120 M. VON SCHMIDT. 



Farther inland it is said to be deeper, and even 

 navigable for ships; its banks are extremely 

 fertile, but peopled by numerous warlike 

 hordes. It flows hither from the north-east; 

 and the Russians have proceeded up it a distance 

 of a hundred wersts, or about sixty-seven Eng- 

 lish miles. 



The region we now passed through was of a 

 very romantic though wild character ; and the 

 luxuriant growth of the grass proved that the 

 soil was rich. From the summit of a high hill, 

 we at length, to our great joy, perceived beneath 

 us the fortress of Ross, to which we descended 

 by a tolerably convenient road. We spurred 

 our tired horses, and excited no small astonish- 

 ment as we passed through the gate at a gallop. 

 M. Von Schmidt, the governor of the establish- 

 ment, received us in the kindest manner, fired 

 some guns to greet our arrival on Russian-Ame- 

 rican ground, and conducted us into his com- 

 modious and orderly mansion, built in the Eu- 

 ropean fashion with thick beams. 



The settlement of Ross, situated on the sea- 

 shore, in latitude 38" 33', and on an insignificant 

 stream, was founded in the year 1812, with the 



