THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY. 73 



out upon tlie return voyage at tlie end of August or the beginning of 

 September, following its previous course, and returning to New Arch- 

 angel with the agent, who is to repeat the observations prescribed for 

 the outward voyage. 



2. One of the larger vessels should leave the port of New Archangel 

 for Ayan not later than tlie ir)th of May, to arrive at the latter port 

 at the end of June. Tliis ship, which must be armed, will carry jiassen- 

 gers, stores, and supjilies for our Asiatic stations. On the outward 

 voyage the course of this vessel should be laid to the northward of 

 the chain of the Aleutian Islands, in order to meet foreign ships enter- 

 ing Bering Sea, and to warn them against cruising in pursuit of whales in 

 the vicinity of the seal islands of the I'ribilof and (Commander groups. 

 At the beginning of August the shi]) should return to New Archangel, 

 with cargo and i^assengers from Siberia, cruising in search of foreign 

 vessels on the way. During the detention of this vessel in the port of 

 Ayan, its commaiuler will ]>lace himself under the orders of the local 

 colonial authorities in all cases of (Mnergency, or of i]ifringement of the 

 Company's rights and privileges, for which pur[)0se the local com- 

 manders are furnished with special instructions. 



3. A second small vessel, the swittest of the tieet, ])robably the Men- 

 shikofj with a naval crew and commanded by a naval oflicer, must sail 

 from Sitka at the end of April for the sole purpose of watchiug the 

 loreign whale ships in the southein part of Bering Sea and along the 

 chain of the Aleutian Islands. On this vessel supplies may be forwarded 

 to Copper and ]>ering islands, and, perhaps, to Attn and Atka, in case 

 this should not have been accomplished by the tirst vessel, referred to 

 under No. 1 of this dispatch. On this vessel also shouhl be placed one 

 of the higher oflicials of the Company, with thei)Owers of an inspector 

 and general agent. This vessel must be kei)t cruising constantly over 

 the waters mentioned above, and nuist not enter any of the harbors 

 except for the purpose of obtaining water and wood, on which occa- 

 sions the stay of the vessel must be limited to the briefest possible pe- 

 riod. Each of the above-mentioned islands must be visited by this 

 cruiser at least twice during the season. The tirst time for the pur- 

 pose of landing supi)lies, mails, and the inspector; the second time to 

 receive the furs obtained, reports, mail, and the insi)ector. The com- 

 mander of this cruiser is strictly ])rohibited from remaining at anchor 

 during the progress of insjiection, as it would be better to call at the 

 islands several times than to remain idle in i:)ort. The conclusion of 

 this cruising voyage depends upon the time at which the foreign whale 

 ships leave Bering Sea, which is probably at the end of August or the 

 beginning of September. 



4. The third and fourth of the smaller vessels, *. e., the OMotsIc and 

 Tunguss^ are assigned to carry supplies to the redoubts and islands of 

 the kadiak district and to Unga Island, ancl to bring back furs. In 

 order to still further insure the Kadiak district against scarcity of sup- 

 plies, one of the larger vessels sailing in the spring may also take a 

 I)artial cargo for Pavlof Harbor. 



5. The second large vessel must be employed to supply the 

 islands of the Unalaska district, the Pribilof Islands, and St. Michael's 

 redoubt, and also to carry on intercourse with the coast tribes of 

 Bering Sea, on the Asiatic as well as on the American coasts. Being 

 first loaded with the supplies for St. Michael's and the goods intended 

 for traffic with savage tribes, this ship may take on subsequently an 

 upper cfti'go of lumber and firewood for the Pribilof Islands and the 

 Unalaska district, at which points mail and the most necessary sup- 

 plies may be landed on the outward voyage and furs picked u\} on tho 



