122 SPANISH PRETENSIONS. 



Russian establishment became more flourishing 

 than theirs, envy, and appreliension of future 

 danger, took possession of their minds: they 

 then required that the settlement should be 

 abandoned, — asserted that their rights of domi- 

 nion extended northward quite to the Icy Sea, 

 and threatened to support their claims by force 

 of arms. 



The founder and then commander of the 

 fortress of Ross, a man of penetration, and one 

 hot easily frightened, gave a very decided an- 

 swer. He had, he said, at the command of his 

 superiors, settled in this region, Avhich had not 

 previously been in the possession of any other 

 power, and over which, consequently, none had 

 a right but the natives ; that these latter had 

 freely consented to his occupation 'of the land, 

 and therefore that he would yield to no such 

 unfounded pretension as that now advanced by 

 the Spaniards, but should be always ready to 

 resist force by force. 



Perceiving that the Russians would not com- 

 ply with their absurd requisitions, and consi- 

 dering that they were likely to be worsted in 

 an appeal to arms, the Spaniards quietly gave 



