FORMATION OP A COLONY. 37 



pursuit of them diminished their numbers so 

 rapidly, that the Company was obliged to ex-^ 

 tend their search for them over the Aleutian 

 Islands, and even to the island of Kodiack, 

 lying on the American coast, where they had 

 fixed their chief settlement. 



From thence the chase was continued to the 

 bay of Tschugatsk and Cook''s river. The poor 

 otters were severe sufferers, for the beauty of 

 the skin nature had bestowed on them. They 

 were pursued in every possible direction, and 

 such numbers annually killed, that at length 

 they became scarce, even in these quarters, 

 having already almost wholly disappeared from 

 Kamtschatka and the Aleutian Islands. 



The Company therefore resolved to extend 

 their settlements farther south; and thus, in the 

 year 1804, arose the colony on the island of 

 Sitka, whose natives call themselves after their 

 island, but are styled by the Russians Ka- 

 lushes. 



The island is only separated from the main- 

 land by a narrow inlet of the sea. It extends 

 over three degrees and a half of latitude ; and, 

 in fact, consists of three islands, as I ascer- 



