THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY. 63 



not claim jurisdiction over coastwise waters beyond tlic limits accepted 

 by any other maritime power for the whole of our coast facing the 

 open ocean. Over all interior waters, however, and over all waters in- 

 closed by liussian territory, such as the Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea, 

 or the Sea of Kamchatka, as well as in all gulfs, bays, and estuaries 

 within our possessions, the right to the strictest control Avill always be 

 maintained. 



In informing me of the highest will on these points the managing 

 chief of the ministry of Foreigu Affairs expresses the desire to obtain a 

 full and clear discriptive statement of all localities which are at the 

 present day occupied by the Russian American Company, and over 

 which the same Company is now enjoying its exclusive privilege of trade, 

 navigation, and fishery in order to make it possible to ascertain def- 

 initely the points to which foreign vessels may be admitted without in- 

 jury to the Company's vested rights. 



The managing chief of the ministry of Foreign Affairs adds that when, 

 in the charter granted to the Russian American Comj)any in the year 

 1799, the flity-tiftli degree of northern latitude was settled upon as the 

 southern boundary, this line was looked ux)on as well to the northward 

 of any j)ossessions claimed by other x>owers, and one which could safely 

 be changed in case our Russian American Company should be found 

 occupying territory farther south. 



For this reason Privy Counselor Count Nesselrode suggests that it 

 would be well for the Russian- American Company to compile in addi- 

 tion a list of its stations, the time of their establishment, and mainte- 

 nance, together with any information they may possess of the situation, 

 strength, and importance of any establishments maintained in the 

 vicinity of our possessions by English or ISJ'orth American trading com- 

 panies. 



In order to enable me to comply with these various suggestions, and 

 in view of the urgency of the matter in hand, I now respectfully request 

 the board of administration of the Russian American Company to fur- 

 nish me, without any unnecessary delay, a report containing the infor- 

 mation specified above, in duplicate, one copy to be forwarded to the 

 Imperial Ambassador at Washington. At the same time I am author- 

 ized to assure you that every effort will be made to secure the adoi)tion 

 of such rules as will effectually protect the Russian American Company 

 from inroads on the part of foreigners u])on their vested priviliges, in 

 strict conformity not only with ihe privileges granted by highest act, 

 but also with the edict of September 4, 1821. 



Count D. CtUEYef, 



Minister of Finance. 

 Y. Dkushinin, 



I)irector. 



No. 11. 



Letter from the Minister of Finance {Department of Manufactures and 

 Internal Trade) to the Board of Administration of the Russian Ameri- 

 can Company. Written from !St. Petersburg April 2, 1824. 



On the subject of your representations, under jSTo. 73, of February 11 

 of this year, concerning the permission to foreign vessels of entering 

 the harbor of Ncav Archangel for the pur^jose of trading with the chief 

 manager of the Russian American Colonies for such necessaries as he 



