120 M. VON SCHMIDT. 



Farther inland it is said to be deeper, and even 

 navigable for ships ; its banks are extremely 

 fertile, but peopled by numerous warlike 

 hordes. It flows hither from the north-east; 

 and the Russians have proceeded up it a distance 

 of a hundred wersts, or about sixty-seven Eng 

 lish miles. 



The region we now passed through was of a 

 very romantic though wild character ; and the 

 luxuriant growth of the grass proved that the 

 soil was rich. From the summit of a high hill, 

 we at length, to our great joy, perceived beneath 

 us the fortress of Ross, to which we descended 

 by a tolerably convenient road. We spurred 

 our tired horses, and excited no small astonish 

 ment as we passed through the gate at a gallop. 

 M. Von Schmidt, the governor of the establish 

 ment, received us in the kindest manner, fired 

 some guns to greet our arrival on Russian-Ame 

 rican ground, and conducted us into his com 

 modious and orderly mansion, built in the Eu 

 ropean fashion with thick beams. 



The settlement of Ross, situated on the sea 

 shore, in latitude 38 33 , and on an insignificant 

 stream, was founded in the year 1812, with the 



