10 At)DtTIONAL FACTS RELATINCt TO 



'^Dnrin.c' liis survey of the American coast Vancouver^ met witli many 

 considerable hunting i)arties, under the command of Eussians; one in 

 particuhir, which he saw in Portlo(;k's Harbour, consisting of not less 

 than 900 natives of Kadiak and of the adjacent regions. He likewise 

 mentions their settlement at Port Etches or JSTootcheck, and gives a 

 particular detail of the tactory whi(ih they had established in Cook's 

 Inlet "' 



In 1787 Shelikof journeyed to Irkutsk to obtain for his company ex- 

 clusive control of the fur trade, for at that time there was danger 

 that this trade would come to an end unless carried on under proper 

 restrictions. He met, liowever, only with partial success. 



Soon after the Russians had settled upon the coast of America they 

 began fighting amongst themselves, the Lebedef Company making its 

 appearance at Kadiak in 178G, and shortly afterwards moving on to 

 Cooks Inlet and Prince William Sound, at bi)tli of which spots the 

 Shelikof company had already established itself.-' 



In 1795 Shelikof died, but his company continued in existence. Two 

 yearslater a merchant named Milinkof organized a large company,which 

 company, however, shortly afterwards united with the Shelikof and 

 other companies, forming together an association known as the United 

 American Company, witti a capital of 721,000 rubles, and this company 

 became in the year 1799, by an imperial ukase, which contained its char- 

 ter, the Eussian American Company. All hunters or small traders in 

 Eussiau America were invited to join it. The rights, obligations, and 

 mode of government of this Company, as well as the character and ex- 

 tent of its fur industry, of which the fur-seal catch formed at an early 

 date the chief item, are referred to elsewhere.'' 



It was the constant policy of the Eussian Government and of the 

 Company to prevent foreigners from deriving profit from intercourse 

 with the Colonies, and toward the end of 1822 a Eussian sloop of war 

 reached Sitka with instructions that all trade with them should cease. 

 The shareholders of the comi^any, however, soon realized that a total 

 suspension of all trade with foreigners was detrimental to their inter- 

 ests, and in 1824 they successfully petitioned the Government that the 

 .port of Sitka be opened to such trade.^ 



The Company's charter was renewed in 1821. During the second 

 term of its existence a tour of insi)ection was made through the Colo- 

 nies by the chief manager and they were divided into five districts: 

 Further important expeditions tvere undertaken to Bering Sea and its 

 eastern coast, and many valuable surveys of these regions were made. 

 Expeditions were also directed to the interior of the territory of Alaska, 

 and to the Arctic coast east from Kotzebue Sound.*^ 



In the year 1833 an event of some imi)ortance took place on the 

 Stikeen Eiver, upon which the Hudson's Bay Com])auy had determined 

 to establish a station. To accomplish this purpose the brig Dryad was 

 to ascend this river from its mouth, under the f)rivilege conferred 

 by Article vi of the treaty of 1825. The Eussians, hearing of this, dis- 

 ])atched two armed vessels to the mouth of the Stikeen, and these 

 drove otF the J)ri/a(l when she a])proached. A serious dispute threat- 

 ened for some tiiru^ to arise <mt of this aft'air, but it was settled in 1839 

 in this way: The Hudson's Bay Company waived its claim for damages 

 on condition that the Eussian American Company execute to the former 



1 Vancouver visited tliose rci-ions in 1794. ' See Case, ])[>. 35-37. 



(Sew vol. Ill of liis voyaf>('8, j). 83 et soij.) " Letter from the Minister of Finniice <(i 



H'oxe, p. 201 . the board April 2,1824, Vol. i, p. 03. 



*Tikhmenief, vol. i, p. 57. ^xikhmenief, vol. i, pp. 274,275. 



