i6 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



up by the Central Government. The latter came to 

 the conclusion that expeditions fitted out for different 

 scientific purposes, such as those under Lieutenant 

 Lind (1764), and Lieutenant-Captain Krenitsin and 

 Levashoff (1766), cost immense sums to the Treasury 

 and brought little or no result. Accordingly an 

 ukase of the Empress Catharine the Great gave 

 full scope to private enterprise, and ordered a staff 

 of naval officers to be sent out, with instructions that 

 one of these should be on board each trading ship 

 for the survey of new country and coasts. Moreover, 

 every ukase pointed out the necessity of " friendly 

 relations and honest trade" with the inhabitants. In 

 1783, Shelekhoff, an enterprising Kamchatkan mer- 

 chant, made his appearance on the Aleout Islands, 

 and with a capital of 70,000 roubles (^7,000) founded 

 the first commercial company, which gradually in- 

 creased with the annexation of the Prybiloff Islands, 

 and in 1798 was called the " Russo-American Com- 

 pany." This firm, under different names, has existed 

 ever since, and is known at present as the " Russian 

 Seal Fisheries Company." 



Parallel with the growth of trade in Kamchatka, 

 attempts were constantly being made towards agri- 

 culture and cattle-breeding in the peninsula. I)Oth 

 branches, and especially the former, after fift)" years 



