122 SPANISH PRETENSIONS. 



Russian establishment became more flourishing 

 than theirs, envy, and apprehension of future 

 danger, took possession of their minds : they 

 then required that the settlement should be 

 abandoned, asserted that their rights of domi 

 nion extended northward quite to the Icy Sea. 

 and threatened to support their claims by force 

 of arms. 



The founder and then commander of the 

 fortress of Ross, a man of penetration, and one 

 not easily frightened, gave a very decided an 

 swer. He had, he said, at the command of his 

 superiors, settled in this region, which had not 

 previously been in the possession of any other 

 power, and over which, consequently, none had 

 a right but the natives ; that these latter had 

 freely consented to his occupation of the land, 

 and therefore that he would yield to no such 

 unfounded pretension as that now advanced by 

 the Spaniards, but should be always ready to 

 resist force by force. 



Perceiving that the Russians would not com 

 ply with their absurd requisitions, and consi 

 dering that they were likely to be worsted in 

 an appeal to arms, the Spaniards quietly gave 



