36 TREATMENT OF THE NATIVES. 



the sake of the profitable traffic in these furs, 

 especially that of the sea-otter. By degrees 

 they formed themselves into commercial so- 

 cieties, which obtained a firmer footing on the 

 Aleutian Islands, and even on the northern 

 parts of the western coast of America, carried 

 on a regular trade to Siberia, but lived in a 

 state of continual violence and dissensions. 



Superior to the natives by the possession of 

 fire-arms, they became overbearing, treated the 

 timid Aleutians in the most cruel manner, and 

 would perhaps have quite exterminated them, 

 had not the Emperor Paul interposed. By his 

 order, in 1797, a Russian- American mercantile 

 company was established, which was to supersede 

 the trading societies hitherto existing, and possess 

 the exclusive privilege of carrying on trade and 

 founding settlements in these regions. The di- 

 rectors, in whose hands was vested the admi- 

 nistration of the affairs and appointment of the 

 trovernor of these settlements, were to reside in 

 Petersburg, under the control of the govern- 

 ment, to which they were responsible. 



At first the sea-otters were plentiful, even on 

 the coast of Kamtschatka ; but the unlimited 



