282 . ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



The gold coinage of Eussia is seldom seen, even at home, and nev^er 

 has been used in Alaska; the form of its coinage is known to liussiaus 

 as an "Imperiale," and is equal to about $5 of our currency. 



The word "ruble," according to Mr. S. N. Biiynitskie, comes from 

 the Eussian ''roobeet," or, to hew with a hatchet, because the practice 

 of notching the bullion bars, as specified below, was one that called for 

 the use of a little ax for that purpose. In 1054 rubles were first intro- 

 duced to Eussia, at Moscow, in the form of bullion bars, with deep 

 notches in them, "rubli, " which enabled the possessor to detach as much 

 of the bar as his payment might require; hence the origin of the word 

 ruble. The first silver money of Eussia was coined at Novogorod in 1420. 

 It was struck in small pieces, which w^ere then, as now, called '' kopecks." 

 The present value of the kopeck is not quite three-fourths of 1 cent 

 (United States currency). Nearly all the ordinary business calcula- 

 tions of Eussia are made upon the basis of kopecks. At present specie 

 has substantially disappeared in that country, and depreciated ijaper 

 is the representative. The silver kopeck no longer exists as current coin. 

 The copper kopeck bears on its obverse side the figure of St. George 

 spearing a dragon. "From this spear," says Georgi, "called kaptea in 

 Eussia, the term kopeck has been derived." 



A still smaller coin, called the " polooshka," worth one-fourth kopeck, 

 has been used in Eussia. It takes its name from a hare skin, " ooshka," 

 or "little ears," which, before the use of money by the Sclavs, was one 

 of the lowest articles of exchange, pol signifying half, and polooshka 

 half a hare's skin. From another small coin, the " deinga" (equal to 

 one-half kopeck in value), is derived the Eussian word for money, dein- 

 gah or deingie.^ 



In conclusion, it may be interesting to add to this mention of the coin 

 used on the seal islands and in the fur-trade transactions of Alaska that 

 the first piece of stamped money known to the numismatic records is a 

 small coin made by the Phocians about 700 B. G, on the obverse side 

 of which was the figure of a seal, so stamped because when these people 

 were emigrating, their boats were " followed by shoals of seals." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES AND COMMENTS UPON THE MAP OF ST. PAUL 



ISLAND. 



St. Paul. — This name was given to the island because it Tvas descried for the first 

 time on St. Panl's Day, July 10, 1787, by the Russian discoverers, [.hinc 29, Justinian 

 calendar.] 



Dki'ixitioxs for Russiax names of the rookeries, etc. — The several titles on 

 the map that indicate the several breeding grounds owe their origin and have their 

 meaning as f'oUows: 



Zapadnie signifies "westward," and is so used by the people who live in the village. 



Zoltoi signifies "golden;" so used to express the metallic shimmering of the sands 

 there. 



Ketavie signifies "of a whale;" so used to designate that point where a large right 

 whale was stranded in 1849 ( ?) ; from Russian " keet," or " whale." 



'As far as I can ascertain, the above expression of Russian nomenclature regard- 

 ing the subjects named is the first correct rendition made in the English language 

 of the same. Clarke [Travels: 1800] gives, on a fly-leaf of introduction to his inter- 

 esting and graphic picture of Russian life and country, these items of weight, meas- 

 ure, and money, nearly all correct as to figures, but hardly one of the Muscovitic 

 equivalents is properly pronounced and spelled in accordance. He frankly confesses 

 his ignorance, however, of the Russian language, and hence bars out all adverse crit- 

 icism tliereby. I should also add that I have, as far as possible, refrained from using 

 any of the Aleutian nomenclature on the seal islands, for the simple reason that while 

 those natives do not, in talking among themselves, employ the above Russian titles, 

 yet when they address us they do, and hence the Slavonian designations are those 

 which all races up tliere agree upon in their dc^linition and application. 



