THE NORTHWESTERN BOUND ARY - LINE. 213 



between them in the same quarter by a line which, 

 beginning in 54 40 at the southernmost point of 

 Prince of Wales Island, was made to run obliquely to 

 strike the main-land at latitude 56, and then to pro 

 ceed parallel to the windings of the coast at the dis 

 tance of not exceeding ten marine leagues therefrom 

 along the summit of the coast mountains to its inter 

 section with the 141st decree of longitude at Mount 



o o 



St.Elias, and thence due north along that meridian to 

 the Frozen Ocean. 



It has been too much the practice of British navi 

 gators and British map-makers to affix English names 

 to places previously visited and named by other 

 Europeans, and to found thereon claims of discov 

 ery. English names are scattered along the coast of 

 Russian America, such as Cook s Inlet, Prince Wil 

 liam Sound, King George III. Archipelago, Prince 

 of Wales Archipelago; but no British claims of 

 prior exploration could prevail here against the 

 claims of possession as well as discovery presented 

 by Russia. 



In this treaty, each Government speaks as the pro 

 prietor and sovereign of the respective territories ; 

 and it is this treaty which defines and marks out the 

 Territory of Alaska, as now held by the United States 

 under recent cession from Russia. 



In this condition stood the title for more than 

 twenty years: the United States claiming from the 

 latitude of 42 to that of 54 40 , in virtue, first, of 

 their own discoveries and settlement, and of the right 

 of the extension of Louisiana until it should reach the 



