they will no't insist very stubbornly upon coming crankling in 

 cutting "this huge Halfmoon, this monstrous cantle" out of the territory of 

 the Hudson's Bay Company (who have actually a Post at Athabaska^ at the 

 very bend of the river), provided that they can secure the embouchure of the 

 Columbia. 



To this perhaps there would be no great objection, as, in regard to the 

 Americans, any fixed boundary may be better than none; and the adjourned 

 question of the Columbia river, which has, I believe, only 4 or 5 years more 

 to sleep, would thus be quietly and finally disposed of in a general arrangement. 

 But shall we consent, when boundaries are once established, to give freedom of 

 trade, fishery, &c., to the other two parties in our allotment ? I suspect that 

 if we do, Jonathan will catch a world more otters than we shall — that he will 

 get the whole of that trade with China into his own hands. And that he will 

 contrive both to stir up and arm the Indians against us and our Company 

 in the interior of the Country. 



'Rocky mountains. 



nVhidbey harbour, now known as Grays harbour. Pacific coast of the United 

 States, lat. 47°N. 



^Boat Encampment, at the "Great bend" of the Columbia river, lat. 52° 04'N., 

 long. 118° 36'W.; the west end of the portage via Athabaska pass. 



