CLAIMS TO THE NORTHWEST COAST. 27 



joining- islands and the mainland around Cook's Russian compe- 

 tition. Settlement 

 Inlet, Prince William Sound, and Yakutat Bay.^-it i^adiak Mand. 



The influence of the Kadiak colony in the adjoin- 

 ing- continent is told by Coxe in these words: 

 ''The settlement formed by Shelikof in the isle of 

 Kadiak has more contributed to spread the ex- 

 tent of the Russian trade and power in the North 

 Pacific Ocean than any of the preceding expedi- 

 tions. He sent out detached parties, who formed 

 establishments on various parts of the American 

 continent and kept the natives in due order and 

 subjection."^ In one of these cruises, made 

 under Shelikof's direction, the continent was 

 reached near Prince William Sound, and the 

 coast was followed and carefully explored to the 

 east and south beyond latitude 50°. Coxe says, 

 speaking of the traders who conducted this cruise: 

 "By comparing their accounts with the narratives 

 of Cook, P(^rtlock, Meares, and Vancouver, we 

 have l)een able to ascertain most of the harbours 

 and places at which they touched, and the general 

 agreement with the accounts given by the English 

 navigators proves the accuracy of their descrip- 

 tion."^ At Yakutat, in June, 1788, they took 

 formal possession of the country and received 



' Coxe, p. 232. 



2 Coxe, p. 264. See also ibid., pp. 268, 269, 273. 



