44 TREATIES. 



which were found to be in due form, have agreed upon and signed the 

 following articles : 



Article I. 



His Majesty the Emperor of all the Rnssias agrees to cede to the 

 United States, by this convention, immediately upon the exchange of 

 the ratiftcations thereof, all the territory and dominion now possessed 

 by his said Majesty on the ccmtinent of America and in the adjacent 

 islands, the same being contained within the geograijhical limits herein 

 set forth, to wit: The eastern limit is the line of demarcation between 

 the Russian and the British possessions in North America, as estab- 

 lished by the convention between Russia and Great Britain, in February 

 28-16, 1825, and described in Articles 111 and IV of said convention, ill 

 the following terms : 



Coiiimenciiig fioiii tlie soutlieramost poiut of the island called Priuce of Wales Is- 

 I.nul, which i>oiut lies in the parallel of 54 decrees 40 minutes north latitude, and be- 

 tween the 131st and the 133d degree of west longitude (nieiidian of theenwich), the 

 said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland channel, as far 

 as the poiut of the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude; from 

 this last-mentioned poiut, the line of deniarcatiou sliall follow the summit of the 

 mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the ])oint of intersection of the 141st 

 degree of west longitude (of the same meridian) ; and iiually, from the said point of 

 int<-rsection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as 

 the Frozen ocean. 



IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding article, 

 it is understood — 



1st. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to Russia 

 (now, by this cession, to tlie United States). 



'2d. That whenever tlie summit of the mountains which extend in a direction par- 

 a 1 !el to the coast from the 56tli degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of 

 tlic 141st degree of west longitude sliall prove to be at the distance of more than ten 

 marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions and the line 

 of coast wliich is to belong to Russia as above mentioned (that is to say, the liuut to 

 the possessions ceded by this convention) shall be fornu'd by a line parallel to the 

 winding of the coast, and which shall never exceed the distance often marine leagues 

 therefrom. 



The western limit within which,the territories and dominion conveyed, 

 are contained, passes tlirough a point in Behring's Straits on the parallel 

 of sixty-live degrees thirty minutes north latitude, at its intersection by 

 the meridian which passes midway between the islands of Krusenstern, 

 or Ignalook, and the island of Ratmanoft", or Noonarbook, and proceeds 

 due north, without limitation, into the same Frozen Ocean. The same 

 western limit, beginning at the same initial point, proceeds thence in a 

 (Mmrse nearly southwest, through Behring's Straits and Behring's Sea, 

 so as to pass midway between the northwest poiut of the island of St. 

 Lawrence and the southeast i^oint of Cape Ohoukotski, to the meridian 

 of one hundred and seventy-two west longitude; thence, from the in- 

 tersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly direction, so as to pass 

 midway between the island of Attou and the Copper Island of the Ko- 

 mandorski couplet or group inthelS^orth Pacilic Ocean, to the meridian 

 of one hundred and ninety-three degrees west longitude, so as to include 

 in the territory conveyed the whole of the Aleutian Islands east of that 

 meridian. 



Article II. 



In the cession of territory and dominion made l>y the preceding arti- 

 cle are included the right of property in all i)ublic lots and squares, 

 vacant lands, and all public buildings, fortitications, bariacks, and other 

 edilices which are not x)rivate individual projierty. It is, however, uu- 



