THE UKASE OF 1821. 47 



the Emperor, in view of possible future cornpli- 

 cations of this nature, that no contracts involving 

 the free admission or navigation for trade of for- 

 eign ships or foreign subjects in the waters adjoin- 

 ing or bounded by the coasts of Russian colonies 

 will be approved by the Imperial Government."^ hibSed from vll^t- 

 On April 23, 1820, the board of administra- Jj^fent'lf T/set 

 tion of the Company at St. Petersburg wrote toreuisV' '^"^^ "^" 

 the chief manager of the Colonies at Sitka, and, 

 after reciting the contents of the foregoing letter, 

 continued: "As soon as the Imperial Govern- 

 ment ascertained that the contracts made (viz., 

 those with Pigott) were in open violation of the 

 privileges granted the Company, it prohibited at 

 once all foreigners not only from settling in 

 Kamchatka and Okhotsk, but also from all inter- 

 course with those regions, enjoining the author- 

 ities to maintain the strictest surveillance over 

 their movements. Basing your own action upon 

 this proceeding of our Highest Protector, you, 

 as commander of all our Colonies, must prohibit 

 with equal strictness all foreigners from engag- 

 ing in any intercourse or trade with native 

 inhabitants, as well as from visiting the waters 

 frequented by sea-otters and fur-seals, over which 

 our operations extend, under penalty of the most 

 severe measures, including the confiscation of 

 ' ' Vol. 1, p. 51. ~ 



